For those who were chatting with me/advising about getting Millie into town, I can confirm that we did it today, hurrah!

I have been trying all this week since the subject came up to get her to walk along the main road to no avail - one day I managed to get her up to it, about a 20 second walk from my house, and it took us 25 minutes!

Anyway, I realised today that if we went the other way, the building site that she won't normally walk past would be quiet because its Good Friday, yet the high street would be buzzing - my motherinlaw was coming into town by train so it all seemed to add up to a good idea to go and meet her in the high street (Millie LOVES nanny, lol!).

So off we set, treats and cuddly reindeer in tow - as we got near to the building site, even though it was silent and boarding has now been put up, she sat down and started to look worried....but suddenly there was a dog on the other side of the street and she completely forgot!  I took her over to say hello, then crossed back and she virtually ran to the other end of the street in eagerness trying to catch up with this other dog, hurrah!

Then, because she hadn't gone past the park in this direction before, there were lots of interesting things to sniff at, and lots of lovely dog poo to investigate (tut tut local dog owners) she happily walked further until we hit the one way system and although she had a few panicky moments, with all the noises of the cars, she seemed to cope okay and I got her to go up the high street.  And once there, although she was all over the place, flapping to the left, flapping to the right, she seemed to cope well with all the people although she did seem to want to talk to every person, and so many people there were terrified of her, as we seem to be finding on all our walks!!  What is the matter with people!!

I got to a bench outside Debenhams where I was meeting my m-i-l and after a few minutes of flapping at people she actually sat down to watch the world go by.  And later sat down with me for about ten minutes outside Macdonalds whilst we waited for 'nanny', and managed to draw a crowd around her!

The only major hiccup was when some kids walked past banging boxes or something (i didn't see, I just noticed her panicking) and she tried to run away in the opposite direction and this is normally where the problem starts but fortunately, 'nanny' calling her did the trick and she walked all the way home happily, without pulling, along the nasty main road.

So hooray - I still think that if I took her out tomorrow and tried to go in the other direction towards the main road she would flip and wouldn't go that way, nor would she go past the building site if it was in operation, but at least we have encountered the town at last!:-D

Well done to both you and Millie! The first time is the hardest - now all (!) you have to do is build on it! Meeting your M-i-L was a brainwave - that was her reward for co-operating!
:)

Yep, buses and train station next!  Bit worried about the train station, as I think it is the trains that are causing her problems with the main road - she always used to go along it when we first started taking her but there's a railway line between my house and the road, and whilst she was never keen on the trains, a few weeks ago, we were just passing it at night when a diesel train came one way and a normal train came the other - as you can imagine it was very loud and she just ran all the way home (well as fast as she could with me attached to the other end!) so I think that is why she won't walk that way.  But I NEED her on the trains, so the station is going to be another big obstacle - maybe next week!

Well done Millie. The first step taken :D . You can only go forward now. Slowly but surely you'll get there. ;)

Brave Millie :) good for you thinking it all out so well. Why are people scared of Millie the boots so clearly on the other foot? Now shes cracked the town therell be no stopping her :) Manic Morse enjoys the bus now hes used to it, so every stationary bus at the terminus has to be just waiting for him to hop on board which can be embarrassing. I also rue the day he learned to enjoy building sites - all the workmen fed him bits of pie now he sees hard hats/reflective jackets or vans and tears over there for his rewards. :D

Lol.

I don't know why they are so scared of her, a little terrier puppy!  I have to say, it seems to be Asians that are afraid of her, usually women.  I'm not generalising, there is a large Asian community here in my town and when I say afraid of her, I mean to the point of screaming and backing up against a wall or going out into the road to avoid her, almost in tears, but even the men shy away if she goes near them.  Having a (large) dog fear myself, I can almost understand someone being afraid of dogs, but she's so little and friendly its quite embarrasing when they do it, like I'm walking some ferocious monster!

Congratulations! I knew you could both do it! :-) I found the same with ellie, she was a cute golden retriever puppy - she looked like a hairy andrex puppy - yet people shied away from her as if she was going to eat them alive!

Its the same in Edinburgh with Asian people, especially kids. My mate Lucky ( Lukvinder) tells me its to do with rabies in India and that Muslims cant be touched by dogs for religious reasons. It has been an issue for us as Morse loves kids and if they scream I can see him wanting to go over and lick them better, which is unacceptable so we just work up our heel work or stop and let people past, whatever their ethnicity.

Ah-hah!  Now that explains it, we knew there had to be a cultural reason, we just didn't know what it was (and I didn't like to ask!)  My brother-in-law is a Muslim but he didn't know of any reason, probably because he's Turkish and  doesn't practice (bacon sandwich? yes please, yum yum! :-D)

In which case, rather than stand there saying "its ok, she's only a baby, she won't hurt you" I shall shorten the lead and keep her closer to me, they have valid reasons.  Thanks for the explanation!

Would you Adam and Eve it!  Just took Millie to the corner shop and on arriving back home she wouldn't go indoors so I carried on walking with her - a-hah thinks me,  if I head towards the main road where you won't go, I know you'll turn round and rush home in about 20 seconds time and I can get back to my nice cup of tea (she'd already been out twice today).

Oh no, not today!  Millie strolled all the way up to the main road and then walked halfway along it until I turned her round, happy as larry as though she does this every day no problem! As though she wasn't the dog who has just spent the past two weeks refusing to go anywhere near it
Bliddy dogs!  Bliddy typical! :-D

Ah yes so typical! ;-) Now that she knows what fun there is at the end of it youll find it hard to drag her home! Don't ya just love em!