My story continues

January and February continued pretty much the same. I went to classes once a week, and each day we’d go for walks. Generally Mum takes me in the morning and Dad takes me in the afternoon.

On 21st January I took over my Mum’s blog for the first time. This is what I had to say.


Hi, it’s Jez here today. I thought it was about time you heard things from my point of view.

It’s this walking lark. Why? Twice a day they wake me up and drag me round places on a lead. Ok, there are some good smells out there, and I get to meet other dogs (which is really good – especially if they’ll let me play with them), and other people (which is quite good – and I’m really fond of children). But it wears me out! Can’t they see that? Doesn’t the crashing out on the sofa for a couple of hours afterwards give them some sort of clue?

So yesterday I decided to rebel and let my Mum know that I was not in the mood for a walk. I tried hiding at the top of the stairs as soon as I saw her put her coat on and get my lead. And I think it would have worked, but she tricked me by calling me in a way that sounded as though she had some food for me! Next thing I knew she’d put my car harness and lead on me! Not to be outdone, I headed back for the top of the stairs again and this time flatly refused to budge. Mum took a photo of me so that you could see just how much I didn’t want to go out!



Then Dad appeared and between then they persuaded me down the stairs and into the car. Not to be outdone, though, I thought I’d show my displeasure by playing up for the first 20 minutes or so of my walk. I pulled like mad if I saw another dog, I would not walk where my Mum wanted me to, and I kept just sitting down and refusing to budge no matter how much she coaxed me. That will show her! In the end it was all too much like hard work though, and we were at the Country Park, which I normally like, so I eventually gave up and was really good for the rest of my walk. And it was worth it, as I met lots of nice dogs, and got nice and muddy into the bargain!

Today I wasn’t quite so obstinate, but I did put in a token protest when she went to put my harness on. But I got in the car ok, and boy, was I pleased I did. We went to the beach, which is my #1 favourite place (after Pets at Home). And when we got on the beach SHE LET ME OFF THE LEAD!!!!! How fab was that? I’ve never been let off the lead before. I could run around wherever I wanted, although I didn’t like getting too far away from Mum. After all, she did have Tangy Cheese Dorritos in her pocket! And she’d taken my Wubba, and kept throwing it for me. I had such good fun running and getting it. Mum took some photos of me to show you what a good girl I was.





Of course, I couldn’t let her have it all her own way. Sometimes I had to put in a token protest…




I did pose nicely for the camera though.



Mind you, by the end of it I was absolutely worn out. I slept in the car all the way home and wasn’t particularly impressed when I had to get out at the other end. Why not just leave me sleeping in the car? Once indoors I dragged myself up the stairs and just crashed out on the landing. But it was such good fun, and I enjoyed myself so much. I’m hoping that if I’m a good girl Mum will take me again.

And lastly before I go, Mum bought a book yesterday called ‘One hundred ways for a dog to train its human’. I thought she might have bought it for me, so ran off with it and gave it a quick chew – but she came and took it off me. But there are some good pointers in it (I’ve heard her reading them out loud to Dad). For example:

“When your human throws a stick ask yourself 3 important questions:
- Is it a stick you particularly want?
- Can you be naffed to go and get it?
- Does your human look stupid enough to go and get it if you don’t, only to throw it one more time in the hope they might encourage you to go and get it this time?
If you answer ‘No’ to the first two and ‘Yes’ to the third, just lie down on the ground and watch your human tire themselves out.”

This is the best advice in it though:

“Master or servant? Just remember who shovels whose poo up. There’s your answer.”



The next day we went down to the beach again – twice. Dad came with us in the afternoon, and so there are even more photos of me.









Someone might have told me how deep that pool was in the last one – I could have drowned!!!!

At the end of the month, Mum went away for a couple of days: something about going off to act on a Murder Weekend. I didn’t think much of it though as I missed her. Dad did his best to entertain me, but at the end of the day he’s Not-the-Mummy. I don’t like it when either of them go away though – I like having them both here with me. That way I know where they are, and know I’ve got nothing to worry about.

My story continues

Christmas was a good time. Christmas Eve we did something I’d never done before – we went to the beach. I had great fun running around, and there were lots of other people and dogs. But I wasn’t sure about the sea itself. Not only was it cold and wet, but the water moved and kept coming towards me in waves. Mum and Dad tried to tempt me in, but I was having none of it. They must think I’m daft! Anyway, Mum took some video of it, which you can see here - but only if it will work, which it doesn't seem to want to at the moment :(



I enjoyed Christmas day – I got presents! And lots of wrapping paper to play with!!! And cookies, and turkey!!!! This is me on Christmas day, enjoying my new Mad Kitty toy.



The next day, Boxing Day, we went down the beach again, and there were more people than ever. It was great – as you can see.







So good I decided I didn’t want to go anywhere else to walk. I used to dig my heels in, and Mum used to try and drag me along. After a few days I gave up – after all, any walk is better than no walk. I’ve got a few more photos of me from early January. As you can see, I was allowed on the stairs by then.





With the Twiglets carton…



Mum gave me a carrot, but I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it, so I chewed it up…



This is me asleep on the sofa…



Mum finds it funny that I sometimes sleep like that, although I can’t see why. She calls me her little tartlet.

