Tuesday 30 January 2007

What's a pug?



Well...that's it - mum has started back at university so it means I have to stay in the house on my own for a whole four hours every day! WAH!!! I don't like being on my own, it's so boring! I do get nice kongs to do but they're so easy! Mum keeps trying to make them more interesting and difficult but I still emtpy them really quickly and then I don't have anything to do other than sleep and chew on my rawhide. I wish mum didn't have to go out...I don't think she really wants to leave me at home. She said to mum 2 the other day that she would take me to university if she could - maybe she should get a magic spell that could shrink me to the size of a chihuahua and she could sneak me in in her bag...though I don't think I'd like to be that small!

Anyway - being on my own gives me time to think about things the hoomans have said the past couple of days. I'm still learning to understand hooman talk - expecially when they talk extra fast - so I think about the things they've said whilst they're out...I mull it over and chew on my paw. Mum says it's a bad habit - like the doggy equivilent of picking ones nose...why would anyone want to do that when they could chew their paw?!

So, yesterday I was chewing my paw and lounging around...mulling over this word I keep hearing - PUG. What is a pug when it's at home?! Mum says that I might be getting a new brother in the summer because mum 2 wants her own 'lap dog' so I've been wondering if that's what a pug is? Is it a dog? I looked it up on the internet and found a picture...but it doesn't look like a dog to me - looks more like a funny coloured pig with its curly tail! Hee hee! I'm not sure about this whole thing but it would be nice to have a friend to play with!

Hmm...that's enough deep thinking for one day - time for a nap.

licks,
Tobster

Friday 26 January 2007

Exciting afternoon out

I've just come back from a very exciting walk and I couldn't wait to tell everyone about it - it was so cool!

Mum said we were going for a walk so I sat nicely and waited while she got her big rain coat and hat out (it's very rainy here today) and then we went in the car with mum's dad. I watched out the window and thought we were going to Porthcawl to see Uncle Chris but mum said we were going to Kenfig. I'd never been there before so I got really excited!



There were loads of nice smells and lovely things to look at but mum kept on calling me back to her all the time because she said I have to learn to go back every time she calls not just when i feel like it - but I was soooo excited I forgot sometimes...oops! There was loads of grass and other doggies around but they were all very obedient and didn't come chasing to play with me (spoil sports!) even though they were off their leads.

It was like heaven - there were grassy bits, muddy bits, sandy bits and then to top it all - WATER! I've done a total U-turn in the past few days from not liking the water at all to be water mad...I got so excited when I saw the water that I almost took mum in with me! hee hee!!



There were lovely ducks swimming on the lake...and the lake was HUGE! I wanted to go and chase the ducks but mum wouldn't let me...humph! So instead I splashed straight in and bum-tucked all the way around the shallows and back onto the banks behind mum and round and round and round until I was dizzy and out of breath! It was a total blast! I was very good too because I came back everytime mum called me...it's smells that distract me...if I smell something nice I just can't help it!



Speaking of smells...after coming out of the lake I headed off into the trees in the other direction and found something nice and smelly to roll in...mum thinks it was poo of some sorts but I'm not sure what it was - but it smelled so good! I think I have a problem...I should start a society and call it SAA (Smell Adicts Anonymus)! Does anyone need help like I do? Anyway, mum manged to stop me before I got totally covered so I ended up with only a little bit on my head which means I've been saved a bath! Woo hoo!

I had such a good time that I didn't want to come home! I sat nicely by mum to have my photo taken though and then she dried me off quickly. One of the great things about being a labrador is my waterproof coat so that I don't have to put up with loads of towel drying and rubbing...though it is loads of fun!



I'm tired out now but that was a great adventure!

Licks,
Tobster
xx

The poo and the vets....

Well it's been a busy morning for me! Last night was the second night that I slept in my bed in mums room without my crate. I didn't know what to do at first but when mum told me 'bed' I realised it was just the same but my bed wasn't in the crate anymore! Silly me! I woke up at 1am and woke mum up by crying because mum's dad came home from his night out and put the TV on downstairs. I don't like it when my hoomans are up and about and I am not so I wouldn't go back to sleep until he came upstairs to say goodnight. Then I woke up at 4am and poked mum with my nose because I was cold and I wanted a cuddle but I went back to bed like a good boy and went straight to sleep.

When I got up mum wanted to stay in bed a little bit because I'd woken her up so much in the night so mummy 2 (my mum's mum) gave me breakfast and put me in the puppy run for an hour in my kennel with my nice snuggly blankie and some kongs. I was going to go back to sleep...but then I smelt that smell....

Mum had asked mum 2 to make sure that any bags of poop that were left on top of the kennel were out in the big bin at the bottom of the garden or I'd jump up and steal them...you see I have this unfortunate 'thing' for poo...When mum got up she looked out the window and surveyed the carnage...I'd pulled the bag of poo off the kennel and torn it to shreds...it was not pretty. I felt so guilty as I watched mum cleaning it up but it seemed like a good idea at the time!



I had quite a trauma the other day so I blame the poo eating on that - I had to go to the vets...I know that word but it doesn't bother me like some dogs. Even though I lost my furry plums there I still love going because my vet always gives me nice liver treats and I get to see other dogs! Mum 2 took me because mum was teaching her guitar pupil at home. When we got there she weighed me on the big scales (she seems to like doing that) and I weighed in at almost 29kg! Woah! I'm getting to be a big boy now!



