Vocal Voices

by **JoM** » 12 Jan 2017, 12:10

Thanks all, Ally I was petrified. I was still shaking when we got home half an hour later.
Poor thing though, he's cut his walk short this morning. We got half way along the path that goes towards where it happened when he took a right turn and started heading in the direction of home.

And would you believe it if I told you we came across another nasty Staffie when we were almost home? Again on a intersection on path where one crosses another. Thankfully this one was on his lead this but he was snarling and baring his teeth and refused to move, it took his owner all his strength to drag him away.

Di's right, they're not usually animal friendly. Apart from Butch over the road who is lovely. Billy had only lived here a couple of weeks when he showed up at our door with one of their kids who wanted to see if he was ready to go for a walk yet. When he'd had his injections Joe and Ben used to take them out every afternoon after school :lol:

by **Workingman** » 12 Jan 2017, 12:38

I still think that the owners have a lot to do with things.

Our bestie n-d-b-1-n, T, had three dogs, a lurcher, Staffie and the oddest looking Labrador cross ever seen. We had an Alsatian, Max. Our gardens were huge and the four of them would chase and chase and chase. Barney (Staffie) and Max would eventually rough and tumble once it sank in that they could not catch the lurcher. The Lab just stood there bewildered.

The one dog Barney hated was the Weimaraner that lived between us. That was probably because it was so aloof and proud. :roll:

It really is a shame that yesterday's incident has spooked Billy so much. For a while he might have to go on a lead as you approach the area, Jo, just so that you can reassure him it is safe to cross that path.

by **JoM** » 12 Jan 2017, 13:33

I will Frank, and luckily the area (the woods and common) is big enough for there to be alternatives.

I agree, a lot of it is down to the owners. Around here they're seen as a status dog. Every baseball wearing bloke has one. The rescue centres around here are full of them, that's why we ended up finding Billy all the way over in Shrewsbury.
Look at this, it's heartbreaking to see just how many there are on Birmingham Dogs Home's page

http://www.birminghamdogshome.org.uk/re-homing#meet-our-dogs

If N and R are outside gardening Butch lies on the lawn and if he sees our gate open he's straight in looking for Bill :lol:

We've got the smallest garden that you could imagine but they don't half have a good time running around

When the ice cream van used to come around he'd be there in the queue with the kids, they always had to buy him a cornet :lol:

He's such a great little character!

Billy's arch-enemies are Bentley and Oscar, the two Boxers who live a few doors away. They're very bouncy, strong and slobbery and totally out of control. If we see them out they jump up me which then puts Bill into defend mode. Their owner does nothing to control them, he usually just stands there grinning. None of the dogs around here like them. Jo next door commented the other week about how their dog doesn't bother when Billy walks past but goes crazy when those two do. The lab over the road doesn't like them either, and one day I was walking down the hill towards home and could see them ahead of us so slowed down a bit. I saw a woman who I chat to start to walk along the path from the estate to the common and then turn back. Once they'd gone she came back again, she said that she'd turned back because of them as they upset her dogs.

by **Kaz** » 12 Jan 2017, 18:54

Fraggle has a few little friends that he plays with on the playing field

There is Chester the cockerpoo, and Cooper, who is a spaniel of some sort

There is a lab he doesn't like, he really doesn't like labs, not sure why

Pepper doesn't like any of them, she really doesn't like other dogs, she only just about puts up with Fraggle, the little Madam :roll:

by **JoM** » 12 Jan 2017, 23:06

She was an only dog for a few years though wasn't she :lol:

Billy loves his friend Barney, a King Charles Spaniel. He loves his owner too. John took him out on Saturday while I cut Tom's hair and when he came back he said that a man had said Billy's name and he went wild, turned out that it was Barney's owner. There's also Milly, Daisy and Bracken across the road, three Springers who he loves to play with. He's got a soft spot for Spaniels for some reason.

by **JoM** » 12 Jan 2017, 23:20

Tom phoned this afternoon to let me know they've found a flat for next year. Just three of them want to share so they want to leave the halls as the flats are for five or six and it'd mean having new people out with them but they've really struggled to find a house for three, in fact they've only managed to find one student house and didn't like it. Plus it was a total rip off at £950 a month with bills not included, this works out about the same but everything is covered apart from a TV license.

Anyway, the flat is in private student accommodation in the city centre, the university is right opposite as is the bus stop to and from here. It's a relief because the student houses are mostly in really dodgy areas, and obviously in a house they have very little security.

This is the place anyway, it's a lovely old building http://livingat184.com/Accommodation/

by **JoM** » 12 Jan 2017, 23:23

There was language in Tesco tonight!
I went to get my PG Tips Mint Green Tea and there was a label underneath saying "Reduced To Clear". Reduced to clear! Do they not know how much of that I drink?? I picked up another to try, think it's Typhoo but it's not nearly as good.
Got to find another stockist now.