I'm sitting here with the central heating on and a jumper on, thinking that this break in the weather isn't going to tempt 7 tentfuls of holidaymakers into barbecuing outdoors, is it? Patience, Ffion, patience!
The CCTV footage of Copse No.3 is reviewed and there's no sign of Sky. :-(
The food hasn't been going so tonight I took the bowl away.
Yesterday at work I noticed that a blind patient had just arrived with a black labrador guide dog. I asked if I could make a fuss of the dog and was allowed to. The dog was soon putty in my hands, ears right down submissively, tail wagging, paw on my forearm. I was deliriously happy for a minute then thought it was a bit unprofessional to continue for much longer, with a heaving waiting room and people in the resus room needing me, so thanked the owner and started to walk away and BUMPHHHHH it hit me like a wall.
There was something about refocussing and walking away from that dog which made me fill up with tears and have to find an empty cubicle to hide in for 10 mins. Boy, that caught Mrs SuperEfficient SuperCool by surprise.
So what next? Tim thinks we should walk the public footpath from us to the farm with the tents, to lay scent, as many evenings as we can manage just in case Delinquent Dog notices, and has a vague memory of big bowlsful of food, lots of love and something called HOME.
Walking boots on............... forward march.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Feels like a step forward
I had a lovely BBQ of sausages and bacon yesterday at 2pm chez John and Sharon Earp, looking at beautiful views, sitting in front of one of their lovely safari tents (they have a fantastic website www.osbastonhousefarm.co.uk where you'll be able to figure out exactly where I was), listening to the chickens clucking, and bordering on open fields which lead down to the Lount brook - site of a few sightings. Between there and where I was were a couple of copses, nice lake, plenty of hedges where my lovely bacony smell was wafting - you can see where I'm leading with this - and it all made sense. If it was Sky on Tuesday, there's a buffet on his doorstep, with plenty of places to skulk while he builds confidence.
OK let's look at this rationally and not get carried away.
Against the fact this is Sky:
The lady who rang would have had to look downhill at him - surely she'd have seen some evidence of a scar? Or maybe it really has covered over?
Digger, the black lab in the farm nextdoor, does wander. He doesn't have a collar (but the lady sounded less sure about collar status) and is larger than Sky, but his owner Monique would still describe him as small.
If mystery black lab is Sky and he's living wild, it does stretch the imagination that sightings are so infrequent.
On the other hand:
Digger is very friendly and Monique and Sharon both (independently) said he'd be more likely to run up and make himself at home in the tent than run away.
Monique's husband was shifting a lot of earth last Tuesday and she thinks the dogs were kept in a lot of the day.
People have only recently started staying in the tents and cooking and leaving things outside (foody things and dogs) so this is a new phase, and will last all summer.
From that POV it means loads more opportunities to come. Even if it's a lot noisier and busier there will be times (eg dusk) when Mr I Love Licking Barbecues Normally won't be able to resist, when the people quieten down. So we will have 7 sets of people doing what Tim and I couldn't have done full time.
So:
I did a poster for every tent, describing Sky physically, with 2 photos. I explained the behavioural aspects and gave enough of the story to make it interesting, and a talking point for children (I hope). John & Sharon are happy to include this in the visitors' room information.
Even if nothing comes of it, it probably helps us conclude that there isn't a Sky out there, which from the psychological POV right now, still helps us move on.
Not to put all eggs in one basket we are continuing the feeding station at Copse No.3 but have moved the bowl as the mice were getting fat and might die from a heart attack soon.
We also eagerly await the results of the CCTV footage (Monday I hope).
We are also thinking of sending an email for forwarding, to all friends, chain-style, just in case he's somewhere else and all this Green Lane business is a false lead. Apologies if you receive it and don't like that sort of thing, but with good will, it could reach many parts of the UK. We will of course include missing Jacob, whose owners Jon & Shelley are going through the same torments as us www.missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com
OK let's look at this rationally and not get carried away.
Against the fact this is Sky:
The lady who rang would have had to look downhill at him - surely she'd have seen some evidence of a scar? Or maybe it really has covered over?
Digger, the black lab in the farm nextdoor, does wander. He doesn't have a collar (but the lady sounded less sure about collar status) and is larger than Sky, but his owner Monique would still describe him as small.
If mystery black lab is Sky and he's living wild, it does stretch the imagination that sightings are so infrequent.
On the other hand:
Digger is very friendly and Monique and Sharon both (independently) said he'd be more likely to run up and make himself at home in the tent than run away.
Monique's husband was shifting a lot of earth last Tuesday and she thinks the dogs were kept in a lot of the day.
People have only recently started staying in the tents and cooking and leaving things outside (foody things and dogs) so this is a new phase, and will last all summer.
From that POV it means loads more opportunities to come. Even if it's a lot noisier and busier there will be times (eg dusk) when Mr I Love Licking Barbecues Normally won't be able to resist, when the people quieten down. So we will have 7 sets of people doing what Tim and I couldn't have done full time.
So:
I did a poster for every tent, describing Sky physically, with 2 photos. I explained the behavioural aspects and gave enough of the story to make it interesting, and a talking point for children (I hope). John & Sharon are happy to include this in the visitors' room information.
Even if nothing comes of it, it probably helps us conclude that there isn't a Sky out there, which from the psychological POV right now, still helps us move on.
