Had The Girls Spayed Today…

After dropping Katie and Jazz off at the vets this morning, I managed to sit here till noon before phoning to find out how they were. Not one minute went by that I wasn’t thinking about them and trying not to worry.

When I dropped them off my vet said he’d do them first and that I could pick them up at lunch time. There was no way I could wait till the end of surgery in the afternoon to get them. I’d have collapsed with worry!

So I rang. ‘Katie has woken up and is fine. She was done first.’ The receptionist told me. ‘Jazz was second and hasn’t really woken up properly yet. Ring back in an hour…’

Dave had heard my part of the conversation and as soon as I hung up, he asked: ‘How much…? I mean, how are they.’ Now isn’t that just a typical man? ‘How much?’ I could have strangled him.

I sat here and would have bitten my nails to the quick if I still bit them. Instead I half smoked myself to death instead! Then at ten to one, Chris and I got in the car, leaving Jade and Titch here at home, and set off to collect the girls. As we walked in, the receptionist said ‘The vets aren’t here at the minute, so there’s no one to sign the girls out. But you can come through and see them.’

We followed her into the kennel area and I opened Jazzie’s cage door and climbed in and sat with her. Chris did the same with Katie.

Katie was well awake and ready to leave. Jazz was still very dopy and hardly opened an eye to acknowledge I was there! After about a quarter of an hour, she slowly stood up and turned her back on me and lay down again, shutting her eyes. She was sulking… Her mummy had left here there and gone away! How evil is that? I could feel her saying.

We had plenty of time to chat to the trainee vet nurse and another young girl on work experience. Eventually the vets arrived back from their lunch. One of them gave first Kate, then Jazz a thorough examination, checking temperatures and signed them free to go home.

Chris carried Katie out and the vet nurse carried Jazz out for me. We popped them in the back of the car and drove home. Chris carried them into the house. Jazz in her usual place on the settee beside where I sit here on my laptop, and Kate in the chair he sits in.

Katie relaxing after her op.

Jazz, resting on the settee after her op.  

Next appointment is on Friday just to check all is well.

Dave bit his tongue and resisted asking me how much the bill came to. I think he thought it safest that way! So I told him. ‘That was cheaper than I expected.’ he said! It must have hurt him to say that! A fiver would have been too much normally!

Both Kate and Jazz have stayed put and are resting quietly.

The Saga of Titch…

Titch is fine now.

Last Friday, I put the dogs on Arden Grange complete food. I no longer use Pedigree complete since they changed the recipe as it’s full of rubbish now, in my opinion. I have tried two other complete foods but the dogs haven’t like them. I’ve had to add a spoonful of tinned dog food before they would eat it.

So I got Chicken and Rice Arden Grange, and they took to it instantly. No need to  add meat to it. But I didn’t change them over gradually this time. I was very low and in one day, they had a bit of both. Then Titch got the runs. I starved him… He’s the best one at eating that we have. I felt so sorry for him. He was better on Saturday, but got the runs again and on Sunday I found blood. I panicked!

I rang a fiend then managed to get through to the emergency vet… Why do these things always happen at the weekends when vet bills will be double? The vet suggested it might be Colitis, as I suspected, and that I could wait till the morning to see my own vet. Titch was showing no signs of being ill. He was out playing and chasing around with the others on and off during the day.

So Monday morning, Chris and I were down the vet with Titch. He’s all sorted now and is fine. It was Colitis… But it’s been a heavy week paying out for the dogs this week!

The Swimming Pool…

Pete was here when Chris and I got back from the vets this morning, working on re-vamping the pool. Chris got straight to work helping him.

Then Trevor arrived to do the garden. We had two holes that needed filling in where our friend’s dog had had great fun digging away last week. So it was all go here this morning.

I had got up early and taken all the relevant tablets to allow me to get dressed and get on the road and keep going… I just hope I don’t suffer with a swollen tummy later! Fingers crossed.

Peace and quiet at home now as Pete has left. The girls are lying quietly. Jazz hasn’t moved off the settee at all yet. Kate has move a couple of times. She’s far more alert and awake. But they are both fine.

Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers… I know they helped.

Technorati Tags: Spaying bitches,Colitis,Arden Grange,vets

Don’t Get This Depressed…

A little guy is sitting at the bar just staring at his drink when a large, trouble-making bikie steps up next to him, grabs his  drink, gulps it down in one swig and then turns to him with a menacing stare as  if to say.  'Well, - whatcha gonna  do about it?'

The little guy starts crying.

'Come on man I was just giving you a hard time',the  bikie says, 'I didn't think you'd CRY. - I can't stand to see a man  crying.'

'This is the worst day of my life', says the little  guy between sobs. 'I've got to admit it - I'm a complete failure - I just  can't do anything right.'

'I overslept and was late to an important meeting,- so  my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car was  stolen and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet  in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener - and then my  own dog bit me. So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an  end to it all. I buy a drink - I drop my capsule in and sit here watching the poison dissolve - then you show up and drink the lot!  '

To read Jade’s blog about our life, click here…

The Golfer & The Leprechaun…

A golfer playing in Ireland hooked his drive into the woods.
Looking for his ball, he found a little Leprechaun flat on his back, a big bump on his head and the golfer's ball beside him.

Horrified, the golfer got his water bottle from the cart and poured it over the little guy, reviving him.

'Arrgh! What happened?' the Leprechaun asked.

'I'm afraid I hit you with my golf ball,' the golfer says.

'Oh, I see. Well, ye got me fair and square. Ye get three wishes, so whaddya want?'

'Thank God, you're all right!' the golfer answers in relief. 'I don't want anything, I'm just glad you're OK, and I apologize.' And the golfer walks off.

'What a nice guy,' the Leprechaun says to himself. I have to do something for him. I'll give him the three things I would want... a great golf game, all the money he ever needs, and a fantastic sex life.'

A year goes by and the golfer is back. On the same hole, he again hits a bad drive into the woods and the Leprechaun is there waiting for him.

