My new life so far...

I've lived with Sarah and Nicky for 4.5 months already, and have kept them far too busy to write any blog posts! It's been very exciting for me too:

- I've fallen in the canal twice
- I've given Sarah and Nicky a huge scare when I ran out of the house and up the street in pursuit of a cat, and again when I followed a scent almost onto a main road (I'm not allowed off the lead very often now...)
- I've completely destroyed two of my beds (Sarah sewed new covers for them, and I'm biding my time working out how to get at that fluffy stuffing!)
- I got a new crate to keep me safe and contained (Sarah and Nicky found out that my old crate was two sizes too small!)
- I love my dog walker Jo, who takes me out at least once a week, and always has yummy treats. She also came to stay at our house and looked after me for 2.5 weeks when Sarah and Nicky went on holiday.
- I put on 8lb eating too many yummy treats - oops! One healthy diet later and I'm already back to my beautiful normal size.
- I've met lots of new people and dogs! Nicky and Sarah call it "socialising" and try to give me as many new experiences as possible, like going to the pub and going on a train. Everyone loves me wherever we go, I'm such a socialite! As long as there are biscuits involved, I'm happy to go anywhere.
- I got a tummy infection and needed two injections and a course of antibiotics which made me feel very sorry for myself and I needed lots of cuddles. I like the vet though and get very excited when we go there!
- I'm still learning to walk nicely on the lead, but since Sarah and Nicky have introduced the Halti, I've found it a lot easier to be good.
- Sarah and Nicky have bought me lots of new toys! My favourite at the moment is a green ball that treats sometimes come out of when I roll it around. I love playing with it even when it's empty though, and often cuddle up with it in my bed!
- I loved the snow but I'm not too keen on rain, especially when we go out for walks in it! I try to run under low trees to keep dry, forgetting that there's a big person on the other end of my lead... I also hate puddles and will dance around them to avoid getting my feet wet. Yucky!
- My favourite treats are fish jerky, cheese, melon skin and pig ears, but I'll eat most things except for raw parsnip which I hate!

Such a lot to pack in a short space of time for a dog just out of puppyhood! It's nearly my 2nd birthday (Sarah and Nicky have bought me a handsome new collar so I will look fabulous for the summer), I wonder what adventures I'll get up to this year!

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.  It’s been almost a month since my last serious foray into the kitchen so I had a go at changing all that.  Today I was seriouly tempted by a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Kate had cooked a chicken and left it on the side to cool. Unfortunately she had also put the barrier up by the kitchen door so I couldn’t get in. I was just plotting as to how to solve this problem when an opportunity presented itsself. Kate went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea, and carried it out on a tray. She forgot to replace the barrier, and I didn’t remind her...

About 5 minutes later she returned to the kitchen. By this time I had managed to knock the chicken, and the tray onto the floor and was enjoying a tasty snack. She was not happy at all. Just because there was a small (ish) hole in the chicken, and grease all over the floor. I offered to clear it up for her but  I was not the most popular dog in the pack.  In fact I had to spend the rest of the day hiding.  Was it worth it?  Definitely!!

You woudn’t believe what  they did to me today. Kate went shopping this morning and brought back some of those really lovely smelling cheesy rolls in crinkly paper.  Nigel had one and left the rest on the side in the kitchen. It was just too tempting but the wrapping was a bit noisy and they heard it crinkling. I got shouted at. Then the two of them started to giggle and I had no idea why.  

I went into the kitchen again and saw a tasty looking piece of bread crust just on the edge of the counter.  Of course it was just too tempting so I grabbed it for a quick snack. 

Suddenly there was a resounding crash as a pile of tins I hadn’t noticed came thundering off the edge of the counter too. They had been tied to the bread crust! I was rather startled and didn’t return to the kitchen for quite a while.

That however, is not the end of the story.  I watched as they piled up the tins again. Later that evening I also watched as Nigel went into the kitchen and saw an empty loop of string hanging down from the top of the counter, still attached to the pile of tins. They have no idea which one of us managed to gently sneak the bread out of the string, and I’m not telling...

