tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61068280377536750742024-03-05T06:19:54.182-08:00The Dog's BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-55672215726262335562011-04-03T02:00:00.000-07:002011-05-24T02:55:08.782-07:00I'm moving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Actually, I'm not going anywhere. Its just my blog that's moving to a new address. My humans thought it might be a good idea to help me set up my blog so that the address would be a little easier to remember and find - here it is:</div><br />
<a href="http://www.alfiesblog.com/">www.alfiesblog.com</a><br />
<br />
Looking forward to seeing you there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-89200425401808282822011-03-31T04:15:00.000-07:002011-03-31T04:15:43.131-07:00The size of cowsAs an Entlebucher Mountain dog I'm supposed to be prepared and ready for for cattle herding. I've always thought that sounded really cool, and its the kind of thing I sometimes brag about in the park to the other pups. Most of them have been bred as lapdogs, scent dogs or gun dogs and they are always suitably impressed when I say I could herd cattle if only we lived on the country side. The only problem is that noone has ever told me exactly how big cows can get!<br />
<br />
My humans took me to the butchers yesterday and I was really quite excited about going there as I know thats where my marrow bones come from. But outside their shop was a giant cow! I am of course ready to protect my human from any danger and went about barking at the creature as loud as I could without getting too close. I tried coming at it from different angles, and was almost brave enough to go up and sniff it - but whatever I tried it didn't move an inch.<br />
<br />
I think I might need to practice my herding technique, or perhaps just give up my hopes on a career as a cattle herding dog altogether. Luckily, there aren't that many cows in London to herd anyway...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38hcVSON8v9OptfBGLkZkVPZi1x0rROGlKEBGvRgXXGbJdcwUUqpnNkHy8rpRBbQqzvBSzalKiyYqQ4vXvb7uKd_dffM_x-CoBnv9Nrgn5pZGbzG7EYEkPPor-xXxd_nM_9FWx0Y3B14/s1600/butchers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38hcVSON8v9OptfBGLkZkVPZi1x0rROGlKEBGvRgXXGbJdcwUUqpnNkHy8rpRBbQqzvBSzalKiyYqQ4vXvb7uKd_dffM_x-CoBnv9Nrgn5pZGbzG7EYEkPPor-xXxd_nM_9FWx0Y3B14/s400/butchers.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not getting too close...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-69881462333309043412011-03-30T02:41:00.000-07:002011-03-30T02:41:45.795-07:00Sheep skin and wrestlingI used to be in such a rush to get to the park. After all, for a puppy that's where all the fun happens - mud puddles to explore, dogs to play with and toys to chase. I would do anything to get there faster, and have become somewhat an expert on dragging my humans there quickly. <br />
<br />
All that is behind me now as I have discovered the ancient art of leg cocking. Now I slowly swagger down the street, stopping at every tree and lamp post and carefully examine their scents before proudly leaving my mark on top of the others. My humans don't seem to appreciate the subtle differences between the scent of one tree and another and seem quite bored with the whole process. In fact, now they are pulling me to the park which is a new experience entirely.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I met a new friend called Oscar. He is a Mountain dog too, but a '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maremma_Sheepdog">Maremma</a>' from Italy. His human said they're bred to walk amongst the sheep and protect them against predators. I don't think I could ever have the patience and self control do that, I like the taste of sheep skin too much. In fact, Oscar's fluffy white coat reminded me so much of the sheep skin my humans took away from me because I couldn't stop chewing it that I couldn't resist the temptation. I simply had to see if his coat tasted the same. Luckily these things aren't considered rude between dogs and one big mouthful of fur later I had learned that not only does his coat not taste of sheep, but he is a pretty good wrestler too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgZXHu1eejEXUwNkkR3gVe-m6KhmQld0TV1ipgBeQ-XWjBoaP2kF2keuIMzbgXAZcvmwNwtQCV5Z32WFQ1TLmSxQ-3XzwOolYFPzIyTbwyCpT03mbZ2FN3d5OEJIRONGvHHYDPt_0q7U/s1600/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgZXHu1eejEXUwNkkR3gVe-m6KhmQld0TV1ipgBeQ-XWjBoaP2kF2keuIMzbgXAZcvmwNwtQCV5Z32WFQ1TLmSxQ-3XzwOolYFPzIyTbwyCpT03mbZ2FN3d5OEJIRONGvHHYDPt_0q7U/s320/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nope, doesn't taste like sheep!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteqAATH1kLBS8NXbvEACYIkGTZ1hFudQqIDju5e7MX7ikNTDt-olG_17VkCitBD_BV_lbtyAcb4aTdYk6TPQiRlJMoRrZmC9diaX4wDNUlCSt8NM_t-MZAvX0Pxbikmuz2JaJCqx54cQ/s1600/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteqAATH1kLBS8NXbvEACYIkGTZ1hFudQqIDju5e7MX7ikNTDt-olG_17VkCitBD_BV_lbtyAcb4aTdYk6TPQiRlJMoRrZmC9diaX4wDNUlCSt8NM_t-MZAvX0Pxbikmuz2JaJCqx54cQ/s320/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain dogs wrestling!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNsCPJvJ2fE6lw1NNiLHTbNfjlYz4Fkgi3N8ycuRHbb4mNka2R76PrWB1beT4L2QRsJ7hqhtt58pKCGdhl8K86gboRUvDxU2oy-GpQWMOVu3CaEhpXd5wHxC7x27ddW3gQbLJ-ODXeZQ/s1600/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNsCPJvJ2fE6lw1NNiLHTbNfjlYz4Fkgi3N8ycuRHbb4mNka2R76PrWB1beT4L2QRsJ7hqhtt58pKCGdhl8K86gboRUvDxU2oy-GpQWMOVu3CaEhpXd5wHxC7x27ddW3gQbLJ-ODXeZQ/s320/AlfieOscarCroppedVersions+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like a good game of chase with a friend!