The nice vet lady made a big fuss of me but then she started poking this big metal thing down me ear...I didn't like it at all!! She said that I'm a big baby...humph! I bet she wouldn't like it if I poked one down her ear, especially when it's sore. Mum 2 said that I've got an 'inflamed' ear and the evil vet lady said I've got a mild infection and mum has to put drops in my ears twice a day and I have to go back and see her next week. Those drops are a very nasty business but I'll tell you about them again! When we got home my mum was upset when mum 2 told her because my big brother Tramp (who isn't with us anymore) used to get really bad ear infections so mum is always careful to clean my ears well once a week but I've still got an infection from somewhere. I gave her big licks and tried to tell her that it's not her fault and that I'm OK - she seemed to cheer up then.



I'm at home now and I'm curled up against mums foot after my walk...it's my favourite place in the whole world to sleep...this is the life!

Lots of licks,
Toby

Thursday 25 January 2007

Obedience


I love obedience work! I really miss going to classes. Mum worked hard with me since I was eight weeks old and by the time we started puppy socialisation I could do all the basic obedience exercises. I loved puppy socialising as I love nothing more than playing with my friends.

After a few weeks there we moved to big dog class for basic obedience. I loved going to play with my friends Henry the labrador, Jack the springer spaniel, winston the staffie and Ben the Giant Schnauzer but I started to get really bored doing sit, down, come, stay over and over when I could already do it. Humph! So we finished out course in basics just before Christmas when I went to have my little furry plums chopped off (wah!!!!) and we haven't gone to any more classes yet.

Everyday mum takes me to the field behind our house and we play fetch and practice long stays, directed retrieving, send-aways, and a lot of exercises with only hand signals or whistle commands. I love doing this but what I really don't like is walking to heel. I'm getting really good at it now but I'm still only a little boy and I don't want to walk glued to mum's side round the field for ages when there are interesting smells to be smelled!! when I'm on my lead I don't have much choice but when we work at off the lead heel I try and trick her by going in the opposite direction from her when she turns - it's loads of fun! But mum says I have to stop doing that because she won't take me to intermediate obedience until I sort that out because most work in the intermediate classes is all off lead. She's also a bit worried that I'm too young - I was the baby of the basic obedience class and I haven't got as long an attention span as some of the older doggies but I really really wanna go! Guess I'd better start listening to my mum more eh?

Off for walkies now!

Licks,
Toby
x

Wednesday 24 January 2007

The big scary Water

I'm a Labrador right? Well mum can't figure out why I'm not going mad over water...but I just wasn't sure about it until yesterday when mum took me to the beach (where we go a few times a week) armed with her big wellies and ploughed into the sea with me...hee hee! she looked so silly!

But I do follow her everwhere so in I went...just a little way but it turned out to be lots of fun and I can't wait to go again! I'm not a reject doggy after all! Yey!!!

Here's some pictures of me having lots of fun:


What the hell is that?!


Thow the stick mam! Throw it!!!!


Look mum I fetched you a nice shiny shell!


Oh my God! It's going to eat me!!! Run for your lives!!!!


Hey...this isn't so bad! I could get used to this....


WOO HOO!!!!


Very tired now....

So pups, if your mum and dad don't take you to the beach bark at them until they do - it is the bestest place in the entire world.

And....water is way cool!!!

Licks,
Tobster
xx

Monday 22 January 2007

My story so far...



Hello everyone!

My name is Toby, or my 'posh' KC name is Hilarious Hurley Burley. I am a Chocolate Labrador and I am Seven months old today! I live with my mum and her parents in South Wales, UK.

I was born in Lampeter and raised with my four brothers and three sisters who were all chocolate. My dam is a very pretty labrador lady and quite small but I loved her very much and I never met my sire because he lived a long way away. I think he must have been very handsome which is why I am so gorgeous. Hee hee!

When I was eight weeks old my mum came to choose one of us. Our breeder let us out of our puppy run so we could run around the garden and my mum could pick who she wanted. All my brothers and sisters went galloping off but when I saw my mum I loved her straight away so I trotted up to her, wagged my tail and sat on her foot. She picked me up and took me into the kitchen so she could play with me a bit - it was lots of fun and soon she decided to take me home.



Once I was at home I settled in really well. I love my house and garden and I follow my mum everywhere she goes. She says I'm a real velcro dog...I'm not quite sure what that means but she seems to like me being one! My favourite things are my mum, food, kongs, squeaky toys, food, walks, food, playing fetch and more food! I think that all the food has made me grow really fast...I started sprouting up really quickly and became a little troublemaker...



...but I've got a very cute face so mum finds it difficult to stay angry at me! Life is never dull with me around - I'm always into something! I'm always helping out at home - I like to try and help mum strip the wallpaper in the hall but she never seems very happy about that...hmm.

My fave walk is to the beach - I love the beach and now that I'm getting a bit older I like to go splashing in the sea too - the colder the better! but I'll write about that another day...it's a hard life being such a handsome labrador puppy you know...

Licks,
Tobster
xx