I love string! Its the greatest fun ever... A ball of string can be played with as a ball, then when it unravels and its all over the place you can lie in it and chew it.

I know its been quite a while since I last wrote my diary. The household had been rather stressed and all 3 of us dogs have been feeling a bit anxious. There seemed to be a lot of talk about trouble at work, whatever that is, and moving house. I’m not certain about that either. I can’t see how a house can move as they are generally rather large. Anyway it seems to have calmed down a bit now. 

I was rather bad about a week ago and I heard rumours of having to leave here on my own, so I thought I’d better be good for a while. I had a little disagreement with Holly and I bit her under the eye, and on the ear. She wouldn’t get out of her bed when I wanted it.   Anyway Holly disappeared for a bit with Nigel, and came back later with some tasty looking sweets that only she was allowed, with cheese, and at meal times. Nigel was talking about £50 and ‘she has to go’ so I thought I’d lay low for a while and be very good. It seems to be working.

Also, I ate almost a whole box of Jacobs crackers today. They were wrapped in cellophane so they were a little tricky to open, but they were on the coffee table after lunch. I thought it would be ok. I did leave one I think as it was right under the cellophane at the back, but that did not impress Kate.  Food is still a great temptation to me and I struggle to understand why I shouldn’t help finish off anything that is left out.

I am really enjoying the yew berries in the garden. They are very tasty to a labrador cross like me. I love eating. They say that yew berries are poisonous, but thats only if you chew the pip bit on the inside of the fleshy red bit. I eat things too fast to ever chew anything. It makes Nigel cross when I eat them so I have to have a quick snack when he isn’t looking.

They only went out for about 20 minutes but it was enough time to find and unravel several balls of wool. I was going to remove the knitting from the needles and have a go at them too but Kate returned before I had the chance.

I can’t understand it.  I thought they would be pleased that the filter was shredded. Still, I had better sucess today.  They left the kitchen gate open.... I managed to find 2 sausage rolls, a packet of blueberries, the recycling, another water pistol and a roll of silver foil (I prefered the cardboard to the foil itsself.). Then I went into the lounge and removed a pencil and the calculator from the coffee table.  I heard later that the calculator is still working, but I sure put some lovely teeth marks in it.

It's been a bit quiet recently, apart from the odd pencil or pen I have been fairly good. I have been worrying about the amount of time spent cleaning the lounge so I thought I’d help out.  When Kate took the spongy filter out of the Dyson and washed it I kept a careful eye on where it would be put to dry. As I suspected it was placed on the boiler within easy reach. If there is no filter there is no cleaning and Kate can have a rest. I am so kind.

I haven’t written for a while, I’ve been so busy... today a shell and a biro, yesterday the recycling, the day before the water pistol (more of that in a minute) and the day before that a DVD case. Successful chewing.  

Now, about the water pistol: about 2 weeks ago they bought home a set of water pistols. Now, I am not keen on being squirted. I hear that some dogs really like it and try to bite the water jet. I think they must be a little mad.  I’m not sure why they squirted me but I usually got wet when I was ‘play biting’ one of the others, or trying to get into the kitchen when I shouldn’t.  so...I took the opportunity when the kitchen gate was left open again, dragged the loaded water pistol off the boiler and chewed it up.  The water coming out was a bit of a shock but I left the puddle on the kitchen floor and took the remainder of the pistol to my bed to chew up. They can’t use THAT again. Now I think that there are more dotted about the house. I am biding my time.....

I have been so good for so long I thought I’d sneak upstairs and shred the cleaning sponges in the bathroom....

You won’t believe this... I got the moose again and ran round the garden with it! It is now no more. I  think it went in the bin.

Things have been quiet; too quiet. I have lulled them into a false sence of security. I managed to get the moose today.  They had bought it back from Canada. It was bendy and sat on the window ledge. I chewed it.