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-58415711300000118082011-03-27T01:32:00.000-07:002011-03-27T01:32:12.010-07:00Boatrace napping<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEI1CfZv5DxrfD06iJhD7PSOxkzMlzjEhQpw82-NIVjY9b8TAbRryrbdDfG30rtLHoG55rhbkz_-bnM3-aigZu2GPtyn5UJKXvKzfdOOGIJlCMK-U8HEDH-Bp5uw3vMmVlrexEPc3znc/s1600/photo+4-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYeo42z_Jmi5rSSXOVnrARmhyphenhyphen_B0-VNRzzQudcttage9qvojgYxMiiAHl3u5Rv90hn2YzpXcrIbGZeQDuPr7bHwK0ZECXvcmrtMvagXnk7ajs9ybrurUkk617yUn_dtczJ2nAeQqXXRE/s1600/photo+3-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Apart from my daily rounds of fetch, I don't see myself as much of a sports dog. I do however love the Thames, and my humans know I get really excited about seeing the rowing boats on the water so they thought I might enjoy watching the Oxford-Cambridge boat race. Said and done, we strolled down to the riverfront and waited for the race to begin. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEI1CfZv5DxrfD06iJhD7PSOxkzMlzjEhQpw82-NIVjY9b8TAbRryrbdDfG30rtLHoG55rhbkz_-bnM3-aigZu2GPtyn5UJKXvKzfdOOGIJlCMK-U8HEDH-Bp5uw3vMmVlrexEPc3znc/s1600/photo+4-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEI1CfZv5DxrfD06iJhD7PSOxkzMlzjEhQpw82-NIVjY9b8TAbRryrbdDfG30rtLHoG55rhbkz_-bnM3-aigZu2GPtyn5UJKXvKzfdOOGIJlCMK-U8HEDH-Bp5uw3vMmVlrexEPc3znc/s1600/photo+4-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEI1CfZv5DxrfD06iJhD7PSOxkzMlzjEhQpw82-NIVjY9b8TAbRryrbdDfG30rtLHoG55rhbkz_-bnM3-aigZu2GPtyn5UJKXvKzfdOOGIJlCMK-U8HEDH-Bp5uw3vMmVlrexEPc3znc/s1600/photo+4-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEI1CfZv5DxrfD06iJhD7PSOxkzMlzjEhQpw82-NIVjY9b8TAbRryrbdDfG30rtLHoG55rhbkz_-bnM3-aigZu2GPtyn5UJKXvKzfdOOGIJlCMK-U8HEDH-Bp5uw3vMmVlrexEPc3znc/s320/photo+4-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">The humans were chatting away over a couple of beers and I found a good spot for chewing my pigs ear. Then before we knew it we were completely crowded in and I created a sort of Entlebucher island amongst all the humans, seeing the photos it looks a little claustrophobic but it was actually really cozy as I got lots of attention from everyone. Then I fell asleep and didn't wake up until the race was off and the humans were shouting - 17 minutes and 32 seconds later it was over and Oxford had won. I didn't get to see any rowing boats but as far as naps go it was a good one.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYeo42z_Jmi5rSSXOVnrARmhyphenhyphen_B0-VNRzzQudcttage9qvojgYxMiiAHl3u5Rv90hn2YzpXcrIbGZeQDuPr7bHwK0ZECXvcmrtMvagXnk7ajs9ybrurUkk617yUn_dtczJ2nAeQqXXRE/s1600/photo+3-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYeo42z_Jmi5rSSXOVnrARmhyphenhyphen_B0-VNRzzQudcttage9qvojgYxMiiAHl3u5Rv90hn2YzpXcrIbGZeQDuPr7bHwK0ZECXvcmrtMvagXnk7ajs9ybrurUkk617yUn_dtczJ2nAeQqXXRE/s320/photo+3-3.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><br />
</u></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-26316810623395376022011-03-26T02:13:00.001-07:002011-03-26T02:16:06.071-07:00Right foot forwardEvery dog needs to work out an acceptable waiting time for their morning walk. That is, how long are you willing to wait from being let out of your crate until you and your human are dressed and ready to leave the house.<br />
<br />
You can't expect your humans to jump straight from bed and into their shoes, but they need to understand the sense of urgency. After all there will be dire consequences if you are late marking your local lamp posts and trees, not that you can expect your humans to understand how dog's territorial systems work.<br />
<br />
Personally I like to give them five minutes or so, then if there is no movement towards the poop bags, my lead and the front door they sometimes need a gentle reminder. I find that helping them find their shoes can speed things up enormously.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lindablissing/TheDogSBlog?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmnr_uCy_y7Nw#5588314152950599730"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkM7LCjY6fzYHz5AWSXF9aXLjyG9Yg86MNFK7zKslC0uVaaFxgbpDD_7RKvmRkRTls5rKLobsR426MG52juJcvHBFHGfT10FRyMuIAcy0lcYUwTTY3xiMh1uVPWcNu8aAALvYWJcSW-M/s400/0.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center><br />
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-58043917175895124722011-03-25T03:52:00.001-07:002011-03-25T03:52:50.993-07:00ChoresI never miss an opportunity to help out with the laundry. The only thing better than a new batch of socks roasting on the radiator are socks fresh out of the laundry basket.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/lindablissing/TheDogSBlog?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmnr_uCy_y7Nw#5587968789097924386'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09Kio9YnCdR48dKfUgU7d5OWQwPs_QNHJKz_psqZFDpmPpLr5hj9eQk26IhzYUtAi7fn5he8dpT5IuRfAuajtGw0LsxNMrXD7-TeufSUyRa4DavVNgayI8lHk4PdLDV_O9DRtfsPZBJg/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='174' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-41615681363445202892011-03-23T12:14:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:14:49.961-07:00The battle of the sofa<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwWIxNghF_Lm4Wjj7iCsJsLHYwNs2dx7nMm_VH_1Werk_ofJN81NT3tsK3lUblZv7A2XTK4sbnWsaACifC24MCaepbBPegCaVpmTBo8-ymlpFsP0DIUiSdSSyhXQUOfmAoNOOSdugcrU/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwWIxNghF_Lm4Wjj7iCsJsLHYwNs2dx7nMm_VH_1Werk_ofJN81NT3tsK3lUblZv7A2XTK4sbnWsaACifC24MCaepbBPegCaVpmTBo8-ymlpFsP0DIUiSdSSyhXQUOfmAoNOOSdugcrU/s320/photo+1-2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a cattle herding dog I feel very <br />
comfy on a cow hide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My humans have decided that I'm old and well behaved enough to come into the living room now. Of course I'm taking full advantage of the situation, being a bit poorly and all. Yesterday evening for example, I spotted one of my humans snuggling up in the sofa with a cosy blanket. I was quite happy on the cow hide on the floor, but then a thought struck me - she would be so much more comfortable with a warm Entlebucher on top of her. How could I make this happen without getting into trouble I wondered. They had clearly told me I'm not allowed in the sofa so I had to come up with a cunning plan.<br />
