Tyson comes to play

Do you remember my new friend Tyson, who I met on my walk last week? Well Mum found him chasing a cat in our front garden today, so asked his Mum if he could come in and play. And his Mum agreed. We had a great time! Even if he did eat most of my food! And keep biting me on the ear and cheek and trying to pull me along! Mind you, I gave as good as I got.

So this is me and Tyson.



Isn’t he a beautiful dog?

And here’s a bit of video of us playing…



I heard Dad tell his Mum that he was welcome to come and play any time, so I hope he comes back some time soon.

More Music

Another damp miserable morning. Mum took me to the Country Park for my walk. There were lots and lots of people there, and quite a few dogs. Mum had me practicing sitting and waiting while other dogs walked past. Now where’s the fun in that???

In the afternoon we went back down to the Park for the Music festival. I was pleased to see that there weren’t quite so many people as yesterday…



In fact, there was sometimes even room for a little dog to stretch out and get a bit of piece and quiet.



Mum had also remembered to take some chews and things down to keep me occupied. Although I didn’t need them that much – there were so many people who wanted to say hello to me. I was a lot more comfortable with all the attention than I was yesterday, although Dad obviously felt I needed a drink to help me relax a bit. As you can see, I declined – I’m still far too young! I don’t want to turn into one of these teenage binge drinkers.



That’s about it really, other than a nice photo of me and my Dad…



Oh no! I forgot. When we got home Dad took me out for a short walk. But I discovered a little bit later that he forgot to shut the back gate when we got home, so I was able to get out of the garden and go looking for next door’s cats. I didn’t have much success – they ran away from me. And then Mum heard me barking and called me back in – and I was a very good little dog and did as I was told.

Bye!

More fun and a 'bad ear' day

Well I don’t think much of this weather – where has that thing called ‘the sun’ gone? It only seems to pop out every now and then, and instead we’ve had clouds and rain. Which has meant that I’ve spent a lot of time lying in bed, although I have given in at times and actually gone out in the rain. I’ve discovered that it’s a really good time to find slugs and snails and frogs. But the weather hasn’t stopped me from having fun this week.

Mum has been taking me over different parts of the Heath, so I’ve been able to have a good look around and run about. And sometimes I meet other dogs there that I can have a good play with. The best day for that was last Friday, when we’d almost finished our walk and met another staffie out with his Mum. He’s 15 months old and called Tyson and our Mum’s let us play for ages and ages. We had such a good game – I didn’t even notice when I scratched myself on the barbed wire fence – and he is such a nice dog. We got on really, really well together. He lives near us, so I’m hoping that I’ll meet him again.

Then on Saturday, after another good walk, we had visitors come to see us. I really liked them, especially the two boys, Marcus and George, who were with them. I spent a lot of time showing them how well I could sit and lie down and things. Mum wasn’t too happy when I jumped up to George and knocked him over though. But Saturday was a day when we had lots of sun, so we spent a lot of time in the garden…



Sometimes it just got a bit too much though, and I had to just have a bit of a lie down…



I was really sorry when they had to leave, but hopefully we’ll see them again sometime soon.

Yesterday morning I had what my Mum called, a bit of a ‘bad ear day’. I personally couldn’t see what was wrong, but Dad couldn’t stop laughing at me, which I thought was a bit cruel. After all, a dog can’t control what its ears do all the time – and I bet Dad can’t control his ears as well as I can. Just because they got a bit stuck in a flapped back position after I’d been lying on my back in the sun. I didn’t think it was particularly fair of Mum taking photos either…



Yesterday afternoon was a new ‘first’ for me: I went to my first music festival. Well, actually it was something called Poole Park Fest, where they have all sorts of stalls of people selling things and a big music stage with lots of live music. We went down towards the end of the afternoon but there were still loads and loads of people there, as you can see.



First of all we walked round the stalls, which was a bit boring until I found a white staffie to say hello to (Dad wouldn’t let me say hello to any of the other dogs we saw). But then I met a really nice staffie who I think was called Silas. Our game was a bit restricted as he was tied to a fence, but we did the best we could. I heard his Mum tell my Mum that he hardly ever gets to play with other dogs, which I think is a real shame. I felt really sorry for him. Still, I did my best to make up for it.

After that we went and sat in a big crowd of people while Mum & Dad had a drink and listened to the music.



Personally I found it all a bit boring, but I did get to meet lots and lots of people, who kept walking by me and saying hello and stroking me. This is me with two little girls I met.