Not to put all eggs in one basket we are continuing the feeding station at Copse No.3 but have moved the bowl as the mice were getting fat and might die from a heart attack soon.
We also eagerly await the results of the CCTV footage (Monday I hope).
We are also thinking of sending an email for forwarding, to all friends, chain-style, just in case he's somewhere else and all this Green Lane business is a false lead. Apologies if you receive it and don't like that sort of thing, but with good will, it could reach many parts of the UK. We will of course include missing Jacob, whose owners Jon & Shelley are going through the same torments as us www.missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Trying not to get over-excited...!
Dear Bloggers - an important phone call happened at lunchtime today. I'm waiting to hear from a neighbouring farm that it wasn't their black labrador, but I don't think so because I know theirs is a big dog, sooooooo:
Lady is here on holiday with family, staying at Osbaston House Farm, just up the slope from the Lount (site of a couple of previous sightings). Staying in a tent. Saw a black Labrador lunchtime (it always is that time of day isn't it?) on Tuesday.
She didn't know there was one missing but asked a couple of the farm hands if it belonged to the farm and was told no. Didn't think any more of it until she saw one of our posters in Market Bosworth today. As it happens John & Sharon Earp who are lovely people who own the farm have one of our posters on the side of their barn right on the road !!!! (the lady hadn't seen this).
The story went like this:
The lady was in the tent talking with her husband and they had been cooking some food. So nice smells would have been emanating, on this warm, sunny, still day.
Her Alsatian / Border collie X (Sky's favourite breed strikes again) was asleep in the sunshine outside.
She goes outside and sees a black Lab sniffing her dog. Thinks - oh dear if he wakes up and finds a nose in his face he may not be happy. She looks at the Lab, he looks at her, he trots off, her other dog (lurcher) goes after him, he then bolts into the distance. Asks a couple of people, who can't identify the dog, and thinks "oh well" - until she saw the poster today.
On direct questioning yes, there may have been a tag dangling from a collar (?)
He was small (:-)) and didn't look malnourished (:-)) and she wouldn't have thought he looked like a stray.
She was 15-20 feet away but didn't notice a scar (:-()
So if this isn't the farm dog from the nextdoor farm (have left a msg on their ansafone) then:
1. There's a recent sighting, after 2 and a half weeks' silence
2. It fits the pattern and geography
3. That's the closest he's ever got to home - if you're interested in the geography search Google maps for Lount Road CV13, and zoom out a level. You will see Osbaston (us) and you'll see the relationship to the Green Lane which is the single track road just to the right of Barton in the Beans, heading north. Osbaston House Farm is close to the A447 end of Lount Road.
4. Most importantly - he was attracted by either the food smells or the dog or both, and the lady looked at him and he didn't immediately bolt. This is how we're going to eventually get our little boy - he develops more confidence, and someone reacts calmly, and perhaps he'll come to them in due course???!!!
Yes, you can tell I'm getting over-excited. Tim's giving me that look of - "don't! You know you'll be right back down again soon"
Anyway in the meantime John and Sharon are happy for me to do bacon and sausages on one of those cheap foil / charcoal barbecue things tomorrow at 1pm in the same location.
In the interim the Copse No.3 food was eaten in part this evening - tripe sticks and banana remaining (nibbled) but meat and biscuit gone, so very much looking like Mr Mousey. However given that the last 2 times everything went, we've installed the camera to help us.
Phew! Time for a glass of wine to stop my mind racing and get me to sleep.
Lady is here on holiday with family, staying at Osbaston House Farm, just up the slope from the Lount (site of a couple of previous sightings). Staying in a tent. Saw a black Labrador lunchtime (it always is that time of day isn't it?) on Tuesday.
She didn't know there was one missing but asked a couple of the farm hands if it belonged to the farm and was told no. Didn't think any more of it until she saw one of our posters in Market Bosworth today. As it happens John & Sharon Earp who are lovely people who own the farm have one of our posters on the side of their barn right on the road !!!! (the lady hadn't seen this).
The story went like this:
The lady was in the tent talking with her husband and they had been cooking some food. So nice smells would have been emanating, on this warm, sunny, still day.
Her Alsatian / Border collie X (Sky's favourite breed strikes again) was asleep in the sunshine outside.
She goes outside and sees a black Lab sniffing her dog. Thinks - oh dear if he wakes up and finds a nose in his face he may not be happy. She looks at the Lab, he looks at her, he trots off, her other dog (lurcher) goes after him, he then bolts into the distance. Asks a couple of people, who can't identify the dog, and thinks "oh well" - until she saw the poster today.
On direct questioning yes, there may have been a tag dangling from a collar (?)
He was small (:-)) and didn't look malnourished (:-)) and she wouldn't have thought he looked like a stray.
She was 15-20 feet away but didn't notice a scar (:-()
So if this isn't the farm dog from the nextdoor farm (have left a msg on their ansafone) then:
1. There's a recent sighting, after 2 and a half weeks' silence
2. It fits the pattern and geography
3. That's the closest he's ever got to home - if you're interested in the geography search Google maps for Lount Road CV13, and zoom out a level. You will see Osbaston (us) and you'll see the relationship to the Green Lane which is the single track road just to the right of Barton in the Beans, heading north. Osbaston House Farm is close to the A447 end of Lount Road.
