I thought I would do another post in case anyone was worrying that Bella was pining now that Chris has gone home. She seems to be coping by excessive doses of madness! This weeks dog walks have been very lively.
On Tuesday she ran through a gap in the fence from a filed into a quiet street. She is normally reasonably good at coming back when called, and today we had an audience - a lady gardening, a delivery man, and a man just going into his house. I called her............and she totally ignored me. Off she went on a 'visit everyone's front garden as quickly as I can' frenzy much to the amusement of the onlookers finally returning to me in her own good time!
Some of my friends seem to imply that Bella is particularly accident prone. Yesterday we went out for a walk with several dogs. We went past a farmer trimming the hedges and small pieces of twig were flying around. Five of the dogs walked past without incident, then there was a yelp and Bella had a thorn stuck in her paw. Only a minor problem but how did all the others manage to get past without incident?
Today she went for the piece de resistance. Its a beautiful spring day. Off we went on our walk past a local view point. There were a group of walkers lying in the sun. Too late we realised they had a picnic. She nicked a sandwich and then found something that seems to be her favourite food at the moment - a banana! She eats them whole in their skin, much to the amusement of the onlookers. They were amazed that they had some food left. She had rejected their foccacia with sun dried tomatoes and herbs!
Thursday 1 March 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Dirty protest
The one (wo)man comedy show continues! Events since I last write include sneaking a whole raw sweet potato from the work surface in front of us and then trying to creep away with it unnoticed to her bed to munch it. She was rumbled - but it was very funny watching her as she tried to get past us all walking very slowly so that no one would notice what she was carrying in her mouth!
Having Bella means that life in our kitchen is never dull. The very nano- second that anything lands the floor she eats it, regardless of what it is. My youngest son and I were tussling over a hurry mint when it flew out of its wrapper, spun through the air to land briefly on the floor and was vacuumed up by the ever vigilant hound!
My Auntie who lives in America has been staying with us for the past 5 weeks. My mother (her sister) died when I was 6 years old, and now Chris is like a surrogate mother to me. When she stays an air of calm descends on the house. Everyone loves her including the dog! In fact the dog is besotted with her. She follows her round the kitchen and sits on her feet as she cooks. More often that not a morsel falls off the work surface, and any left overs are lovingly set aside for her tea!
Today is the day that Chris goes home. I took Bella out for her walk this morning and to show her disapproval of the impending departure she had a dirty protest - she rolled in fox poo! She has NEVER done this before. She's watched with interest when other dogs do it but has always considered herself too ladylike to do it. Well not today - and she reeked!
Home we came and she needed a thorough bath. The thought of wet dog running around the bedrooms has always discouraged me from using the real bath, so it was going to have to be a hose down in the garden. She was not very happy - just look at her face!
Chris left for the airport at lunchtime and since then Bella has taken to her bed. Each time someone has come home she has looked up eagerly but seems disappointed its not Chris. She has had two brief protests - a ceramic pot broke and she decided to eat the pieces in a wild act of self destruction. We managed to save her from herself, so the next plan was an act of sabotage. Chris is very tidy so Bella took the dustpan into the garden and ate that instead. Her canine act of disapproval that her best friend has gone home.
Having Bella means that life in our kitchen is never dull. The very nano- second that anything lands the floor she eats it, regardless of what it is. My youngest son and I were tussling over a hurry mint when it flew out of its wrapper, spun through the air to land briefly on the floor and was vacuumed up by the ever vigilant hound!
My Auntie who lives in America has been staying with us for the past 5 weeks. My mother (her sister) died when I was 6 years old, and now Chris is like a surrogate mother to me. When she stays an air of calm descends on the house. Everyone loves her including the dog! In fact the dog is besotted with her. She follows her round the kitchen and sits on her feet as she cooks. More often that not a morsel falls off the work surface, and any left overs are lovingly set aside for her tea!
Today is the day that Chris goes home. I took Bella out for her walk this morning and to show her disapproval of the impending departure she had a dirty protest - she rolled in fox poo! She has NEVER done this before. She's watched with interest when other dogs do it but has always considered herself too ladylike to do it. Well not today - and she reeked!
