Having some life experiences.

Walk One.....



Waiting for the "Off you go."



Dashing ahead.

 ......was great.

AF and The Dog (TG) went for a pleasant stroll down a leafy lane. TG did what dogs do. Sniffing here and there. Marking his territory. Running ahead - hanging back. We had a lovely time and came back nice and clean!!!! 

A bit boring if you're a dog. 





Trying out his 'scent' nose. 



Hanging back.





During the last few days we have visitors so TG has had to be on his best behaviour. The 'squirty water on the muzzle' approach has stopped him jumping up at people so that is good news and has stopped him being a nuisance. Result!!

Walk Two.

AF and the visitors took TG for a long walk over the fields. TG was having a lovely time - running ahead - coming back to the whistle - not jumping up!! Up ahead I saw a man with his dog standing very still, looking horrified, watching something????

It was TG that he was giving a VERY WIDE BERTH as he (TG) was wallowing in a very muddy puddle. He lay in it; he threw grimy water over his head using his muzzle and ears as tools; he ran through it repeatedly; he had a super, wonderful doggy time getting very, very wet and filthy. He looked like the monster from the deep - green, slimy and dripping.

AF put TG on the lead. The man continued on his walk with his clean dog.

After a while AF let TG off the lead again. This was probably a BIG mistake as TG discovered the soft, slushy, green stuff that is at the heart of a hard, crusty cowpat. Wowww!! 

TG rolled in it, snuffled it, ate it, stuck it to his side. He treasured that cowpat to bits.

AF had a four way coloured GBGV to walk home through the town, to the joy and delight of other dog owners and some sympathetic smiles.

Here he is having a good wash in the garden, paying for his pleasures.

Walk Three.....

....has brought the dog trouble of a different kind and with it a learning experience that he will not forget.

AF and TG were having a pleasant walk, minding our own business, as usual, when TG spotted another dog coming the other way. His experience of 'other dogs' has been brilliant to date. They have recognised him as a 'Playful Puppy' and either ignored his advances or played riotously with him. This dog, however, decided to grab a mouthful of TG's doggy backside in his mouth leaving two, bleeding, puncture marks.

Naturally TG squealed loudly and when released from the biting jaws took off like a rocket the way he and AF had come, chased by the offending other dog.

AF and the other dog owner set of in hot pursuit as both dogs were heading for a main road. Fortunately a gate was barring the way so AF put TG back on his lead and carried on back towards the other dog owner. Her response to events was to tell TG that he was "Quite a rascal" for enticing her dog into bad ways (running away). AF was a bit amazed but as it's all in a dog's life chose not to argue with this assertion.

Not sure yet whether I'll still be as sanguine when we get the vet's bill.

The vet discovered an inch long tear close to his testicles that needed stitches so the poor dog has really been in the wars today. Still waiting for the bill.

He's into adolescent mode.

The pretty flower in better times.

Maybe 9am on a Monday is when all the grumpy old men are walking their dogs at my favourite iron age fort. There were certainly lots of them about the last time AF took the dog for a walk there. AF came away feeling quite dispirited after all the adverse comments about him. He came a very poor second at discipline when compared to an 8 month old whippet and AF was severely criticized for running after the dog instead of waiting for him to come back to her. There was more.

So sorry there has not been a blog since that disastrous walk but AF and PL have been busy trying to make the dog a better, gooder dog.

Has it worked?

Well he is getting better at coming back to the whistle but jumping up at people is still a bit of a problem. He also continues to:-

• dig great big holes in the garden
• roll in horse, cow, fox or badger poo when the opportunity arises.
• eat his own poo even though we wash his mouth out when we smell his breath.
• race through swampy ground until he has transferred the mud to his tummy and legs.

He is also having a great time destroying all his toys.

The sad remains of the dog's toys.

The cockerel went first, then the red pulley, followed by the pink ring, three tennis balls, the pretty flower and last of all his pheasant. There is nothing left of the green pulley with the hot dog in the middle. Absolute slaughter. He won't get any more until Christmas.

The dog got lost the other day. PL had him out for his afternoon walk when the dog saw, (but PL didn't), his doggy friend. The dog took off and disappeared from sight. PL rang AF to go round one way whilst PL set off looking for him the other, hoping to cut him off at the pass. Not too long after a sad, repentant (?) dog was brought back by a friendly dog owner so all was well. We are walking him much more on the lead now until this phase is out of his system. It could be a long time!!

He had his first successful experience of going into kennells. Only for a day, but he won over the hearts of the people who looked after him. We have always been cautious of putting our rescue dogs into kennels fearing that they would feel abandoned all over again. No such problems with our super confident dog. He bounced in and bounced out again after a lovely day.

PL likes to pick fresh raspberries from the garden for his breakfast. He has learnt to be quick or the dog gets there first. The dog likes to pick and eat, without washing, both raspberries and strawberries. The mulberries are ripening at the moment so he will be fighting off the blackbirds (and me) to get his share.

That's all for now folks!