Well the puppies are days away from becoming 6 months of age.  I have been receiving reports from some of my buyers giving me my much needed updates about my extended family!  All the puppies are doing well and are settled into their homes.

I will be posting the photos in the pups gallery shortly.

One of the puppies has come into season at the age of five and a half months.  Which is not unusual but a little early given Molly didnt start her seasons until she was a year old.

6 months is a bit of a milestone for dogs as it seems to be the approximate age when all the training they had been doing so well at seems to go out the window.  My advice to anyone who experiences this with their pup is to remain calm, consistent, patient and start back to basics.  It is a phase they grow out of.  The perfectly behaved dog all of a sudden will forget how to do a sit or wont come back on a recall.  Just go back to your original training method and order will resume with your patience and perserverance.

Melvin is getting rather big now but still prefers to perch on his corner on the sofa.  I dont think he has realised that his legs have grown so long as does seem quite gangly at the moment. 

I will be putting Melvin on to two meals at the age of 6 months so hopefully he wont “protest” too much!

Melvin resting his head on top of Bunty!

Whilst Bunty’s owner is recouperating I thought it would be best for Bunty to come and stay with her brother Melvin.  To say they have been having a whale of a time is an understatement.  It is really lovely to see how another of the puppies have turned out.  Bunty is a very intelligent puppy and has settled into the house very quickly.  She has fallen into our routine easily and has enjoyed her walks with us.

A question I ponder for a brief moment when people might say to me “you have your hands full”.  People clearly think Im nuts to have five dogs, particularly when they all pile out of my car.  I dont think I have my hands full as my dogs do as they are told and are responsive to command.  I enjoy my dogs, I enjoy seeing them having fun.  So why do I have dogs?  It might be something some people question when walking their dog(s) in the rain getting muddy or when faced with an unexpected big vet bill, some may think heck why did I do this when they return home to a dog that has been destructive.  BUT for me having a dog is by far one of the best things I have ever done.  A dog will be your companion, will never sit in judgement of you and will always be there for you regardless of your mood or looks.  Dogs are very forgiving creatures and their loyalty to you is resolute.

A dog gives you so much in companionship – the unconditional love cannot be put up against the cost of keeping a dog or the wet muddy clothes incurred occassionally on a walk. 

Life really is too short to not have pleasure in the life you hold.  My life is my family and my labradors.  Loyalty cannot be bought but it certainly can be given to you in the form of your partner, children (you hope! wink!) and with your dogs it will be a certainty.  Having read an article today of a Labrador mourning his owner and not leaving the coffin at the funeral service.

Room for more?!!

If you own dogs you would surely “get” the pleasure that I do, in seeing dogs be dogs.  I really enjoy seeing my dogs race about after a ball or playing dog tag with each other.  Melvin plays a hoolie in the house.  Having my gang greet me when I walk through the door is a joy I cannot convey to non doggy people.

Happy Labbies! Hoollie Time!

It is so important to enjoy what you have.  Last night Melvin took part in what was, my old boy Maxie’s role in the house….Bathtime.  Max used to love eating foam from the bathtub, Melvin is also a keen soap suds stealer!

Katherine and Melvin enjoying the soap foam!

I am so happy with what I have in my life, ordered chaos on occassion.  In life you most certainly get back what you put in.  I adore having my dogs, I love to train them, walking them is a big part of who I am.  I simply cannot imagine life without my dogs.

When asked do I have enough dogs, the answer is very honestly… NO!  As I would love to have at least a couple more!

In short, why do I have my dogs?  Because my life is all the better for having them in it.

We took all the dogs to the beach and they had a wonderful time.  Charlie loves to attempt to surf the waves, whilst the others just bomb around after the ball.

Melvin took to the water quite readily and was happy to race aound in the water.  It was so funny to see our little pup treading on the water as though it was solid!

Melvin in the sea!

The Gang!

HOOLIE!

Stanley and Melvin…

He aint heavy he's my brother!

A growing bond.  Stanley and Melvin have a strong relationship whereby they are very happy to curl up together and on a walk they play together too!  Charging around like loonies it is lovely to see Melvin “stalking” Stanley!

Today was spent walking many dogs.  I enjoy the variety of the dogs I walk and usually, still get to enjoy a nice peaceful walk with my gang.  I took my five dogs to Buddle Woods and enjoyed a quiet stroll, that is until I heard a massive shriek from one of my dogs.  Initially not knowing which one it was I quickly established it was Stanley.  Stanley had been investigating the neighbouring field which is owned by a farmer.  As Stanley entered the field he got an electric shock.  I think due to the length of his wail it may have struck him across the length of his back.  Poor Stanley refused to come back to me as he knew he would have to go past the nasty fence again.  Thankfully there were no livestock in the field and even better no farmer to be seen.  After what felt like ages, finally, Stanley found an area where he could leap over the fence without being shocked again.  He was rather subdued after it happened but is totally fine now.  I was begining to wonder how on earth I was going to get him back and had put my other dogs on the lead and was looking for somewhere to tie them up, when Stanley re-appeared.  Phew, my heart was thudding as I thought I was going to hear a *BANG* before I got my Stanley back on the right side of the fence.  Thank goodness for a good outcome. 

Archie has been playing tennis with us, he loves retrieving the ball so of course it makes sense to have him play the role of “Ball Dog”.  He is very good at it and knows he must wait when we hit the ball with the tennis racket!  We are enjoying watching him dive in to the bushes to find a ball, his keen nose actively seeking out a ball which “accidentally” finds itself in the undergrowth (clearly we have faulty rackets!!) he whizzes in and out before you can blink to return the ball at our feet.  Atta Boy!