4. Most importantly - he was attracted by either the food smells or the dog or both, and the lady looked at him and he didn't immediately bolt. This is how we're going to eventually get our little boy - he develops more confidence, and someone reacts calmly, and perhaps he'll come to them in due course???!!!
Yes, you can tell I'm getting over-excited. Tim's giving me that look of - "don't! You know you'll be right back down again soon"
Anyway in the meantime John and Sharon are happy for me to do bacon and sausages on one of those cheap foil / charcoal barbecue things tomorrow at 1pm in the same location.
In the interim the Copse No.3 food was eaten in part this evening - tripe sticks and banana remaining (nibbled) but meat and biscuit gone, so very much looking like Mr Mousey. However given that the last 2 times everything went, we've installed the camera to help us.
Phew! Time for a glass of wine to stop my mind racing and get me to sleep.
Back for seconds
Another emptied bowl yesterday - tripe sticks as well. That had happened overnight, as I discovered by going out in the morning instead of the evening. I replaced the whole bowl and contents and added a banana. Last night nothing touched. Am grounded this morning as my cheeky Jeepy is in for fixing possible Sky-search related damage (it was a tough winter doing a lot of off roading). Will check status later.
Maybe it's time to reinstate the camera.
Forecast good through to Sat morning then unsettled for the weekend.
Neither Ffions or cameras do well out in the wet so we need a Coats Case Conference this evening.....
Maybe it's time to reinstate the camera.
Forecast good through to Sat morning then unsettled for the weekend.
Neither Ffions or cameras do well out in the wet so we need a Coats Case Conference this evening.....
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
A Dog and Mouse Game
Not much to report really.
Michelle is apparently on annual leave so we are unlikely to get a verdict from the CCTV footage until next Monday. SIGHHHHH...............
Tonight the food bowl had been emptied however, including the tripe stick. Well there was a little bit of Pedigree gubbins at the bottom. I'd put quite a lot of meat and biscuit in. There were mouse droppings around but they could never shift a tripe stick - these are quite big. My trainer was in the same position.
As I drew up in my Cheeky Jeepy Pete and Bren, as usual, were kindly keeping an eye out with binoculars, and thought they saw something black, fleetingly, in front of the hedge in Big Field no.1. However there are an awful lot of black crows around, which catch all the Sky Spotters out, incessantly, much to our annoyance.
I hung around a bit but there were 2 dog walkers and 3 horse riders around so I figured that if he was going to try to slip away along a hedge I'd have seen him. However he had been heading in the direction of the large copse off Green Lane, so could easily have laid low there.
Thanks to Rachel for offering to "sleep out". A very generous offer. I've thought about this and the weather is great at the moment. I think the scent is important so there's only really any point in me and Tim being there. Tim's in Brighton for the annual conference of our College of Emergency Medicine, back tomorrow night. Maybe we'll camp out Thurs or Fri evening, especially if the food keeps going.
Michelle is apparently on annual leave so we are unlikely to get a verdict from the CCTV footage until next Monday. SIGHHHHH...............
Tonight the food bowl had been emptied however, including the tripe stick. Well there was a little bit of Pedigree gubbins at the bottom. I'd put quite a lot of meat and biscuit in. There were mouse droppings around but they could never shift a tripe stick - these are quite big. My trainer was in the same position.
As I drew up in my Cheeky Jeepy Pete and Bren, as usual, were kindly keeping an eye out with binoculars, and thought they saw something black, fleetingly, in front of the hedge in Big Field no.1. However there are an awful lot of black crows around, which catch all the Sky Spotters out, incessantly, much to our annoyance.
I hung around a bit but there were 2 dog walkers and 3 horse riders around so I figured that if he was going to try to slip away along a hedge I'd have seen him. However he had been heading in the direction of the large copse off Green Lane, so could easily have laid low there.
Thanks to Rachel for offering to "sleep out". A very generous offer. I've thought about this and the weather is great at the moment. I think the scent is important so there's only really any point in me and Tim being there. Tim's in Brighton for the annual conference of our College of Emergency Medicine, back tomorrow night. Maybe we'll camp out Thurs or Fri evening, especially if the food keeps going.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
waiting for news
Sorry Sky followers - going through CCTV footage takes ages so we haven't heard back from Michelle, the dog warden, with a result of 5 days' filming. As she collected the camera from the house with a view to Copse No.3 on Wednesday apparently a neighbour had seen a black labrador Saturday lunchtime. We are desperate to know more information.
I wish people would realise that things like that are worth a phone call. I could have been out there in 10 minutes with the binoculars. Aaagghhh!
Last night most of the dog meat and biscuit had gone from the bowl there, but it wasn't licked clean, and I've never known our Sky leave a micro-particle of food behind. With the rain, our scent (trainer and rag) would have been diluted and Tim saw a fox make a fast exit as I approached so most likely Mr Foxy had a nice dinner. It's amazing how fresh human scent keeps them off.
The other day Casey my niece asked if we fed Sky rabbit. I said it was one of the 4 flavours of Pedigree pouches he used to have. She thought this was a good thing, as he'd have the taste for it and the copse is next to a big rabbit warren. Very astute, I thought!
