Rocky the Otterhound: Growing and Fun is hard work!

We discussed taking Rocky to dog training lessons some time ago, as he appears to pick things up quite quickly and this week saw the start of these. Of course a great deal of dog training appears to be training the owners (which is not necessarily a bad thing), but Rocky has to put in as much hard work as we do! Of course the work is fun for Rocky which is the main reason for going and he certainly enjoys the rewards. He is an alert and clever dog and we feel it important to occupy his brain as well as his body. The first session was very successful and we all picked up on what to do quickly, our tasks are to work on “down” and “recall”. As long as Rocky enjoys it I think we will continue to attend and we are fully prepared for the odd touch of Otterhound stubbornness, in fact that may well add interest to the exercise. I will of course let you know how we all get on and am hoping for a few laughs along the way.




Rocky is continuing to grow and his “daddy” is very pleased to see that it won’t be long before Rocky can give him a traditional Otterhound greeting; standing with his front feet on his dads shoulders for a big slurpy kiss!! Myself, being somewhat shorter and not too keen on this style of saying hello, tend to keep to the more sedate form of bending down and getting a hug.











This week saw several visitors arrive which meant more play time for Rocky. He insists on a good lean in between though.









When our next visitors arrived though, Rocky really came into his own and showed how clever he was. When asked to play (which was lots) he modified his behaviour to ensure he was slower and very gentle – what a star!







He even enjoyed showing off the manners he has been taught. He really does learn fast and enjoys the rewards of squeals of delight, cuddles and lots of love!








The best reward of all is lots of fun and games. Tug of war could have been a problem if Rocky had put his all into it, but he cleverly maintained his gentle behaviour. This, of course, meant playtime went on for much longer - Clever dog!





Rocky even took time out to have a sit down with his mates! How does it feel to have a young Otterhound sit on your lap??? Well, after they both posed for this happy photograph (note that both faces are smiling), young Ollie exclaimed that his leg was going numb – wonder why?!






All this activity tired out our young hero ………… he then set out to show us that he does still fit into his bed! But look at the state of him!! He all but turned inside out to go to sleep ……………

Yep, still makes me grin thinking about “Otterhounds in the wild”. I always visualise a sort of “Far Side” picture, with a clearing in the muddle of a jungle filled with various pieces of furniture – a hammock, a sofa or two, a dog bed etc – all filled with Otterhounds on their backs with legs in the air and fast asleep!! Wish I could draw; could make a fortune with that!!




Rockys big adventure this week saw us back on the plain heading for the small river we found on a previous walk with loads of running around on the way. We practiced a little recall, not too much though as there was lots of distraction and a young dogs intense need to explore its environment.







Rocky was happy to splash in and out of the water and always came out bouncing!!











He waded through the boggy ground along the riverside much like a child with wellies on playing in a puddle. He had a big grin on his face the whole time ………… Otterhound smiles are wonderful!!











And on the way back there was still more to explore. Although Rocky takes full advantage of the freedom off the lead that we are able to give him on the plain (no roads for miles in any direction), he keeps coming back to make sure you are nearby. This he does of his own accord as we have only given basic recall training and our success has largely depended on what mood he is in. As I have stated recently, his teenage behaviour has been apparent and his recall has been very poor. However when out on the plain he appears to have worked out that it is to his advantage to ensure he doesn’t loose us. Told you he was an intelligent dog!





After his big week, and a good walk as well, Rocky headed for his favourite sofa to stretch out on and go to sleep. When Rocky stretches out, he REALLY stretches out; however he appears to have lost his head?













After several fast asleep position changes, his head still hadn’t appeared; so I got up to look for it ………………. Ah there it is!

Otterhounds in the wild again!!