Friday, 26 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 645
Not much of interest to report from here this evening - busy day at work for me and a lazy day for the dogs, followed by snoozing time on the sofa......
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 644
Wiggle wasn't happy during his walk this evening. I couldn't really work out why, but every so often, he kept stopping or trying to skip sideways.
Worried, I checked his legs and feed, but couldn't see or feel anything wrong, so we continued on our walk. He stopped again, refusing to walk straight ahead.
Then I realised what the problem was.....
..
..
..
..
Catkins!! Lots of little, inoffensive furry catkins that had blown off the tree's and onto the footpath.
Apparently, these a VERY scary and not to be walked on!
Silly Wiggle!
Worried, I checked his legs and feed, but couldn't see or feel anything wrong, so we continued on our walk. He stopped again, refusing to walk straight ahead.
Then I realised what the problem was.....
..
..
..
..
Catkins!! Lots of little, inoffensive furry catkins that had blown off the tree's and onto the footpath.
Apparently, these a VERY scary and not to be walked on!
Silly Wiggle!
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 643
Thank you all for the lovely comments and messags after yesterday's blog entry. I can honestly say, it never fails to amaze me how kind readers of Wiggle's blog are; the majority of you we have never met, but there is such kindness. Thank you.
Normal blog-service resumes, so it's back to Wiggle. Despite the fact that he does spend quite a lot of the day sleeping, he always likes to curl up on the sofa for a nap after dinner:
Unfortunately, we had a rather wet walk this evening, so once we were home again, Wiggle and Sofy were dried off - but both seemed quite happy to keep their towels on!
Sofy decided to opt for an off the shoulder look:
Now we're all dried off, Wiggle is curled up on the sofa with Sir H and Sofy has gone up to "her" bedroom....
Normal blog-service resumes, so it's back to Wiggle. Despite the fact that he does spend quite a lot of the day sleeping, he always likes to curl up on the sofa for a nap after dinner:
Unfortunately, we had a rather wet walk this evening, so once we were home again, Wiggle and Sofy were dried off - but both seemed quite happy to keep their towels on!
Sofy decided to opt for an off the shoulder look:
Now we're all dried off, Wiggle is curled up on the sofa with Sir H and Sofy has gone up to "her" bedroom....
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Five Year's Ago today......
I went to meet a very special LRSE&C dog.
A few days before, on a rescue forum I used to belong to, I asked whether you should wait for 'the one you think you want' or 'the one that needs you most'. After growing up with a lovely Yellow Labrador, I'd always thought I wanted an oldie Yellow Lab of my own.
But at that time, LRSE&C were trying to find a home for a very special Labrador. Bumpy, or Jake as he was originally known, was a 9 year old blind Black Labrador who had been waiting in kennels for 3 months, overlooked because of his disability.
Five years ago to this day, I went to meet him I fell in love the moment I saw him. I'll never forget that day. Bumpy was in kennels near Milton Keynes so first I went to see Sam, good friend and founder of Dogstar as she lived nearby. Another special friend, Mindy, LRSE&C Co-Ordinator had come up from London to meet Bumpy and the three of us went to the kennels. At the time, I had Guinness and Poppy, so they came along too to meet him.
After we'd arrived at the kennels reception, one of the staff went to get Bumpy. He came out, tail wagging, head down, sniffing his way and I remember dropping to my knee's and giving him a huge hug. He was so handsome and so happy! Ever the emotional female, I burst into tears and behind me I could hear that Sam and Mindy were also sharing the moment. (I can also remember Mindy asking Sam if she needed a tissue and Sam saying she didn't, she was using her sleeve!).
We took all 3 dogs into the paddock so they could meet each other and everything went well, so Bumpy came home.
Bumpy was the most amazing, most brave dog I have ever met. He'd been a working gundog, given up to rescue after his owner went into sheltered accommodation. Despite never having lived in a house, Bumpy settled in and found his way around.
Sadly, Bumpy hadn't been here long when he was diagnosed with acute glaucoma which resulted in him having to have one eye removed. Despite such a major operation, Bumpy made a quick recovery and was to me, even more handsome, in his own special way.
