Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 8th September, 2021)

Its not water here that causes problems it cliffs, unstable ones at that & yet you see visitors to the area letting man's best friend run along the cliff edges without a lead on.....you do sometimes wonder about the human brain....

Our Merlin once jumped in the canal in Abram after a manky dead fish and couldn't get out. My daughter and I were helpless watching him struggling but he swam to the side and a very kind man passing by got him out for us, complete with the smelly fish! As I told on here some weeks ago, he once picked up a huge dead fish from the local fishing pond which is known in Abram as "Aunty Polly's" and wouldn't let go of it until Peter came home from work. I have all our dogs' ashes in my kitchen and we have actually heard our Ben on a couple of occasions, both of us at the same time, (believe that or not as you wish), but I'll swear if ever our Merlin's gentle ghost comes back to visit us I will get a whiff of smelly dead fish!

Very nice photo Dennis,I don't think the man will mind being a bit wet and soggy if his best friend was in trouble.

Dogs love so unconditionally a lick here and there tells you everything it feels! I hope the man wasn't scolding the dog too much... after all it was following its instinct to cool off, he could have put him on a lead to stop him taking a dip.
Lovely story Irene, I have never owned a dog but now I am a 'granny' to the grandkid's dog Mabel, who I call Mabs I love her to bits. A very interesting story today Dennis.

I'm sick of wild running dogs on the canal banks and those uncontrollable ones on long leads.
I suppose its lucky in a way that the man could drag the dog out otherwise he might have jumped in himself and drowned, you get a lot of drowning because of daft dog owners jumping into murky waters.
Irene did the smelly dead fish on your Merlins breath stop you from snogging it and letting him snuggle up on your couch.

Helen - saw exactly that near Cley Next the Sea 4 years ago. Media celeb with two dogs running free plus two toddlers running with them.
It was so ridiculous and, at first, couldn't believe my own eyes.

Mick, he needed a bath, believe me! However, Ashley and I were just so relieved to have him safe that we didn't care if we were wet through and slobbered over. Trouble was, he shook himself all over the kind man who rescued him so HE was wet and smelly too....I don't even know who he was but it was an act of kindness I have never forgotten. Veronica, I am "grandma" to our Jamie's dogs too, Wilson and Rudy. Dennis, I don't know what it is about your photos but they somehow seem to trigger memories, which is lovely, and I hope you don't mind us sharing them with the others on P-A-D. I think you're used to us going off at a tangent by now!

Irene,I believe that you heard your Ben, my little cat died just before Cliff passed away last October..I was in the bathroom September 1st this year when I heard her cry at the back door,I was so convinced it was her I opened the door but of course she wasn't there then I realized it was September 2nd last year that she died..I think she just came to say she was alright...I apologise for going off the subject of your photo.x

Mick, is there anything, anything at all that you’re NOT sick of? There must be something that you like, how about Shevington? Now I know you like Shevington because I believe you’ve mentioned it once or twice. You may as well look on the bright side Mick ‘cos your quest to bring about a perfect world is, sadly, doomed to failure.

Teasy I think you will its others who are always mentioning Shevy, not me.

Irene, Ghost dogs that a new one on me, but I bet there will be others like you who hear dead dogs barking.

Irene, I don’t mind at all. Taking photos is just a hobby for me. Some people take their dog for a walk, I take my camera for a walk. It’s just a reason to get out and about in the fresh air. In fact, I find all these little stories very interesting and if my photos stimulate more stories that’s fine by me.

Mick,I love dogs unconditionally, I went for a few years after my beloved Collie passed away but I yearned for another dog until I got my little chihuahua..he keeps me company and knows everything I say,I never thought I would get a dog so small,I only have to say when I'm tired and he instantly comes to sit on my knee..I just can't imagine life without an animal..and believe me I've loved everyone of them..I feel sorry for you to think that only humans matter.

I don't think that Mick thinks only humans matter, I think he is trying to say that he finds it funny that anybody can hear dead dogs barking.
And I must say I do find it funny when I'm out walking and hear dog walkers talking to their dogs as though they understand.

They obviously do understand Joan, else how could they be trained to sniff out drugs, be guide dogs for the blind, etc.
A lovely touching photo Dennis of man's best friend.

Dogs do understand how else would you train them to sit and stay etc.That is how they end up being a well trained dog, and not an unruly one.

