Long Time, No Blog

Hi – Happy Christmas to all and a Happy New Year in 2011! Sorry I haven’t been blogging lately – I blame it on my mother, she says she’s been so busy with Christmas and working, – but I think she’s just lazy!

I’ve been having a ball and I’m getting SO big now that people think I’m all grown up and look surprised that I still act like a puppy, but I’m still only little inside!

I had great fun in the snow and people were amazed that I still swam in the sea on freezing cold days, but I just don’t feel the cold (how lucky am I?)

messing up the bentley proof garden ha ha!

I had a visit from my cousin Mocha who came to stay with us for a week. Sometimes, the grown ups kept us apart just because we play in the house and sometimes accidentally knock over furniture, spill drinks, damage the woodwork etc etc

play fighting with Mocha

let us in, promise to be good (ha ha)

resting together like butter wouldn't melt...

I had a lovely time at Christmas – Mum made me a red bow for my neck (I soon had that shredded to pieces and left all over the floor). I got some nice presents…..

opening one of my Christmas presents

After much trying, I managed to rip open my toy dog and get all the stuffing out of him, which I then proceeded to distribute all over the house (it looked very festive, like snow). Dad took a pic of me as he thought I looked like Santa Claus!

pretending to be santa (like the beard?)

looking smart in my Christmas bow!

Can you see the pink scratches on my nose? Mum says I’ll have to stop such rough play-fighting with every dog I meet, as she doesn’t want my beautiful handsome face to be marked. Well, we’ll see about that (but thinking about it, I am very handsome aren’t I?)

Well, some big changes may be coming up if I understand what I overhear of my mum and dad’s conversations – so I promise to blog again soon to tell you all about them! Chat to you then…..

I’m getting naughtier than ever!

My mum and dad decided they needed to ‘Bentley-Proof’ the garden, so after a week of not being allowed in it, I’ve finally got to inspect it. Ha ha, they think there’s nothing left for me to destroy, but they’re WRONG! Let me describe the garden now, its got lots of patio areas and an artificial lawn, no flower beds, just some pots. Well, the first thing I do now when I go out is to pull at the climbing roses and the ivy growing around the edge of the garden – I pull and pull until a big long branch comes free then I proceed to chew it up into tiny little peices that I scatter all over their new pristine lawn. Next, I’ve been having a go at the plant pots and really upset my mum when I chewed up her beautiful Acer (see pic below)

the stump in the middle is all I left of the Acer

I think the lawn is far too tidy, so I find whatever I can from the garage to make a mess! I had great fun with my dad’s straw hat that he wears on holiday to look cool – don’t think he’ll be wearing it any more!

I pinched dad's straw hat from the garage...

this is what was left of it - the rest was scattered all over their new lawn!

I like to drink the water from the bird bath, climb up on to the garden furniture – I ate my dad’s gardening glove this morning which he thought was safely out of reach on top of the garden table. I poo as often as I can on the new grass (and wee of course – my mum thinks it’s time I learned to cock my leg but I don’t know what that means?). I love to knock the plant pots off the windowsill and scatter the compost over the patio and grass -aah there’s lots more fun to be had even in a minimalistic garden!

We go to the beach most days and I managed to just about knock a man over this morning when I ran into him at about 60 miles per hour! I’m a champion swimmer now of course… hope you are impressed?

swimming in deep water

I also like to play tug of war with sticks and seaweed on the beach and I always win because I’m getting so big and strong now. My mum can hardly hold me when I decide to run after another dog or some children when we are out – I only want to play with them, is that a crime?

I always win at tug-of-war, because I'm big and strong now

The waves can be very big sometimes, but they don’t scare me (except for one day when it was so rough there were surfers in the water!). I hope you’re impressed with my bravery!

in the surf - aren't I big and brave, as well as very handsome!

Well, folks I’ll have to go now, I’m off to see my cousin Mocha tomorrow (do you remember Mocha? I haven’t seen her since I was a small puppy). I wonder how we’ll get on now that I’m as big as her………… Tell you next time

They bring in a Personal Doggie Trainer!