This morning I'm wearing the left trainer to swap it for the right trainer. Not so sure I'll wear the right one again, hmmm. And there's a rag in our bed which I'll take with me. I think I'll add the infamous tripe sticks to the bowl, as no creatures seem to like those. We don't know that Sky would but the dog wardens swear by them!
I wish people would realise that things like that are worth a phone call. I could have been out there in 10 minutes with the binoculars. Aaagghhh!
Last night most of the dog meat and biscuit had gone from the bowl there, but it wasn't licked clean, and I've never known our Sky leave a micro-particle of food behind. With the rain, our scent (trainer and rag) would have been diluted and Tim saw a fox make a fast exit as I approached so most likely Mr Foxy had a nice dinner. It's amazing how fresh human scent keeps them off.
The other day Casey my niece asked if we fed Sky rabbit. I said it was one of the 4 flavours of Pedigree pouches he used to have. She thought this was a good thing, as he'd have the taste for it and the copse is next to a big rabbit warren. Very astute, I thought!
This morning I'm wearing the left trainer to swap it for the right trainer. Not so sure I'll wear the right one again, hmmm. And there's a rag in our bed which I'll take with me. I think I'll add the infamous tripe sticks to the bowl, as no creatures seem to like those. We don't know that Sky would but the dog wardens swear by them!
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
rats!
Sorry for the silence - been a busy bank holiday at work for both of us.
Outside of that we had Tim's brother, wife and our 2 nieces to stay for 5 days, and shared some tears for our missing Sky, who normally joins in the fun with such vigour.
I took Casey and Sophie with me to check on the bowl we've been leaving in Copse No.3. None of it has gone. I also left an old trainer of mine on the basis that if we ever left him on his own (rare because he hated it) he'd hoard any of my shoes that he could find into his basket with him, for comfort, therefore might find it and at least move it - ideally to show us where he's sleeping.
Did we scare him off last Wednesday? Even if we did he'll surely come back, as we know we have these periods of quiet then there he is again at the bottom of the Green Lane.
We so wish we knew for definite it isn't a local dog. Then we think - it's a small village, everyone knows about Sky, someone would say "that'll be so-and-so's dog".
Tomorrow we'll hopefully hear from Michelle, one of the dog wardens, who's had a camera in the back upstairs window of Beryl's house, overlooking Copse No.3.
I offered Shelley I'd buy a chaise longue, to double up as a psychiatrist's chair. You'll see we'd both welcome any recommendations for a good shrink.......
Outside of that we had Tim's brother, wife and our 2 nieces to stay for 5 days, and shared some tears for our missing Sky, who normally joins in the fun with such vigour.
I took Casey and Sophie with me to check on the bowl we've been leaving in Copse No.3. None of it has gone. I also left an old trainer of mine on the basis that if we ever left him on his own (rare because he hated it) he'd hoard any of my shoes that he could find into his basket with him, for comfort, therefore might find it and at least move it - ideally to show us where he's sleeping.
Did we scare him off last Wednesday? Even if we did he'll surely come back, as we know we have these periods of quiet then there he is again at the bottom of the Green Lane.
We so wish we knew for definite it isn't a local dog. Then we think - it's a small village, everyone knows about Sky, someone would say "that'll be so-and-so's dog".
Tomorrow we'll hopefully hear from Michelle, one of the dog wardens, who's had a camera in the back upstairs window of Beryl's house, overlooking Copse No.3.
On the bananas front - we caught Mr Rat red handed on camera. The mice were co-conspirators, but Mr Rat can shift a bowlful! We've taken the camera down from Pete & Bren's, but they now assist us in keeping watch with the binoculars when we go to do bowl duty each evening - just in case of another Houdini Hedge moment.
Talking of bananas, if you've read Jacob's blog today (see posts below for link) you will see how losing a dog takes its toll. I recognise the full gamut of their emotions. Like Jon & Shelley we go over old ground, in case there was a clue we overlooked at the time. Like them, we have strange dreams about our little boy, and feel Jekyll and Hyde when we crave a bit of quiet time and normality, then hate it when it happens because we feel we're not making any progress.I offered Shelley I'd buy a chaise longue, to double up as a psychiatrist's chair. You'll see we'd both welcome any recommendations for a good shrink.......
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
So near yet still so far...
Well, we think we made progress, but sadly we still don't have Sky safe and sound at home.
We all met as planned, had a strategy meeting, and planned to cover 3 copses, most of us on foot and a few "Meerkats" in cars and upstairs windows (Pete & Bren - by the way just biscuits gone last night at their place - I'm off to check the footage shortly).
Michelle, the Blaby dog warden, has set up a CCTV in a house overlooking the Lount (thanks to Jane who lives there with her 7 collies) and at 4pm Saturday a dark dog or larger than dog sized thing came out from the brook into the field and went back under cover. That was all she could find over a 4 day period. She showed us the photo. Could it be??
So off we set.
We were armed with mobile phones and a few walkie talkies, and Tim was "HQ on legs". Thank you so much to everyone who helped, especially Vivienne who had heard of our blog via postings on other sites, discovered she lives very hear, and asked if she could join us. So from 10.45 this is how it went:
Copse no.1 revealed a fox, who scarpered. Squiggly the trained retriever gun dog was having a great time running through mud and thick undergrowth. Ziggy the spaniel joined in.
Copse no.2 revealed another fox and a muntjac deer.