I didn't say we had heard Ben barking ; I just said we had heard him. Dogs may not understand some words but Ben and Merlin were labrador retrievers and certainly understood "sit", "heel" and various other words because they obeyed them. Commands apart, we talked to them because they were a part of our family. It doesn't really matter whether they understood every word or not....they knew by the tone of our voices that they were loved and that's all that matters. Some people live alone and are very lonely and would have no-one to talk to if it wasn't for their pet, be it a dog/cat / budgie so let them chat away to their animal companions. Not everyone is lucky enough to have family and friends.

Pat they only do it for a tennis ball or a biscuit, no animal will do anything because they have been told to do it.

Well Joan,my little dog won't even look at a ball and does not like biscuits but will do whatever I ask of him.

How wrong you are! Ben and Merlin received nothing when they were retrieving and when my brother was a policeman I watched many displays of police dogs at various galas and parades. They were absolutely amazing and there wasn't a treat or a tennis ball in sight, just an amazing intelligence and loyalty. A friend of mine's house caught fire in the night when I was a girl and the family collie ran upstairs and woke every member of the family....and no....no-one "told" him to do that....he didn't need telling nor did he expect a reward. He wasn't a trained animal either, just a pet. Just because an animal can't speak doesn't mean it doesn't understand what is happening or what is being said to it.

Mick, give it a rest, you don't own the canal banks.

Well Joan,my little dog won't even look at a ball and does not like biscuits but will do whatever I ask of him.

A dog can sense when their owner is coming home well before they walk through the door. They can sense also if someone is tired or poorly. In fact they are far more intelligent than some humans. You can rest easy with a good guard dog... they would soon alert you if anything was amiss. Nothing wrong with dogs being walked alongside the canal - safer than cyclists for that matter on narrow paths.

Irene, some dogs can
' nearly talk'. Our Mabel to give her her full name 'protests ' if my phone rings and I answer it, not by barking, I can't describe the sounds she makes but I can mimic her, same if I just happen to look on my iPad! She doesn't like it if I'm not giving her my attention. It's not a growl either, but it comes from way down inside and her little head is cocked to one side. Plus she won't move from my side! If that isn't intelligence I don't know what is!.

I will try to keep this short..
I'd gone to my Mams forgotten that she was at hairdressers,couldn't open the living room door,Mams dog one of our Collies pups..hed chewed the carpet,I sorted it and told him to get in his basket..an hour later telephone rang,my Mam said "Mo there's somethings wrong with Prince he won't come out of his basket"..i told her what I'd told him..she took the phone to him while I said "come on love"and out he came..poor thing..I still feel guilty over that.

Plus his Mum would sit behind the front door exactly five minutes before the children came home from School...explain that anyone.x

Veronica,it's amazing isn't it..when I ask our Gizzy a question he'll give a little grunt,I reply with a little grunt,and this could go on until I get fed up..but he will always reply with a grunt.

Maureen I've added another language on my cv ... it's 'doggiese'.
There's a saying "Older and Madder"....;o)

But we're lovely with it lol.

Joan, obviously you have never seen a sheep farmer with his collie if you had one maybe you would change your mind. Our Mollie (border collie) is smarter than a lot of people on this forum. :)

Cyclists should be aware of our Bye Laws which states that pedestrians have right of way when using our tow paths, or in other words cyclists must give way to them, if dogs are walking or running off lead it is advised that cyclists dismount and walk until safe to resume cycling.
Clana Banks. Canal and River Trust

Peter and I often walk along the canal between Dover Lock and Platt Bridge and I must say MOST of the cyclists, (not all), ring their bicycle bell or shout "May I pass please?" and we are more than happy to stand aside whilst they pass and we always get a "thankyou". I only wish some of the idiots who ride bikes on the pavement showed the same courtesy. The speed at which they cycle on the pavement is ridiculous and if you are walking along and suddenly decide to cross the road as they come along you would be knocked over. They shouldn't be riding on the pavement at all, but a simple ring or their bell or warning of some kind would help.

Well said Clana.

If those bye laws were to be put up near locks and bridges they would be vandalised in no time by those who are selfish, and think themselves above any laws set to make means and ways fairer for all.

The riding of cycles on pavements is still unlawful as stated in the Highway Code, but like a lot of other matters these days the police turn a blind eye. Though what would happen if someone got badly hurt and left disabled with being hit by a cyclist riding on a pavement, they don't have insurance, which is a legal necessity for a motorcyclist, but not it seems for a bicyclist?