Although he couldn't see a thing - not even make out shadow's or light and dark, Bumpy lived his life to the full and loved nothing more than following a good scent with friends:
I'd never met a dog like Bumpy. Nothing phased him, whether it be taking a ride in a cable car when we were on holiday in Derbyshire or travelling on the top deck of a ferry to the Isle of Wight, followed by a paddle in the sea!
Bumpy was voted LRSE&C Dog of the Year in 2005 and was always popular at the Dogs Party, ready to receive lots of hugs and fuss.
Bumpy especially loved the Downs, one of Wiggle's favourite places - acres and acres of space to explore and very little to bump into!
Sadly, in November 2007, Bumpy was found to have a tumour in his shoulder which after being tested, was shown to be a rare type of cancer.
Although Bumpy got through the surgery and went on to have another few months of good health, in April 2008 the cancer had returned, taking over quicker and despite seeing the specialist and being treated with chemotherapy, Bumpy lost his fight.
But, that most special, bravest boy lives on in my heart, my one of a kind, Bumpy cuddlemonster who loved his toys and was especially proud of his collection of AirKong toys...
The special boy who didn't care that he had sand on his nose!
So today, as with every day, I think of Bumpy, but today, being the anniversary of the day we met, is an extra special day.....
A few days before, on a rescue forum I used to belong to, I asked whether you should wait for 'the one you think you want' or 'the one that needs you most'. After growing up with a lovely Yellow Labrador, I'd always thought I wanted an oldie Yellow Lab of my own.
But at that time, LRSE&C were trying to find a home for a very special Labrador. Bumpy, or Jake as he was originally known, was a 9 year old blind Black Labrador who had been waiting in kennels for 3 months, overlooked because of his disability.
Five years ago to this day, I went to meet him I fell in love the moment I saw him. I'll never forget that day. Bumpy was in kennels near Milton Keynes so first I went to see Sam, good friend and founder of Dogstar as she lived nearby. Another special friend, Mindy, LRSE&C Co-Ordinator had come up from London to meet Bumpy and the three of us went to the kennels. At the time, I had Guinness and Poppy, so they came along too to meet him.
After we'd arrived at the kennels reception, one of the staff went to get Bumpy. He came out, tail wagging, head down, sniffing his way and I remember dropping to my knee's and giving him a huge hug. He was so handsome and so happy! Ever the emotional female, I burst into tears and behind me I could hear that Sam and Mindy were also sharing the moment. (I can also remember Mindy asking Sam if she needed a tissue and Sam saying she didn't, she was using her sleeve!).
We took all 3 dogs into the paddock so they could meet each other and everything went well, so Bumpy came home.
Bumpy was the most amazing, most brave dog I have ever met. He'd been a working gundog, given up to rescue after his owner went into sheltered accommodation. Despite never having lived in a house, Bumpy settled in and found his way around.
Sadly, Bumpy hadn't been here long when he was diagnosed with acute glaucoma which resulted in him having to have one eye removed. Despite such a major operation, Bumpy made a quick recovery and was to me, even more handsome, in his own special way.
Although he couldn't see a thing - not even make out shadow's or light and dark, Bumpy lived his life to the full and loved nothing more than following a good scent with friends:
I'd never met a dog like Bumpy. Nothing phased him, whether it be taking a ride in a cable car when we were on holiday in Derbyshire or travelling on the top deck of a ferry to the Isle of Wight, followed by a paddle in the sea!
Bumpy was voted LRSE&C Dog of the Year in 2005 and was always popular at the Dogs Party, ready to receive lots of hugs and fuss.
Bumpy especially loved the Downs, one of Wiggle's favourite places - acres and acres of space to explore and very little to bump into!
Sadly, in November 2007, Bumpy was found to have a tumour in his shoulder which after being tested, was shown to be a rare type of cancer.
Although Bumpy got through the surgery and went on to have another few months of good health, in April 2008 the cancer had returned, taking over quicker and despite seeing the specialist and being treated with chemotherapy, Bumpy lost his fight.
But, that most special, bravest boy lives on in my heart, my one of a kind, Bumpy cuddlemonster who loved his toys and was especially proud of his collection of AirKong toys...
The special boy who didn't care that he had sand on his nose!
So today, as with every day, I think of Bumpy, but today, being the anniversary of the day we met, is an extra special day.....