After a while we moved forward, and I got to meet a whole new bunch of people, some of whom were really nice. After that it all got a bit embarrassing as Mum decided to dance to the music. When the music finished we came home again. Apparently we might go back down there today if its not too wet. If we do, I hope they take something to entertain me, like my chew. After all, there’s only so much sitting around doing nothing a little dog can take.

Last of all I’m going to leave you with a new photo of me that Mum took the other day.

Oh No!

I got swallowed by the duvet again!

Visitors

I’ve had a good week. If you remember at the end of my last blog I was about to go for a walk with Dad. Well, we went to the Delph (as usual), but also went up on the Trailway. As Dad had let me off the lead I was exploring, and guess what I found – something called a golf course. It was great – lots and lots of nice grass to run around on, and people hitting little balls all over the place! Dad didn’t seem very happy when he came to get me back though, and he hasn’t let me go there again. Then on Monday we had visitors arrive. I wondered why Dad took me out in the morning while Mum did lots of cleaning. But Mum’s cousin Linda and her daughter Lucy came to stay. You may remember they came once before back in May. Monday afternoon we went down to Sandbanks beach and I had a really good time. This is me with Linda, Lucy and Dad on the beach…



I went into the sea…



And did a bit of digging…



And here’s one I dug earlier…



No – not really – that was a bit hole that we found on the part of the beach dogs aren’t allowed on. Here are some more photos of me in the hole…





On Tuesday afternoon we all went up the Delph. Here’s a photo of me with the new toy Linda gave me…



And this is me and Mum…



I also found a really nice little spaniel to run around with up there. Linda took some video of me with it.




And then we met a really nice young dog called Chester, so we had a good play…



Back home, Linda took some nice photos of me…







It was a shame when Linda and Lucy went home on Wednesday.

Since they’ve gone home I’ve got back into my usual routine. But I don’t think Mum’s been very pleased with me, as I got a bit carried away on a walk when we met other dogs, and wouldn’t do what she said. She’s been making me walk on the lead up until today, when she let me off again when we went to Upton and walked along the shoreline. It was really windy, as you can see from this short video clip of me…

Fun dog show and a 'snake'

What’s happened to the sun? And where has all this rain come from? I had to stay in bed all Tuesday morning it was so wet!

Anyway, back to my girlie week-end. I’m still not too sure what one is, but Mum and I had one last week-end. I think it means that Dad wasn’t around so me and Mum did things together. Saturday is worth a mention: in the morning we went over the Heath and when we got to my favourite bit of stream we met another staffie. He wasn’t very interested in me, but kept trying to dig underwater. I didn’t get the point personally, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. And then every now and then he would stick his head right under the water to pick something up. In the afternoon we went to the Country Park and I met another nice staffie in the car park. But we couldn’t really play as there were cars around. On the front lawn though I met a golden retriever that was the same age as me. We were let of the lead and had a good play with each other. I was very hot and worn out afterwards though, and had to lie in the shade for the next 10 minutes to recover.

On Sunday Mum took me to a fun dog show, which wasn’t really much fun. For a start the weather was a bit miserable. And there weren’t many people there as you can see.



And there was one very nasty lady who moaned at me and Mum cos we were watching the dogs practice their agility. Mum was telling me I was going to be doing this soon, so I could watch and see how it was done. Mind you, having seem how high the dogs had to jump I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do that. I can jump high, but not that high! Anyway, I don’t know where we were supposed to stand. Mum was standing and I was lying down at the edge of the arena.

Then there was the fact that not all of the dogs were friendly – some of them didn’t seem to like me and growled at me and tried to bite me – and all I wanted to do was say ‘Hello’. But I did meet some very friendly Weimerarmers. Mum took a photo of them for me.



On Monday I was very brave. I thought I’d found a snake in the garden, and so I barked and jumped about a lot, and tried to show Mum where it was. I got a bit nervous when she put her hand down and moved the plants to see what I’d found. I kept trying to push my nose in, but not too far in case I got bitten. Anyway, it turns out I hadn’t found a snake, but a HUGE caterpillar. Mum says it was the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth. But I can be forgiven for thinking it was a snake. Firstly it’s supposed to look like a snake. And secondly, Dad thought it was a snake when he saw it. So, this is what I found.





Today Mum took me down the beach this morning. I enjoyed being on the beach, but didn’t really feel like going in the sea. On the way home we went into Pets at Home and Mum bought me a really nice rawhide donut.

Mum’s just taken me out into the front garden to meet one of next door’s cats. But he was making a low rumbling noise in his throat and I got a bit scared. I don’t think he was being very friendly, so I didn’t get too close. Mum says I’m a big wuss. Now I’m waiting for Dad to take me out for a walk.

No one told me I had to wag me tail !!!

