Weeks 11 - 12

07/10/11

Week Eleven - Twelve

I told you last week about how bad it was having that second injection, well it took me a good five days to get over it, but thank goodness I am just fine now.  My appetite is back and I feel just tickety-boo. I had a bit of a go at tree climbing yesterday but I was not too successful. I didn’t think anyone would see me as I am quite well camouflaged but mum of course spotted me.

On Sunday morning I went for a walk. I have a red lead to match my harness, remember the one with the bones on that was a present from my godmother Gill, and so wearing the full outfit mum and I set off.

There was some talk about wearing down my sharp claws by road walking. First stop was next door. As we walked past, Linda came out to admire me in my new outfit. Her husband Peter then arrived and there was some discussion about my new website that Helen is making. I just knew that I was destined for stardom.

Eventually we moved off. As we came on to the bigger road a few cars went past. I marched swiftly on, because I knew about these noises and they didn’t bother me at all. There were a number of new experiences to enjoy along the road, new sights, new smells, new plants in people’s front gardens, quite a number of things to slow our progress down. Then it was ‘Sit’, and we waited for a minute and across the road we went. Another couple of minutes and we reached the newsagent’s where I was picked up and tucked under mum’s arm. Just as well because there was the biggest dog I have ever seen outside the shop waiting for his owner. We purchased our newspaper and came out. Mum had a conversation with the German Shepherd’s owner, but thank goodness she did not put me down until they moved off. Then a little girl came out of the shop and sat on the shop step so that she could speak to me. I climbed all over her just to show I appreciated the fact that she was at my level, and gave her a few licks, but she screwed her face up and was not truly appreciative of my welcome. 

We started for home and then we changed direction. Mum said we would go home via the redway. Apparently the redway paths go all over the city and give good dog walking. They must have been designed by someone who understands our needs. On our way we were stopped by a lady who said ‘Who’s this?’ and so I was introduced to her.

Then a Sealyham came to join us called Jazz. He is really nice, just my size and quite friendly. And then, Brian the postman arrived with his black and white English Setter, she was huge and I could walk right under her tummy, but she was just lovely to me. So we had ourselves a bit of a party, everybody talking and the dog leads got sort of knitted together like when you dance round a maypole.

Eventually we moved off and hit the redway. Wow, lots of grass, bushes and a red tarmac path to walk on so you don’t have to go on the grass if it is wet. The blackberries were ripe and I had a smell of them, but decided they were a tad too prickly for me to cope with yet.

We got a fair way along the path and I felt really tired, so I sat down. Mum picked me up and carried me the last few yards and suddenly I could see our house. I enjoyed the walk, but great to be home and have a nap.

It seemed that no sooner had I started to inspect the inside of my eyelids when there was a ring on the doorbell and Helen and Ed arrived. So now it was off up the garden with Ed to play a game. Ed throws the ball and sometimes I run after it. Occasionally I bring it back, but often I get distracted and find something else to do, like hang on to his trousers.

Lunchtime thank goodness. I keep leaving my meals when I am given tinned meat so mum cooks me chicken and mixes it with Bakers Complete puppy food and some chicken stock. I never leave any of that!

After lunch I was put into the playpen and they all went out. I was quite pleased to continue my nap so I didn’t mind being left. They went to look at a new house for Helen and Ed which is just around the corner from our house. When they came back Ed said that when I was bigger I would be able to walk round there whenever I wanted so I think they should buy it, because I like Ed.

Helen and Ed went off to Ikea to do some shopping and then the doorbell went again. I know that noise means someone has come to visit me, so I run down the hall with mum to see if I can be first to the door. This time it was Brian from number 2, one of our neighbours who came to see me when I was suffering in the playpen on the drive the other day and he had brought another friend to meet me. We all went in the garden and I got a few biscuits for doing well on the ‘sit’ command. I am getting the hang of this reward feeding, but sometimes a dog just can’t be bothered with it all, there are so many more fun things to do.

No sooner had they gone when Helen and Ed returned with a new toy for me and some poo bags. Mum says they are really good quality from Ikea and so that is what we have.

It was tea time, but it was that tinned stuff so I didn’t eat it in the hope that there will be chicken for supper tonight as we are going out to dinner with some friends.

This my new toy, it is a red cat with a tail that you can hang on to.

I was so tired on the journey  that I did not make a noise in the car. Over thirty miles we went and not a peep; mum could not believe it. We went to Kirsty’s house for dinner and picked Neil up on the way. Kirsty has a lady Labrador called Teasel and she and I played a bit in the garden and then we went indoors. Teasel is nearly a year old now and a lovely brown colour.

After dinner one of the dinner guests played the grand piano for us. It was wonderful, I sat upright on mum’s lap and listened, I was completely enthralled. I don’t think that I could learn to do that as my claws are not that long, or far apart to reach the keys. Eventually we drove home and I slept again, because it was really past my bedtime and it’s been such an exhausting day.

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 Monday

I intended to catch up on my sleep today, but I had to help mum with the washing this morning. She put it in the machine and I took it out. She hung it on the line and I pulled it off. I helped push it down in the basket by jumping on top of the pile and then I thought I would just take things out of the basket on to the lawn. Mum was not pleased. She said something about trying to save the planet by drying the bedding outside today, but now she would have to wash it again to get rid of the paw prints. There was also the matter of a small hole in a duvet cover which appeared when I swung on it. I might as well have stayed in bed for the thanks I got trying to help.