'Twas me that made ye hit the ball here,' the little guy says. 'I just want to ask ye, how's yer golf game?'

'My game is fantastic!' the golfer answers. I'm an internationally famous golfer now.' He adds, 'By the way, it's good to see you're all right.'

'Oh, I'm fine now, thankye. I did that fer yer golf game, you know. And tell me, how's yer money situation?'

'Why, it's just wonderful!' the golfer states. 'When I need cash, I just reach in my pocket and pull out $100.00 bills I didn't even know were there!'

'I did that fer ye also.' And tell me, how's yer sex life?'

The golfer blushes, turns his head away in embarrassment, and says shyly, 'It's OK.'

C'mon, c'mon now,' urged the Leprechaun, 'I'm wanting to know if I did a good job. How many times a week?'

Blushing even more, the golfer looks around then whispers, 'Once, sometimes twice a week.'

'What??' responds the Leprechaun in shock. 'That's all? Only once or twice a week?'

'Well,' says the golfer, 'I figure that's not bad for a Catholic priest in a small parish.'

To read updates on me, please read my other blog.

Who said the police do not have a sense of humour....

A senior citizen drove his  brand new BMW Z3 convertible out of the  car dealership.

Taking off down the motorway, he floored  it to 90 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through his grey  hair 'Amazing!' he thought as he flew down the M40, enjoying  pushing the pedal to the metal even  more.

Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw  a police car behind him, blue lights flashing and siren  blaring.

'I can get away from him - no problem!' thought the  elderly nutcase as he floored it to 110mph, then 120,  then 130mph.

Suddenly, he thought, 'What on earth am I doing? I'm  too old for this nonsense!' So he pulled over to the side of  the road and waited for the police car to catch up with  him.

Pulling in behind him, the police  officer walked up to the driver's side of the BMW, looked at his watch and  said, 'Sir, my shift ends in 10 minutes. Today is Friday and I'm  taking off for the weekend. If you can give me a reason why  you were speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you  go.'

The man, looked very seriously at the  policeman, and replied,
'Years ago, my wife ran off with a  policeman. I thought you were bringing her back.'

'Have a nice day, Sir,' said the  policeman.

JUST A TAP ON THE SHOULDER

A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.

For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still shaking driver said, 'I'm sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me.'

The frightened passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much.

The driver replied, 'No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab....................

 

I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years.'

Have a Laugh…

I  have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take  something for it.

FOLLOW  YOUR DREAMS! Except  that one where you're naked in church.

Sometimes too much to drink isn't enough.

Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole  chicken.

Heaven  is Where:
The  Police are British,
The Chefs are Italian,
The  Mechanics are German,
The Lovers are French and
It's  all organized by the Swiss.
Hell  is Where:
The  Police are German,
The Chefs are British,
The Mechanics are French,
The Lovers are Swiss and
It's all  organized by the  Italians.

Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!

My  short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to  be.
Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Welcome  to Utah… Set  your watch back 20  years.

In  just two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday.

A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

The  statement below is true.
The statement above is  false.

I may be schizophrenic, but at least I have each other.

I  am a Nobody.
Nobody is Perfect.
Therefore I am Perfect.

KENTUCKY: Five million people, Fifteen last names.

I'm not your type. I'm not inflatable.

Dyslexics Have More Nuf.

I  LOVE COOKING WITH WINE…Sometimes  I even put it in the food.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

When you work here, you can name your own salary.
I named mine,  "Fred".

Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch.

Reality is only an illusion that occurs due to a lack of alcohol.

Red  meat is not bad for you… Fuzzy  green meat is bad for  you.

I am having an out-of-money experience.

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone  rang.
Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on 280 Interstate. Please be careful!"
"It's not just one car," said Herman. "It's hundreds of them!"

I  want to die while asleep like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car.

It’s Mother’s Day… Have a good one…

Beware The Grapes of Wrath (Or Your Dog Could Die)

About a year ago, I wrote about this subject. It doesn’t do any harm to remind folks that allowing your pet to eat any of the following could, and often does, kill the animal. I personally know of two dogs that got hold of some grapes and both died. And another two that the owner found while they were eating them and managed to get the dogs to her vet in time to be treated. They were lucky to survive.

The following is taken from the K9 Magazine. Please read the whole article for more information.

The wrath of grapes was, unfortunately, all too familiar for many dogs and cats in 2008 as a US based pet insurance firm released data showing how many toxic claims it had dealt with last year. For many dog owners, they are unaware of which foods can prove toxic to dogs until it’s too late.

VPI pet health insurance analyzed the more than 400 claims it received last year for toxic plant ingestions to find which plants and plant products proved most likely to poison pets. Raisins and grapes topped the list, followed by mushrooms and marijuana. In 2008, the average amount claimed for plant poisoning was $427 (approx £300).

Top Plant Poisoning Claims of 2008
1. Raisins/Grapes
2. Mushrooms
3. Marijuana
4. Lily
5. Walnuts
6. Onion
7. Sago Palm
8. Macadamia Nuts
9. Azalea
10. Hydrangea

“Almost all plant poisonings in pets can be prevented, but prevention depends on knowledge, thus it is important for pet owners to become familiar with which items can be toxic if ingested,” said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI.

“Prevention is a simple matter of keeping these hazards out of a pet’s environment. To avoid plant poisonings, try not to give a dog table scraps that contain raisins, onions or nuts, and make sure that a new pet is introduced to a backyard free of sago palms, wild mushrooms or other toxic plants.”

Pet owners have good reason to take the threat of grape/raisin ingestion seriously. Even in low doses, ingestion can place pets at risk for acute renal failure. Symptoms include anorexia, lethargy, depression, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

 

Technorati Tags: Dogs,Grapes,Poisonous for dogs,Grapes/Raisons

Video from K9 Magazine…

I just found this interesting video of Ryan O’Meara on his web site. He produces the K9 Magazine.

