"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Sunday 19 March 2017

Penalties

There are plenty of those in life, aren't there.

And they crop up in the most unexpected way too.

Just as we are adjusting to having the cutest, brightest little (well, actually - not so little anymore) puppy in our lives, Stellar has presented us with a whole set of restrictions which we have had to put in place.

Sadly, wielding a rolled up newspaper and emitting a sharp "No!" is taking it's time to have it's desired effect, and accompanying positive adjustment in her behaviour.

Pushing the boundaries is what's it all about...

For instance - the couch - now that is quite the bet place for a puppy to stretch out and catch her beauty sleep.
What a sight - climber netting covering the couches
Not on my watch, it isn't. 

I prefer dog hairless couches when I settle down to relax of an evening.  So, that involved spending just a little bit of money - on a preventative measure.  We opted for a garden rigid-ish climber netting that rolls up when not required, but is uncomfortable enough not to allow for canine snoozes.  As soon as she gets the message, the garden netting will assume it's intended purpose in my garden - perhaps even in time for the peas to wind their way up...?

Then, the relationship between Stellar and Squeak is - to put it politely, not good.  Squeak therefore prefers to spend her days in our bedroom, with her access to outside restricted to night times (through the bedroom window) whilst Stellar is getting her beauty  sleep.  And all Stellar wants to do is play... (sigh)
The make-shift barrier to prevent broken puppy legs
And, staircases - being wooden, and pretty slippery for dogs to climb, means that in order to prevent broken legs, we have had to come up with a hurriedly thrown together gate made out of chicken fencing and our good old Black Wattle poles...

When Stellar is not requiring attention / stimulation (we must get another puppy as a companion I reckon) we can breath a sigh of relief. 
A bolster made our of RMan's old jeans
Stellar has decided that the recycled doggy bed we made her - and blanket and a pair of RMan's old jeans which had their leg "opening's" sewn shut after being filled with wadding - is perfect for snuggling into at night, and during the day...
Her favourite 40 winks spot - under
 my writing desk - and under my feet...
...whilst she can still fit - when she needs 40 winks - climbing into the space below my writing desk is her preferred spot.  Which means I have to sit at the writing desk with my legs crossed otherwise I will constantly be kicking her.

The joys of owing a puppy.

You get the picture?  ðŸ˜‚

10 comments:

  1. Funny, loved seeing the photos. I guess she is going to wonder why she doesn't fit as she gets bigger. Enjoy. Best wishes

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    1. Shirley - Yup, could be interesting to see her trying to get under as she gets bigger...

      She's quite a handful though, but we love her anyway :D

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  2. Welcome to my world. We should form a club.

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    1. Sol - Tee Hee - sounds like a good idea :D

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  3. Just relax , throw a pretty curtain over the chairs and let the dogs curl up with you ! They are your family , relax and enjoy them :)

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    1. Disy Debs - welcome, and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

      Yup - definitely part of the family... :D

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  4. Critters! Never a dull moment and they always keep you on your toes. Makes for fun blog posts too.

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    1. Leigh - Lol - yup, certainly make fun blog posts - sometimes I feel I am too serious...

      This type of blog post also serves as a memory - in years ahead we'll look back and smile at the memories ;)

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  5. Welcome to my world! I now have three dogs, 2 cats and three parrots sharing my tiny little 9x4m square little workers cottage, and every second weekend, my hubby joins the whole bang shoot! Now if all my dogs were the size of Sadie (our new little 4 month old Jack Russel puppy)it would be fine, but Zack my german shepherd/wolf hybrid weighs between 55 and 60 kilos and is much taller than my hip height, and Zara our 18 month old is also very big for a rottweiler bitch, she weighs about 45 kilos! Add that to my Maine Coon cross kittens x 2 and then 3 parrots you can imagine the chaos inside this tiny little cottage! So I must just hold my breath as we will be starting to build the main farm house before the end of the year!

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    1. Michelle - I do not know how you manage!! Not tripping over one puppy is taking a lot of effort (damn glasses on the end of my nose don't necessarily make for clear sight close-up).

      I'm sure you'll love the space - once you're in the new soon-to-be farmhouse. Got a blog - wanna share your journey???

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.