Chris left for the airport at lunchtime and since then Bella has taken to her bed. Each time someone has come home she has looked up eagerly but seems disappointed its not Chris. She has had two brief protests - a ceramic pot broke and she decided to eat the pieces in a wild act of self destruction. We managed to save her from herself, so the next plan was an act of sabotage. Chris is very tidy so Bella took the dustpan into the garden and ate that instead. Her canine act of disapproval that her best friend has gone home.
Thursday 12 January 2012
I have a pet goat!
I am addicted to Radio London and Danny Baker in particular. His phone in of the week is your top 5 of anything you like - M25 junctions, granny's names to list just two. I hate to be left out so I thought up my own list. It was going to be things that Bella has eaten. I started my list -an entire frozen pizza including the wrapper and foam base, a box of eggs (literally), my dinner left unattended on the kitchen table but I realised the list was going to be way too long. I had a brainwave I would narrow it down to non-food items that she has consumed.
So here is the list.
5) various headphone buds.
4) an inflated balloon.
3) the DVD of Inception.
2) my friends pants
1) two Blackberry phones.
I was on the afternoon's show today (12th Jan) just after 3.30pm if any of you actually want to hear the whole thing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7kl
One of my friends who heard it texted me and said "you haven't got a dog - she must actually be a pet goat."
I think she may well be right. While on the phone to the bank just now attempting to have a sensible grown up conversation I find her with the remnants of a wire wool scourer hanging out of her mouth.
So here is the list.
5) various headphone buds.
4) an inflated balloon.
3) the DVD of Inception.
2) my friends pants
1) two Blackberry phones.
I was on the afternoon's show today (12th Jan) just after 3.30pm if any of you actually want to hear the whole thing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7kl
One of my friends who heard it texted me and said "you haven't got a dog - she must actually be a pet goat."
I think she may well be right. While on the phone to the bank just now attempting to have a sensible grown up conversation I find her with the remnants of a wire wool scourer hanging out of her mouth.
Saturday 19 November 2011
A whole year has passed...........or have you ever seen a Labrador with chewing gum!?
Back to the anniversary. It some ways it seems to have flown by, and it other ways it feel like she has been a part of our lives forever. I can't remember what life was like without her. She is always pleased to see you, she is always in a good mood. She loves every meal that is put in front of her. She loves any meal that is NOT put in front of her! You never quite know what is going to happen next. I wouldn't be without her for the world, and I don't regret for one second getting her.
Here's to the second anniversary!
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Just in case you were worried!
Labradors are well known for eating a wide variety of objects, and sometimes they cause problems when they get stuck. I was beginning to get worried about the absence of the sock that she ate on Sunday. I have been watching closely for signs of ill health - but there were none, and I am very pleased to report that it finally appeared today. I looked carefully to check I wasn't mistaken and was very surprised to find out it was a pair of ladies pants instead of a sock! Just waiting for the earphone bud to pop out now!
Monday 14 November 2011
There's been a lot going on in my life............
I had thought I had given up this blog but Bella still gets up to so many antics that I have decided to resurrect it after yesterdays antics.
I was visiting a friend in Marlow and we went for a dog walk along the Thames tow path. It was very exciting for Bella who is not used to so many new things... lots of people, picnics, ducks, swans, cyclists,water..... the list goes on. Ah yes water! Labradors love water so it as no surpise when she jumped in, did a little dogggy paddle and jumped out shortly afterwards. It was so much fun she did it again.....and then once more. The only problem the third time was she jumped in just near a group of children canoeing. She hadn't seen this before and so she was off after them - a big yellow submarine! The Thames is quite wide you know but that didn't deter her! She was oblivious to our calls but just when I was thinking I was going to have to jump in after her, back she came. She must have swum the equivalent of a width of the Thames and best of all no one capsized! Of course as soon as she got out she shook the water all over me!
Her eating habits remain diverse and varied. Letters, cardboard, balloons (inflated) and last night her piece de resistance a whole sock. I am now on sock watch as I am rather worried that its not going to come out the other end. Its been 24 hours now but she seems to be fine. The good news is that it should be early easy to spot! The headphone earpiece may be slightly harder to detect!
