Monday 30 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 529

Poor Wiggle was unwell in the night. We'd not long gone up to bed when he became restless and after much pacing, came downstairs and was sick. After being sick a couple more times, Wiggle eventually settled down and seemed fine again this morning. I suspect that Wiggle probably swallowed a lot of river water while he was splashing about with his ball, especially as the river was so high after all the rain so more mud churned up than normal.

This evening though Wiggle is back to his normal self and has enjoyed himself chasing around after his flashing ball in the dark. Sir H has been quite perky and got in some quality rolling around in the grass. It's got much colder here today though after a wet and windy start to the morning but at least we all kept dry!

Sunday 29 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 528

Today Wiggle and I went to do a follow-up visit to a family who adopted one of LRSE&C's Labrador's. Ollie, as he is now called, has settled in very well and has well and truly fallen on his paws with his lovely new family.

After the visit was done, Wiggle and headed off to Bradford on Avon for a little walk in the rain. And there was LOTS of rain! It absolutely threw it down just as we arrived in the carpark but as I had my waterproofs, the weather didn't put us off.

Wiggle did lots of running, but loving the water as he does, it wasn't long before he was at the river. He took no notice of the ducks, having only one thing on his mind....











Playin with his ball!










The ducks swam away but Wiggle didn't give them a second thought, happy in his own little ball-chasing, swimming Wiggle World:











Despite being back on dry land, the rain still poured but Wiggle didn't care.











More running in the rain:













Followed by some more swimming and fetching:










After more running in the rain, we wandered up to the very old Tithe Barn.










Wiggle, sheltering in the doorway:






















Inside the barn with the old timber roof beams:













Information about the Tithe Barn:








Back in the car, Wiggle wore his fleece to dry him off a bit and keep him warm in the car....










Now we're home, Wiggle has dried off and is trying to help me cook roast lamb - he's not daft, he know's he and Sir H will be getting some!

Saturday 28 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 527

Today I had some errands to take care of in Chippenham so took the boys with me and we stopped at Maude Heath on the way back. Sir H has been much perkier now that he's been on the steroids and painkillers for a couple of weeks and enjoyed a little potter around:











Wiggle wasted no time in running around, with his ball, as usual:










Sir H stopped for a rest, deciding it was best to pace himself.










Sir H enjoyed a good roll around:












While Wiggle was still running....










And had some strange, tail-curling thing going on!













Sir H was up and about again, happy to watch Wiggle do all the mad running










Fortunately Wiggle's brakes worked and he didn't run downhill into the fence!










This was meant to be a nice photo of the boys together, but Sir H had other idea's.....











Wiggle, always happy to pose for a photo, even when his co-star is fooling around!












More running and pouncing on the ball, including head first into the ground...












Got the ball, upright again!












Silly running:













And more pouncing!










I said to Wiggle: "Have you been snacking on cow poo?"













Wiggle says: "No! This must be mud on my tongue!"













Sir H, licking his lips, no doubt also having had a little snack while I wasn't looking.....










Back in the car, worn out and ready to go home:

Friday 27 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 526

As Bath is only up the road from us, Wiggle and I went there this evening to look around the Christmas Market. The Abbey square was filled with chalets, all decorated with lights and selling all kinds of things.

After wandering for a while, Wiggle found his first Christmas tree of the year:













We wandered some more so Wiggle stopped in front of the lit-up Abbey to have his photo taken:













As far as Wiggle is concerned, Roman Bath is far better than the kind of bath he's used to!













At the other side of the Abbey:













We did lots of walking around, looking at the different stalls in the market and bought a couple of things which can't be mentioned as they are presents! Wiggle seemed to enjoy himself and got lots of fuss, as well as meeting a lovely American lady who volunteered for the Humane Society who stopped to say hello while we were by the Christmas tree.

After sharing a pork, venison and mushroom hotdog (Wiggle did actually have most of it!) we headed back to the car and now Wiggle is home, he's fast asleep after all his evening out.

Thursday 26 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 525











Wiggle has a lot of blog readers in America so we wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

This evening Wiggle is going to school and hopefully after I will be thankful that he's learnt something!

We have some news about Bella. Very sadly, the lovely lady who was fostering her is unwell and has had to ask that Bella is rehomed. So, Bella will be moving again and this time to a lovely family who already have one of our dogs, Delilah. Apparently Bella's fur is growing back nicely and in a few weeks I'll go and visit to do the follow-up as Bella is coming back to Wiltshire!

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 524

Wiggle has been out again this evening chasing his glow in the dark flashing ball. I tried to take some photo's but unfortunately they weren't very good! Here's the best of them, starting with the Glowing Mouth (Wiggle's girlfriend on Twitter, LucytheLab, said he'd look like a Hound of the Baskerville with a glowing red mouth!):










All lit up - Puplight & night time toy:










Somehow, Wiggle now has 4 glowing balls!











Then 3!













I blame the extra balls on my poor photography and using the small camera, not some clever tricks!

Even in the dark, Wiggle still tries the Throw the Ball stare:












Sir H came out with us but preferred to stay out of the way, have a roll in the grass and then lie and watch while Wiggle ran around.

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 523

Wiggle and Sir H are worn out this evening. Sir H managed a walk to the green at the end of the road and then had a lie down, followed by a roll in the damp grass. Wiggle did lots of running around after his flashing, glow in the dark ball. Wiggle is fast asleep now on the sofa but definitely enjoyed himself!

