We've Bought an Historical Old Vicarage!

[mrs-b]

@Ally T -

I've been only fleeting in my PS drop-ins recently as I've had a bunch of things going on of my own, but can you pls tell Mt T happy birthday from me? I hope he has a wonderful birthday and a fabulous trip!

The house is...spectacular. Just spectacular, And I cannot WAIT to see the garden photos! I'm sure all your neighbors are THRILLED with all that you've done! Projects like yours improve a whole area. It was a joy to go back to this thread and see all the before and after photos. And the framed paperwork - what a fabulous idea!

Love to you, Mr T and the mini T's! ox

 

[Ally T]

@ItsMainelyYou @SparklieBug

Thank you! Here is a snippet of the beautiful writing, the landowners wax seal, who incidentally lived not too far from here in the Stately Home we got married in, and the heading over the ink drawing of the map & plot:

 

[SparklieBug]

Haha! Gotta love land-transfer-lawyer-speak, no matter what the era!

The seal is beautifully preserved! Do you have more than one seal, so that one can be displayed, and you can touch the other one(s)?

 

[MMtwo]

Bless you for so generously sharing your wonderous projects and home. It really is beautiful and I love the care and transformation. You have accomplished so much for your family and your community.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Safe travels!!!! Are you going to Disneyland?

cheers--Sharon

 

[maita13]

What a transformation, @Ally T !! I am gobsmacked with the choices and changes you’ve made- congrats on such an impressive feat

 

[Ally T]

HI:

Safe travels!!!! Are you going to Disneyland?

cheers--Sharon

We planned to, but I left it too late with the move, our US exchange student, the skin cancer & the arm biopsy coming back positive too, etc. That one had clear cells right on the boundary, so I’m back the wk after hols to have more skin taken as a belt & braces precaution. But it’s all good & I am one lucky pup. I still need the sun on my skin & to live my life, but with a high factor cream & caution. Everyone I know has learned a lesson from this & I am telling everyone to wear suncream.

So perhaps Disney in California for next year when I hit the Big 5-0, but for Mr T’s big birthday we are spending 3 weeks in Mauritius

 

[canuk-gal]

We planned to, but I left it too late with the move, our US exchange student, the skin cancer & the arm biopsy coming back positive too, etc. That one had clear cells right on the boundary, so I’m back the wk after hols to have more skin taken as a belt & braces precaution. But it’s all good & I am one lucky pup. I still need the sun on my skin & to live my life, but with a high factor cream & caution. Everyone I know has learned a lesson from this & I am telling everyone to wear suncream.

So perhaps Disney in California for next year when I hit the Big 5-0, but for Mr T’s big birthday we are spending 3 weeks in Mauritius

Happy holidays!! I love the sun but my skin is freckled (ruined) and I have had my share of skin scares. I always have long sleeved rash guards and today I rode my bike in very warm temps, but had long sleeves on. I sweat--that's OK.

Sorry to hear about the second result--but you have it well in hand. Wider margins--no issue. What's a scar between friends?

 

[kah42]

These before and after pictures are truly spectacular. You did such a great job, and I love the end result. How are the girls liking it? I remember you said they didn't quite share your vision initially.

Enjoy your trip and happy birthday to Mr. T! Mauritius is on my bucket list -- let us know what you think, please!

 

[Austina]

Mauritius is lovely this time of year @Ally T, have a fab time.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

How's things??????? How's everyone settling in? How is the pooch? Tell us all that is fit to print.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Ally T]

HI:

How's things??????? How's everyone settling in? How is the pooch? Tell us all that is fit to print.

cheers--Sharon

All is amazing! The furniture is now all here, the last of the curtains & blinds were literally fitted yesterday to the kitchen & dining room (cozy & looking good for winter) & the driveway, which is a mammoth task & the last job, is almost complete. The balcony to the attic servants bedroom is now done & the decorators are in there next week, then finally & at last, the carpet people are back on Mon 4th for the servants stairs, servants landing & all the way up the the new office in the attic.

