Something from the archives

Been feeling a bit sorry for myself this past few days so I'm afraid I've not really done anything interesting. I picked up a 'gastric chill' and have been given some antibiotics and something to settle my tum and am starting to feel a lot better now. I'm being fed chicken and rice and pasta. I don't know what those pet food people are on about when they say my food is 'chicken and rice' cos it's a million miles away from this lovely fresh stuff! Here's a vid of me playing with my buoy from a few days ago. Hope normal service will resume in a few days.

Working test

Yesterday I went to a 'working test' which is not like work at all and not really like a test either. Well, at least my class wasn't. I was a 'special beginner' which meant I got a bit of tuition in what on earth this whole thing is about. I liked the water retrieve the most. In fact I liked it so much I dropped my dummy into the PROPER river (not that silly little stream they were using for practice) and got to do a REAL swim. I wasn't very good at something called 'steadiness' but I get away with this by being a baby. It was a VERY cold day which I wasn't very impressed with and I got a bit sorry for myself towards the end - I'm not used to being awake for SO many hours. But the best bit was getting to meet my fellow bloggers Radio and Hamish!

Radio is very clever - he won the scurry and did loads of good work in his test. Hamish is more like me - more interested in puppy stuff than this 'work' business. We had some great wrestles , though we did take time out to look a bit noble.

Mum and dad said they learnt a lot and had a great time. I'm not so sure - I think it's all a bit cold to be sitting around for so many hours when you're only a little pup like me. I would quite have liked it if we just went on a good old walk.

The cup!

Things were a bit different at training class last night. It was an 'anniversary party' and there must have been over 20 dogs there. I can't count much higher than that as I don't have enough paws you see. Anything over 16 is lots. If i had dew claws still i guess it would be anything over 18 :-)

Anyway - they did a 'prize giving' and I won the Pawsitive Anniversary Cup!!! People had to nominate the dog they thought most deserving. I had no idea I might win! I was quite unprepared with no acceptance speech ready or anything. Mum and dad were worse than useless - all gushing and emotional. I had to settle with looking a bit noble. I have the cup at home at the mo to show my pals, it's got my name engraved on it and everything, then it's going to go back to be kept at the class. I do have a smaller version to keep forever though. My first trophy!


Later on we did some party games and I won the off-lead heelwork. This is pretty funny cos this morning I dragged mum and dad around the roads to the park. Still, I can pull it out of the bag when I need to and that is the best way. I also got a prize for figuring out this cool toy that if you tilted it just right it delivered treats from a pipe. And best of all I got to bring the toy home! Oh and it's my 8 month birthday today!!

Vizsluman

I have discovered a new species - the Vizsluman - part dog, part human. Hah hah. Dad should know better than trying to lie on my bed in the evening!

It's been pretty warm for the past couple of days so i've decided to start moulting. I don't have a huge lot of hair anyway but i've been shedding it fairly generously.

Brockenhurst

We've recently discovered lots of nice walks around Brockenhurst in the New Forest. The best bit about it is that there is a big river and i get to do WATER RETRIEVES!! These are the most fun a pup can have in the world. And there's loads of mad animals around too - cows with humungous horns and these little baby versions of horses that are well skittish and look like so much fun to play with that I have to go back on my lead when we walk past them. I'm practising retrieving with my dummy at the mo cos I'm apparently going to something called a 'working test' on the bank holiday. Not sure what this involves as I don't go to work or anything. I've taken one test - the bronze, so perhaps it is a bit like that?

My bed

This is me on my bed eating mum's apple core. My bed is great - it's a 'Tuffies' and it needs to be. In this pic it isn't in its 'home' cos i've been dragging it about the dining room. And it's good cos it's waterproof so what with all this horrid rain it doesn't get damp and cold but stays all warm and toasty. And i do like the warm. They usually put some fleecie blankets on too for me (softies, but don't say anything) but i've pushed those off for now cos I don't want them to get wet. I still sleep in my dog bag at night which i LOVE. I get zipped in and feel all cosy. I don't like it when they forget to zip me in. I guess now i'm growing up (nearly 8 months!) i'm going to have to start thinking about losing the dog bag but I think i'll keep it for my holidays.

Happy Birthday Elsa

Happy birthday Elsie - I don't see you very often, the closest we've come is to share some ham one morning. Maybe you will like me a bit more when you get more used to me? You're 7 today which is very old and wise.

I met a fab Husky dog today called Togo - we played together for about half an hour around this pond I've not been to before. I did loads of swimming and water retrieves and generally raced about like a lunatic. Then this afternoon we went to the New Forest and met dad at a train station. I think he must spend a lot of time at train stations cos we've picked him up from quite a few different ones. Odd of him. No whiff of stags either. It was the second time i'd been to the New Forest this weekend cos I went yesterday with my pal Maggie. All in all a pretty fab weekend.

