Having good days and bad days.

Good Days.

Consistently coming back to AF when the whistle is blown.

Not jumping up on people.
Just being a dog.
Playing with other dogs but coming back to AF when called.

Bad Days.
Disappearing into the woods and not returning when whistle blown.
Throwing new plants and earth all over the garden.

Digging huge holes in the garden.

A 'sort of' sorry TG drying off in his crate.

Today is a really bad day. AF has had to come home without him.

TG was being very good. He was chasing various scents, as is his wont, but always coming back for a treat. Coming down the hill TG decided to follow a particularly delicious scent and he just vanished. AF stood for 10 minutes calling and whistling but of TG there was no sign.

It's a difficult decision to leave a dog behind but there was no choice so here I am, at home, without TG. Oh Dear!!

PL has gone to look for him and it's raining!!

TG is now back home only a little bit chastened after waiting at the top of the hill for someone to rescue him!!!

Earlier in the week TG was sick, diarrhea-y and feeling bad. A visit to the vet and £50 later he had perked up and was back to normal. How do dogs manage to do that?

Going on long walks!!!

I have been quite impressed at TG's behaviour this week. Twice he has managed to ignore a group of cows in a field leaving them alone to peacefully graze. (Pity he didn't do the same with a group of sheep that he did investigate a little bit - but as he wasn't with AF it doesn't count?)

AND THEN

as AF and TG went through another field that had two big, round, pink pigs in I did anticipate a bit of trouble - they are rather attractive to an innocent puppy. However, to TG's credit, he only showed a mild interest by dancing in front of them both and running round in circles for a little while before prancing off with a nonchalant air. (AF was jumping up and down whistling, at the end of the field, at the time!). So good dog!!!

By the end of the week however, he had had enough of being good and naughtiness took him over.

Part of the reason was the late hour that he gets his walk at the weekend. PL takes him at 11 am  rather than 9 am, so the devil makes work for idle (doggy) hands (paws) whilst TG is waiting.

As usual AF was multi-tasking so as well as gardening on Saturday she was also knitting an upside-down Cinderella Doll for the Youngest Granddaughter (YGdd). TG was out and about - doing a bit of gardening - in and out of the house - minding his own business - you get the picture?? After a while PL came into the garden to say to AF "When you have tidied up out here I suggest you go inside and sort out your knitting."

Shock, shock horror. TG had had a wonderful time tossing balls of wool about, weaving multi-coloured spiders' webs all around the house and unravelling the precious knitting. Needless to say AF was not happy and spent the rest of the day sorting it all out and rewinding wool.

The wool and knitting is now 'up high'.

What a bad dog? What a careless AF? 

AF was not really paying him back but she did skim the fur on his bottom a bit close with the shears tonight. It was very matted (!) and he wouldn't let me brush or comb it (!) so I attacked it a bit with the doggy grooming kit. Ooops!

TG won't come anywhere near AF at the moment so lots of bribing is going on to persuade TG to like AF again!!!

Catching up.

TG is convinced that he needs to catch up with all the dirty, messy, exciting 'stuff' that he would have done if he hadn't been enjoying himself on his holidays.

AF took him to the beach on Friday. Whilst my back was turned clearing up poo TG took off. He was out of sight. No amount of whistling and/or calling his name brought him back. AF eventually spied him down on the beach. TG, however, was not to be caught. So a bit of a chase ensued in which AF got close enough to call TG so TG ran further down the path. He was having a great time and was uncatchable until we met another dog. I know, I know that  the doggy books tell you not to chase as it becomes a game and it did, for 15 minutes, after which time he settled down and became an examplary dog. Coming when called, chasing a stick, running from the waves, digging in the pebbles, eating seaweed and whatever else dogs do on the beach.

At the weekend PL walks TG and he also had a lot of fun playing chase for a while until TG decided that he had had enough and was ready to be a good dog. It's very tiresome and time consuming. Hope he stops doing it soon.

He's back!!

The Dog (TG) has been on 4 weeks holiday. We took him to a Pets at Home establishment where the dogs, up to four, live with the people and play with the other dogs all the time. He has had a large paddock and garden to run in and has come home exhausted.

The Pets at Home family thought he was lovely and every one who visited or dropped off their dog asked the inevitable question "What is he?"

Anyway back home with his boring owners he decided to liven things up a bit. Unfortunately for TG he doesn't cover his tracks very well so the chewed slipper on the grass, the hole dug in the flower bed and the chewed and empty sand filled door stop do rather give the game away. It was definitely a 'getting his own back' day.

PL took him out for a walk as usual. TG decided that as someone had picked up their dog's poo in a bag but had left it hanging, like a christmas bauble, in the hedge that he would do the honours and clear it up. Unfortunately this meant TG running round the field with it in his mouth with PL in hot pursuit. What's new??

TG had not forgotten about rolling in cowpats either so he came back dirty and smelly - just like old times - for a hose down and bath - just like old times!! It's as though we've/he's never been away.

At the moment TG is in the garden doing his 'meet and greet' routine. He sticks his through the fence and all his doggy buddies come and have a chat. He's a funny dog!!!

AF met a neighbour this morning and we discussed the merits of TG. He's a 'nice chap' said E. and I think that about sums TG up. He's a 'nice chap'.