He is discussing the DDA (Dangerous Dogs Act) on a lot of the clips. I must say that I agree with what he says. It is the people who are at fault, not the dogs.

It is quite long as there are various clips of Ryan being interviewed on various TV programmes at different times.

If you want to keep up with the latest news on Dogs, visit his web site and sign up for his newsletter.

Technorati Tags: DDA,Dangerous Dogs Act,Rottweillas,Pit Bulls,Dangerous dogs

Jade’s Diary…

Mother Dear gave us our tea… Something is happening around here, not sure what is going on? May be MD is getting low on dog food? None of our bowls have very much food in them just lately. A bit of the dried food with a spoonful of tinned meat and gravy added. It tastes nice but there isn’t very much of it.

We are thinking of going on strike and begging when the family sit down to eat. This is something we never do normally – beg – but we are getting desperate now.

This shortage of food started the day after MD’s friend Angela visited us the other day. Daddy Dave always gives us a treat after he’s had a sandwich, but even he’s stopped doing this. I heard him ask MD if he could give us the crusts but MD said ‘No! Give them to the birds.’

MD said something like ‘We’ve got to get the weight off these dogs.’ What does she mean? We are not even getting any extra titbits lately. We are going to starve to death at this rate.

Another Unexpected Visitor… The phone rang after we’d settled down for a quick nap after our tea. MD spoke briefly then put the phone down and jumped up and yelled at Chris and Daddy Dave, ‘Vacuum the carpet while I do the kitchen…. Danny’s just down the road…’

And sure enough, 10 minutes later, we heard a car pull up on the drive. It was Danny, MD’s oldest son. He doesn’t often pay unexpected visits as he lives in London. But he said it had been a nice day in London and he just felt like going for a ride. So he drove up to see us.

Danny wasn’t happy when Katie and Jazzy jumped up enthusiastically to greet him. He doesn’t like to get dog hairs on his trousers. Silly man… He should wear his jeans when he visits!

He had lots of news to tell MD. He’s been waiting to run this new pub in London, near where the old one was. He and his friend want to turn an area of it into a some sort of German beer room so they are flying off to Munich on Thursday to visit some. I don’t understand it all… I just lay at MD’s feet listening.

Jazz wasn’t too happy as when I’m on the floor she likes to lie on the settee next to MD, but Danny was sitting there. So she found a small ball on a rope and took it to him. He didn’t take it so she dropped it at his feet. He still ignored it so she picked it up and tried to put it on his knee, but it fell off.

Danny just would not take the hint to either play with her of move so she could lie there or get MD to play. I got up and picked the toy up to help get the message across. We began to play tuggy together. This room isn’t large enough for dogs to play enthusiastically in! So we took the toy to Daddy Dave, who threw it a few times for us to catch… Then MD asked us to lie down and settle…

Early this Morning… MD woke early. I looked up at her and she said she was feeling OK this morning but decided to take a couple of tablets anyway, so she could get back into bed and get a little more sleep.

A couple of hours later she got up and gave us our breakfast. Still hardly anything in our bowls. Then he postman knocked on her bedroom window, as he does when he has a package to give her.

It was two books and a DVD for MD to review for the magazine. One of the books was called ‘Border Collie’… An owner’s guide by Carol Price. MD was delighted and looked through the book at the photos in it. One looked just like Titch and another looked like Jazz, and another couple looked just like me!

They were photos of Ilona, my litter sister and her two children. We know them well and have had super runs with them when they have been up here to visit. Arun, Ilona’s son looks like Titch and Lara looks like Jazz. MD was very excited and spent the next hour reading the book.

The other book was called ‘Stafforshire Bull Terrier’, an owner’s guide by Alison Smith. MD has never owned one of these, but we had one to stay once. He bit my old Uncle Solo’s nose which MD was not happy about!

The DVD consists of 4 CD’s: ‘Dog Whisperer’ with Cesar Millan. The blurb says it is the complete first season. As MD has watched all the TV programmes she says she won’t have to watch them all as she’s already seen them. If they aren’t she’ll have to spend a whole day watching them! These will be available from DTW. Once MD has written the reviews, they will be added to their web site.

Time for a quick kip on the settee beside Mother Dear so she can publish this for me…

Message From Jade…

Hello Folks. This is me! It’s a picture taken before I got a few grey hairs, but it’s a photo Mother Dear loves. She says I look cute.

Yes… This is me writing to you. Mother Dear gets fed up with trying to write when she isn’t feeling too well. So I thought I’d jump in and tell you about her and my family.

Mother Dear’s Tummy Problems… As some of you know, she gets this dreadful tummy and can get very moody. So long as the human family leave her alone, she can cope, but if they start messing about, she gets a bit snappy with them. Any of us dogs can go and lay beside her on the sofa and she feels better when she tickles our tummies!

This is me with my tummy exposed waiting for a tickle.

For quite a while now, Mother Dear has been waking up in the early hours of the morning with a bad tummy. This means she has to jump out of bed quickly to get to the bathroom. I always follow her there and lay down beside her to keep her company. We can be in there for up to a quarter of an hour or more. Then, when she feels ‘safe’, as she puts it, she darts back into the bedroom to take some tablets to bind herself.

Sometimes, she only manages to get the tablets out of the draw and out of the packet before she has to run back into the bathroom! Trouble is, the sooner she can take the tablets, the sooner she can climb back into bed and get some more rest. All this can go on for an hour.

This morning, she managed to take the tablets quite quickly, but she still has to wait 20 minutes for them to work. She says she is taking twice the number now for them to have any effect. She hates swallowing tablets… they can make her retch. This sometimes does actually make her sick. Luckily she keeps an old small plastic dog bowl beside her bed and another in the bathroom in case she gets caught unawares! 

This morning wasn’t good. Two hours after the first bad bout, she got another… So the procedure of rushing to the bathroom and back started over again. More tablets were taken. Then she got our breakfast sorted but didn’t have time to put it down for us to eat. We had to wait till she could get back out of the bathroom. Never mid, we were very good and waited.

