I'm so happy

OMG! How my life has changed. Max (Patch as was) has come home to live with us. I am sooooo happy. We play and play and play. Ok, so it looks like fighting, but that’s how us dogs like to play. Of course, it’s not without its risks – Max has got carried away and one of his teeth has gone in my face twice now. He’s still a pup though, so I have to cut him some slack and teach him what is and isn’t allowed. Like trying to hump me is definitely NOT allowed! Mum says that the RSPCA told her that they don’t think that he’d been around dogs much. He was certainly frightened of other dogs when we first went out. All that’s changed now though, and I’ve shown him that other dogs are great fun to play with. We go and say hello to all sorts of dogs when we are out (although Max still isn’t too sure about the very big ones like the Rottie we met yesterday). In fact, come to think of it, he was scared of his own shadow when he first came home, but that’s getting better too.

Mum took some video just after she bought him home last Tuesday…



You can see that we get on really well. The only problem is that he wants to eat everything in sight – and that includes my food! Now I’m not a fast eater, so Max has usually finished his long before me, and then he tries to come and eat my food too – and if Mum doesn’t stop him he usually succeeds as I don’t like to tell him off. I’m learning though and now try eat my food a lot quicker. And I try and carry my biscuits and things off away from him so that I can eat them in peace.

The only other problem is that Max likes to be with Mum or Dad all of the time – usually Mum. He’s always leaning against her, or sitting on her or something. And he sleeps with her! And he doesn’t like it when I go over and try to say Hello to her. I was worried that I wasn’t going to get a look in, but Mum tells me I’m still her really special little girl and gives me lots of cuddles. She says poor Max is just worried as his last owner gave him to the RSPCA and so he’s a bit insecure. She says she’s sure he’ll get better – I hope so. I’m not the jealous type, but there are limits.

Actually, as well as eating everything in sight, Max is very different from me in other ways too. He likes to swim. And he’s got long fur that gets covered in mud, and so Mum often hoses him off when he gets home. He’s welcome to it – I’m not having that hose anywhere near me! Nor the towels! He gets towelled dry when he comes in too – I’m not having any of that and stay well out of the way until it is all over. Then, on top of it all, he gets brushed most evenings! Poor thing – I don’t know what he’s done to deserve that.

When it comes to playing, we both like to fight, as I’ve said. But we’re starting to play chase a lot more now. One of us will pick up a toy or a rawhide or something, and the other one will chase them – round and round the living room. We’ve even had the odd game of tug, but Max doesn’t seem too sure about tug, so generally I play that with Mum (cos she’s let me have my rubber ring back – yippee!).

Anyway, not only did Max arrive, but we had two lots of visitors last week. First of all Mum and Dad’s friends Eric & Maria came to stay the night. And then the next day we all went down the beach for a walk. I haven’t been down the beach for months and months, and it was really great to be back there. And after a while Dad let me off the lead so that I could run about properly. I’ve got some video and photos of us down there…



Mum doesn’t think Max had been down the beach before as he was scared of the waves at first. But he soon got used to the sea. Anyway, here’s the photos..







Then a day after Eric & Maria left Linda and Paul arrived – we were so excited. Mum says we got a bit carried away with our fighting, so I’m really sorry about that Linda. We tried to make up for it by behaving for the rest of the week-end. On Saturday we went back down the beach as it was a lovely sunny day. And Mum took even more video…



And some photos…











We had a great time as you can see. Oh, and just to prove we get on, Max and I always share the back of the car when we go out.



Walks are really good again now. Mum took me back to see the vet who did my operation just over a week ago, and he said my leg has healed really well and that my knee isn’t slipping at all now. I’m having to have some injections though, which I don’t think much of. I’ve got to have one a week for 4 weeks. But he says I don’t need to be kept on the lead on walks, so I’m able to have a good run round and sniff about again. And now Max is off the lead too. We’ve been over the Heath, and down to Ham Common and the beach there, and to the Country Park, and up to Delph Woods. It certainly wears us out – which I think is Mum & Dad’s intention!

Stay little Valentine,stay

What a week it’s been! First of all Eric and Pat came over last Sunday, so I had a lovely day. I spent quite a while trying to jump all over Eric as usual, but he doesn’t seem to mind. And I really enjoy it. After all, how else am I supposed to show him how much I like him?

Then I’ve been back out on almost proper walks again all week. So I’ve been to Upton, over the Heath and to the Delph. It’s been wet and muddy but it’s been great to be out and about again. It does make my leg ache at times though, which isn’t so good.

We were supposed to be going to the vet who operated on my leg for a check-up on Tuesday, but Mum put it off as the weather was so bad. She said it was a good job she had as the road she had to take was closed that day cos it was flooded. So I’m going on Monday after all. I’m not really looking forward to it as I have to have another anaesthetic and I don’t like that. But I get the feeling that there’s no way I’m going to get out of it this time.