We regrouped at the bottom of the infamous Green Lane and went up to Copse no.3. This is thick, quite large, has a nice lake, plenty of cosy den areas and is only 50m from the Green Lane, in the area of all the sightings. Dog walkers don't usually go this route yet we saw lots of pawprints in the mud and 2 dog poos.
As we were 2/3 along Ffion looked back to the Green L to check that Rachel and Gail had eyes trained on us and saw the silhouette of a labrador sized dog with flappy labradory ears running on the brow of the hill where the GL sits in a dip between high hedges. Initially Bird Brain Ffion thought "oh look there's a dog going up the lane" then 2 seconds later went "duhhhh!!!!!" and to cut a long story short we missed it. Sam, aged 12, with Ffion, also saw it so it's not just her hallucinating. No-one was seen walking a dog till 20 mins later. Fresh prints in the on the lane looked like the right sized dog, clearly running, doing a rapid U-turn just below where Rachel and Gail were about to arrive and going backwards, in the dip of the lane. A random car drove up and had seen nothing, but from where Ffion and Sam saw him he'd have been on the other side of the hedge at that point. Bren saw a fox scarper through her binoculars.
We never accounted for this dog, and the lay of the land was such that it could have run from the copse, along a ditch where Tim and I couldn't see, arriving at exactly the point he was seen last Monday, and following the same route. There are a lot of ditches and hedges around!!
As no-one had seen him going off in another direction we went back and did the copse again in case he'd returned, but nothing there.
We covered another nearby copse just in case, but no luck.
We were tired and hungry by then and retreated Chez Coats for pizzas.
Part of us is going AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHHH!! Perhaps more of us would have had him surrounded and we should have had a bigger team?
Part of us thinks - this must be him and he must have this copse as his no.1 spot. It's as far away from people and traffic as you can get, with plenty of cover. Knowing this is MAJOR progress.
So many thoughts were postulated over pizza, too many to float here (but if there's anyone reading this who's been in this situation please do call us on the numbers at the top of the blog to give us your experience). The upshot of which are:
We will try tinkling the dog biscuit in his metal bowl, hoping this is hardwired in his head, then leaving the bowl under natural cover and walking away. Do this for a few days at the same time of day and see what happens.
Install the CCTV in a house overlooking this copse - there are 4 or 5 houses, all know about Sky, and I am just off to see if one of them doesn't mind. We think there's a section down in a dip that won't be visible but who's to say he always goes in a straight line.
Consider lying there in an evening one night next week in sleeping bags, just me and Tim, very quiet, to see if he'll pick up our scent and come to us.
We need patience at this stage and need to remind ourselves that the weather is better, he's surviving fine, and best not to rush it after 4 months of hoping to get to this point, and risk scaring him away.
Ffion is not known for her patience, but is 42 next week and agrees that she's old enough, that she should try harder!
We all met as planned, had a strategy meeting, and planned to cover 3 copses, most of us on foot and a few "Meerkats" in cars and upstairs windows (Pete & Bren - by the way just biscuits gone last night at their place - I'm off to check the footage shortly).
Michelle, the Blaby dog warden, has set up a CCTV in a house overlooking the Lount (thanks to Jane who lives there with her 7 collies) and at 4pm Saturday a dark dog or larger than dog sized thing came out from the brook into the field and went back under cover. That was all she could find over a 4 day period. She showed us the photo. Could it be??
So off we set.
We were armed with mobile phones and a few walkie talkies, and Tim was "HQ on legs". Thank you so much to everyone who helped, especially Vivienne who had heard of our blog via postings on other sites, discovered she lives very hear, and asked if she could join us. So from 10.45 this is how it went:
Copse no.1 revealed a fox, who scarpered. Squiggly the trained retriever gun dog was having a great time running through mud and thick undergrowth. Ziggy the spaniel joined in.
Copse no.2 revealed another fox and a muntjac deer.
We regrouped at the bottom of the infamous Green Lane and went up to Copse no.3. This is thick, quite large, has a nice lake, plenty of cosy den areas and is only 50m from the Green Lane, in the area of all the sightings. Dog walkers don't usually go this route yet we saw lots of pawprints in the mud and 2 dog poos.
As we were 2/3 along Ffion looked back to the Green L to check that Rachel and Gail had eyes trained on us and saw the silhouette of a labrador sized dog with flappy labradory ears running on the brow of the hill where the GL sits in a dip between high hedges. Initially Bird Brain Ffion thought "oh look there's a dog going up the lane" then 2 seconds later went "duhhhh!!!!!" and to cut a long story short we missed it. Sam, aged 12, with Ffion, also saw it so it's not just her hallucinating. No-one was seen walking a dog till 20 mins later. Fresh prints in the on the lane looked like the right sized dog, clearly running, doing a rapid U-turn just below where Rachel and Gail were about to arrive and going backwards, in the dip of the lane. A random car drove up and had seen nothing, but from where Ffion and Sam saw him he'd have been on the other side of the hedge at that point. Bren saw a fox scarper through her binoculars.
We never accounted for this dog, and the lay of the land was such that it could have run from the copse, along a ditch where Tim and I couldn't see, arriving at exactly the point he was seen last Monday, and following the same route. There are a lot of ditches and hedges around!!
As no-one had seen him going off in another direction we went back and did the copse again in case he'd returned, but nothing there.
