Woke up with a bloody headache this morning and what felt like a knot at the base of my neck. Went back to bed for a while, trying to relax the knot and reduce the headache.

So I thought might be better to work inside rather than in the garden today.

Plain zandkoekles, two color zandkoekjes and now a batch of Anzac biscuits is in the oven.


Hehehe in one of Heinlein”s SF stories the hero “cooked the biscuits in the bacon grease” which startled me, reading it as “cooked the cookies in the bacon grease” 

American biscuits are like savory scones. They all taste heavily of baking powder, just like scones. Yuck.

Wandered over to the people who asked me to share in their Chrismass lunch with a tin of biscuits.

We sat outside talking while Socks and their German Shepherd Max played—Socks a bit wary at first and rightly so, a Shepherd is a BIG dog. However, they settled down and Socks ended up eating one of Max’s bones—he doesn’t tend to eat them, puts them in his toy basket. Socks a bit more practical or is that greedy?

Socks was never in danger from Max who is a well socialised dog who is walked daily. That is key to having a well–behaved dog.

Walking is exercise plus you can incorporate obedience training: the people yesterday remarked how Socks walked along at my side (on lead, can’t trust Socks not to run to chase a cat (LOL, real cat hater) or rabbit or wallaby not realising the danger of cars or rifle-owning sheep graziers!)

Of course, that is the result of training. Heeling on lead is a fundamental skill that needs to be learned.

I see some people walking their dog on lead. The dog may walk along on the right side of the handler or be way out in front. No, the dog must be on your left side and the head slightly behind you. Not up to your dog to direct the walk!

An automatic sit is nice but is not natural, must be trained. Teach the dog to sit on command, kinda required for the automatic sit. Then, while walking right foot on the ground, bring up the left foot next to the right foot. I use a bit of a stamp the foot on the ground, clear signal to the dog.

Imagine you are walking the dog, it is 2metres ahead of you and you come to an intersection—your dog is halfway across before you can check for oncoming traffic!

As well as exercise and training and bonding when they are walked dogs can read (smell) their “bulletin boards” where passing dogs leave a “message” by pissing. Dogs can tell how many dogs have left a message, whether they are male or female and even the state of health of the dogs.

This seems to help socialise the dog so they don’t attack visitors or passers by. The reason small dogs are so aggressive with barking and even nips at visitors or passers by is that small dogs don’t tend to be walked so these dogs are isolated from the wider dog community. Dogs are social animals.

WALK YOUR DOGS DAILY! Chihuahua or Great Dane—WALK YOUR DOG!


Anyway, the little gift of home made biscuits was appreciated.