The Completely Useless Information Thread - open all hours

[Justin Credible]

Just had two pigeons running amok in the kitched. Glasses crashing to the floor and breaking, everything on the window sill flying around and huge noise. The thick bastards couldn't work out that the easyest exit was through the fucking door they entered in the first place!

Sounds like Dicie's sent the boys round.

[M H]

Rolling the pastry as we speak!

[Justin Credible]

good job pat is not here, the cruelty to animal lecture would ensue

[M H]

How could it be cruel if Ruby's eating one of them now?

[Justin Credible]

what seriously did you do with them, did the dog kill them or did you eventually get them out ?

[M H]

I opened the window and got them out without any harm coming to them mate

[Justin Credible]

I spend a few quid each week on bird food, grain balls, seeds etc for the hanging trays I have out my back.
There are wood pigeons, doves, robins, thrush, ravens, magpies, seagulls etc all visit .

They are more careful now as the pup chases them, the collies never bothered them and they birds would land in the garden as my dogs would never make a run for them, problem is each morning you dont need an alarm, the amount of the fuckers singing would wake you.

[M H]

Since I was a lad I've always put bread out for the birds and so many times the grass has been literally covered with them. Ruby will chase them and sometimes gets close but I can't see her catching one. She may well get a squirrel over the park though

[M H]

Getting my laptop back tomorrow at a cost of £85 for a new screen which means I can put this fucking notebook away and just use it as a storage device for important files

[M H]

This was really amusing yesterday morning and went on for about 15 minutes before I picked Ruby up as she'd still be there now trying to get the squirrel. She got quite clever after I stopped filming by walking away then bolting back when she heard the squirrel coming down the tree. Apologies for the poor quality.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Justin Credible]

would she kill the squirrel if she caught one ?

[M H]

Initially I thought she would mate as she's a hunter but watching the tail wagging makes me think she just wants to play. I could be wrong though

[Justin Credible]

My collies would run after a rabbit but I knew for a fact would never kill one, the collie that died was like a rocket, he caught 2 in the past and would let them go to chase again.
Never blooded them.

The GS pup is a bit different he still chases all the pigeons, doves, thrushes, starlings etc , the collies never did, but he is a pup, has me driven mad, still trying to eat everything and i mean everything, wife found her laptop charger out the back under cushions he was trying to bury in the garden, took a disposable razor of him yesterday, he is still teething and wants to nip me.


Funniest thing is when i walk the two , people coming see this big GS and decide to walk on the side of the collie, the collie is one weird collie as he would eat you if you looked at me sideways and while 8 years old and getting on and half the size of the pup is total master and the GS knows it too.

[M H]

Collies aint killers mate, never have been and never will be but there's a but. They're loyal and protect their flock which includes the master and territory and that's when they'll fight. We walk with one every morning and Ruby gives him a load of grief but he just takes it and never retaliates. His owner told me yesterday that the night before he had a fight with two foxes in his garden the night before and beat them both off. He did his job.

I've no doubt whatsoever the GS would rip a squirrel apart but most people just don't get them. There's a few over the park and again Ruby gives them a dog's time but again all they do is lick her. It's funny watching the stand off then they lick each other before Ruby winds them up.

Must be honest and say I never wanted the responsibility of a dog and would have said no had I knew she was coming but she's fantastic and makes me smile many times every day. I'm so much fitter with the miles I put in and looking forward to the summer months. Winter was a total bitch though!

[Justin Credible]

they say a dog adds two years on average to the life expectancy from the lower stress levels and the cardiovascular exercise you get.

As for my collie, he was like that from day one, the other was the perfect collie friendly, but why his brother was so aggressive is beyond me, never harmed, treated both the same, same exercise, food, diet, routine etc.
He barks at my neighbour, then other days the neighbour will grab him, rub him and he rolls over and 2 seconds later bark and if its a stranger run for them, never left him off the lead as he is too over protective, he backs at every bloke that passes....oh yeah.only blokes, never females for some reason.

[M H]

When my old man had his first heart attack his consultant told him "His legs are his heart's best friend" which pretty much backs up your point mate.

Since I've been doing the walking thing I've noticed all the different personalities that dogs have, they really are not a lot different to us. We have good days where we're up for anything and days when we can't give a toss. Also so many dogs adopt the traits of the owner as in a panicky owner has a panicky dog. A loud owner has a loud dog and a relaxed owner has a dog that's just does what it does.

There's a load there that are rescue dogs and have been treated badly in the past. Then I see how they adapt to good owners and come on leaps and bounds because of the way they're treated now. There's one in particular, a collie spaniel cross. She was scared of her own shadow when I first came across her and now she's right in the thick of things when the games start. That all came about because she now has a totally relaxed owner that really looks after her.

They are in the end what we make them I guess

[Justin Credible]

for me it was always the curiosity why one collie could be so placid, cal,m and affectionate while the other wary, defensive and somewhat aggressive as both treated the same
Strange thing since the other placid fella died whoi was the dominant dog, the aggressive one is far more relaxed and has settled in to his role of alpha dog.That said he aint been the same in a few ways since his brother died, and not ashamed to say it still breaks my heart at times, plus knowing this aint got long left if the hip problems accelerate.

[M H]

Like a pair of kids treated exactly the same by their parents Gaz, chalk and cheese mate.

Ruby's now nestled on me and believe me when she goes as I know she will it will break my heart as well. How her previous owners could have given her away is beyond me

[Justin Credible]

for those that never had a dog or had a dog and dont have some sort of caring heart you dont realise how fond of your pet you get.

[Jockenaria]

We had a border collie for 13 years from when it was 6 weeks old, was heartbreaking when it had to get put down.

My boys love my mum and dad's dog, god knows what they will be like when he goes.