We covered another nearby copse just in case, but no luck.
We were tired and hungry by then and retreated Chez Coats for pizzas.
Part of us is going AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHHH!! Perhaps more of us would have had him surrounded and we should have had a bigger team?
Part of us thinks - this must be him and he must have this copse as his no.1 spot. It's as far away from people and traffic as you can get, with plenty of cover. Knowing this is MAJOR progress.
So many thoughts were postulated over pizza, too many to float here (but if there's anyone reading this who's been in this situation please do call us on the numbers at the top of the blog to give us your experience). The upshot of which are:
We will try tinkling the dog biscuit in his metal bowl, hoping this is hardwired in his head, then leaving the bowl under natural cover and walking away. Do this for a few days at the same time of day and see what happens.
Install the CCTV in a house overlooking this copse - there are 4 or 5 houses, all know about Sky, and I am just off to see if one of them doesn't mind. We think there's a section down in a dip that won't be visible but who's to say he always goes in a straight line.
Consider lying there in an evening one night next week in sleeping bags, just me and Tim, very quiet, to see if he'll pick up our scent and come to us.
We need patience at this stage and need to remind ourselves that the weather is better, he's surviving fine, and best not to rush it after 4 months of hoping to get to this point, and risk scaring him away.
Ffion is not known for her patience, but is 42 next week and agrees that she's old enough, that she should try harder!
Monday, 6 April 2009
Good vibe telepathy
Thanks to those of you who have emailed (it seems the comments boxes on this Google thing is picky about what it lets us post - I have trouble too). You are all willing our boy to decide to be in the Hot Zone on Wednesday morning, and show himself!
I lurked up there this afternoon with my laptop, on a vantage point. We've refreshed the posters in that area to ensure people are aware that things are still happening (to try to avoid last week's situation where it took an hour and a half of him practically tap dancing across the fields before anyone called us!)
As I was driving out to HZ today, I found a scared Jack Russell on the road. Like Jon & Shelley who stopped to entice a lurcher x Saluki the other day, I will never ever drive past a seemingly alone dog again. It only took 5 minutes to hear young girls calling, and return him to them. Jon & Shelley describe people's "don't get involved" attitude excruciatingly on their blog http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/. Maybe people are just too wrapped up in themselves to notice, and just don't think they have a role to play in returning a dog to its owner. It's that sort of thing which meant that when Sky went from sociable to terrified, there was only a small window of opportunity to get hold of him, and we know people saw him and didn't bother. Full marks to J&S for perfectly executing the behaviour we've been taught, to entice a wary dog to safety. He looks very thin on the pictures. Well done you two.
Bananas and other food at Pete & Bren's remain untouched. Food in the kennel at the Lount remains untouched.
I'll check with the wardens tomorrow morning that we're still on for Wednesday and will contact everyone in the Search Party to confirm arrangements. I was getting depressed about the weather changing, but maybe a bit of rain will make him hole up in a copse rather than go wandering, so the dogs can root him out. Fingers and paws crossed...............
I lurked up there this afternoon with my laptop, on a vantage point. We've refreshed the posters in that area to ensure people are aware that things are still happening (to try to avoid last week's situation where it took an hour and a half of him practically tap dancing across the fields before anyone called us!)
As I was driving out to HZ today, I found a scared Jack Russell on the road. Like Jon & Shelley who stopped to entice a lurcher x Saluki the other day, I will never ever drive past a seemingly alone dog again. It only took 5 minutes to hear young girls calling, and return him to them. Jon & Shelley describe people's "don't get involved" attitude excruciatingly on their blog http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/. Maybe people are just too wrapped up in themselves to notice, and just don't think they have a role to play in returning a dog to its owner. It's that sort of thing which meant that when Sky went from sociable to terrified, there was only a small window of opportunity to get hold of him, and we know people saw him and didn't bother. Full marks to J&S for perfectly executing the behaviour we've been taught, to entice a wary dog to safety. He looks very thin on the pictures. Well done you two.
Bananas and other food at Pete & Bren's remain untouched. Food in the kennel at the Lount remains untouched.
I'll check with the wardens tomorrow morning that we're still on for Wednesday and will contact everyone in the Search Party to confirm arrangements. I was getting depressed about the weather changing, but maybe a bit of rain will make him hole up in a copse rather than go wandering, so the dogs can root him out. Fingers and paws crossed...............
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Poised
All quiet on the Western front.
Bananas untouched last night (typical).
Thanks to those who've volunteered for Wed morning next week.
In response to generous "Anonymous" with your comment/question below: at the moment the strategy could change at the last minute so it's probably only fair for us to conscript in local people. We need 12-20 people and have around 15 already. Any more than that would be quite a coordination issue. We (the 3 dog wardens and Tim and I) only have 3 hours available on Wed so with the briefing and the "flush out" plus grabbing lunch before our afternoon commitments we won't cope with a team of more than 20.
Therefore we'd prefer that cross posting to any other dog sites was reserved at the moment just for Sky publicity. After all we don't know that this black lab is a) living wild and not just a local dog (although we've done house to house enquiries and all sightings have been from reliable local sources) and b) that it's Sky. We could, of course, be barking up the wrong tree (no pun intended!) and therefore the wider the publicity the better.