<br />
I pretended to be asleep, I even snored a little and waited patiently until her eyes were completely focused on the TV. Then I slowly crawled up to the sofa, checked my positions and then quickly jumped straight up. I slammed down my front paws on her chest, efficiently pinning her arms down under the blanket. Using my tongue as further distraction I licked her face all over whilst cunningly sliding my hind legs up over the edge of the sofa. Then as she was screaming and giggling something that sounded a little like my name, whilst trying to get out from underneath the blanket it was easy to roll across her body and wedging myself in between her and the soft cushions.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QAoWoNdkeEnSuCRXBYm1Epj8vOOvmoRi1Rs5M407-c0D_6yqzc_HosLqFd5cCVsA2F2vRy0XeGLmOIgPLkeH08G_1OwP9syLNNJtmOYSo1xmLFGO_GjybFACU9Ibs46YSmt9yRIcfrY/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QAoWoNdkeEnSuCRXBYm1Epj8vOOvmoRi1Rs5M407-c0D_6yqzc_HosLqFd5cCVsA2F2vRy0XeGLmOIgPLkeH08G_1OwP9syLNNJtmOYSo1xmLFGO_GjybFACU9Ibs46YSmt9yRIcfrY/s320/photo+3-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't be fooled, its all part of the plan!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It was even better than I expected, the sofa was so nice and warm and you get a perfect view of the whole room from up there. I could sense that my human liked having me there too and she stroked me a few times and very nearly gave in before putting me back onto the floor. I don't count this as a lost battle, its progress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-67404851720565209732011-03-22T13:11:00.000-07:002011-03-22T13:11:36.996-07:00PoorlyI'm feeling a little under the weather at the moment. My humans thought my eyes had turned quite red and they took me to the vets to get me checked out. The vet took one look at me and called for the nurse assistant immediately. Apparently I had made quite an impression last time when they took the blood test for my passport and the vet anticipated a struggle with the examination.<br />
<br />
Just to make a point I held perfectly still while they prodded me, took my temperature and poured yellow greenish stuff into my eyes to see if they were scratched. Turns out I have an infection of some sort, my glands were swollen, my eyes really dry and red and my temperature soaring around 40 degrees. I guess that's why I've been a bit sleepy lately. My human felt really guilty for taking me on a long walk just before and not realizing I was ill but the vet reassured her its really difficult to notice if a very active dog is ill as we go from super active to just active, whereas you spot these things more easily with lazy dogs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTHZc1qyyE_5IZkgt9t5CBBewYsPHC0HmeHRk35ooNTCIoL3giwvXO4hs3f-31Z3D2COsyJwbw5LCqET50XvvJ7tfvtw0g-2d0rCT5qVd9-LCJOkqj7es31qdjOcovz4-d0W3FCkq9fE/s1600/greeneyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTHZc1qyyE_5IZkgt9t5CBBewYsPHC0HmeHRk35ooNTCIoL3giwvXO4hs3f-31Z3D2COsyJwbw5LCqET50XvvJ7tfvtw0g-2d0rCT5qVd9-LCJOkqj7es31qdjOcovz4-d0W3FCkq9fE/s320/greeneyes.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green stuff in my eyes and coming out of my nose!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I got antibiotics and anti inflammatory injections and eye drops for my humans to apply for a couple of days. I also get to be lazy for some time as the vet didn't think I should exercise too much until my temperature is down. I think I can work this in my favour as the humans are feeling very guilty at the moment. I wonder what flavour ice cream I should ask for?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-6919873033276913692011-03-21T05:45:00.000-07:002011-03-21T05:45:58.252-07:00Fun DayYesterday was such a good day. It was the annual meeting and fun day for the Entlebucher club, and I finally got to see my sisters Aida and Annie again. Annie has quite a loud voice and likes to use it. I'm so used to being the loudest dog around that she scared me a little at first, even though she is a lot smaller than me, but then Aida turned up and proclaimed herself top dog. Aida was quite bossy at first, but as soon as she was pleased with everyone's behaviour we had a good sniff and play in the field. I'm not so sure the two girls liked each other very much though, but I've been told by other dogs that's quite normal. I let the girls believe they were in charge yesterday as I didn't want to cause an argument on our first family reunion, but next time I might just sit them down and explain why I should be top dog. I'm sure they will understand.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHmG3Xw4dnDo94EcloSww5r-6zOZqfTI4wnJGrn58e_dhej4J-9-GDVAvhx0x1P8iuWLngNJRkSsszuQ2OVmtRi3gNrFAYFxXcA40EYQiUQWee57eiJ2-wGOl1-bfydfwwmP7CYiNayI/s1600/three+puppies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHmG3Xw4dnDo94EcloSww5r-6zOZqfTI4wnJGrn58e_dhej4J-9-GDVAvhx0x1P8iuWLngNJRkSsszuQ2OVmtRi3gNrFAYFxXcA40EYQiUQWee57eiJ2-wGOl1-bfydfwwmP7CYiNayI/s400/three+puppies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfie, Annie and Aida</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>My friend Alfie, who also <a href="http://blog.alfiedog.me.uk/blog">writes a blog</a>, was there too with his two girls Megan and Shadow. I sat next to Megan during the meeting and we had a bit of a sniff while our humans were busy talking. She is really quite nice and very cute and we caught up on the latest gossip.