Steve and I are finding Siska extremely hard work. Steve says she's the hardest, most defiant we've ever had. I think maybe we forget what pratts teenagers can be and to be honest I remember similar conversations about Kaiah, and Ross, OMG he almost drove me insane! Despite what Linda may tell you, Sammi was always an angel, 😇 and O has been pretty easy really.
Siska is terrorising Kaiah, but the wheel turns, Kaiah did it to Sammi ... Siska has no respect for the other bitches and given the opportunity she's really bullying Sammi, Ziva is of little interest to her and Ross, well he's her buddy. Orin, hmm, well that's another story, he puts her in her place, and when he looses it she's actually scared of him.
Siska's eating habits are beyond ridiculous. If I try and get things off her she chews faster and swallows them. She already had a huge ulcer on the roof of her mouth and abscess in her throat which are likely to be caused by swallowing large or sharp items. I have to admit that when she was a young puppy I did think she would grow out of it, it seems I was wrong. Yesterday she was ripping large amounts of turf up in the bottom field and eating it, roots, soil, stones and all. There was no way she would come to me and as I approached she swallowed it in large lumps. I just thought to myself if this carries on this bitch it going to die, I have to do something. I decided to get Zeus' flexi lead and put her on that. I let her run around the top field as she never eats anything there and as we got to the gate to go into the bottom field I popped her on the lead. It worked wonderfully, I was able to work on "leave it, " followed immediately by "good girl." I came in feeling like I'd achieved something.
Today I decided to do the same, Siska ran loose around the top field. I called her over numerous times and rewarded her with a treat. On one of those occasions I saw her clock the flexi lead in my hand, but thought little of it. I came out of the top field and the others stood by the gate into the bottom field, I called Siska, she came to about 6ft away from the gate and stopped, "I'm not coming," and then she ran back up into the top field. She has never done that before, but the little bright spark had seen the lead and put 2 + 2 together, someone is far too clever for her own good. I'm not the most patient of people and when she wouldn't come I went without her ... putting me back in the same position as soon as she joined us she started to eat. I came back into the house and she followed with everyone, I then put her on the flexi lead and went out again. This time I circled the bottom field first then let her off the lead in the top field. I called her, gave her treats and praised her. The last thing I want to do is mess up her recall, I really hope that on the mountain it will be unaffected. Anyway this is where things get strange. Siska ran into Kaiah and made her squeal, my "Ahh" was a little out of time and Orin came belting down the field. He and Siska stared at each other a while and I thought a game was about to start, I was so wrong, he floored her. Siska screamed and hit the deck, he stood over her making a lot of noise, it sounded so aggressive, but he made little contact. My instinct was to throw the lead that was in my hand at him, he moved away, but I did not tell him off. Someone has to be in control, someone needs to tell her, her mother can't and maybe Orin saw me failing miserably today and decided he should take charge. For the rest of the walk Siska was subdued and quiet - I think Orin is on his way to the top of the Blanik pack.
After coming in I told Steve what had happened and said that I could only compare it to an incident I'd seen years ago with Linda's Lia and Jake. Jake had a sore ear and was fighting Linda when she tried to put the drops in. I went over to help, but Jake was having none of it, to be honest he was like a fecking crocodile and we were fighting a loosing battle. Lia had been lying there quietly when all of a sudden she jumped in and gave him a right shaking, guess what? Linda never had trouble putting drops in Jakes ears again. It was remarkable to watch, she must have though we were bloody idiots! I can't imagine Siska will bow down so easily, but hell I'm pleased that Orin has my back ... though of course he's 10kg heavier, well muscled and strong, I must make sure that he doesn't hurt her, but without doubt today there was a lot of noise, little contact and young lady thoroughly put in her place!