This was the same yesterday morning. and several times over the last week or so. Good job she didn’t go to Crufts as she was bad most mornings that the show was on. She’d never have coped if she wasn’t at home.

New Bones for Us All… The other day, Mother Dear asked our dad to get us some new stuffed bones to chew. We do love them so. We still like the old ones even after getting all the tasty stuff out of them. Luckily, Mother Dear doesn’t throw them away. She just puts them in the toy box if we are expecting visitors.

Most visitors arrive with their dogs and they know where our toy box is, so they go and get them all out again!

This is Titch with his bone.

Titch is my eldest son…. He was what Mother Dear called, the runt of the little. If she means he was very small, smaller than the rest, she is right. We didn’t think he’d live… He nearly didn’t, but Mother Dear worked hard on him. Eventually he showed signs of life and has never looked back. He is now the tallest one of all my sons. Daddy Chris (MD’s son), fell in love with him and hid him when people came to take my other babies home with them.

I didn’t mind having puppies, but was glad when MD* took over feeding them for me. I mean, if they can eat on their own, why do they have to sap the life out me sucking on my nipples too? They had sharp little teeth.

Anyway… Titch adores his dad Chris. He follows him everywhere all the time as I do MD.

Me in the front with Titch behind and Katie standing looking to swap bones!

We never argue over bones… We just all get up and swap round, then settle on the new bone. MD didn’t get a picture of Jazz, Katie’s sister (both my daughters), as she took her bone off to the other room. She likes to chew in private!

Here is Jazz sitting in daddy Dave’s chair, keeping it warm for him.

MD kept Jazz… from my last and final litter. She and MD are very close. She doesn’t follow MD from room to room as I do, but she does like to lie where she can see MD. She can hardly lie at MD’s feet as that’s my place.

She and I often take one of our toys and put them on MD’s knee when we want to have a game. We all pick our own toy and MD throws them for us to catch in turn. We are very good and stick to our own, but Katie sometimes gets a bit greedy and jumps in for one of ours. She’s learning as MD teaches her. She was dreadfully pushy when she first came back to live with us.

Well… I just wanted to tell you that the reason MD doesn’t always update her blog is because she isn’t feeling too good. When she’s like this she eats very little which can’t help. She says she just can’t get her brain in gear!

She did manage to get her article written yesterday for the magazine. She says she might put it up here after it’s published.

I’ll sign off now, but I’ll try and write something when MD doesn’t feel like it. I have lots to tell you about myself. I’ve been to a few shows and even went to Crufts one year. That was fun.

* MD – Mother Dear

Technorati Tags: Dogs,Stuffed bones,Diverticulitis

SIX AFFAIRS

            
The 1st Affair…
A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One  day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM. The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt. He put on his shoes and drove home.

'Where  have you been?' his wife demanded.
'I can't lie to you,' he replied, 'I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon.'

She looked down at his shoes and said: 'You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!'

The  2nd Affair…
A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters but always talked about having a son.  They decided to try one last time for the son they  always wanted.
The wife got pregnant and delivered  a healthy baby boy. The joyful father rushed to the  nursery to see his new son.

He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen. He told his wife: 'There's no way I can be the father of this baby. Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered! Have you been fooling around behind my back?'

The wife smiled sweetly and replied: 'No, not this time!' 

The  3rd Affair…
A mortician was working late one night. He examined the body of Mr. Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery.  Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever  seen! 'I'm sorry Mr. Schwartz,' the mortician  commented, 'I can't allow you to be cremated with such  an impressive private part. It must be saved for  posterity.' So, he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home.

'I have something to show you won't believe,' he said to his wife, opening  his briefcase.
'My God!' the wife exclaimed, 'Schwartz is dead!'

The 4th Affair… 
A woman was in bed with her lover when  she heard her husband opening the front door.  'Hurry,' she said, 'stand in the corner.' She  rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder. 'Don't move until I tell you,' she said.  'Pretend you're a statue.'

'What's this?' the husband inquired as he entered the room.

'Oh it's a statue,'  she replied. 'The Smiths bought one and I liked it so  I got one for us, too.' No more was said, not even  when they went to bed.

Around 2 AM the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a  beer. 'Here,' he said to the statue, have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smiths and nobody  offered me a damned thing.'

The  5th Affair…
A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar and ordered a beer.
'Certainly,  Sir, that'll be one cent.'
'One Cent?' the man  exclaimed.
He glanced at the menu and asked: 'How  much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?' 
'A nickel,' the barman replied.
'A nickel?'  exclaimed the man. 'Where's the guy who owns this place?' 
The bartender replied: 'Upstairs, with my wife.' 
The man asked: 'What's he doing upstairs with your wife?'
The bartender replied: 'The same thing I'm doing to his business down here.'

The 6th & Best Affair…
Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside. He looked up and said weakly: 'I have  something I must confess.'
'There's no need to, 'his wife replied.
'No,' he insisted, 'I want to die in peace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!'
'I know,' she replied. 'Now just rest and let the poison work.'

An Unexpected Visitor…

The last person I expected to see yesterday was my friend Angela (a vicar). She has one of my dogs from the last litter… Charlie, a red and white collie. She does Obedience and Flyball with him.

The first thing she said when she walked in was that my dogs had put weight on since her last visit a month ago! I hate over-weight dogs… You often don’t notice as you see your own dogs every day.  So, from today, they are all on a diet… Not just mummy dog Jade, who always seems to be a little fatter than I like… Though my vet says she’s fine! I’d rather have them on the lean side than on the fat side.

So new rules around here:

1. A lot less titbits please.
2. No left-over food to be given unless I add it to their normal meals and adjust the complete food accordingly!
3. No falling for soft brown eyes looking at you pleadingly to be fed.
4. No cheating when I’m not looking.
5. More exercise for the dogs.

For the last seven years, Angela has been living up the road running a different parish and has now got a job in Scotland. She moved up there at the end of last month. Her and all 10 of her dogs.

