WHO BRINGS TWO FLATS TO SOUTH OF SPAIN??...

... A Norwegian animal-lover and her Spanish boyfriend. Both professional, classical musicians, grown up with dogs and cats. Having lived in Norway, Denmark and USA, the final destination is Sevilla, south of Spain. We both work and give concerts, but the job gives a lot of possibility to be at home awsell, so the dogīs are only home alone due to work Mondays!!! One of us is always present, or in difficult cases, we have friends living in the house. All for the dogsīs wellbeing!

We live in a house in the countryside with a huge garden and lotīs of good weather. The two "blacks" struggle a bit in the summertime with the heat, but not more than the humans, and we stay inside most of the time during the day. Being waterdogs, they from time to time get a swim in the newly restaured swimmingpool (it is not a luxury, but a necesity down here, so everyone has it), or a cold shower when we water the plants.

Pucci trying the pool 4 months old...            Finally, 2 years old, he got his own...

We have a lot of guests and different people coming in and out of the house. Because of this we practise the rule of

NOT GREETING THE DOGS! when entering. To many people, this is like something coming from the moon, but it is a very simple way of keeping the household calm and happy. I donīt like the method of having to teach the dog not to jump up, which most often is the first problem guests meet. By simply NOT LOOKING at the dogs and turn away if they intend to jump, the dogs donīt take contact, and they donīt jump. Why need they?

The dog jumps to greet and to check if who enters is a leader in the sence that the person is weaker or stronger than itself. People who are convinced of this enter with no problem signalizing their strenght, on the other hand people who have doubts, touches a little bit the head of the dog, or start to giggle or show unsecurity, what do they get? Two paws on the shoulders...

The next step we practice is NOT TO TAKE CONTACT with the dogs before they are busy with their own things and have "forgotten" that we have visitors. It is not necessary that everyone that comes to your house need to play and cuddle with your dogs. Why should they?  Donīt you pay attention and cuddle your dog during the day?

Who are we pleasing by always "allowing" guests to interact with the dogs? The dogs or the guests? It often results in out-of-control situations and stressed dogs. Let the dogs go on with what they want to do, and avoid having a dog stepping on the feet and the lap of the guests because the guest couldnīt control himself and has given the dog contact. This is something YOU decide, guests have nothing they should say about this! Dogs are not people, and should therefore not be put in situations they are not supposed to handle.

All in all, if our guests manage to keep their hands of the two "beautiful blacks", soon after we have two dogs that ly down under the table to sleep. Very nice for everyone.

          The best workingcompany I can get!

Sweat dreams... The Flatbrothers with their girlfriend, the foxterrier Reka.
Summer 2006.