Melvin will be 18 weeks old tomorrow – I honestly dont know where the time flies!  Melvin is now very leggy bless him, when he is playing with the others he will fall over just like Bambi does!  It is that fun time again, so tomorrow we will be giving him his monthly wormer.

Other news…. I have finally decided to get a new car.  I have had my new car for three weeks now and Im still chuffed to bits with it.  My old car – the polo was rather pounded with all the dog walking so was in a bit of a state.  So very sadly Polly the Polo went to the scrappy.  Her upgrade is a (blue) Golf plus and rather fabulous she is too!  I love the fact the back seat can go back and forth to accommodate more dogs for my dog walking business.

the "55" veedubs

Here is a picture of my new dog mobile.  This was the day before Polly Polo was taken to the scrapheap in the sky.  My Camper van is also a rather good doggy mobile but is used for special dog walking trips!

At the tender age of 4months and 1day…. my dear sweet little boy has been up to a few naughty things ALL in ONE DAY! gah!  oh I paid for all my nice comments, he sniggered at me today when he read yesterdays entry.

On this mornings walk, he found a dead bird, whilst I removed it from his mouth (ok I hear you, he is a gundog after all….but he was eating it…..) I realised he was also covered in fox poo, and now, so was my hand.  yuk.  I dealt with this as best I could by muttering quite a bit under my breath – dirty boy.  When it came to go home as I was putting on his lead that I realised he was much worse than I thought, the collar was totally coated in the vile fox poo.  So when we got home Melvin was destined for the shower, Melvin however, had other ideas and rolled in all the dog bedding first.  Grabbing said “cute” pup, we went into the shower with a bottle of ketchup.  Oh he looked so sad as I washed him.  I towelled him down and with that wonderful backward glance he scampered off……leaping on to my bed and rolled into the pillows.   Melvin!  No! I put him in the garden to dry off and get myself a well earned cup of tea.

As if this naughty behaviour was insuffecient whilst I am drinking my tea, Melvin decides to up his game by running around the garden with my peg bag.  Empyting the bag as he goes, he had a jolly good time with them.  Few pegs survived his little jaunt.  He also had access to his whicker bed which incidentally had been bought to be chewed (to save the kitchen cupbards being chewed) well lets just say he must have had a bit of a hissy fit with it as all that was left was a large table mat :0)  With a big mess surrounding it!  (including a chewed up kitchen ladle and a tea towel).

As if all of these naughty little incidents were not enough he also stole rather alot of the parrot food.  If he starts whistling “Pop goes the weasel” then I know we have a big problem (or if he says pretty birdie, pretty birdie we will know we are in big trouble as he might start telling us what to do by “sit – stay”!!).  Whatever next!

Hopefully Melvin – if you read this entry tomorrow morning then you will know I would like you to return to being my little boy – calm and confident, who sits, stays and observes what is going on.  Not a puppy to run off and be out of sight for more than 30 seconds.  Now I know just what mischief you can get up to in those 30 seconds! PLEASE NO MORE ROLLING IN FOX POO!

Here we are – the pups have reached four months old.  Melvin is now fully toilet trained with no accidents at all for at least two weeks now. 

We have taken the gang to Rame Head in Cornwall.  We went in the camper van which Melv thought was great as he could sit with me looking out the window on the way there, enjoying the trip on the ferry, then on the way back he was asleep on my lap.  You have to love em when they are so damn cute!    The gang had a fabulous time racing about in the bracken searching out horse poo to munch on.  At one point Melvin had so much in his mouth he was chomping for quite a while! (yuk!)

Brothers Stanley (2yrs) with his little brother Melv (aged 4months)

Here are the gang:

Molly, Stanley, Melvin, Archie and Charlie at Rame Head

I have had recent news on Amber and Sam. Who are both doing very well with their families. (photos will be added of them to their gallery).  I walk Bunty on a regular basis and she too is coming on in leaps and bounds.

When asked today – should we have chosen Melvin?  The reply was a very firm yes.  He is such a calm boy.  I love his character entirely and my life is certainly more fun with a Melvin in it.  The characters of all my dogs are very different and I love them all entirely for different reasons.    To have five dogs may be on occassion hard work though usually it is a doddle.  My dogs are a joy.  What they get up to on a daily basis makes me smile.

It took a while for Melvin to be a proper part of the gang as he learnt his place in the pack but now he has good roughty tufty play fights with his brother Stanley, he gets a bit cheeky with his “step dad” Archie and occassionally plays with Charlie.  Mainly choosing his mum to play with as Stanley plays with Archie.

Happy “FOUR MONTH” birthday puppies!!

A dear friend of mine – her labrador is expecting puppies.  They will be due in August.  I am so pleased and excited for Poppy.  Fabulous news!

Molly and Archie had their first litter of puppies in 2009.  Harry and Stanley were born in the evening of 30th June, Holly, Ruby, Tango, Sunny Jim, Megan and Murphy were born in the early hours of 1st July.

Happy Birthday Pups – you are now 2 years old – be good pupsters!

Stanley has turned into a fine looking boy and mainly well behaved.  (though he did steal my dinner the other day – monkey).

The youngster pups are now 15 weeks old.  Melvin is doing really well.  A sound confident pup.

Stanley had a lovely time playing with his little brother at Mountbatten today!

two years old today!