One of her dogs – Flite, a lovely bitch – was entered in Breed at Crufts, so she had come back for the show and has been sorting out the old vicarage. 

Flite picked up a third place at Crufts.

Here she is chewing on a bone in my house.

Angela had taken yesterday off to go to her friend Sarah’s to work her two young dogs on sheep. Then popped in to visit me on her way back to where she was staying. She’ll be travelling back up to Scotland next week.

This morning… I woke with a bad tummy (as so often happens these days), and took some tablets to bind me. We were expecting Pete to turn up after ten to fix a small leak we had on a join in a pipe leading up to the shower which he put in a while ago. I did not need to have to kick him out of the bathroom because I needed it!

I enjoy a visit from Pete as he was born and bred in Long Sutton and he knows about everything that is going on around the area. So we get all the latest gossip!

Apparently, there has been a spate of thefts from cars lately. Silly people leaving sat navs and laptops visible in their cars!  More than normal have been broken into. We have a very small police force in this area. I doubt anyone will get their articles returned.

Anyway, Pete fixed the leak and tightened a screw or two. Had a cup of tea, a couple of fags, then arranged when he could come and help get our swimming pool sorted for us.

I managed to dissuade Dave from having a Hot Tub and that re-vamping the swimming pool would be a better idea. Luckily, I won that discussion and we are now putting some heating in the pool. And we are re-lining it as there was a small hole we had to fix each year!  By the time we have done everything, it will have cost nearly as much as a hot tub would have cost!!!

One good thing is that Dearly Beloved did manage – eventually - to get his £500.00 deposit on the hot tub back. That really was pure luck. Normally, a deposit is non-refundable. I think my nagging and teasing was worse to bare than the wroth of the man who took Dave’s deposit! Poor man reluctantly returned the deposit as I think he was sick of Dave nagging him and threatening him with the Small Claims Court!

Pete is off for a short break. He has been very busy lately. Then, if we have everything we need, he’s coming back early next month to sort the pool out.

So I’ve sent dearly beloved on a mission: To get all the things we need to get the pool finished. He hasn’t got the liner or new skin yet. We already have the expensive heater and other odds and sods we need.

I’ve got an article I’ve been asked to write for a magazine, so I must get started.

Have a good weekend Folks… Stay safe.

Simon Sez…

You may have seen this video before… But I just love it. Enjoy…

SEX & HOUSEWORK

(THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE)
She'd been taught that housework is a woman's job, but one evening Jenny arrived home from work to find the children bathed, one load of laundry in the washer and another in the dryer. Dinner was on the stove, and the table was set.
She was astonished!!

It turned out that Ralph had read an article that said, 'Wives who worked full-time and then had to do their own housework were too tired to have sex. The night went very well.

The next day, she told her office friends all about it. 'We had a great dinner. Ralph even cleaned up the kitchen. He helped the kids do their homework, folded all the laundry and put it away. I really enjoyed the evening.'

'But what about afterward?' asked her friends.

'Oh, that --- Ralph was too tired.'

God is Good…

An Old Friend Phoned…

Yesterday afternoon I got a very unexpected phone call from a young man I have known for a good number years. I have known him so long that since his mother went back to the West Indies to live in the 1980s, I have called him my adopted son.

Since we moved up to the Fens, I haven’t heard from him, though I did bump into him a Crufts a few years ago.

It all started when Robert arrived at Brixton Dog Training Club with his dog Caesar, a yellow Lab. Then he got Raven, a super black GSD (German Shepherd). We trained Obedience and eventually I persuaded Robert to enter  Open shows and compete. He got his first win under me. I remember it today…Raven did a lovely round.

Robert became interested in Instructing and started his own small club in 1986 in South London. He has a natural ability to put people at their ease and is able to help them get the best out of their dogs.

When the concept of Dog Wardens started, Robert applied to our local Lewisham Council and became their first dog warden in 1990. The stories he told me about the sad cases he came across would make me cry at times. I suggested he should write a book about his experiences. I wrote a few articles for dog magazines about his experiences. I got him judging Obedience at a few shows too, but he doesn’t judge now. He’s too busy.

Robert got interesting in behaviour training and went on every course he could to expand his knowledge and skills. I am very proud that he never stopped learning. Since those days he’s helped a great many people with their dogs.

I was not surprised to switch on my TV one day to watch a new programme called ‘Dog Borstall’ to find that Robert was one of the three trainers. I was so proud of him and later searched the Internet to try and find his email address to write and congratulate him.

Here he is with three GSDs. His name is Robert Alleyne.

Back to the phone call… I was really thrilled to hear his voice on the other end. He told me he never got that email I sent a few years ago. I really should have emailed again or put pen to paper and written or just phoned him. Mind you, I didn’t know if he’d moved? If I’d bothered to phone or write I’d have found out that he hadn’t!

We spent an hour and a half chatting about everything. I cried as he told me how he lost Caesar and Raven and I told him about the dogs he knew that I had lost since we last saw each other.

Robert has written a book now. Titled ‘The Trouble-Free Dog’. To quote from the blurb: Robert…. ‘teaches you how to communicate with your dog. Having acquired this skill, you will then be able to prevent worrying behavioral problems occurring or solve those your dog already has. However, as well as dealing with your pet's psychological needs, the book also covers all the physical aspects of caring for your dog: from maintaining him in good health to the legal responsibilities of being a dog owner. Also included are numerous informative and entertaining case histories which demonstrate the wide variety of problems that can actually occur.’

I haven’t read the book yet but Robert promises to bring a copy up for me when he visits us soon.

You can order the book from Robert Hale, the Publishers. £9.99

 

Technorati Tags: Robert Alleyne,Dog Borstall,The Trouble-Free Dog

Missing Dog…

Have You Seen This Dog?

There is a dog missing and I am trying to pass the word around. Please visit Shelley’s blog to read more about Jacob.

