Westonbirt Arboretum

Had a great day today with Daddy and our friends at Westonbirt Arboretum. This is the second time I have been and I met lots more friends again. We walked all around the dog-friendly area, played with my kong and found lots of molehills to roll in.


Here, I am pretending to be a mole, but I cannot seem to get underground.

Are dogs like their owners?

Check these out:



http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/ps/roy.pdf

I have noticed that dogs are like their owners.
Some are grumpy, fat, ugly, lazy and aggressive,
whereas I am happy, slim, handsome, energetic and friendly......

I am still like a puppy

Yes, although I am over a year old, positively ancient, I have been told I am still like a puppy. One of the trainers last night said that I still sit like a puppy, ie with splayed legs, and this morning another dog-walker said I still run like a puppy. As long as I am full of the joys of spring...........

Now here's an interesting story: http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2008/04/did_the_kennel_return_a_differ.html. Sounds scary!

Training

My trainers were impressed with me last night. My hard work seems to be paying off with (not) jumping up and the sit-stay. There's some way to go though, and then there's the down-stay.....

I love Newbury

I do love visiting Newbury. There are rivers in all directions and great walks. Here I am coming back from a swim in the Kennet and I am trying to bring a present back to Grannie to cheer her up. This gate was a bit of a problem!

I am 13 months old today

I had a cracking time today. It is 13 months since I was born and it felt like my birthday again. I was not feeling too good yesterday morning, probably because of that needle pointy thingy that the vet stuck in me the day before. But today, I was back to normal. Daddy took me for a long walk this afternoon and I vote for that every day. We went to the golf links as usual and then on through Old Down and round Old Down Wood and back via Sheepcombe and the waggon wash. We've been there before, but as it was a Saturday afternoon, as well as nice and sunny, there were loads of other furry friends to play with. Two of them (including another flat-coat) took my kong, but that is no more than I try to do!

A visit to the vet

I went to see the vet this morning. It was originally going to be for the 'snip' but Daddy has been having a rethink in view of comments from various sources (including here!). So I had my annual innoculation instead and Daddy spoke to the vet further. We saw a different one this morning than before and his view was that it was up to Daddy as to whether to have me 'done' or not - he was not dogmatic about it. There are medical advantages, in particular there are lower chances of prostate and testicular cancer. (However, it is more important to have a bitch spayed.) He also said that the summer would be an appropriate time, as that is when I would be mature. Daddy is therefore going to think about it further over the next few months.

The vet also said that I am now old enough for longer walks - yippee! Most of my growth plates have now closed. Here is an information sheet that Daddy found on the subject: http://www.yourvets.co.uk/html/pdf/Factsheets/Dog/24_265463.pdf.

I forgot to say...

...I completed the Jubilee Way last Thursday. It was great fun and very muddy.
Jubilee Way leg 2 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

To be or not to be (castrated)

That is the question. I am glad I don't know anything about this, but for the record I am going to the vet on Thursday for my annual innoculaton and Daddy is going to ask her when is the best time. He has read that it should be when a dog is mature and I am not yet. My trainer and my vet recommend it, and Pawstretchers won't mind me now until I am "done".

While researching this subject, Daddy has found the following articles of interest:

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html
http://www.neutering.org/
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080727041938AANpdu0
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf
http://dogtime.com/spay-neuter.html

Computer games

"Computer games?" I hear you ask. Yes, Daddy says that I am addicted to my kong like a teenager is to computer games. I am always looking to play on my walks even when we haven't brought my kong, and I suppose I am a teenager. I certainly behave like one.

Do animals go to heaven?

http://www.squidoo.com/DoAnimalsGoToHeaven

My first alcohol

I found Daddy's secret last night: a box of chocolate liqueurs. I don't know why he hasn't shared them. After all, they were from mutual friends and minders at Christmas. I managed to eat two of them - triple-see and rum. I was very tipsy at training, so my mind was not on the job!

Best in Show

Great news! I've just won "best in show" at DogTime.

New Year's Resolutions

I gather this is the time of year to make some resolutions, so here they are:

To try not to jump up when I greet people
To try and sit or down/stay for longer

They will be hard to achieve, but Daddy's training hard. We went to training last night which was good, but it showed we need to work at these things.

PS One of the trainers recommended that I have the 'snip' when I have my next visit to the vet. What does that mean???!!! I think I should be worried.

Prince Edward

The other day, I met a VERY BIG dog (a deer hound?) and started playing with him, as one does. Out of sight of Daddy (he's so slow), there was a bark and a yelp and then the other dog's owners said to Daddy they had done 'a Prince Edward' on their dog. Suffice it to say there was a stick involved. I thought we were only playing, and we were definitely not fighting over a dead pheasant!

I can walk on water

Today, I tried to walk on water, and I managed it. Here is proof!

Hailey

I met Hailey today, a Guide Dog puppy rather like the one above. She was great fun and I am looking forward to playing with her as she grows up. I do miss Earl, her predecessor.

A blur

I'm just a blur. Daddy's older camera can't cope with my speed. This picture is my answer to the Vale of the White Horse. I think someone ought to create a "Vale of the Black Dog" using one of these pictures!

I'm all legs

It is another cold and frosty morning this morning. I went to my favourite place to play flingball. In between times, I enjoyed a roll in the grass. Ah, bliss!

I found my soul mate

Yesterday, I bumped into Zach, a yellow labrador, the same age as me. We found we were very alike - being boisterous and playful. We both have the same problems that other (usually smaller) dogs find us too bouncy. We had a great romp and I taught him how to come when called.

Christmas presents

I got a flingball ball launcher for Christmas and some industrial-strength balls. This means I get to chase them and chew them for longer. See here.

2009 flat-coated retriever calendar available!

Daddy has put his favourite pictures of me in a 2009 calendar. See here for 1 page per month in .pdf format or here for one .htm page. You can download them and print them off for free!