The pooch! She feels like she has always been here & is scrummy! Though we are potty training & it’s hit & miss. We take her out every hour & she toilets on the garden. Yesterday she twice sat by the kitchen doors & cried, was let our immediately & toileted in the garden. Hooray, we cried! She’s grasped it! She knows the feeling of when she needs to go & she knows where she has to go! But today….. we have had 4 pee accidents & 2 poo accidents inside. We have blocked off the big staircase with boxes to prevent her getting up, and she can’t yet climb the servants stairs as they are steep & she falls, so after a poo incident in my bedroom last week, she hasn’t been able to get up there. She also has to have supervised visits to the main lounge, as she pooed on my WHITE rug last week.

But she is learning & she is only 11 weeks old today. She is growing fast!

 

[Ally T]

She pretty much lives in the kitchen, unless fully supervised. We went across to the pub for dinner last night & she was 2 hours alone, without toilet incidents. Yay!

 

[canuk-gal]

She pretty much lives in the kitchen, unless fully supervised. We went across to the pub for dinner last night & she was 2 hours alone, without toilet incidents. Yay!

WOT a dolly!!!!! Peeps and poops--a learning curve!!!!

 

[empliau]

Courage. It will end.

On my puppy's first birthday I wished that he would *someday* stop chewing everything. All the things. Towels. Furniture. His own paws and tail. My daughter's hair.

He did (mostly).

P.S. I advise rolling up any rug you treasure, or else closing doors to rooms with fitted carpets. Although when it happens, and it will, I find dilute shampoo does a great job on wool carpets. After all, wool is hair!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Gah, velvetbabybuttongingerbutts! Look at that face!
She's doing very well for being just a tiny poop machine. In a few more weeks, she'll have this down.
How lucky is she with her two girls and fluffy couches?
Have you told her that mommy sees everything?

 

[MamaBee]

@Ally T Your house came out amazing! I wish you lots of love and new memories in your new home!
Your little furry sweetie pie is adorable!!!

 

[Ally T]

Gah, velvetbabybuttongingerbutts! Look at that face!
She's doing very well for being just a tiny poop machine. In a few more weeks, she'll have this down.
How lucky is she with her two girls and fluffy couches?
Have you told her that mommy sees everything?

That nickname will stick forever, especially the gingerbutts part

She is a sweetheart for sure, but is testing my patience & got properly told off by Mr T this afternoon for doing a poo inside, literally a minute after running around the garden for half an hour. It’s frustrating but we’ll get there. She’s such a stinky cuddle monster with ears that are too big for her head!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

That nickname will stick forever, especially the gingerbutts part

She is a sweetheart for sure, but is testing my patience & got properly told off by Mr T this afternoon for doing a poo inside, literally a minute after running around the garden for half an hour. It’s frustrating but we’ll get there. She’s such a stinky cuddle monster with ears that are too big for her head!

Oh yes, there will be tears. Yours, mostly yours.
She's smart, anyway. Maddening when they're tiny leak masters but fantastic when they're older. Is she food motivated? Ours were very food motivated.

This worked pretty well for us:
We did the tiny training treats, naturally. A tiny one for the effort- but a slightly larger 'magically more delicious' one for a good potty. We sold that concept. Much to-do and angel chorus with the 'big' one. We let them see each and know they have a choice. After a short while of getting the womp womp treat instead and they got the picture. We also did an every two hour outside to potty schedule, whether they go or not for the concept, for two weeks. Schedules are big, they like consistency.
Worth a shot, in any event!

Our old girl is still regimented in her regular daily treat distribution, there must be two. Oh, and specifically dinner, that too. Dog help you if you're late. She will come get you with all the appropriate old lady reproach and tutting. If she could wear a watch, she'd tap it, meaningfully.
These trains run on time.

 

[Ally T]

Oh yes, there will be tears. Yours, mostly yours.
She's smart, anyway. Maddening when they're tiny leak masters but fantastic when they're older. Is she food motivated? Ours were very food motivated.

This worked pretty well for us:
We did the tiny training treats, naturally. A tiny one for the effort- but a slightly larger 'magically more delicious' one for a good potty. We sold that concept. Much to-do and angel chorus with the 'big' one. We let them see each and know they have a choice. After a short while of getting the womp womp treat instead and they got the picture. We also did an every two hour outside to potty schedule, whether they go or not for the concept, for two weeks. Schedules are big, they like consistency.
Worth a shot, in any event!

Our old girl is still regimented in her regular daily treat distribution, there must be two. Oh, and specifically dinner, that too. Dog help you if you're late. She will come get you with all the appropriate old lady reproach and tutting. If she could wear a watch, she'd tap it, meaningfully.
These trains run on time.