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZYZuiW6bhyphenhyphenO-pZWjbR26vcCnJrYzZC7hFis2DhSRDdXAjsDig0pKyrsDXLWCOn_RZfMuC2nyHpQrYwiZOOynJYvhIgKN-dmaA1fN0Npchyk0cOl1GiHzYxzw61LgH4wVXNH_NA2drZA/s1600/AlfieMegan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZYZuiW6bhyphenhyphenO-pZWjbR26vcCnJrYzZC7hFis2DhSRDdXAjsDig0pKyrsDXLWCOn_RZfMuC2nyHpQrYwiZOOynJYvhIgKN-dmaA1fN0Npchyk0cOl1GiHzYxzw61LgH4wVXNH_NA2drZA/s320/AlfieMegan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan and Alfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Later, I had a chance to talk to 'the other' Alfie. We shared some blogging ideas and talked about what a wonderful name we both share, before he told me off a little. I think he sees it as his duty to make sure us Entle pups grow up well behaved so I listened to his advice and calmed down.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZNxbShZo6B9vdYqRX6SvnlkZjtqJ4NURIK9PDibpGtmkbdEO6736ndAP7-H3aBOxVxzytecc5RUgWIKzkgkkCUMNwEnLsbLPzKVw-fR2j2CWg_EnUaPadswEy8Bwf6mAE4RPrL7_xtE/s1600/Alfiex2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZNxbShZo6B9vdYqRX6SvnlkZjtqJ4NURIK9PDibpGtmkbdEO6736ndAP7-H3aBOxVxzytecc5RUgWIKzkgkkCUMNwEnLsbLPzKVw-fR2j2CWg_EnUaPadswEy8Bwf6mAE4RPrL7_xtE/s320/Alfiex2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfie Entlebucher (left) and Alfie Dog (right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><br />
</div><div>My humans took hundreds of photos - but their camera let them down a little. Trying to be clever, they had used the 'running man' setting, thinking that would be perfect for shooting fast running dogs. Turns out it doesn't really work so well on group shots as the camera decided to focus on the background, leaving all faces blurry. No one asked for my advice, but then again I was too busy sniffing bottoms and playing with my new friends. They've saved all the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/linda_bliss/sets/72157626315597468/with/5546633700/">photos on Flickr </a>in case you want to have a look or download some photos from the day.</div><div><br />
</div><div>All in all it was a superb day out and I slept all the way back to London and through the evening, I only opened my eyes for long enough to have dinner and then I slept until the alarm clock went off at seven this morning. Funnily enough the alarm clock sounds an awful lot like an Entlebucher puppy whining and it always goes off as soon as the sun goes up. The humans are not as amused as I am....</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
<div><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-84506466934832675782011-03-19T08:35:00.001-07:002011-03-19T08:35:39.087-07:00Dog inn<br /><br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/lindablissing/TheDogSBlog?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmnr_uCy_y7Nw#5585815140343593346'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qF6LfltqQy4u2Vt1gTLUOuPe0FEcaIL70At3hNQQynu7W5uEZr_ZMj1Wlwv7bl1jJPU3XD7pFhFHBFf2lNQ_WAo7U24ps-83ZOGlrjyiXjB_XhtS2g75u1m0RhGA17PA5MHbIksouYQ/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />My humans took me for a nice long walk so I decided to treat them to a pub visit... Despite the name, this pub doesn't actually allow dogs indoors so I'm chewing my pigs ear out in the sunshine instead...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/lindablissing/TheDogSBlog?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmnr_uCy_y7Nw#5585815151664486674'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOLCId7P-8wcn4FmfPGzzmimjmEf76kZqzNt0u5qx8LbcBr9UcRT7waZCg7yQ0Y-w1KYw4guqyeHsyCUQBnHHVIOaCJI42szLMS8RTYbFuplvBg5y1Qh1xC1NSTRUyePzvkW7C5AmuWc/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Derby%20Rd,,United%20Kingdom%4053.067077%2C-1.400471&z=10'>Derby Rd,,United Kingdom</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-49900132998071450562011-03-17T03:33:00.000-07:002011-03-17T03:33:47.376-07:00Wednesday Night - Nothing to report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcenueQ4-_ta3KJ51uZV2QpOG8OoyIgkcXKJZ78o_23NkMVCOX9Sj6yseay8He8VigJLeXv8cK1I27O206FABK2-6r4ko2ekRJ3zhsO2QNrPClAFfkmoS1A7q2ocVB7F3VFV1Rz02nzwk/s1600/Cartoon_NothingToReport.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcenueQ4-_ta3KJ51uZV2QpOG8OoyIgkcXKJZ78o_23NkMVCOX9Sj6yseay8He8VigJLeXv8cK1I27O206FABK2-6r4ko2ekRJ3zhsO2QNrPClAFfkmoS1A7q2ocVB7F3VFV1Rz02nzwk/s400/Cartoon_NothingToReport.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-42936969511289969532011-03-15T14:59:00.000-07:002011-03-15T15:07:07.830-07:00A weighty issue?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWfT37hTwGaY6ebL5FpmEJr0MIOql-W2TPm4Fk-HGAcyyThouMssQ-qahPhDcCTOXgI26sstjpEg4llK45av9vYSmWI71kJ5ANiw24_CvIpjTcgc_Z1XF4yGrpuXhj66HW2uIAqiYlaM/s1600/Cartoon_Fattie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWfT37hTwGaY6ebL5FpmEJr0MIOql-W2TPm4Fk-HGAcyyThouMssQ-qahPhDcCTOXgI26sstjpEg4llK45av9vYSmWI71kJ5ANiw24_CvIpjTcgc_Z1XF4yGrpuXhj66HW2uIAqiYlaM/s400/Cartoon_Fattie.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584430413375455970" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-14020105855317858682011-03-14T14:19:00.000-07:002011-03-14T14:54:21.965-07:00Deep endThose of you who have been following me on Facebook have probably seen that I've got a new hobby. Its called swimming - or lets be honest its probably more like wading as my paws have been touching the ground the whole time. So far I've chased and retrieved sticks thrown into the river Thames, then soaked my body in the luscious mud like a sunbathing hippo and today I graduated to my first real lake visit. <div><br /></div><div>It was such a great place, you should have seen it. Dogs from all over town had gathered there for the season's first swim and sticks and balls were flying everywhere, followed of course by bouncy Labradors and Spaniels. I watched them play in the shallow water for a while, then I tri</div><div>ed to steal another dog's stick. I got pushed around a bit before I realized that the labradors take this game rather seriously and I managed to get completely soaked before we walked on.