Well, I’ve finally done it – driven them to get in a dog behavourist (I think that’s what they called him). He (Richard) came to the house and I was very good for him – I didn’t rush to the door and jump up when he did trial runs with mum and dad ringing the bell. I came back when he called me on the field (didn’t have much choice as he had a 30′ training lead on me); he got me to give up the toy I was playing with in the garden (which just happened to be a new fit-flop of mums that I pinched and chewed up a while ago [she was SO mad at the time - told me they cost 45 quid!]). He got me to walk to heel beautifully and all in all they were all so pleased with me.

Of course once Richard had gone….. BACK TO MY OLD TRICKS!! Mum and dad are trying so hard to put into practice what Richard taught THEM but I’m making it very difficult for them! Mum says I walk to heel nicely when she puts a haltie on me (a kind of head harness to stop me getting distracted). But I HATE IT!!!! I hide every time they try to put it on me – the best place is under the bed settee in the office cos they just can’t get me out.

getting away from the dreaded 'haltie'

another second and I'll have disappeared!

Of course I can be good sometimes – I had a lovely time on the beach when mum’s friend Karen came down (she always makes a fuss of me and plays with me a lot). I really bahaved myself, apart from one small incident when I raced up to a family on the beach and pinched a sausage roll from a baby’s hand (accidently knocking the poor thing over in the process). That caused some mayhem and even Aunty Karen was not amused.

Anyway, after that I went for a plodge in the sea and suddenly I WAS SWIMMING! I couldn’t believe it, there I was doing the doggie paddle without having had even a single swimming lesson.

digging holes with Karen

lapping up the attention

standing so proud after learning to swim all by myself

After that, I met my doppleganger (except I’m bigger than him) and we swam together and everything was ticketyboo….. until I got home and felt like being naughty again. More about this next time…

Long Time No Blog!

Well, such a lot has happened to me since I last blogged! My mum and dad decided to go on holiday for 3 WEEKS without me! Anyway, good friends of theirs looked after me in their big house and extensive grounds -well they were good friends until they had me to look after for 3 weeks! Something tells me they won’t be volunteering again.

They said I nibbled the baby’s toes off (he still had 10 the last time I looked), wrecked their lawn which was beautifully manicured when I arrived and resembled Steptoe’s junk yard when I left. And it really wasn’t my fault that the windowsills in their conservatory were so low that I accidentally kept knocking off the plants and after all I only broke about 6 plant pots, oh and I dug up some interesting plants in the garden, trampled the tomatoes in the greenhouse, spooked the horses in the field, shredded their Economist before they’d read it, ate some of their post (probably just junk mail), put muddy paws all over the conservatory furniture, stole food from the kitchen. And the children, who were looking forward to my arrival, were apparently terrified by me because I’m getting so big now and I hurt them when I jump up at them – but I was only trying to play! Apart from that, they said I was quite good – on the plus side, I slept peacefully all night (well, except for a couple of times) and of course I’m fully housetrained. I bet as soon as I left there were sighs of relief all round and the gardener would be working overtime to repair the garden and the cleaning lady would be polishing all my paw and nose prints off the windows and doors and cleaning the upholstery!

Still, I liked John and Janice very much and they were very kind to me!!

It was so funny today – mum had taken me on a long walk around the farmers fields (at least 2 miles) and it was very warm and I was overheated. Anyway, I decided I just couldn’t take another step and lay down on the path. She couldn’t lift me, she couldn’t drag me, she couldn’t tempt me with treats – believe you me I was going nowhere! I kept this up for about 20 minutes and she was getting frantic cos she thought I might really be ill and also she was in a hurry to keep an appointment. She took a photo just in case it was to be my last one. THEN I spotted a little poodle down the path and jumped up and raced after it, nearly pulling mum off her feet. I think she wanted to kill me!!