I was visiting a friend in Marlow and we went for a dog walk along the Thames tow path. It was very exciting for Bella who is not used to so many new things... lots of people, picnics, ducks, swans, cyclists,water..... the list goes on. Ah yes water! Labradors love water so it as no surpise when she jumped in, did a little dogggy paddle and jumped out shortly afterwards. It was so much fun she did it again.....and then once more. The only problem the third time was she jumped in just near a group of children canoeing. She hadn't seen this before and so she was off after them - a big yellow submarine! The Thames is quite wide you know but that didn't deter her! She was oblivious to our calls but just when I was thinking I was going to have to jump in after her, back she came. She must have swum the equivalent of a width of the Thames and best of all no one capsized! Of course as soon as she got out she shook the water all over me!
Her eating habits remain diverse and varied. Letters, cardboard, balloons (inflated) and last night her piece de resistance a whole sock. I am now on sock watch as I am rather worried that its not going to come out the other end. Its been 24 hours now but she seems to be fine. The good news is that it should be early easy to spot! The headphone earpiece may be slightly harder to detect!
Sunday 29 May 2011
Its been a while.........
Sorry not have blogged for so long. I was a little busy with the small matter of riding to Paris on my bike! It was a fantastic experience by the way, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Anyway back to Bella. Well what can I say about the one dog danger machine!? Life carries on with an almost daily dose of trouble of one kind or another. I frequently find her in the garden devouring something from the house, more often than, not a stolen item. If I catch her before she has eaten it she usually throws me a surprised look as if to say "how could you possibly think it was me?!", followed by "we usually keep the Cherios under the tree in the garden don't we?" or "of course my food lives in my basket"!
She was spayed last Tuesday so I was expecting a quiet week. How wrong could I be? Firstly 3 days
post-op she devours a box of chocolates. We were due at the vets for a check up, and the vet and the nurse both agreed that she should stay in and be made to be sick. She came home still loving the vet surgery and none the worse for wear.
Yesterday I left her unattended and she ate some plaque disclosing tablets. You know, the ones that dentists give you to show where the plaque is on your teeth. I am pleased to report that her teeth remained very white so no plaque there then, and her tongue was a lovely shade of purple! I tried to take a photo but it was impossible especially as I kept on laughing!
Later we went to the park. She is supposed to be having a quiet time so she had to stay on the lead. Anyway between us we managed to entertain the whole park when she managed to get away from me and tried to join in 2 different games of football, with her lead trailing behind and me in hot pursuit! Both the footballs miraculously survived their encounter with Bella.
In case you are wondering we are still going to training classes. Our trainer announced last week that we are going to do a series of tests. If we get 7 passes we get a rosette, and if we can do all 40 things we get a silver engraved cup. She has only ever given 3 away and she has been doing it for years. I think it is safe to say we are not going to receive the 4th.
Anyway back to Bella. Well what can I say about the one dog danger machine!? Life carries on with an almost daily dose of trouble of one kind or another. I frequently find her in the garden devouring something from the house, more often than, not a stolen item. If I catch her before she has eaten it she usually throws me a surprised look as if to say "how could you possibly think it was me?!", followed by "we usually keep the Cherios under the tree in the garden don't we?" or "of course my food lives in my basket"!
She was spayed last Tuesday so I was expecting a quiet week. How wrong could I be? Firstly 3 days
post-op she devours a box of chocolates. We were due at the vets for a check up, and the vet and the nurse both agreed that she should stay in and be made to be sick. She came home still loving the vet surgery and none the worse for wear.
Yesterday I left her unattended and she ate some plaque disclosing tablets. You know, the ones that dentists give you to show where the plaque is on your teeth. I am pleased to report that her teeth remained very white so no plaque there then, and her tongue was a lovely shade of purple! I tried to take a photo but it was impossible especially as I kept on laughing!
Later we went to the park. She is supposed to be having a quiet time so she had to stay on the lead. Anyway between us we managed to entertain the whole park when she managed to get away from me and tried to join in 2 different games of football, with her lead trailing behind and me in hot pursuit! Both the footballs miraculously survived their encounter with Bella.
In case you are wondering we are still going to training classes. Our trainer announced last week that we are going to do a series of tests. If we get 7 passes we get a rosette, and if we can do all 40 things we get a silver engraved cup. She has only ever given 3 away and she has been doing it for years. I think it is safe to say we are not going to receive the 4th.
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