The new year was all change. First of all Dad went away for a couple of days. I couldn’t work out where he’d gone, so was really pleased when he came back. Then a strange man came to the house and started replacing all the doors. Mum tried to keep me out of his way, but I did my best to help where I could. And he kindly left his shoes in the hall for me, although Mum kept telling me to give them back. Then I got a new bed. It’s a large cage that Mum set up in the corner in the kitchen and put my bedding in. Then she put a blanket over it. I was a bit worried the first time she shut the door, but after a while I got used to it. It’s my own little den that I can go off to when I want. And I sleep in there at night.

Last of all Mum started taking me to obedience classes. I liked that. There were 7 other dogs there that I got to meet each week and could occasionally have a play with. I had a great time, even if it did mean that I had to learn things like sit, down, stand (I don’t like that one), wait, and stay. Mum also taught me to rollover. Or rather I found out that if I rolled over Mum would give me a treat. Good one, eh?

My story continues

Ugh! It’s raining again today. I hate the rain. And what I want to know is why do I have to go outside to the toilet? Mum and Dad go in the house. Me, I have to go outside in the garden – in the rain!!! Dad took pity on me this morning though, as I was obviously bursting, and came and held an umbrella over me. Quite right too!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I’d just arrived at my new home.

This was really different to anything I’d been used to before. I had a nice snugly bed and was given lots of toys to play with. And I got lots of cuddles from my new Mum and Dad. There was also a nice big garden for me to explore, which, I soon discovered, had lots and lots of good things in it to chew. Not that my Mum appreciated me chewing them much, as they were all her shrubs and plants, but I had a great time. Indoors I was only allowed downstairs to start off with, and had to stay in the same room as either Mum or Dad. I was a bit lonely when they put me to bed the first night as I had to sleep downstairs in the kitchen on my own. I’d never slept on my own before, but Mum got up and came to see me if I cried – which I only did twice. Then in the morning she came downstairs and let me curl up on the sofa with her and have a little snooze, so I felt a lot better then.

The second day home Mum took me out for my first proper walk. I had a nice new red collar and lead and was very proud of them. We live next to some ponds, which apparently were once old clay pits, so there were lots of places to explore, and lots of new people to meet. It was all really exciting for a little dog. So exciting, in fact, that I slept all afternoon. But not before Mum had managed to take a few photos of me.





Next day Dad came for a walk with us too, and they took some more photos of me. This is me in my new collar and lead…



..with my Dad…



…and with my Mum…



Sometimes I was just a little bit too eager…



What I wasn’t keen on though was the car. I had been sick on the way home, and didn’t like going in it. It was really strange, and I didn’t like the way it moved, or the way everything rushed past. Of course, I’m used to it now but back then I found it really scary.

But it was all made up for by the fact that I just had to look at my Mum and she’d spoil me. She kept feeding me nice stuff (like porridge and scrambled eggs) and she kept buying me toys and treats. I get a lot of treats. If I’m doing something I’m not supposed to be and they tell me to stop they give me a treat if I do. Of course, I go straight back to doing whatever it was I wasn’t supposed to do, so then they tell me to stop and I get another treat. I soon sussed that one out. I can keep that little routine going for ages, and get lots of treats in the process.

One thing Mum bought me which I didn’t appreciate was a coat. I understand the sentiment – it was cold and wet so she bought me something to keep me warm and dry. But she didn’t honestly expect me to appear in public looking like this, did she???



Oh well. I’ll leave you today with some more photos of me from that first week home.

My story begins

Hello. My name’s Jezebel, or Jez for short. I’m an 8 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or at least, I think that’s what I am. I’m not 100% certain, but the nice people at the RSPCA centre told my Mum that was the case. I don’t have ‘papers’ though, to prove what I am, so we just have to take their word for it.

I thought I’d start by telling you my story.

I was born sometime last September (2007). My adopted Mum was told I was one of 6 puppies. As we don’t know my real date of birth, Mum has chosen 12th September – I’m hoping that’s so that I can be spoilt and have lots of presents and nice things to eat when my birthday comes around. Anyway, I digress. I don’t remember much of my early life. I do know that my real mother’s owner didn’t like having us in the house as we made too much mess, so we got put outside. And then 3 of my brothers and sisters went to new homes. When we were 9 weeks old the other 3 of us (me, my sister and my brother) were taken to the RSPCA centre. The people at the RSPCA centre called me Polly, and this was me when I arrived there.



The people at the RSPCA were very nice to us there, but we weren’t allowed to play with the other dogs as we hadn’t had our injections. Soon my brother found a new home and that just left me and my sister. But then my Mum came and saw us, and then she kept coming back to see just me, and would sit and play with me. One day my new Dad came with her too, and on another day Mum’s Dad, Eric, came along to see me. I liked having all these visitors. But they didn’t take me home with them. But that was cos they were waiting for the RSPCA to make sure that they were good enough to be my new Mum and Dad.

At last the big day came, and Mum and Dad arrived to take me home. By now I was about 13 weeks old, and all ears. One of Mum’s friends told her I’d grow into them, but they’re still quite big. Personally I think they’re rather attractive. So here are some photos of me as soon as I arrived at my new home.








That’s me and my Mum in that last one.

I’ll leave you there for now (I have to go out for my walk), and will pick up my story later.