Jacob

Hello friends
As you may already know, we have been desperately trying to find our missing dog Jacob, a male Bracco Italiano who has been missing since 21st Jan.
I know you have most probably had numerous emails from either me, or our friends or the Bracco/Spinone groups who are helping in our search, but right now I am writing to you as the focus of our search has changed.
On Monday evening we had a call from a lady on a mobile (number was shown) and who told us they have Jacob. The call was short, as if she was disturbed and had to go.
We have desperately tried in vain to get to speak to the person on the mobile number again, many (many) times and left messages and pleas for this person to get back in touch with us.
I have additionally sent texts to the phone asking for them to let us know he is okay, to take him somewhere 'safe' for us to get him, and asking if it's about reward money.
So far, the phone rings and is aborted to answer phone every time one of us calls.
I am told that hoaxers _do not usually show their mobile number_, it kind of defeats the object of them calling up. Knowing this obviously adds to our concerns for our boy.
We have contacted the police, who seem helpless (or is that unwilling) in being able to trace the callers mobile due to their "certain criteria". This shocking lack of help just makes this all the more upsetting. If Jacob were a motorbike or car, then the 'criteria' would be helpful no doubt.
So, yet again I find I am left with no alternative than to take the matter into my own hands, and therefore I am asking you to email Jacob's details to as many people as you can, and keep an eye out for him in your local area.
He could turn up just about anywhere now.
If you know of rescues (large or small) in your area, can I ask you to please kindly send them the email to make them aware of Jacob's plight.
I have tried to cover all areas but cannot guarantee to know all the smaller rescues that you would be aware of because you live in the area....I need to contact everyone possible.
We all send those chain letter "send to 8 friends" emails round like wildfire, and I hope that we can do the same here but for more of a purpose.
Someone must know about Jacob, and through word of mouth we hope that it can feed back to us of any information of his whereabouts.
We are just utterly desperate to find him as you can imagine.
It's just heartbreaking the not knowing.
I really do appreciate your time is precious, so Thank You for reading this and passing it on to anyone and everyone you feel can help us spread the word.
Kind regards & Thanks
Shelley Haggerwood

My Hospital Appointment…

At last the day of my appointment to see the Consultant has arrived… The appointment was for 10.00am. Not a good time of day for me… Just a little too early without getting up extra early to make myself ‘safe’ to leave the house.

I must have started worrying about it on Friday. And as I’ve said before, stress can bring on a bad bout of visits to the bathroom! I sat watching Crufts live on my PC for most of the day, then in the afternoon all hell let lose, tummy wise. I had to dose myself up and then got such a swollen tummy, I just didn’t feel like eating much. I had had a small pie around midday, as usual then a bit of pasta late. Not enough to keep a mouse alive.

Bad Saturday & Sunday night… I went off to bed and managed to rest and fall asleep for a short while, then woke feeling very sick. So it was trips to the bathroom. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sick. I’d have felt a lot better if I had been! Got up on the Sunday morning and was sick! I felt a little better then, but was dreadfully tired as I hadn’t had much sleep during two nights.

On the PC watching Crufts for most of the two days. My son Danny was coming up on Saturday, but I put him off as I was just not feeling well. I rang him on Saturday morning after Chris, bless him, had done a great deal of extra housework!

Crufts…

I am so impressed with the coverage that the Kennel Club have given. I have managed to see far more of Crufts than if I’d been there all four days, as is usual. As you may know, the BBC pulled out of filming this year. In my opinion, that is the best thing that they could have done. We wouldn’t have had the continual coverage all four days, if they had been there. We’ve never had coverage online before.

The BBC used to get some celeb presenters, half of which didn’t know one end of a dog from another, and film five minutes of this and that. You ended up with four hours on four nights of just a taster of what was going on, interspersed with chit chat as the presenters made sure they had their faces on camera half the time. They were generally asking silly questions that were totally irrelevant and showed their ignorance of dogs.

During the ‘live’ coverage we have had people who knew what they were talking about commentating on the events.

I have paid my £9.99 to be able to watch Video On Demand where I can catch up on all that I didn’t see. I watched  the Main Arena Events ‘live’ for free.  All the Obedience Events were put up the following day to watch V.O.D. So watched some in the evenings.

Back to my problems…

Sunday night I went to bed early... Unfortunately, my tummy woke me unexpectedly at 3.00am. It was twenty past before I could get back into my bedroom to take some tablets to bind me. Then I awoke with a start at 5.30am and had to rush through to the bathroom again! Took a couple more tablets and lay down again. Dave woke me at just gone eight… I hadn’t fed the dogs! He made me a coffee – I fed the dogs – then ran a bath. Then I took a couple more tablets. Oh dear… I am going to suffer with a swollen tummy after all these tablets, but I dare not leave the house unless I feel safe.

We needed to leave by nine to give us time to park up at the hospital and find the right department. Dave went out and warmed up the engine. I let him drive. Big mistake… I’ve not let him drive me for months, and yet again, he’s forgotten how to use the indicators. I so annoys me! Men!!!

I got out at the hospital main entrance and left him to park up. He noticed that someone was about to leave a Disabled spot in front of the hospital, but failed to notice a woman waiting to go in the spot when the car had backed out. I was standing quite near at the main entrance finishing off my last ciggie, so I saw it all.

Dave pulled up behind the car that was about to reverse out which meant the woman waiting was beside him… but she was sort of parked very near the left curb. She didn’t have her indicator on to indicate she wanted to turn into the parking spot when the car came out. So I don’t blame Dave for not noticing her at first. But she then pulled out into the road… Two more cars came up and had to stop behind Dave as there was no longer room for them to drive through. Silly woman!

I saw the reversing lights go on on our car… Luckily, the car behind noticed and also began to reverse slowly as the end car driver woke up and also began to move! Dave had to reverse up a bit to let the car out of the spot!

Then he drove straight in, leaving the poor woman to swear at him from her driving seat! I did feel a bit sorry for her as she had been there first, but you’d never have realised she wanted the parking spot from her position on the road. She had been where people stop to let passengers out of cars.