I didn’t tell about the interesting but not very tasty thing I found last week... well, Kate and Nigel went out and Kate left the door open to the kitchen. She also left a cupboard door open.  He he he... I found an interesting tub with some white mushy stuff inside.  Apparently they call it White Wizard and it is used for cleaning cooker tops. Anyway I took it back to my bed in the hall and trid to eat it.  Not impressed. I managed to get it out of the tub and onto the floor in a white mushy blob.  I then proceeded to thoroughly chew the container and the lid.  Lovely!

Today I went to dog training again.  Its lovely fun to meet lots of new dogs and have lots of things to smell. I did sit really well, but was far more interested in all the lovely friends. Red ball and treats are so boring in comparison. Kate handled me this time.  They are apparently taking it in turns. I tried to pull her over but I couldn’t.  A man advised her on the best way to hold me.  I was not best pleased.

Today I also discovered that I have a friend in one of the glass fronted cupboards.  She looks really pretty but is very quiet, even when I bark at her.  She can bark silently, which is really interesting.  Kate calls her ‘Reflection’, which I think is a really strange name for a dog. She wanted to play whenever I did but couldn’t get out of the cupboard.  I don’t think she was even trying, so eventually I gave up and left her.  I check back periodically and she is still there.

I only wanted to help in the gardens as I saw Kate doing at the weekend.  They had kindly left the door open this morning so that Daisy and I could enjoy the spring sunshine.  I had a close look at one of the pots. I thought there was parsley growing in it, but I’m not very good at plant identification. I find the best thing to do is have a good dig, get the plant out by the root, chew it to pieces and check the flavour.  I was right, it was parsley.  Afterwards I did notice that there was a lot of soil all over the paving. Very messy.  Someone really should clear that up.

Later I tried to sneak a shell from the top of another pot into the house so that I could chew it in the comfort of my bed, but I was spotted and my cunning plan was foiled.

Kate bought a really big soft fluffy mat.  I wanted to play with it but she cut it up into 4 bits and put the pieces where us dogs sleep.  Its really comfy and warm.  I would like to drag them around the house and chew them but it is frowned upon.

They discovered this morning that I had managed to chew through the computer power cable. There was talk that the replacement cost is £55, whatever that means. I assume it must be good.
Today they received a large parcel and were rather excited about it. What is it I wonder.... Could it be a present for me?

I got into the recycling again. I don’t think that Kate is quite sure whether she left the kitchen gate open or not. I am not going to tell her.

Dull, dull, dull.  I was so bored this afternoon that I found a  small hole in my bed and found that it is full of an interesting white fluffy stuffing. It is great fun to pull it all out and spread it about.  This evening I only had an old fleece to lie on. I wonder where my nice, comfy bed has gone...

Today I was really bad. Kate had put Nigel’s slippers on the radiator to warm and I took one off and chewed it. It is unwearable now. I don’t know why they don’t just give it to me. It would be so much easier. Kate then sprayed something on it and gave it back. I think she was hoping that it would be horrid but I quite liked it so she took it away again.

And to top off the morning I had a bit of a bad experience. I was sniffing round the telephone table and got the phone cord wrapped round my neck. I tried to run away, half strangled myself and brought down the table, phone and  CD player. The table went flying, along with the address box, pens and pencils and a charity collection box full of change.  I was still tugging to get away and strangling myself in the process when Kate came out of the study and calmly removed the cord. I felt rather subdued after that but I wasn’t told off. I did then however leap onto a slice of marmaladey toast left on the coffee table for just a moment.  I was very told off then!!!  I must go, it’s time for a walk in the snow. I love snow!

It was a really fun day today.  Kate was clearing out the space where the dog food is kept and she found a chew proof container for my food.  She let me play with two empty food sacks.  I managed to get right inside them to make sure that she hadn’t missed any food by mistake.  Then I thought it would be fun to rip them apart... The kitchen looked like a disaster area.  It was good though as all the chewed paper went on the woodburner and kept me warm.  Recycling at its best!