My friend Oscar

I've been seeing lots of different animals recently - I see my pal Oscar quite a bit but I saw cows, horses AND deer in the New Forest the other night. I have to admit to being just a teensy bit nervous when the horse made this horrible snorting noise. Mum said I looked like a spooked young horse myself. Don't know what she means.

Last night I saw a pigeon on the ground that might have been sick or might have been a baby - and I really wanted to go see it but they called me away. They used my special whistle that makes me come back to them like a shot, but even with that I was pretty torn about which way to turn! At the very least I could have got some feathers or something to take home to remember it by - like the red girls.

I've got tons of energy at the moment and have just had a manic race about the park with my friend China. She's a little Staffie and 11 months old. So she's a bit wiser than me but still loves to play. We raced around the WHOLE time without stopping. And I'm still a bit lively now. Mum says I need to calm down cos it's just the two of us this weekend (well, four with those cats) cos dad is on a stag weekend. I'm not sure what this means but obviously something to do with deer. Good call dad, deer are very interesting and smell good.

Me and my buoy

Just look what you can find on the beach! I have found a lot of balls in my time but this has to be the biggest EVER. AND it's on a string! I have another ball on a string but that one is waaay smaller. I am so LOVING this one. I can grab it by its string and run around with it - but the trouble is that if I start swinging it too much it gets a bit of a life of its own and swings me round in endless circles - which makes me feel a bit dizzy, and then I have to woof at it to tell it off. Beachcombing is fab.

Staying hydrated

Brisztow was asking about my funky backpack (see reply to your comment Brisztow!) and it got me thinking about all sorts of other ways I can stay hydrated when I go out walkies in the warm summer weather. Well, it's raining most of the time at the moment so this isn't a problem. One thing we saw in the camping shop at the weekend was a doggie backpack. Dad tried it on me and I swaggered round the store for a bit feeling quite cool. So I guess I could carry my own water when i'm old enough to. But I think mum and dad prefer to see me running free, not laden down with stuff. I dunno. Maybe if it is cold outside I'd like the extra bit of warmth. For the meantime mum and dad's Camelbak backpack with the hose will do just fine. Of course the best way to stay cool and topped up is to jump in the nearest lake or river. I try to get them to plan walkies routes with convenient stopping points like this ;-)

JettyDogs

Oooh - a new sport that I might just be pretty good at! It's called 'Jetty Dogs' and seems to involve leaping into water as far as you can. Seeing as this was my forte at the swimming pool I think I could go far! There's a competition this weekend but I don't think we'll be able to go. Hrm, will have to start practising down at the beach.

Walkies

If I get the rucksack out will you take me on another walk please? I enjoyed myself sooooo much yesterday. I went up Ballard Down which is in Studland and is 162m above sea level. This makes it the highest place I've ever been I think - well, the highest place I've ever been on my own four feet anyway, considering we started off only about 20m above sea level! One day I might climb mountains like Radio but for now I have to take it a bit easy on my growing legs.

I love this water backpack - when I get thirsty they just point this tube at me and water comes out - magic! I get a bit of a shower in the process which is ok by me cos it cools me down. Sometimes it has cow's ears in it too - which is the best thing ever. Pig's ears are pretty neat too.

Fame!

I've made it as a model. My swimming pics are up on the website for the hydrotherapy pool! I am available for future work if anyone wants me - my day rate is quite reasonable. Hrm, Oscar is gloating that he made the health page of BBC News online (see pic - 'cat cancer risk' on the right)...well pah...I could do that if I really wanted to I'm sure (hrm, a challenge!).

Oh - we met a nice lady at the shops today who also had a Vizsla and she spotted my white chest and said 'oh, so you're not going to show him then'. The cheek - as if I couldn't hear her! Ok, so I know it is 'undesirable' but I am quite attached to it. I should do a poll of other Vizslas out there - what do you guys think of white chests?

Swimming!

Today I went swimming in a special pool just for dogs. I've been in the sea and ponds and stuff but I get a bit nervous in the waves, so this was to hone my technique and get me enjoying it....and boy did I enjoy it! I started off by being led around but soon was ready to go off on my own. I dove in and zoomed off after the squeaky toy and retrieved it like a pro.

I took the jacket off after a while when I was feeling really confident. I couldn't get enough of it. I soaked mum and the other ladies there quite thoroughly each time I dove in. Apparently I swim like a labrador - using my front legs and letting the back ones tuck up. I call it 'economical'. I did use my back legs on the way to retrieve the toy though - didn't want to hang around letting it escape or anything. Quite tired now. Need a nap.

Wink

Me on my new patio. Oh, it's the first of May today which means I am officially NOT ALLOWED on the beach in certain places. But turns out my favourite bits are all still ok so it's not too sad. But we went to a bit last night that will be OFF LIMITS until September and I had a great time. Had a little play with a GSP and Ridgeback. I'm often getting mistaken for a ridgeback and after seeing this one I can see why. Very handsome...heheh.