Tuesday

My eating habits have really changed. I have gone off the tinned puppy food, and only eat it if desperate. I am not keen on the honey any more, I much prefer savoury things put inside my marrowbone. I quite like a raw carrot to chew, but I think celery is quite disgusting. I like most things and shared a prawn and vegetable stir-fry with mum the other day, although mine had scrambled egg in because I was feeling sorry for myself. I love fish and Brie cheese and when I was really poorly last week and would not eat I was tempted by some beef mince. I still get four meals a day, but sometimes I leave bits in my bowl. If mum throws these bits out for the birds I eat them straight away.

I am getting used to the kitchen now as my bedroom and I am not as loud as I used to be, I think mum has a plan to wear me out every day so that I sleep for a long time at night as I did not get up until after 7am this morning.

I walked to the newspaper shop via the redway and back along the footpath today. A short nap across mum’s chest followed, (this is my favourite spot), and then a longer nap in my bed whilst she went and got the bedrooms ready for three relations who are coming to see us this week from Australia. It poured with rain all morning so it was a good time to catch up on the zeds.

This afternoon we went to a meeting. It was quite interesting, all about ghost walks and town events, but the best bit was when the sandwiches came round. I was able to try ham and corned beef, both of which I would like to see added to my menus please.

After that we went to see Ann who has a wonderful jungle garden. I was quiet in the car for both journeys. Have I turned over a new leaf? You will have to wait and see.

Wednesday

Tried to help mum with the ironing, but she was very plain that she did not want my help, so gave up and went back to bed. We went for our morning walk and there were two pigeons sat on the redway. I sat down to examine these strange creatures and then they flew up into the trees. That was a surprise and something else that I don’t think I can do, although if my ears grow any longer I might have a go.

This is Boris, he is a tennis player and my favourite toy.

This afternoon was good fun. Mum got out the cleaner and the duster. The duster is a strange thing with fabric on two long prongs. First of all I grabbed the fabric and it came clean off the prongs, next I grabbed the whole duster and ran off with it. Both times mum chased round the house and garden after me shouting ‘nightmare dog’ as she went. It was such a good game because I can run faster now my legs are longer and I can get under the table to make good my escape.

Then Helen rang and mum was looking for some papers in her filing box. I pulled some out on the floor, just to help her look but apparently once again I didn’t quite get it right. I’m sure I will get it right if I keep trying.

Thursday

Today I am twelve weeks old and I did hear mum say how lucky I was to have made it this far, but wasn’t too sure what she meant.

This is my official photo for today’s milestone.

I had a dry pad this morning, my first all-nighter, so mum said I was an absolute star in that department. I had my morning milk and we did a few jobs and then we went upstairs to install some new technical computer stuff. That resulted in me having a panic and a wee because I thought I had been abandoned upstairs, which of course I had not, but sometimes I do get in a panic.

Today was one of those lovely sunny days when you just want to chasebutterflies and go on a nature ramble. There were so many painted lady and cabbage white butterflies in the garden and I ran and jumped but I could not catch them.

I decided to examine the pond and as I was deliberating on the deeper meaning of ponds, a frog jumped up. That made me jump back and I barked just to tell him that I am not afraid of him. Whose garden is this?

I understand that some flowers are edible so today I tried the pansies and the Lavatera.

If I roll under the dining room curtains I can get in between the curtain and the lining. They must be a loose weave as I got a good grip with my claws and climbed up inside.

I got a present today, a red bone that fits on my red harness with my name and mobile phone number on.

I made a major breakthrough tonight. I learned how to climb on mum’s lap when she is sitting in her chair with her feet up. How great to get up and down just when I choose. I did it several times just because it felt so good. What a great day.

Friday

We had an early start on the jobs this morning and then off to the vets to be chipped. Every time I go there somebody sticks a needle in me. I yelled a lot today and as if I had not gone through enough trauma the nurse clipped my claws. Two indignities in one visit. Do you think the curtain climbing was responsible for the claw clipping?

A nice walk when we got home and then we packed a whole pile of things in the caravan. That looked promising, but then we locked it up and came in the house. We had a rough game in the conservatory when I managed to climb on the settee all by myself. I think it’s a good place for my morning nap.

Mum’s been so busy this week I thought that I would lend a hand in the garden with a little re-potting. I started with some bulbs in a pot, or should I say out of a pot?  And then moved on to her Mediterranean Basil, which was past its best. This did involve getting the front legs extremely muddy up to the knees. Then when I walked through the house to tell her my news she shouted and picked me up and dunked my front legs in a bowl of water. It really was not my fault that we had a lot of rain last night.

Undeterred, after lunch I un-potted a few more plants, showing the Australian relations just how helpful I can be and then I did my party piece and got into the pond.

Here I am with a few bits of duckweed on my face and quite a lot on my body!

Saturday

The colonial cousins moved on to Wales today, so it was strip the beds and get the washing done, pack the car and caravan and tidy up the house. If mum would sit down, I could have a sleep, but I have to stay on watch in case I miss something.

There is a rumour that we are going caravanning tomorrow.

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