Thanks to all who keep emailing and texting. I'm having a "down" day today (Ffion) but everyone's support is fantastic. I am cheered up by a new creature that won't leave my side at the moment. Mrs Duck has recognised me as a soft touch for food. Mr Duck is always 18 inches behind her. This is the 3rd year they've camped out in our pond by our house at this time of year. It's no substitute for my dog by my side but still brings a smile to my face. As did the sighting, yesterday evening, of a barn owl checking out our nesting box, to rear its young. And great soap opera of Mr and Mrs Kestrel challenging him - they've had their eye on it and used it last year. And yes - I always wanted to be a vet not a doctor, but wasn't bright enough to get 3 A's at A-level!
Bananas untouched last night (typical).
Thanks to those who've volunteered for Wed morning next week.
In response to generous "Anonymous" with your comment/question below: at the moment the strategy could change at the last minute so it's probably only fair for us to conscript in local people. We need 12-20 people and have around 15 already. Any more than that would be quite a coordination issue. We (the 3 dog wardens and Tim and I) only have 3 hours available on Wed so with the briefing and the "flush out" plus grabbing lunch before our afternoon commitments we won't cope with a team of more than 20.
Therefore we'd prefer that cross posting to any other dog sites was reserved at the moment just for Sky publicity. After all we don't know that this black lab is a) living wild and not just a local dog (although we've done house to house enquiries and all sightings have been from reliable local sources) and b) that it's Sky. We could, of course, be barking up the wrong tree (no pun intended!) and therefore the wider the publicity the better.
Thanks to all who keep emailing and texting. I'm having a "down" day today (Ffion) but everyone's support is fantastic. I am cheered up by a new creature that won't leave my side at the moment. Mrs Duck has recognised me as a soft touch for food. Mr Duck is always 18 inches behind her. This is the 3rd year they've camped out in our pond by our house at this time of year. It's no substitute for my dog by my side but still brings a smile to my face. As did the sighting, yesterday evening, of a barn owl checking out our nesting box, to rear its young. And great soap opera of Mr and Mrs Kestrel challenging him - they've had their eye on it and used it last year. And yes - I always wanted to be a vet not a doctor, but wasn't bright enough to get 3 A's at A-level!
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Strategy time
Forgive the long blog today: we are motivated by 2 stories. One of Rollo - I'll post it at the end - who has safely been recovered after a 2-month holiday out in the wild. The other of a dog our local dog wardens remember, who they eventually tracked to an area and after a game of patience, "flushed out" of his hiding. There was a breath taking moment when he was about to flee then his owner called his name. Something appeared to "switch" in his head and he came running, as if "mummy, mummy, where've you been?"
You can see where this is leading.
Yesterday no news. Today no news.
Well there's still the mystery of the disappearing bananas from Pete & Bren's so I'll digress for a moment if you will forgive me. After bananas going from a bowl by their gate several nights in a row (except one night when the dog biscuit and meat went and the banana stayed) we set up our motion sensored infra-red camera last night. Result: 4 out of 6 pieces of banana went between 22.05 and 22.20 and the camera picked up a moth and disregarded the banana eater. Aaarghh!
Tim has played with the sensitivity threshold and the field and we'll try again tonight.
Oh and yesterday, Ffion and Tori took Plod, Jane's border collie who is in season and who Black Labrador was sniffing up to on Monday, out for a walk in the area to scent a lot. Ffion is now known as the Collie pimp, and intends to put tinted glass in the Jeep and wear more Bling.
Meanwhile, going back to Monday, Ann our dog warden summonsed Michelle, a neighbouring council's dog warden, and Ollie the out of hours dog warden on Monday and all 3 patiently surveyed the hot zone all afternoon with no success. Thanks to both Ollie and Michelle, who have no contractual reason to help us!
With the bit between their teeth they returned this afternoon. Pat who owns Ben, a friend of Sky's, met Tim and Ben was brought to our house (which he knows), his nose forced into an unwashed blanket of Sky's, and frog-marched out to the hot zone to see if he reacted to any area.
Ollie's dog was given the same treatment, and showed an interest in an area under a fallen tree, which Tim has always thought would make a cosy den.
But basically after an afternoon of patrolling and mulling over the situation. No sign of Sky, but with heads put together there is a strategy planned for next Wed morning.
All volunteers are welcomed for the "flush out Sky from his hidey hole" morning. Lunch will be provided Chez Coats (pizza).
We aim to meet on Lount Lane then disperse, some keeping sentry with binoculars from their cars, and others on foot. We will walk through the area and see if we can disturb him, with the aim being 1) identification and 2) (ideally) getting a Mummy Mummy success.
Tim and Ffion have swapped morning shifts for the evening (which pleased a colleague whose wedding anniversary is that evening).
In the interim, the camera will keep rolling until Banana Eater is snapped.
I can't get excited, because excitement so far has resulted in the equal and opposite force of Disappointment.
And finally, as they say at the end of the news, here's a happy story to end with. Thanks to Dawn Hughes for emailing us.
She heard of Sky's story through doglost.co.uk - which is the best website, and we have made a donation to. Please consider doing so. They have been very supportive to us.