Wow, what a week I’ve had! Saturday was a pretty normal day for me, but on Sunday after Mum and I had been for a walk we got in the car and went over to Eric & Pat’s. Mum and Dad were having lunch there. I really like going to see Eric & Pat – Eric is one of my all time favourite people, perhaps because I’ve known him since he came to see me when I was still in the RSPCA home. I’m certain he really, really likes me too. He always spoils me and gives me lots of pats and things. After all the humans had eaten we went out for a walk. There is a nice area with a pond near their flat and I was allowed off the lead once we got there. So I got to poke about in the reeds and generally explore, which is something I like doing a lot. Mum had taken a ball for us to play with, but I decided that it was far too hot to run around chasing a ball so I sat in the shade and chewed it instead. There wasn’t much of it left once I’d finished. Once again I don’t have any photos for you, cos Mum forgot to take the camera. I’m going to have to find a way to remind her.

Then on Tuesday Mum took me to Hamworthy and I got to play on the beach. It was really good. I met 2 really nice retrievers and I played fetch in the sea with them for ages. Then a little collie puppy came along, but she was really scared of us and kept making high pitched yelping noises even though we were only being friendly. I went off to see her on my own after a while though, and she was happy playing with just me. She was only 6 months old, so we had a good game. Mum took me back to the car via the lake there, so I got to wash all the salt water and sand off in the nice clean water.

Wednesday was the best day though. I knew something was going on when we got all got in the best car as we only use that when we’re going somewhere special. Anyway, we went to something called the New Forest Show. It was so exciting. There were so many people – I’ve never seen so many in my life before. And lots of them had taken their dogs as well, so there were so many new people and dogs for me to meet. There seemed to be lots of sort of shop places, and sometimes we’d go into a big tent (but they were a bit hot for me). Even some of the shop places had dogs for me to play with…



Mum and Dad said they were taking me to see the cows, and I was really pleased as I like cows. But they were in a big tent, where there were lots and lots of people. And some of the cows were just HUGE – and I got scared, even though Dad was with me. And then a cow started making a horrible loud bellowing noise, and I didn’t like that at all. So Dad took me outside where I felt a lot safer. No way was I going back in there!

Mum and Dad then went to the beer tent, which was ok cos it was nice and big and cool inside. Dad offered me some of his beer but I’m far too young to drink alcohol!



After the beer tent we went to see some ducks (which I couldn’t reach), and then we went to see some sheep and goats. I’ve never seen sheep close up before, so I was really pleased to be able to go over and say hello. This is me with the sheep…





And this was just the tiniest little goat…



Mum says it was a Pygmy Goat, which I think means that it is a very small goat, but I could have told them that without them having to give it a fancy name!

We also went into a really nice wooded area which was nice and cool for me. I found a horse there to say hello to…



And some dogs…



After that we went back into the showground and stopped in front of a sort of stage area. That was good as there were quite a few dogs there so I got to play with some of them…



The owners were taking all their dogs up onto the stage, and eventually Mum took me up…



I wasn’t too sure what was going on, so as you can see I was a bit nervous and kept my tail firmly between my legs. Turns out it was a waggy tail contest! Well, someone might have told me!! How embarrassing is that! I can wag my tail for England, and the one time I get the chance to impress someone, I keep it between my legs. Mind you, it could have been worse. That boxer was only 6 months old, and when his owner took him up onto the stage he was so scared he threw up!!!
We kept walking on round and it was very hot. I kept trying to find bits of shade and when I did Mum would let me lie down and cool off a bit. Sometimes you had to be pretty inventive to find somewhere to cool down though…



At the end of the afternoon we ended up at a small arena where Mum and Dad watched a display by police sniffer dogs. I was so tired by then that I just flopped down on the grass (making sure that there were some nice people close enough to sit and stoke me) and dozed. I woke up when there was a display of birds of prey though, as I really like chasing birds. These were bigger than any birds I’ve even seen before though. One of them was an eagle and it was enormous with a great big beak and huge claws. I’m not sure that I’d want to tangle with him!

After that we came home – well we’d been there nearly all day. I was worn out! Dad had taken some nice photos of me while we were there though...





That’s about it really. Oh, apart from the fact that yesterday I found some of my favourite fishy smelling poo to roll in, and managed to smear it nicely round my neck – until we got home and Mum washed it off! I had to endure the hose again, only this time she used shampoo too!!! Personally I thought I smelt better with the poo.

It’s now Friday afternoon and I’m at home with Mum. Dad’s not here – Mum says he’s gone away for the week-end, so me and her are having a girlie week-end (whatever one of those is).