We went into the Foyer… I asked where my department was. I was told it was at the other end of the hospital. Luckily, we had left plenty of time. Off we set… Dave stopping a couple of times to get his breath back and once for a sit down. Got to the right place to be told I should go back near the main entrance. Here we go…!

We did manage to get back the whole way we had just walked and I booked in. My doctor was running late! What’s new???

Found a couple of seats together. The place was packed out. I got chatting to a lovely lady in her 40s with similar problems to mine. She was with her mother. I did feel for her being so young, with similar problems to me. You sort of expect things to start deteriorating with your body as you get older. I was fit as a fiddle in my 40s, working and training my dogs and walking them for miles. Then competing or judging each weekend and driving all over the UK to where the shows were.

I got a warm welcome from the doctor when it was eventually my time. I was called in an hour and ten minutes late! He actually apologized for the delay and for having to give me such an early morning appointment. He said he’d been worried about me. I’d like to believe he had given me a second thought… but I doubt it with the number of patients he has!

He has recommended that I see a surgeon for keyhole surgery. To put a camera down my throat to see if there is any way to take care of this blockage/constriction. I told him I hadn’t eaten anything other than a couple of small pies over two days. I told him I hadn’t had much sleep either… I don’t think I left anything out. He really did seem to remember what I’d told him the last time I’d seen him… OK. He’d read up on my notes! But it is nice to feel that the doctor does know quite a bit about you.

So fingers crossed I don’t have to wait too long to see a surgeon. I was told it should be in the next 3 or 4 weeks. I do hope so. I really am a little worried about my weight. I am nearly 6 stone. Far too slim for me… I look like a stick woman. Stand sideways and I can hide behind a broom handle!

I promised to let friends know how things went with my appointment. Now I am going back to finish watching the fantastic videos the Kennel Club have done of Crufts. Who knows, may be next year I’ll be able to go again?

Crufts Day 3….

I haven’t been writing as the Kennel Club and Crufts have had such fantastic live coverage in the Main Arena. I have sat here glued to my PC watching everything.

I have managed to take my dogs out for several good games during each day and my son has had them out for walks.

Who needs the BBC with the coverage we are getting? We don’t! When I’m at Crufts I sit and watch as much of the Obedience as I can. I watch the Inter Regional Team events on Thursday, the Obedience Championships on Friday and Saturday, followed by the World Cup on Sunday. I also wander around meeting up with friends I haven’t seen for a while and end up spending far too much money!

I never get to see any Agility or Flyball or anything else going on in other rings. This year everything has been videoed and apart from the events in the main area, you can watch it all the next day through Video On Demand.

I paid my £9.99 and can watch through till the end of March. It has been a great success. I have heard from people around the world who are watching.

The BBC only ever put on snippets of other events over four days with one hour programmes. Now we are able to watch the whole event. I can’t praise the Crufts video team enough for all they have done and are doing.

So if you have been busy and haven’t been able to watch too much, sign up and pay your tenner and you can see it all till the end of March.

Here is a video of one of the Championship Bitch rounds, Shirley Budgen’s round. She didn’t win but she and Reesa put on a fantastic show:

I asked a friend if the sun shining in the Obedience ring affected any of the handlers and/or dogs. This is her reply…

Hi Jane
I was at Crufts Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday for the Regional teams the sun was very off putting. My friend Sharron with her Labradoodle Mutley was first in for the Western Team Beginners. On one of the about turns - she turned into the sunlight and was blinded by it - indeed on occasion the judge - Hugh Wynne - could be seen holding his hand up over his brow as you do when the sun is shining in your eyes.

Also when Sharron left Mutley for the recall, when she turned she could not see him for the sun! Fortunately she coped ok and gained second place in the Beginner section of the Inter Regionals.

On Friday I don't think it was quite as bad somehow - maybe the sun wasn't quite as bright just a little more hazy - though there was sunlight.

I personally don't think it affected the dogs - only the Rottie seemed a little worried right at the very end of her round - she seemed to think she had to sort of step over the line between light and shade but this was very minimal.

I personally thought the bitch day was one of the best Crufts I have ever seen. Kim was a very well deserved winner. The round was flowing and interesting. The whole ring was used - not as in some years where I personally thought too much happened in one part of the ring and not another. There were no gimmicks - all the competitors had the round sent to them prior to Crufts so they could work it before hand. Not one bitch failed Sendaway - three black plant pots. Some were short of the back marker but they all went through the front two markers.

There were many handler errors - as there will always be at Crufts - nerves will always affect some handlers. When the competitors ran Herbie (the judge) ran - when they were doing slow pace Herbie did slow pace - and the same for the normal pace. Yes he was pretty close at times but this should not affect handlers at this standard.

He did the round every time a competitor did the round - he always seemed to be in the right place - nothing seemed to be left to chance. He never judged from one side of the ring while the competitor walked horizontally across in front of him - when you can't have a clue as to whether the dog is wide or not.

The scent was very straight forward - a line of cloths vertically in front of the handler - with a male and female decoy - it posed very few problems.

In my opinion Jane this Crufts was the whole package. It wasn't won or lost on one exercise as has happened occasionally in the past if a Sendaway proved very difficult for instance - as has happened. You had to do it all under the eye of a very knowledgeable and astute judge.

I was just sorry that I couldn't be there today.
Madge

Thank you Madge for allowing me to reproduce your email here.

Technorati Tags: Crufts,Crufts Live coverage

Crufts Day 2…

The Championship Obedience (Bitches), has just finished. Here is the lineup.

1st Kim Innes and OB. CH. Barlingo Go Balistic

2nd Kathy Ingham and OB. CH. Ruskath Othentic Image

3rd Linda Rutherford and OB. CH. Colliewood Confidential

4th Lyn Green and Kuseley Diamond

5th Dot Watts and OB. CH. Zygdan Zyma

6th Christine Smeaton and OB. CH. Rockin at Glenbrittle

Crufts Video On Demand should have the rounds on tomorrow.

