The Bronze!

Finally got my bronze award last night! I was in a class with a bunch of dogs I don't know, cos I missed my first opportunity to take it. This time I had all four feet and passed with flying colours. The examiner said I had "great attention" and was a " lovely active dog who is showing a lot of promise". Hooray! She also said I was a nice example of my breed with good colouring and a nice head. Well, my head is certainly swollen this morning!

Rain rain go away

It hasn't rained for as long as I remember. So long that when I saw mum dressed up in her rain coat with the hood up this morning I got really freaked out! It was ok whilst I was out walking but when I got home I got really cold again. Boo I HATE the cold and wet. So I took to my bed and snuggled up as much as I could.

Bashful

Normally I like to jump up and get as close to the camera lens as possible, so it gets my best side. But today I'm a bit bashful.


This is because I've just completed my beauty regime. More like bleurughghgty regime. Well, I secretly like my teeth being cleaned cos the toothpaste tastes yum, but I get bored of having my eyes wiped. Can't a bit of sleep be dashing? When I see them coming at me with the kitchen towel I hide my head between my legs and try to rub the stuff off myself (tastes good you know) but they usually get me. Gah.

Pheasants

I've got my pal Maggie staying with me at the mo and today we climbed Hengistbury Head to streatch our legs at lunchtime. We were walking along the top when this huge bird appeared in the path before us. It was my first pheasant! Maggie zoomed after it straight away - duh Maggie - you're supposed to point it first not flush straight away! I was so excited I didn't know what to do with myself. I sniffed around for ages but it wouldn't come back and I couldn't find it again. Boo. Pheasants are fab. I have a cuddly one I take with me to training class that I use in the retrieves. People laugh at me when I get it but I don't know why? It's serious business this retrieve stuff.

Bitten again

In the three and a half short months that i've been out walking I've been bitten twice. The second happened last night. Totally unprovoked on both occasions. This horrible little staffie cross breed just lunged at me. Mum didn't notice the blood until it had gone otherwise she said there would have been hell to pay. My poor ear was punctured :-( I've never seen mum so mad before, hrm well, maybe that time I pulled the plant out of its pot in the lounge and threw all the soil everywhere.

If they bite why don't they wear a muzzle? Grrr. Useless owners. Mum says it makes all that socialisation seem a bit pointless if it can get ruined in a heartbeat. Luckily I am still keen on playing with other dogs but I'm quite wary when I meet them for the first time. I guess we'll just have to be extra vigilant. Maybe summer is a bad time for local dogs if all the naughty ones come here on holiday :-(

Salty sea dog

This is me pulling a goofy grin on the ferry between Mudeford sandbank and quay. So i've now officially been on most forms of transport other than a plane. And they are just wrong.

We went on the ferry to Mudeford quay to check out the pub there on Easter Sunday - it is supposed to do nice fresh crab sandwiches. Not sure what it is usually like as it was our first time but there were LOADS of weirdly dressed men around....wearing either not very much at all or dresses and butterfly wings. I suppose I do need to see most things as part of my socialisation but I think this was going a bit far. Apparently something to do with a rugby tour. Humans are so odd. Mum was going to get a photo of me with the guy wearing two strips of rubber...but she chickened out.

Am currently perfuming the room with my own particular brand of 'eau de mer' after another ace walk along the harbourside to Mudeford sandbank. I love it there. I want to go stay in a beach hut. There's swans and ducks in the water to chase and weird dead things around. Today we found a monster crab. Yummy.

Beach hut lazing

We're always walking past these funny little sheds at the beach, but on Saturday we got to go inside one. Mum rented one for the day cos my grandma and great grandma came to stay. It was kindof fun watching the world go by with regular trips to the sea to cool off (still freezing - 10dgs and rising....slowly).

The best bit was meeting my old pal Luca (I'm the one with my back to the camera). I met him once about two months ago and he was a lot bigger then. So either he's shrunk or I've got bigger. Mum says the latter.

Richmond Park

We went to Richmond Park on Tuesday with grandad (well, human one anyway). Richmond Park is a tiring place. I went there once before on a 'Viz Whiz' back when I was a pup and I had to sleep for hours to get over it. This time I could walk much further and swim in the ponds, in fact I was loving swimming so much I didn't want to get out. I met another Viz - an older girl - but she didn't want to play with me. Mum says when I'm older and less boisterous (that word again?) I will have to beat them off with a stick...but that is just silly cos everyone knows sticks are for playing with, not beating. I did have a great time playing with a golden retriever pup though who I managed to turn into a nice muddy shade of brown instead of her natural pale yellow. Who says blondes have more fun? Red/mud is the way forward.

I didn't show any interest in chasing the deer but was LOVING chasing the squirrels. Apparently this is not very sophisticated of me - but apparently for the best. But duh - why chase some big scary thing with spikes on its head when you can chase things with exciting tails? It's a no brainer. Even for me.

Easter outings

It's been a great few days - the weather has been WARM and sunny and i've been to the beach loads. I've even been on a ferry. I got a new yellow ball that quickly became a yellow flat, i've swum in lakes and the sea; I've seen them cook tasty things outside on fire (odd); I've been to visit where dad works and I've been to see my grandad (well, human so can't REALLY be my grandad).

The yellow ball - before it became yellow flat

It's been great - I've not slept much though so I think I need a bit of a rest.

Seaside fun

I went to the beach yesterday and swam in the sea for the first time. It's super-cold but I couldn't let the ball get away - I had to go in and save it. The sea is a funny thing. It is cold and salty so you can't drink it, and it has these odd things in it. I found a dead slimy thing that mum said was a fish. It was HUGE and VERY tasty but for some reason mum wasn't keen on me eating it. I led her a merry dance before giving it up though. I don't think she was too cross cos she kept laughing at me. After all that running and swimming I had to go home and cuddle up with hot Gromit. It might be sunny but that sea still has a lot of warming up to do.