Thank you for this, beautiful. We need all the hints & tips we can get! We are doing an hourly toilet trip outside & letting her have a good mooch around the garden for a while each time. The two different sized treats is a fabulous idea! We do have smaller ones that we are using for the eye contact training & general behaviours, and she gets the large ones for toileting.

Can you explain what you did regarding letting your pup choose which treat she had?

P.S. There were ZERO wees or poos in the kitchen this morning!!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Thank you for this, beautiful. We need all the hints & tips we can get! We are doing an hourly toilet trip outside & letting her have a good mooch around the garden for a while each time. The two different sized treats is a fabulous idea! We do have smaller ones that we are using for the eye contact training & general behaviours, and she gets the large ones for toileting.

Can you explain what you did regarding letting your pup choose which treat she had?

P.S. There were ZERO wees or poos in the kitchen this morning!!

Yay! She is learning!
I just held them both up so they could be clearly seen and told them which one was which right before the activity each time, 'outside' and 'potty'. I did this with Virgil when he was a baby. Virgil kenned it right away that he wanted the bigger. I really did do the angel/old time movie chorus, ahhhhhhhhhh! with lots of puppy praise, and into his puppy mouth when he did his potty with a big to-do
Eventually, you'll get the potty behavior and then making it a big positive deal is when the lightbulb moment hits for baby.
Later, I did this again. When Virgil was 5, we adopted him a child.
I admit is was easier with Leeloo because he pretty much told her how it goes and he even made a big deal of it. It helped that he hadn't gotten these particular special potty/trick treats in years and was all about it- because he got one too along with all the compliments for her 'successes'. Honestly, he trained her for me.


This was leash training.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Just talked to my youngest because I felt like I was forgetting something;
I was, I couldn't remember what the treats were exactly, but she did. The regular was one of those tiny brown training treats and the special treat were these quarter sized dried chicken bits!
For the first few days of perfect potties, Virgil would get a tiny peanut butter blibbet on that 'fancy' slightly bigger treat. I also gave one of the big treats at the end of the day no matter what-so he'd know what he was missing
Incentive, you know. Bribery works.
Peanut butter blobs will be your friend for the rest of time when you have to get out the big guns!

 

[Ally T]

Pen loves crunchy peanut butter! She has often has it on a slice of toast for her lunch Thanks for explaining the treat offerings. That’s a big help & will start doing it from tomorrow.

So not wanting to speak too soon, but this is the first day of no toileting inside at all. From coming down this morning to now at 8.30pm. She is currently fast asleep in the scullery on the wet towel I used to dry her off after she had a sink bath this morning. And that came about because she decided to slide belly down repeatedly on a huge pile of soil the landscapers haven’t moved yet, whilst also digging in it with her entire body. She’s going to be one of those dogs you see on Tik Tok launching themselves into a huge mud bath

 

[Calliecake]

Oh @Ally T, She is adorable!!! It sounds like Pen is making progress.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Pen loves crunchy peanut butter! She has often has it on a slice of toast for her lunch Thanks for explaining the treat offerings. That’s a big help & will start doing it from tomorrow.

So not wanting to speak too soon, but this is the first day of no toileting inside at all. From coming down this morning to now at 8.30pm. She is currently fast asleep in the scullery on the wet towel I used to dry her off after she had a sink bath this morning. And that came about because she decided to slide belly down repeatedly on a huge pile of soil the landscapers haven’t moved yet, whilst also digging in it with her entire body. She’s going to be one of those dogs you see on Tik Tok launching themselves into a huge mud bath

That's HUGE. This is a successful day!
Is she a Fox Labrador?

My Virgil was a Newfie/Lab mix. Mud king. He would dig pits big enough for his human toddler to sit in with her toys in the yard. He would dig a new one for her every time we'd fill them in. Our yard is incredibly wet about a foot down, so water would seep up and make the loveliest mud pits in many of these.
He used to diligently eat the mud pies my youngest would 'feed' him as a toddler and then turn his head and spit them out discretely. He always gave me a giant mud covered smile when I'd check on them from wherever I was weeding or whatnot.
They both got used to being pre-hosed before the tub. Virgil would go right over. He loved a good pre-hosing.
I can't say I miss the endless bathing.
Virgil was a water baby; from the ocean to a puddle, loved them all, and couldn't resist if given the opportunity.

