What is he? Three years old.

Now TG is three years old could this mean that, as the the teenage years are over, he'll turn into the well-behaved, walking to heel, not chasing deer dog that we might aspire to live with?  We should be so lucky!! 
AF & PL don't hold out much hope that this paragon will emerge. Maybe when he's 4, 5 or six??? 
However, TG can be very obliging and put up with a lot of disruption without too much complaining.  AF and PL have just taken TG on a magnum opus round Hertfordshire, Yorkshire and Wales. He had a rough 3 weeks out of his comfort zone in the caravan and/or car boot, having short walks on the lead and in the rain!!!  He was not a happy dog.

TG and AF on Rhossili Beach, The Gower, South Wales.

As a special  treat AF and PL took TG to Rhossili Beach on The Gower Peninsular, South Wales. He ran, ran and ran; rolled,rolled and rolled; played and chased with lots of other dogs and got wet from the sea.  
Wow!!! He luxuriated in it all - then cocked his leg over a rock VERY close to a pile of someone's clothes. 
AF left PL apologising.
 

Exhausted TG on Rhosilli Beach, The Gower, South Wales.

TG and his buddy in the garden.

Then joy of joys on our return, to further compensate TG for the deprivations of the previous three weeks, his very favourite dog and boy buddies came to play with him.











TG is well known where we live. PL and TG were out walking the other evening when TG followed his nose and hurtled off out of sight. PL rang home to say he might be longer than anticipated when out of the gloom a voice called "PL, he's here." Hmmm, our TG safely back  on his lead and PL home in time for supper.


Looking forward to the next adventure with our BGV.

"a bigger version of the breed of dog that won Best in Show at Crufts 2013!!!!!"

TG in his 'Meeting and Greeting' mode.

This great success of a BGV at Crufts 2013 not only makes TG almost legitimate, but also saves a lot of explaining to the folk who ask "What is he?" when all AF needs say is "He's a bigger version etc.etc."


They acknowledge that TG is, therefore, a 'proper' dog not a 'designer' or 'mixed up' dog then they want to say how lovely he is.

so it's been WIN, WIN.


PL, AF and TG are frequently accosted by unknown admirers when out and about. He seems to endear himself to complete strangers so:- 
  

• Recently,  surrounded by a 'TG Fan Club', AF was entreated "Not to be cross with him!" when TG misplaced AF and was running away from, rather than returning to, a frantically whistle blowing AF. 

• Only last week when TG and AF were on the beach, two mackerel fishers, weighed down with fishing gear, ran after TG and AF eagerly gasping "Isn't he a lovely dog? What is he?" 

• Today on our walk a huge lorry drew up by the side of TG and AF. "Isn't he a lovely dog! What is he?" pronounced the woman driver in industrial style blue hairnet, peering down from the sky scrapping cab. 

• However, on one rare occasion a very special stranger called after DG and AF "Is he a BGV?" Success!!! 

Unfortunately AF and PL can't win 'em all. TG still takes to the hills like a rocket when there is a whiff of eau de deer on the breeze but PL and AF are learning to live with that and wait for TG to come back either immediately to the whistle or later on his own.  The disadvantages of walking him off the lead are substantially outweighed by the advantages of living with such an entertaining dog.

The beach is his favourite place with all the space to run and run and lots of other dogs to chase and have fun with. (NO DEER). AF and TG go to a local Iron Age Fort that is surrounded by stock fences and lots of doggy friends to play with. (NO DEER). Two places that are doggy heaven - the 'walkers' are OK as well and welcome TG with tolerance and growing affection. 

Now that AF can start to sort out the garden TG is being a real help!!! 

• He lay down with the strawberries in their special, dog proof, protective tunnel.
• He dug up the newly planted dahlia tubers to make sure they were the correct way up.
• He got the veg. patch ready for planting by digging big holes all over. 
• He rearranged the carefully laid Landscape Bark to help the blackbirds in their search for grubs and worms. 

That's all for now folks!
 

 

He's getting me 'out and about'.

Recently AF has had reason to ask the question "Why do we need a dog?"  

Meeting other dog-owners ploughing their way through the 'welly devouring mud' AF has questioned the sanity of folks who, twice daily, voluntarily, walk for an hour or more, in the foulest of weathers, for the benefit of their four-legged friend???? 


Surely no one in their right mind chooses to venture out of a warm and cosy home to go for a walk in the kind of weather we have experienced in the past 6 - 12 months.  But in rain, hail, fog, wind, snow, gale and flood there is a steady stream of dog-owners who undertake this wet, cold, muddy and messy task. AF usually exchanges a rueful smile and comments that "we must be mad" before continuing this self-imposed foolhardy activity. 

The fun doesn't even end when AF gets home with the foul smelling, drenched and filthy dog - there is then the 'hosing off', bathing, washing down, drying, brushing and feeding ritual to be done before AF dries off and gets her cup of HC. 

AF is no longer amused by the flippant comments of non-dog walkers "he's enjoyed himself", "he looks high maintenance", "he's very muddy/dirty/wet/covered in it" 

YES I KNOW!!!!

'They' say that the rewards of dog ownership outweigh the drawbacks - AF and PL firmly  believe that is a universal truth 

BUT 

Please don't tell AF that on the next wet Monday when, soaked to the skin, with mud over the top of the boots, AF is walking the fields with an equally wet and muddy TG.  

Please don't tell AF that when TG is actively resisting the hosing and bathing process so that most of his wet and muddiness is transferred on to AF.

AF just might not be reaping the rewards at that moment but be reflecting more on the drawbacks!!!!!!

PL having a rewarding moment with TG.