Sir H seems to be doing well now on his medication. Although he can't physcially go very far, his mind is still very active and he wants to, his legs just can't carry him. The walk back, although short is slow but if I walk along side Sir H, supporting him, he manages. He still gets excited when its food time or the collars and leads come out so has managed a very short walk each evening. Fortunately there's a grass area at the side of the house so he can go out there for his wee's as our garden is flooded at the moment.

Talking of flooding, we're thinking good thoughts for our friends Marion and Ruby up in Keswick, Cumbria. This Friday it will be a year since the boys and I had our weekend up in the Lake District when we met up with Marion and her boys, George and Archie:

http://wigglethedog.blogspot.com/2008/12/wiggle-day-166.html

We've got gale force winds down here this evening but our weather has been nowhere near as bad as up in Cumbria. We're sincerely hoping that Marion and Ruby and their boys stay safe and dry, as well as everyone having to cope in the awful weather.....

Sunday 22 November 2009

Wiggle - Day 521

We're having one of those mixed weather days here - bright sunshine one moment and then heavy rain the next. Unfortunately we got caught in the latter when we went out, typical!

As Sir H has been a bit brighter, I took the boys up to Maude Heath as I can park right next to the field gate so he hasn't got to walk too far.

He seemed to enjoy being out:











While Wiggle ran around, Sir H sniffed the grass, clearly interesting smells if you're a dog!










Wiggle didn't have time for sniffing and was far too busy waiting for me to throw his ball:













Sir H had had enough pottering about so stopped for a rest:













Joined by Wiggle:








As the rain started to come down heavily and Sir H was getting tired, we popped him back in the car and Wiggle and I waked on for a while, Wiggle still running with his ball:













Grey, wintery day in Wiltshire:












Heading back to the car, where Sir H was waiting. As you can see, it's just a hop from the carboot into the gateway:











After getting home, the boys both were dried off with towels but Sir H was happy just to lay, wrapped in his towel!













Now we're home, the boys are resting but Wiggle has been 'helping' me in the kitchen - roast chicken today and he know's he and Sir H will be getting some later!

Saturday 21 November 2009

After much faffing around, we're back online!

Wiggle is his usual, happy self and has caught up on his sleep after his very busy day at Discover Dogs last weekend. He's not impressed with this horrid weather as I've been putting his coat on him!

Sir H is doing better and saw Malcolm the vet on Thursday for a check up and more drugs. I upped the dose of steroids a few days after he was prescribed them as I had been told he could have up to 2 twice a day and had started on one, twice a day. For the time being, one and a half tablets twice a day, along with the painkillers, seems to be helping.

Although Sir H is very bright in himself he still isn't able to walk too far. He wants to and in his mind, thinks he can, his body just can't manage it though. It does make me very sad to see Sir H struggle and I know that quality of life is so important, but in his mind, Sir H hasn't given up yet. At the vets he was hopping about, wagging and getting in the way while his drugs were dispensed.

We've got plenty of tablets now and unless Sir H deteriorates, we'll go back to the vet in a month.

Last night the boys went and stayed with Tracey who runs Wiggle's training classes. I was away overnight and couldn't take them with me so Wiggle and Sir H stayed with Lucy, Hazel, Megan and Bailey and enoyed themselves. Sir H loves Lucy an awful lot, a little too much, even! He likes to wash her ears and as she's the eldest girl, she and Sir H are well suited.

When I collected the boys earlier, Wiggle was playing with toys, working his way through the toybox, shredding toy after toy! He's worn out now after all that playing but it's lovely to know they enjoy going there and I don't need to worry about them.

We had news about Bella earlier in the week and it sounds like she has well and truly landed on her paws. Her new mum says she's been very well behaved and is settling in well, so that's very good news.

Tuesday 17 November 2009

Discover Dogs & Other Updates

We had a fantastic day at Discover Dogs on Sunday, even with our early start of 4.30am! Wiggle was an absolute star and made me very proud.

After meeting up with Jo and Alison at Heston Services on the M4 at 7.30am, we drove together to Earls Court and got there before 8am.













After wandering around the huge exhibition hall we eventually found our spot in the Kennel Club rescue area and got ourselves setup. Wiggle was first in the pen, looking out for visitors:











Jack, who belongs to Jo was with us all day and Berkely, Wayne's lovely choccie boy was soon in the pen too, all of them ready to meet and greet:












We met Ellie, who is a friend of one of Wiggle's Twitter friends, MrKiplingWoof. He lives in America but knew Ellie was coming to Discover Dogs so suggested she come and say Hi to Wiggle!












Lots more to report but as home internet is still not fixed, I'm blogging from work, so copying and pasting from my memory stick! I'll be back with a full report from Discover Dogs but there's also other news from Wiggle's World.....

On Saturday Bella went off to a new long-term foster home. Originally we’d planned that she would be here for longer, until at least she was on her way to getting better but sadly Sir H took a huge dislike to her. He wasn’t mean to Bella but didn’t want to be in the same room as her even though she did absolutely nothing wrong.

As Sir H has been unwell and less mobile, taking himself off upstairs wasn’t doing him any good so I had to make the hard decision to let Bella move on. Bella is an absolute sweetheart and is now living with a lovely lady in Surrey where she will have her own companion and lots of love.

Since yesterday Sir H has been a little brighter which is good, but he’s still not very mobile and that is worrying. He can’t walk to far and is only managing a walk to the end of the path at the front of the house, despite being on the steroid tablets and painkillers. Last night I drove him to the green at the end of the road so he didn’t use up all his energy and could at least get out for a short while.

We're at the vets on Thursday evening as Sir H will need more medication but as much as it saddens to to face up to it, we're taking things one day at a time right now....