Before my ‘holiday’ I was of course up to my usual tricks – my mum is getting really hacked off with me just because I have wrecked her garden, put muddy paws all over the cream upholstery and bitten the buttons off the cushions. She says she has to wash the floor EVERY DAY and vacuum my hairs up all the time. I think she might regret getting me…..?? On the other hand, I do like to help her around the house…

I help them to do the crossword

helping to load the dishwasher

helping with the shopping (not!)

I help to make the bed

dad said I stole his sponge but I only wanted to help wash the car

flaked out and not going a step further!

I’m off to the beach again tomorrow – lets see what mischief I can get up to there! The last time I was on the beach, I was being petted by this lovely family when I spotted food in the lady’s bag. Quick as a flash I put my head in the bag, grabbed the nearest thing and ran off down the beach to scoff it. The lady was shouting “He’s got me corned beef pie!!” When I’d eaten it, I went back and pinched one of the children’s socks (just for a joke) and lay down in a nice seawater pool with it. I’m such an embarrassment to my mum sometimes. Roll on tomorrow…..

Wow.. so much to tell you!

First of all, I promised some pictures of me with my friend Mac (Macintosh to give him his full title). he came to visit me at my house and we had a ball! We had playfights all over the garden and made it an even bigger mess than I had managed so far! (they used to be so proud of their garden – not any more thanks to yours truly, ha ha).

We were so naughty, we were eventually shut out in the garden (after we had run amok in the house) but our pleading little faces soon softened them and we were let back in to create even more havoc. I like Mac – he’s great fun!!

The rest of my news will have to wait cos I’m going on my holidays and won’t be able to do my blog for a couple of weeks or so… don’t miss me too much!! I’ll miss you all xxxxx

Saying hello to Mac - he makes me feel tall!

This is Mac - look at that tongue!!

Let us back in, we'll be good (not!)

Errors and Omissions

I’m in trouble for not putting a pic of me and Holly on my last blog when I did put a picture of her brother Dan with me. So to put that right, here is a picture of me with little Holly and one of me with Georgia too for good measure! (all family members)

Me with Holly when I was a bit younger

With Georgia Mary

The promised pics of me with my friend Mac will be posted next week when my mum gets back from holiday (she’s leaving me with my dad and I’m really gonna miss her…. I’ll probably howl and give my dad a hard time!).

Back soon xx

I meet cousin Mocha in Weybridge

My mum and dad were worried about how I would cope with the car journey to Weybridge – 300 miles (cos sometimes I am sick in the car, even on short journeys – well I can’t make like too easy for them can I?). Anyway my dad got some pills from the vet and they made me very sleepy and I was as good as gold and got lots of brownie points for not being sick and not needing to stop for the loo too often.

Cousin Mocha was great – but once again I had to concede that I was not the pack leader and Mocha definitely was! She quite wore me out, as we play fought all day and every day on her back lawn and we went on some nice trips. I found out what a river is and I was too scared to go in too deep, but Mocha is a champion swimmer – still, she is 3 and I should be able to swim by the time I’m 3 I hope!

I was very well behaved at cousin Mocha’s house – well, if you don’t count weeing on the carpet a couple of times. Well, it wasn’t my fault really – they’ve got one of those town houses with the kitchen upstairs and I kept getting confused and couldn’t find the garden in time!

with my cousin in the river

sleeping with my pal - worn each other out!

submitting to the pack leader!

with cousin Dan

a nice cuddle from uncle Nick

I still need a lot of sleep - I'm still just a baby you know!

Next time, I’ll tell you how I meet a lovely lady on the beach and have fun with Macintosh

Finding out who’s the pack leader!

Well, I’ve been having such an adventurous time since my last blog. We went on a visit to see Aunty Karen who has TWO grown up dogs. The idea was that I would walk in the fields with them and do some doggy ’socialising’. Well! Mary took an instant dislike to me and growled at me to keep my distance (which is very hard for me because I am such a friendly little chap!). The other dog, Hootch, was very nice to me, and acted as peacemaker, keeping Mary and I apart as much as possible. By the end of the day, Mary and I had at least said ‘hello’ and we all had a great time in the farmers fields, racing everywhere and getting lost in the long grass. There was no doubting who the pack leader was – and it certainly wasn’t me!