Monday, 22 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 641
This morning, I was getting Wiggle and Sofy ready for our walk and it got me thinking - the walk we're going to do dictates which of his many accessories Wiggle wears.
Yesterday, Wiggle and Sofy were wearing their headcollars as we were going to be walking on-lead and in area with potentially lots of other people and dogs. Sofy still has her "moments" with other dogs, so I need to make sure I have full control of her. Wiggle often likes to wander about in his own little world, so he too needs to be walking nicely along side me.
Wiggle was wearing his Halti and Sofy was in the Gentle Leader. Both headcollars work in a similar way - they sit across the nose and attach behind the head. The advantage of the headcollars is that they can't pull and I can walk both of them nicely, by my side and make sure they don't bother anyone else.
Sofy had only worn the Gentle Leader once before and while she's still getting used to it, I've been attaching her double-ended lead to her collar too. The reason is that when she's walking nicely, the lead is relaxed but if she goes to pull or lunge, the tension is taken by the headcollar which discourages pulling.
Despite the headcollars looking vaguely like muzzles, the dog can still bark, drink, pant, eat etc and as you can see, both Wiggle and Sofy were quite relaxed:
Of course most days, Wiggle only needs his flat collar and lead as we can walk locally across the fields and on foorpaths we know
Thinking about something as random as collars also got me thinking about the variety of accessories Wiggle has! There's his extending lead, which is great for places where dogs have to be onlead, but there's still room to explore:
And as well as his usual collar, Wiggle has his special Christmas collar:
Not only does Wiggle have a choice of collars, he also has his towelling robe for after his bath:
And his fleece sweater, which is great to keep him warm when he's been swimming in colder weather!
And being the Dog About Town that he is, Wiggle also has his Puplight, for night-time walks:
Wiggle does have a waterproof coat for very bad weather but to be honest, he hates that coat and would rather I didn't mention it.....
Yesterday, Wiggle and Sofy were wearing their headcollars as we were going to be walking on-lead and in area with potentially lots of other people and dogs. Sofy still has her "moments" with other dogs, so I need to make sure I have full control of her. Wiggle often likes to wander about in his own little world, so he too needs to be walking nicely along side me.
Wiggle was wearing his Halti and Sofy was in the Gentle Leader. Both headcollars work in a similar way - they sit across the nose and attach behind the head. The advantage of the headcollars is that they can't pull and I can walk both of them nicely, by my side and make sure they don't bother anyone else.
Sofy had only worn the Gentle Leader once before and while she's still getting used to it, I've been attaching her double-ended lead to her collar too. The reason is that when she's walking nicely, the lead is relaxed but if she goes to pull or lunge, the tension is taken by the headcollar which discourages pulling.
Despite the headcollars looking vaguely like muzzles, the dog can still bark, drink, pant, eat etc and as you can see, both Wiggle and Sofy were quite relaxed:
Of course most days, Wiggle only needs his flat collar and lead as we can walk locally across the fields and on foorpaths we know
Thinking about something as random as collars also got me thinking about the variety of accessories Wiggle has! There's his extending lead, which is great for places where dogs have to be onlead, but there's still room to explore:
And as well as his usual collar, Wiggle has his special Christmas collar:
Not only does Wiggle have a choice of collars, he also has his towelling robe for after his bath:
And his fleece sweater, which is great to keep him warm when he's been swimming in colder weather!
And being the Dog About Town that he is, Wiggle also has his Puplight, for night-time walks:
Wiggle does have a waterproof coat for very bad weather but to be honest, he hates that coat and would rather I didn't mention it.....
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 640
We woke up to sunshine! Sir H was happy and got himself comfortable in the bed in the sunny spot:
Wiggle was less impressed and instead decided to have a rummage in the toy basket:
Sofy found a sunpuddle:
Wiggle was careless, letting his ball roll away - only to be grabbed by Sofy!
So more toys came out:
With Wiggle settling on a rope & ball toy to shred:
After I'd cleared up the mess Wiggle had made, we went out - today heading over to Caen Hill Locks at Devizes. It's not far away yet I'd never been before!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caen_Hill_Locks
There are 29 locks which allow canal boats to travel up hill:
Wiggle and Sofy had to stay onlead along the tow path but they were both very well behaved!