Here it goes:
Hi there, Just wanted to say that I have been following your search for your dog having come across it on dogslost. My dogs brother went missing on 7th Jan 08 having slipped his harness outside his house and he just bolted. To this day we have no idea why! He was super friendly with people and dogs so it remains a mystery. Anyway we put posters up everywhere. He was spotted the same day miles from home. From then on despite hundreds of posters and newspaper articles and searchs we heard nothing! I am sad to say we even began to give up hope. Resigned to the fact he was either involved in a RTA and gone off to die somewhere or even have been stolen out the area. Out the blue last week Helen his owner got an unexpected phonecall!! Rolo had been found and was with a local rescue. He was only traced to her by his microchip!! They had no idea he was a 'lost' dog. Rolo the previously happy go lucky dog had been straying unspotted for over 2 MONTHS. He was skin and bones. A local couple had spotted him roaming (only at night) in some fields behind their home. The dog wardon didnt want to know as he only showed his face out of hours (this is despite the fact they knew of Rolos disappearence and being a blue merle cross who looks like a hyena is highly unique) Perservence on their part, feeding him every night payed off and 2 weeks later they managed to trap him in their home where a local rescue were called!! Cue the phonecall we had all been waiting for!! ROLO was reunited!!! How he remained unseen for so long is a mystery. Why he shyed from humans is a mystery. What ever the reasons he is now home where he deserves!!! He survived the ice, snow and artic temperatures!!! I thought this story may give you hope!! IT ONLY TAKES ONE PHONE~CALL!!!!
You can see where this is leading.
Yesterday no news. Today no news.
Well there's still the mystery of the disappearing bananas from Pete & Bren's so I'll digress for a moment if you will forgive me. After bananas going from a bowl by their gate several nights in a row (except one night when the dog biscuit and meat went and the banana stayed) we set up our motion sensored infra-red camera last night. Result: 4 out of 6 pieces of banana went between 22.05 and 22.20 and the camera picked up a moth and disregarded the banana eater. Aaarghh!
Tim has played with the sensitivity threshold and the field and we'll try again tonight.
Oh and yesterday, Ffion and Tori took Plod, Jane's border collie who is in season and who Black Labrador was sniffing up to on Monday, out for a walk in the area to scent a lot. Ffion is now known as the Collie pimp, and intends to put tinted glass in the Jeep and wear more Bling.
Meanwhile, going back to Monday, Ann our dog warden summonsed Michelle, a neighbouring council's dog warden, and Ollie the out of hours dog warden on Monday and all 3 patiently surveyed the hot zone all afternoon with no success. Thanks to both Ollie and Michelle, who have no contractual reason to help us!
With the bit between their teeth they returned this afternoon. Pat who owns Ben, a friend of Sky's, met Tim and Ben was brought to our house (which he knows), his nose forced into an unwashed blanket of Sky's, and frog-marched out to the hot zone to see if he reacted to any area.
Ollie's dog was given the same treatment, and showed an interest in an area under a fallen tree, which Tim has always thought would make a cosy den.
But basically after an afternoon of patrolling and mulling over the situation. No sign of Sky, but with heads put together there is a strategy planned for next Wed morning.
All volunteers are welcomed for the "flush out Sky from his hidey hole" morning. Lunch will be provided Chez Coats (pizza).
We aim to meet on Lount Lane then disperse, some keeping sentry with binoculars from their cars, and others on foot. We will walk through the area and see if we can disturb him, with the aim being 1) identification and 2) (ideally) getting a Mummy Mummy success.
Tim and Ffion have swapped morning shifts for the evening (which pleased a colleague whose wedding anniversary is that evening).
In the interim, the camera will keep rolling until Banana Eater is snapped.
I can't get excited, because excitement so far has resulted in the equal and opposite force of Disappointment.
And finally, as they say at the end of the news, here's a happy story to end with. Thanks to Dawn Hughes for emailing us.
She heard of Sky's story through doglost.co.uk - which is the best website, and we have made a donation to. Please consider doing so. They have been very supportive to us.
Here it goes:
Hi there, Just wanted to say that I have been following your search for your dog having come across it on dogslost. My dogs brother went missing on 7th Jan 08 having slipped his harness outside his house and he just bolted. To this day we have no idea why! He was super friendly with people and dogs so it remains a mystery. Anyway we put posters up everywhere. He was spotted the same day miles from home. From then on despite hundreds of posters and newspaper articles and searchs we heard nothing! I am sad to say we even began to give up hope. Resigned to the fact he was either involved in a RTA and gone off to die somewhere or even have been stolen out the area. Out the blue last week Helen his owner got an unexpected phonecall!! Rolo had been found and was with a local rescue. He was only traced to her by his microchip!! They had no idea he was a 'lost' dog. Rolo the previously happy go lucky dog had been straying unspotted for over 2 MONTHS. He was skin and bones. A local couple had spotted him roaming (only at night) in some fields behind their home. The dog wardon didnt want to know as he only showed his face out of hours (this is despite the fact they knew of Rolos disappearence and being a blue merle cross who looks like a hyena is highly unique) Perservence on their part, feeding him every night payed off and 2 weeks later they managed to trap him in their home where a local rescue were called!! Cue the phonecall we had all been waiting for!! ROLO was reunited!!! How he remained unseen for so long is a mystery. Why he shyed from humans is a mystery. What ever the reasons he is now home where he deserves!!! He survived the ice, snow and artic temperatures!!! I thought this story may give you hope!! IT ONLY TAKES ONE PHONE~CALL!!!!
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