This is me trying to keep out of Mary's way

Mary - we did become friends eventually after much grovelling on my part

I didn't give up trying and eventually Mary said hello to me!

This is my friend, Hootch - isn't he smart!

When we were in the fields I stood on some horrible plants that stung my paws and I was crying in pain (my mum told me they were stinging nettles) so Aunty Karen (Mary and Hootch’s mum) put my paws in a bucket of cold water and boy did that help – the relief! She kept dipping my paws in everytime they started to hurt again, and soon the pain went away. I also tried dipping my paws in Aunty Karen’s garden pond, but there were some funny orange things swimming in there so I wasn’t too sure about that!

This is me having my paws cooled down by Aunty Karen

Me, looking at the funny golden things in the pond

Next time, I’ll tell you all about my visit down south to meet my cousin Mocha (hope she’s friendly!)

Feeling great and up to my old tricks again!

Well, get my last stitch out tomorrow!! The vet and I are becoming good friends now – we seem to be seeing a lot of each other! My mum has already taken my collar off – she says because my eye is so much better (and I’m not scratching it any more) but I think its cos she’s sick of me running into the back of her legs with the collar on – she’s got strange black and blue marks just at the height of the collar!

We’ve been back to the beach a few times but keeping a watchful eye out for any aggressive westies (mum says most westies are lovely, just the odd maniac). Gettin loads of sympathy from everyone who passes and lots of pats and cuddles – mmm… almost worth getting hurt for!

As you’ll see from my pics, I’m into toilet rolls now, and toilet brushes (very tasty) and I just love stretching out on the landing and stopping the grown ups from getting past to get to the bathroom or bedrooms. Pigeon chasing in the garden is fun too, but haven’t managed to catch any as yet.

I’m going on my holidays tomorrow to stay with my cousin Mocha, who’s a golden retriever like me, but all grown up. Can’t wait to meet her and go walkies and mum says we can swim (what’s that?) in the river – oh well, sounds like fun!

Keep you posted!!

recuperating in the garden

back on the beach.... lookin out for westies!

havin fun with this thing I found in the toilet

mmm... this tastes good!

keeping guard on the stairs - no people allowed to pass!

I’m attacked at the beach!!!

What an eventful couple of weeks I’ve had! First, my ear infection cleared up nicely and I got my ‘lantern’ off, had my final injection and was free to go out at last! I’ve been everywhere and I just love the freedom. The beach is fantastic and I’ve met some great new friends there. I’ve also been to the Dene with my friend Nonny and we had a ball. Cool!

I’ve had a few minor mishaps, like getting stung by a wasp I was playing with (didn’t half hurt my paws!), my mum put ice packs on! (Don’t wasps like being played with??)

I’d just got over that when I jostled my mum when she was carrying a very hot cuppa – owww, hot tea all over my face! My mum bathed my head immediately in cold water and I felt much better after that. Must remember to keep out of her way in future!

I’ve had some fantastic visits to the beach, but YESTERDAY this horrible little dog (a Westie) decided to attack me when we were playing and he bit my eye quite badly. My mum was distraught, as there was blood all over the place, so it was back to the vets (emergency surgery as it’s bank holiday!) and I’ve now got 2 stitches in my right eye and I don’t feel very well at all after the anaesthetic. To add insult to injury, I’VE GOT TO WEAR ANOTHER LANTERN – for another 2 weeks!! For goodness sake, I’m only 3 and a half months old and I’m on to my second lantern already!!

Romping in the sea with a new friend!

Having a good shake!

Luv the beach!

Surveying my kingdom!

Just look what that Westie's done to me!

Sleeping off the anaesthetic - no doubt I'll be right as rain tomorrow!