</div><div><br /></div><div>A bit further into the park we found another lake. This time there were no other dogs around and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity of getting closer to the ducks. I took a big leap out into the water and then, suddenly there was dark, cold water everywhere. My paws were desperately trying to find firm ground to stand on but my little legs were pushing uselessly as it turned out I was at the deep end of the pond. Luckily my human started calling my name so I knew which direction to swim, but her voice sounded distorted and muddled and I couldn't see her properly. She helped me out of the water and the world quickly returned to normal as I shook the water out of my ears and nose.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>We now know for sure that I can swim, but my human wasn't impressed with taking the bus home with her clothes completely covered in mud so I need to work on my technique</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWVovlPalgSndYxXfd0wOaYqJfNGpeOHFdNDlkRQjxFB3kNs1MKi7UX2yCnaAVZawyvFCioZJWVqvplkQodoD6gWd_5zqK6GaW62MgE4KqKAzrZhgfaJ5dENlxnN3-LQPK-Wrjg9v6Uw/s400/photo+1-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584055794173629794" /><div>of getting out of the water. </div><div><br /></div><div>The photo shows me directly after my dive, trying to figure out a safe way to get back into the water...</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-13954371258317419262011-03-10T09:07:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:35:33.379-08:00Bright, white smile<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBEwv8euHXmh7ClfxWJvTwsio5t8oQmsjaccDvWdcY4TGgjuEFUBvAvsNnbHa-fAHHA35kYgEqFmXAwvOMfCrm2f_1ig_MnZg7RYGRjAUIMjPKskjzIQaeI9x5qSNUPSDMRd0XzUnrm4/s1600/Alfie+in+the+sun.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBEwv8euHXmh7ClfxWJvTwsio5t8oQmsjaccDvWdcY4TGgjuEFUBvAvsNnbHa-fAHHA35kYgEqFmXAwvOMfCrm2f_1ig_MnZg7RYGRjAUIMjPKskjzIQaeI9x5qSNUPSDMRd0XzUnrm4/s400/Alfie+in+the+sun.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582505494750219826" /></a>Today I've been rolled around in mud, chewed on, tumbled through the air and chased across a football field. All in all it could have been a great experience but if you have two adult dogs chasing you with their very sharp teeth visible its not so much fun anymore. I think I did it all right, I squealed, put my tail between my legs and rolled over on my back and still they didn't back off until the humans interrupted. I can only assume that they don't share the same sense of humour as us Entlebuchers and I must have insulted them when I play bowed for a spot of chase game.<div><br /></div><div>On our way home, we were waiting for the bus by the edge of the park and a tiny little human was running up and down around the bus stop. His parents didn't say anything so I took it upon myself to tell the little one to calm down and not run near the traffic. He got a little scared when I barked so my human had to translate that I meant well and probably wanted to play with him. The little one was transfixed with me and didn't take his eyes off me for as long as we were on the bus. He kept asking his mum questions about puppies and as he saw me wolfing down the sausage treats I get as a bribe to stay calm, he turned around and asked my human a very honest and serious question - are you sure he is not a shark? All the adult humans started giggling but I simply lolled my tongue out and blinded the kid with my shiny white new teeth in a wide dog smile.<div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-64637340351859717732011-03-01T07:10:00.000-08:002011-03-01T07:39:58.891-08:00HumiliationI'm five months old this week - that means I'm halfway through what humans call the 'brat stage' where apparently puppies are testing their humans limits and try to become top dog, chew everything they can get their teeth into and start experiencing hormonal changes. <div><br /></div><div>So far I've noticed my puppy teeth falling out and being replaced by bigger and better ones. My humans were worried I'd turn on their furniture, but I prefer frozen carrots as it soothes my sore gums. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then its the matter of top dog. This is not really an issue in our household as I've already settled that particular point the day I moved in. The humans do as I say, most of the time anyway. They are still in training, bless them.</div><div><br /></div><div>That leaves hormonal changes. Today on our way to the park my human s</div><div>aid I was bouncing around like a crazy rabbit, sniffing on anything that might have been touched by another dog. I just can't seem to help myself, the dog gossip is so interesting now all of a sudden and one sniff on a lamp post tells you everything about the dogs that have been there before me. And there are some really cute bitches living in our area, which is why I'm always in a hurry to the park.</div><div><br /></div><div>The park was really busy today, full of school children, runners and the usual crowd. I found a new friend, a small terrier who looked really friendly and seemed up for a game of chase. We were running around, up and down the length of the park and I was just going to cut into his way when all of a sudden I feel two strong paws grabbing me from behind. The little terrier had sneaked up and mounted me in the split second I turned my attention away! Then began the humping, and oh the embarrassment. I tried to twist and turn but he was stuck on my back and I couldn't shake him off. It was excruciating and didn't stop until the tw</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7p2xhBPC2BGAcknp_d66L2dXD0o5hEdJuuR1fWhtzHDvANp4DGs5W5oy3twvHUznFVNQ5gEHMWGCI19RoBVK_gtuFtyFs55EpJ9QJwLvW_aUch7Zl_mc33ByUkbUl0VxTZisF-NNiHE/s400/surrey.