On Wednesday Mum and I went out for a night-time walk and she took me round to where I used to go for my training classes. There were lots of dogs waiting outside so we went and said Hello to them, and then waited around until they went in. And then Mum took me in too, to say Hello to my trainer Jo. It was really good to see her, cos I haven’t seen her for ages and ages. She couldn’t get over how big I am now.

Then on Thursday on my walk we met my old friend Bailie, who is a spaniel-collie cross. Bailie is a couple of months younger than me, and we used to play a lot whenever we met, and run around and get all nice and muddy and things. Mum let me play with Bailie for quite a while, although she didn’t let me off the lead – she says I’m still not allowed. It was really good as I hadn’t seen Bailie since last summer where I’ve not been allowed to walk over the Heath.

On Friday instead of going for an afternoon walk Mum and Dad took me back to the RSPCA shelter that they got me from. It was really nice to see all the people up there, and I could hear all the dogs and got excited. Dad took me for a short walk while Mum stayed behind, and then they introduced me to a lovely Springer Spaniel called Patch. He’s only 6 months old and he needs teaching some manners, but we had a nice play together for quite a while. I was worn out when I got home and slept all evening.

And today we went back to see him again! This time we were allowed to go and play in the big runs and we chased round and had a good old rough and tumble. Then we went out in the woods for a walk. Patch doesn’t walk very well on a lead and kept getting told off cos he was pulling so much all the time. Dad said I was walking really nicely and setting a good example. Mum took some photos in the woods. This is Patch…



And here’s some photos of me and Dad and Patch…







The only problem was, as I said, Patch hasn’t got any manners, and he kept trying to climb on top of me. I wasn’t very impressed and told him off in no uncertain terms. Mum says its cos he’s only just had his operation to stop him having puppies, and she doesn’t think anyone has ever told him that he mustn’t do that. After all, they haven’t taught him how to walk on a lead!

I think we are going back to see Patch again tomorrow. Mum has asked me if I would like him to come and live with us. I think I would, just so long as he gives me some peace and quiet once in a while. He has so much energy! But it’s nice having a dog to play with and to go for walks with. Mum also says if she adopts him she will try and change his name. She doesn’t think Patch suits him, and wants to call him Max. I agree, that’s much better.

But now I’ve got to go and get some sleep. I’m worn out again. And my leg hurts as I was allowed of the lead to play with Patch, and we ran around a lot.

Snow!

I woke up this morning and it was all white! We’d had snow. I haven’t really seen snow before, so had to go and investigate. Mum took a bit of video as usual.



The trouble with snow is, so I’ve discovered this morning, if you sniff it, it goes up your nose!

Anyway, Mum and I went for a walk round the Ponds fairly early (well, early for me – Mum says most normal people & dogs have been up hours by the time I get up). You can see what it was like. This was the footpath by our house…



And here’s where people feed the ducks and where those horrible swans are that hiss and flap their wings at me…



You can see the young corgi I’d just been playing with in the photo – he’s a couple of months younger than me.

Then, of course, Mum took some more photos of me…







This afternoon I’ve been out for a walk with my Dad IN A BLIZZARD!!! It was a white hell! We could have got lost and wandered round and round in circles and starved to death before anyone found us! Well, ok, we were only up the Delph and walking along the Trailway, so I don’t suppose we’d really have got lost. And Dad didn’t seem too worried about it, so perhaps it wasn’t that bad. But there were lots of great big snowflakes falling.

The trouble with this cold is that it makes my leg ache. It does seem to be getting much better. Well, it was until I went to see my vet Duncan last Monday. And he pushed it around and kept making the knee come go out of joint, so it hurt for a few days after that. I’d had to go to see him for my booster injection – Mum says I have to have it so that I don’t get any nasty illnesses. I didn’t mind the injection though – it was all that pushing about of my bad leg that I objected to.

It doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as it used to, though, and I’m not even taking any painkillers now. And I’m going for much longer walks to nice places like the Heath, the Country Park and the Delph. They are all really good as I usually meet lots of other dogs there. But sometimes the walks are a bit long and they make my leg ache afterwards. It’s difficult for me to tell Mum & Dad that I don’t want to go out as it’s making my leg hurt – normally I just try and run away when they go to put my harness on me. I don’t normally manage to get out of it, but sometimes I think I just have a shorter walk.

I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Mum says Linda and Paul are coming to stay as it’s Mum’s birthday (I hope I’ve got her a present as I’ve had to leave that up to Dad to organise). And then on Sunday Eric and Pat are supposed to be coming over as well. I’m getting excited already.