Leeloo is a lab/boxer/? mutt they call a blackmouth cur. She's not a fan of mud or rain.

Miss Pen is going to be on an endless adventure, and you're along for the riiiiiide!
It's going to be wonderfully maddening and worth it. I promise.

 

[Ally T]

That's HUGE. This is a successful day!
Is she a Fox Labrador?

My Virgil was a Newfie/Lab mix. Mud king. He would dig pits big enough for his human toddler to sit in with her toys in the yard. He would dig a new one for her every time we'd fill them in. Our yard is incredibly wet about a foot down, so water would seep up and make the loveliest mud pits in many of these.
He used to diligently eat the mud pies my youngest would 'feed' him as a toddler and then turn his head and spit them out discretely. He always gave me a giant mud covered smile when I'd check on them from wherever I was weeding or whatnot.
They both got used to being pre-hosed before the tub. Virgil would go right over. He loved a good pre-hosing.
I can't say I miss the endless bathing.
Virgil was a water baby; from the ocean to a puddle, loved them all, and couldn't resist if given the opportunity.

Leeloo is a lab/boxer/? mutt they call a blackmouth cur. She's not a fan of mud or rain.

Miss Pen is going to be on an endless adventure, and you're along for the riiiiiide!
It's going to be wonderfully maddening and worth it. I promise.

This has made me laugh no end!! How cute that he ate the mud pies & then spat them out to the side!

Yes, Miss Pen is a Fox Red Lab. With ears that are currently FAR to big for her head

 

[dk168]

Beautiful puppy!

Been there, done that with the chewing, and my dog is still a champion chewer.

He likes natural meaty treats like beef tails and braided lamb that he can chew, and hooves - he loves hooves.

Good luck with puppy training!

DK

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Beautiful puppy!

Been there, done that with the chewing, and my dog is still a champion chewer.

He likes natural meaty treats like beef tails and braided lamb that he can chew, and hooves - he loves hooves.

Good luck with puppy training!

DK

Ooh, and to piggy back on chew/toys... Depends on whether she becomes a power chewer, but I spent thousands and years of trial and error to find what worked for us.
Mine were both power chewers. Large branch/small tree, you didn't need that chair or those shoes, did you? Power chewers. Destroyed every other supposed tough dog toy. Would eat the damned door frames as puppies.
We would always have shed antlers- you can get them from a pet store/Amazon/Ebay We actually have a local man who makes lovely lights etc. out of large antler sheds and he would cut me bits from the leftovers! Last forever.


Himalayan hard Yak cheese chews. You can get them in many sizes. I have to get the extra monster mega huge ones because they would chew through any others way too quickly. We've had good luck with Snow Hill brand. She has to be watched with these as they can splinter. If they do break- the good news is, you can microwave the bits for 45 secs. into puffy cheese snacks(it stinks though, when you do it, be ready)! Also, love Pork Chomps-pressed bones last longest, but the ribs are good too(pig skin).
NO rawhide. Ever.

Kong makes great chew toys and you can shove biscuit types treats in them that you can buy in bulk at the pet store. They have puppy density/size and classic size. Virgil kept the same one once he moved to big boy size- his entire life. He loved it. I still have it.

Rope tugs, you'll rope tugs made of cotton.

And a big basket to put them in. You can teach her to get the ones she wants- and also to 'help' clean up. Not that that will last, get used to random chew toy trails through rooms.
Start with the tug, Kong puppy and pork chomp since she's tiny in baby sizes. She'll move up to the big girl ones, soon enough.

 

[canuk-gal]

This has made me laugh no end!! How cute that he ate the mud pies & then spat them out to the side!

Yes, Miss Pen is a Fox Red Lab. With ears that are currently FAR to big for her head

They look like plush velvet bath mats!

 

[dk168]

@ItsMainelyYou antlers are great, however expensive as my dog keeps losing them! Hooves are a lot cheaper!

Also tried him on an ostrich bone and it was too big.

Ostrich anything else is good.

No more squeaky soft toy after he destroyed the last one about a year ago.

His teeth are good though as confirmed by the vet during his recent visit, so I am thankful.

DK