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579136549207747138" /><div>o giggling humans lifted the other dog off. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, a labrador owner shouts across the park 'is that bitch on heat?', referring to me as he quickly put his dog on the lead. The terrier's human and I were equally embarrassed. She had to explain why her dog had turned on another dog and I'm absolutely sure its ruined all my chances of ever finding a girlfriend in the park. I threw up twice on my way home and promised myself to never, ever trust a terrier again...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-62334193165836550022011-02-27T00:27:00.000-08:002011-02-27T00:46:30.301-08:00Saturday Treasure Hunts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92A-7d0E8IFRa9PbdNJG2PMITbPfZxdp0v4sV7NK9EMRdEFiN4MTm1KTLEB4Jq_q419Jg3LLAEF9UvpHeeCQ-9sH1W3KC9xlkPHKUKrS45Uva6_saQc9I29QUjicb-WwI6XoUGYds3QQ/s1600/SatMorningWalk.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92A-7d0E8IFRa9PbdNJG2PMITbPfZxdp0v4sV7NK9EMRdEFiN4MTm1KTLEB4Jq_q419Jg3LLAEF9UvpHeeCQ-9sH1W3KC9xlkPHKUKrS45Uva6_saQc9I29QUjicb-WwI6XoUGYds3QQ/s400/SatMorningWalk.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578287324195720034" /></a><br />Saturday morning walks are the best. The humans are collecting the recycling and rubbish, transforming our street to an obstacle and adventure course perfect for an inquisitive puppy like myself. <div><br /></div><div>This is how it all works. The humans from the council know that I'm taking my morning walk around 8AM so they are off to an early start. They carry all the orange bags onto the street and then they come around in their truck to collect the rubbish from the black bins. They drop lots of exciting things like chicken bones, toilet paper and beer bottles on the sidewalk, and the orange bags are like made for barking at. Sometimes they pile them up so high that you can't see what's behind them - and you have to run over and sniff all the way around. I think they sometimes drops stuff just because they know I like to find it. </div><div><br /></div><div>My humans think the treasure hunt is as exciting as I do, but they are not as good at it as I am. They often get jealous and try and take my finds from my mouth. Who would have thought they would want used toilet paper and half eaten burgers? I will never learn what makes humans tick but at least we're having a good time together and luckily they don't see everything I pick up in my mouth...<div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-17748433096465380032011-02-24T06:06:00.000-08:002011-02-24T07:33:01.638-08:00TrainingI am of course a fully trained Entlebucher dog but I'm starting to draw the conclusions that my humans are not very good at teaching me the rest of the stuff I need to know when living in a big city.<div><br /></div><div>Take lead work for example. My humans told me it would be fine if I walked ahead of them as long as I didn't pull the lead. This meant I could sniff and 'read' the 'dog newspaper' on all the lamp posts in my own time. Happy dog and happy humans trotting along towards the park I thought. Then in the park I was having fun playing with the other dogs until it was time to go home.<div><br /></div><div>Then my humans called the dog trainer and along she came. Armed with hotdogs, clicker and lots of ideas she has now told my humans a thing or two. The first thing she said is that I'm a genius and that of course didn't surprise me at all. Then she told them I could benefit from some herding dog games (to get rid of some of my energy doing something I was designed to do) and improved lead work and control in the park. Sounded fair enough and I though I already knew most of this stuff from before. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then it turns out that dogs should walk next to their humans, close to their leg, at all times until let off the lead. Of corse I wasn't at all happy with this to begin with and used my Entlebucher strength to pull as hard as I could to extend the lead (did you know we were partly bred to pull milk carts, so we're really strong?). This wasn't very comfortable for either humans or dog so bribes and threats were soon exchanged and I received sausages for every step I took without pulling, and if I still mistakenly pulled they would turn direction. That made the effort worthwhile and I'm now trotting along quite happily without pulling. Of course the threat of a nose collar helped to make my mind up too!</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, the trainer took us to the park to show me the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4u3ApWTzg">sheep dog game</a>. The idea was to herd the balls instead of sheep, which seemed simple enough. But then it transpired that my humans have taught me the wrong thing again and I thought it was more fun retrieving the balls than herding them. In short I had no real herding instinct, at least not for balls.</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all its been a busy two weeks since we last saw the dog trainer - here's a list of all the things they make me do now:</div><div><ol><li>'Take', and 'drop' - what's the point of toys if you have to give them back?</li><li>'Come' when they call for me or whistle - this is good because I get sausages and I like running, it makes my ears go all crazy.</li><li>'Sit', 'Down' & 'Stand' - this is kindergarten stuff of course, but you wouldn't believe how difficult this can get when you have other dogs around</li><li>'This way' - means I'm running the wrong way and should turn around. This is also good so I don't get too far away from the hot dog supply in the human's pockets.</li><li>'Stay' - they make me do this so they can go and hide my toys for me to find. Its a good game as I can show off how good my nose is.