Today, they have had most of the Inter Regional event on VOD. We are only missing the Class B and Class C rounds. I expect they will be up soon.They were competing yesterday. The Southern Team won.

You can get all the results on the ObedienceUK web site.

Crufts Inter Regional Scores…

Click here to get the scores.

Keep updating (refresh) your page – F5 – to get the latest as Sheila puts the score in live at the ring side for us.

You can click on either ‘Scores by Score’ or ‘Scores by Running Order’.

Crufts Live TV…

If you are having trouble getting the live pictures up, make sure you have downloaded Active X control. Should be a line under the menu.

In response to a query, this is their reply:

“We recommend that our viewers use Internet Explorer v6 or above, and windows media player v9 or above. The latest versions of these can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com”

Then click here to watch.

Crufts Day One…

To watch live coverage of the events in the Main Ring click here…

You have to register first.

Here is a list of todays activities…

Thursday 5 March

08.30 Agility – Starters – Jumping
09.00 Agility – KC International – Jumping
09.35 Agility – Team – Large Semi Finals
10.25 Training with Mary Ray
10.35 Freestyle HTM Competition
11.55 Agility – KC International – Slalom Knockout
12.30 Presentation of the Police Dog Team Operational and Humanitarian Action of the Year Award
12.35 West Midlands Police Dog Display
13.05 Agility – Eukanuba Mini/Maxi Pairs
13.50 Flyball – Team Quarter Finals
14.35 Agility – Starters – Agilitiy
15.05 Agility – Large – Team Finals
15.35 Agility – KC International – Agility
16.10 Freestyle HTM – 2nd
16.15 Break
17.15 YKC Agility Competition
17.45 Heelwork to Music – Freestyle (winner)
17.50 Kennel Gazette Junior Warrant Winner of the Year – Final
18.10 Group Judging (Terrier) and Presentation
19.00 Group Judging (Hound) and Presentation
19.50 Programme Ends

To listen to Crufts FM click here… Click the link on the right hand side.

Technorati Tags: Crufts web cam,Crufts Live coverage,Crufts FM.

Friends For Life videos…

Crufts Day One…

To watch live coverage of the events in the Main Ring click here…

You have to register first.

There is a list of todays activities on the right hand side of the page.

To listen to Crufts FM click here… Click the link on the right hand side.

Technorati Tags: Crufts web cam,Crufts Live coverage,Crufts FM.

Crufts Starts Tomorrow…

Once again, I am unable to go to Crufts this year. This is due to my health. The last time I went, a couple of years ago, wasn’t much fun. I left home on the Wednesday as usual, to book into the hotel. Then nipped over to the NEC to help DTW (Dog Training Weekly), set up their Stand.

I also tended to do my main ‘dog’ shopping on Wednesday too. Keith and Hazel run Petneeds, and have a large stand where you can buy everything you might need, especially if you work a dog. Through the year they go to most Obedience Shows with a stand. They have supported us for years and I’ve known them since they first started. I don’t get to the shows now, so the time I see them is at Crufts. However, you can order stuff from them through their web site now. Thank goodness.

My last visit wasn’t pleasant for me. Each morning I had a very bad tummy and had to spend a considerable time in the bathroom of the hotel I was staying in. This meant I arrived at the NEC very much later each day than I would normally. So I missed the Parade and all the early rounds.

I don’t know why I was so bad, but I know that stress can bring on a bad bout. I wasn’t stressed… or was I? I love every minute of Crufts. I get to meet up with people I’ve known for years. I love watching the Obedience Championships, the Team Events and the World Cup. I take photos and make notes on the rounds and use these for an article for the magazine. I often get to meet some of the Celebs that attend.

One year I had a long chat with Rolf Harris and met his wife. He really is a lovely man. Dearly Beloved used to take photos for me and he took  several of Rolf… I must dig them out sometime!

I always met Wendy Richard on a stand too. I was very sorry to hear that she died on the 26th February.

I met Katie Boyle and one year Sir John Mills and his wife were there.

That was funny. Obviously, there were a considerable number of journalists surrounding him. You couldn’t get near him. So, with my little camera hanging around my neck and little tape recorder in my hand, I bent down and crawled on my hands and knees between the legs of everyone. I ended up right in front of them both and held out my mic and asked him a question. He took my mic and spoke into it, answering all other questions leaving my hands free to take photos. I was so proud to have met him and his wife. Can’t remember the year now with out digging out loads of papers and photos!

There have been many other interesting people I have met and interviews at Crufts. There is something special about Celebs who support Crufts as they can do a lot of good for dogs in general.

This Year at Crufts…

As I said, I can’t go… I just dare not risk it. I began writing this and suddenly had to stop to rush to the bathroom. Just knowing I’m going to miss it all again, is depressing for me.

But I will try and give you all the URL links that might interest you. First of all, if you would like to see a small write up and photo of each of the dogs competing in the Obedience Championships, click here…

Scroll down that page for a list of the Inter Regional Judge and the teams and the World Cup teams. I will also put a link up to the results at the end of each day.

As you may know, the BBC will not be filming at Crufts this year. But I understand that the Crufts Web Site will have a link to what is happening on YouTube. I suspect this will be mostly Breed Classes. We may have to pay something to watch any Obedience. I’ll let you know when I find out for sure.

Warning….

Animal Rights and PETA are planning to disrupt Crufts in various ways. I have also heard that they are now planning to approach cars with dogs in on there way to the NEC. Please be aware of this. They plan to let dogs out of the cars to free them. They say a dog run over is better off dead than being shown.

So if you are going to Crufts with your dog (or dogs), please keep a keen eye on them at all times. Don’t leave them on the benches alone at any time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Good Luck if you are competing.

Technorati Tags: Crufts,The Kennel Club,ObedienceUK,Obedience Championships,Team Events,World Cup,Sir John Mills,Katie Boyle,Wendy Richard,Rolf Harris,Dogs