Canal boats moored:
Looking uphill:
Young swan on the canal:
Sunshine dogs:
Looking back down the canal:
Unfortunately we weren't able to walk all the way along as there is maintenance work being carried out further down the hill. According to the signs, the work is due to finish at the end of the month so we'll definitely go back again and walk the entire stretch of the canal at Caen Hill.
Wiggle was less impressed and instead decided to have a rummage in the toy basket:
Sofy found a sunpuddle:
Wiggle was careless, letting his ball roll away - only to be grabbed by Sofy!
So more toys came out:
With Wiggle settling on a rope & ball toy to shred:
After I'd cleared up the mess Wiggle had made, we went out - today heading over to Caen Hill Locks at Devizes. It's not far away yet I'd never been before!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caen_Hill_Locks
There are 29 locks which allow canal boats to travel up hill:
Wiggle and Sofy had to stay onlead along the tow path but they were both very well behaved!
Canal boats moored:
Looking uphill:
Young swan on the canal:
Sunshine dogs:
Looking back down the canal:
Unfortunately we weren't able to walk all the way along as there is maintenance work being carried out further down the hill. According to the signs, the work is due to finish at the end of the month so we'll definitely go back again and walk the entire stretch of the canal at Caen Hill.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Wiggle - Day 639
Well, we seem to have ended up with typical British weekend weather today! After some lovely mornings this week, today we woke up to grey skies and drizzly rain.
After breakfast and our morning walk, Wiggle decided he needed to rest on the sofa....
Just as well he saved his energy - we had plans for the day! We met up with Tracey and her lovely Labs: Hazel, Megan, Bailey and Lucy. Sir H was delighted to see Lucy and they waited in Tracey's car while the rest of us walked on the Downs.
Unsurprisingly, there weren't many other walkers today! Our lot enjoyed themselves, although I did look at this photo and wonder why Megan was poking out her tongue....
Megan had stopped for a little scratch!
All five together: From left, Bailey, Hazel, Sofy, Megan and Wiggle
And while sitting nicely, Bailey gives Sofy a little kiss!
Posing over, time for more running:
They're all there - Hazel's behind the tree!
Poor picture quality, due to the heavy drizzle:
Sofy being a good girl and coming back when called:
More play:
Wiggle, with his ball as always, while Hazel runs back to us....
Five Lab's, all having a great time:
Sofy found something vile and stinky to roll in and comes back covered in whatever it was, with Bailey in hot pursuit:
Not one to miss out, Hazel in the background decided she needed to roll in whatever delights Sofy had found:
Hazel and Wiggle:
Walking back towards the car:
Sir H and Lovely Lucy:
Sofy is upstairs sulking and has been since dinner time. She's not happy that she had a bath as soon as we got in! Wiggle is fast asleep and Sir H has been dreaming, probably of Lucy....
After breakfast and our morning walk, Wiggle decided he needed to rest on the sofa....
Just as well he saved his energy - we had plans for the day! We met up with Tracey and her lovely Labs: Hazel, Megan, Bailey and Lucy. Sir H was delighted to see Lucy and they waited in Tracey's car while the rest of us walked on the Downs.
Unsurprisingly, there weren't many other walkers today! Our lot enjoyed themselves, although I did look at this photo and wonder why Megan was poking out her tongue....
Megan had stopped for a little scratch!
All five together: From left, Bailey, Hazel, Sofy, Megan and Wiggle
And while sitting nicely, Bailey gives Sofy a little kiss!
Posing over, time for more running:
They're all there - Hazel's behind the tree!
Poor picture quality, due to the heavy drizzle:
Sofy being a good girl and coming back when called:
More play:
Wiggle, with his ball as always, while Hazel runs back to us....
Five Lab's, all having a great time:
Sofy found something vile and stinky to roll in and comes back covered in whatever it was, with Bailey in hot pursuit:
Not one to miss out, Hazel in the background decided she needed to roll in whatever delights Sofy had found:
Hazel and Wiggle:
Walking back towards the car:
Sir H and Lovely Lucy:
Sofy is upstairs sulking and has been since dinner time. She's not happy that she had a bath as soon as we got in! Wiggle is fast asleep and Sir H has been dreaming, probably of Lucy....
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