</li><li>'Find' - that's the word they use when they're done hiding my toy and its time for me to find it.</li><li>Fetch - a bit like find but I get to see where they throw the toy.</li><li>'Hello' - means high five, and means I can shake paws with anyone. Good for parties.</li><li>'Look' - I'm not sure about this one. I'm supposed to look the human in the eye until they click and give me hot dogs. Sometimes there is just more interesting stuff a<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCuUEpOQzQXNLaFDWNvxgGPUPkqMb6rzwkajsHOhHzCE0YoRSoQRwkwC4NmR6UR3ckpSCheOOFqYaErv9AlsgvqPagXpC3V3CpHo8wTjNHBXLFDREr0jCz2DCmTQOwWEJgkJ8tHIxorY/s400/band+aid.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577270507895136402" />round, like other dogs, horses or joggers.</li><li>'Parking' - this means the humans put their foot on my lead so I can't jump on visitors or other nice people. I don't like it one bit.</li></ol></div><div>So as you can tell I'm a busy puppy learning lots of things. But not even the dog trainer could foresee the problem at the vets this morning. I was supposed to have a blood test so they can give me my pet passport, but my humans hadn't trained me to sit still so it all turned into a wrestling match. I'm quite proud to say they needed two humans to hold me down while the vet tried to take my blood and a fourth human fed me sausages to keep my howling muzzle away. </div><div><br /></div><div>They should have understood that a dog who doesn't like being brushed and having his claws cut probably wouldn't be keen on a blood test or having his fur shaved off either. Especially not if they give me a pink girly band aid to finish it off! The humans now talk about building this into the training routine as well. I hope they at least leave out the shaving, I'm not keen on going bold at five months of age.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-23466688423160514852011-02-13T01:28:00.000-08:002011-03-24T12:23:19.312-07:00Entertainment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFDfgHcr7rlsqDaeY9EsQ1Mj7rHE148dglCSVeYZquMnQJMRjrsY507EwZADB8bTTRmk7853s3XsrgQK7QR0ORQQ8L-Z6I3Qnu7acys22A881JXQQulrHHMAuQsa7yLXY6-0CMEbSg1U/s1600/FB++1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573109224393875458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFDfgHcr7rlsqDaeY9EsQ1Mj7rHE148dglCSVeYZquMnQJMRjrsY507EwZADB8bTTRmk7853s3XsrgQK7QR0ORQQ8L-Z6I3Qnu7acys22A881JXQQulrHHMAuQsa7yLXY6-0CMEbSg1U/s320/FB++1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 239px;" /></a>I believe a good dog should be able to find his own entertainment wherever he goes without having to ask his humans for toys all the time. Yesterday for example, I went with my humans to the pub. They were meeting some human friends there and their friends had brought their human puppies along as well. I was really looking forward to playing with the other puppies but it didn't turn out quite like that. The human puppies got a lot of attention, one of them was allowed to sit in a chair and had his own glass with a straw, and the other was sleeping in a rather comfy looking buggy. I had to make do with a pig's ear underneath the table and drink from the communal dog bowl. I was very disappointed and a little jealous.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>After a while I got bored and sensed an interesting smell from the other side of the table. I could see something wiggling a little and of course I had to go investigate. I crawled between the humans' feet, quiet as a mouse and reached the source of the smell. It was the youngest of the human puppies, looking down at me from his buggy and bouncing his little feet up and down. It looked a little like a dog's play bow so I thought he might be inviting me to a round of the sock game so I progressed in pulling his little socks off one by one. They were so tiny</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573109344302653842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2fiaQw1pmO8Ym8g8O5wYP0E86LOsgQLrglXrHRuVxLEE6bxB-OFx7jomStUSdJEDuxh8_bmFUs9L46pBOdzJoHVsxoZlsB3-anY4mR3PXHbF798Vb8bj8_pdrDB5-FuK3NdfmQRDynE/s320/FB++2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 239px;" />they could barely count as socks but I had nothing better to do so I stole them from the little cub.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>The rules of the sock game then suggests that the owner of the socks should chase me, but as I held his little socks in my mouth, he just looked at me again and kicked his little feet higher this time. I'd never met anyone who doesn't know the rules of the sock game before so I was a little confused and thought about chewing the socks instead.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But the smell from his feet was irresistible, so I just had to give his toes a lick first. He must have liked that because he giggled and bounced his feet higher and higher, and I leaned in to get a better reach. It was a good game but eventually the giggling tipped off the big humans and the socks went back on again and I had to return to my pigs ear.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Next time we go to the pub I will demand to have my own buggy, or at least a blanket to lie on. Needless to say I will also need my own water bowl, they can fill it up with some of that stuff the humans call beer. It smells lovely!</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-33572860046765839922011-02-10T12:15:00.000-08:002011-02-10T13:31:13.522-08:00Looking for trouble? Here I am!I don't look for trouble, trouble finds me wherever I go. I'm a normal, reasonably well-behaved four months something puppy who's never done anything to deliberately hurt anyone else. I love humans, can't get enough of them in fact. They are the keepers of all good things including cheese and toys, they also provide us dogs with housing and cuddles. And yet, I'm slowly learning that you can't trust all of them. As a dog, its difficult to know what to watch out for as the human body language is so vague. But I think I can conclude that although most of them are brilliant dog lovers, others are genuinely scared of dogs, and there's a small group of really mad people.<div><br /></div><div><div>My first incident with an aggressive human was with a runner in the park. Granted, I did chase him a little but I'm a puppy and its not like I'm a rabid Great Dane dog or anything. Anyway, the man panicked and started kicking wildly in my direction as he was waving his arms at the same time. I now know that this meant he was scared, but at the time I honestly thought he was playing with me. After whisking me out of harms way, my human made the other human apologize and luckily I wasn't actually hit by his feet.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>My second incident was earlier this week. My human and I were taking a stroll along the river in a pedestrianized area when we met another human who had a puppy my age. Us puppies started wrestling at the side of the path and the humans stood next to us chatting. Suddenly my new friend looks up and sees a bicycle coming towards us and runs to his human for help. I hadn't seen the bike but was quick on my paws to follow him - only to get pinned to the ground by a fat bicycle tyre. My puppy sirens set off and as soon as I got loose I ran to my human who checked me over before turning her gaze back to the cyclist. Believe it or not but he was already on his way and hadn't even bothered to check if I was OK. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tonight I met the maddest of them all. I call her Elephant woman not only because she was a big waddling beast of a human, but because she was wearing a coat with big printed elephants on it. That coat was almost mad enough in itself, so I kept my eyes pinned at her as we met her on the sidewalk. My human agreed there was something strange about her that put both our guards up, so she pulled my lead in and we progressed to walk past her on the inside. </div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as we come within reach the Elephant woman starts thrusting her umbrella towards me like its a sword and I'm the bad dragon or something. I barked, and my human used her scariest 'bad dog voice' to command the woman to 'stop that immediately'. I could tell she meant business, but that command didn't work at all on the Elephant woman, it caused what can only be described as an elephant patterned explosion of movement. The woman started shouting, waving her sword and chasing us like a demented fencer in her slow waddling way along the side walk shouting 'what did I do? What did I do?' Needless to say we made a run for it, but not until my human (who I've now started to think of as a mama bear protecting her cub) got a chance to tell the mad woman a thing or two. If my human had fangs she'd be one bitch to watch out for.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-78091103263116771032011-01-28T10:38:00.001-08:002011-01-29T01:53:02.433-08:00Lost Property<div>As a puppy, it can sometimes be a little daunting to stand your ground against your much bigger humans. For example, it seems they believe they have the right to all your property at any given time, and sometimes they will even snatch things from your mouth. I'm not only referring to our toys, collars and chewbones but especially property found and claimed outside the home. They say some things could be dangerous to puppies as we might swallow them and get hurt. Fair enough, but then I want all my stuff back when I've grown up! </div><div><br /></div><div>Just to make sure nothing is forgotten about, here's a complete list of all the things I've picked up from the ground to date - they are easy to recognize as I've marked them with my teeth. I fully expect them all to be stored safely and returned to me in mint condition when I come of age:</div><div><br /></div><div>3 x Orange peels</div><div>3 x Socks - various colours and sizes</div><div>1 x Glove - smells of hot dog</div><div>2x Children's mitts</div><div><br /></div><div>1 x Kitchen sink plug, muddy</div><div>15 x small assorted stones</div><div>23 x Pieces of brick, various sizes</div><div>125 x Sticks, assorted flavours</div><div><br /></div><div>74 x Leaves, mostly the crispy dry kind that crumbles into a hundred pieces on the floor </div><div>14 x Snails, or rather empty shells that crunch when you eat them</div><div>2 x Chewing gum</div><div>5 x Tissue, used</div><div>4 x Crisp bags (I will know if anything is missing from inside)</div><div><br /></div><div>1 x Sanitary towel (used) - actually, maybe just bin this one its a bit gross...</div><div>4 x Pieces of plastic</div><div>5 x Plastic cutlery - Marks and Spencers ready made meal flavour</div><div>4 x Medium sized apples</div><div> </div><div>1 x Tennis ball (muddy)</div><div>1 x Ball on a rope (another dog's)</div><div>1 x Christmas bauble (silver)</div><div>2 x Banana peel, nice and brown</div><div><br /></div><div>1 x Chicken drumstick - not much meat left but it smelled yummy</div><div>1 x Poo bag (unused)</div><div>1 x Tea light</div><div>45 x Cigarette butts</div><div>14 x Packets of cigarettes (empty)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-68062945347602371442011-01-27T03:10:00.000-08:002011-01-27T03:22:11.136-08:00Squeaky ponies and rabies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k4pF4-6kJ_VXt4qVuMF7lTEiZiGbJye7LTc4HH-XDzGAbtla5Bmak4WH639HkWhKGl7HEnX2zLe9wtsvf5miLg5PqDh7YS_PYippoqEMuNJfTnhoaZcx-p0v-JlTlC79PdNDR4DQMrY/s1600/alfiehorsetoy.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k4pF4-6kJ_VXt4qVuMF7lTEiZiGbJye7LTc4HH-XDzGAbtla5Bmak4WH639HkWhKGl7HEnX2zLe9wtsvf5miLg5PqDh7YS_PYippoqEMuNJfTnhoaZcx-p0v-JlTlC79PdNDR4DQMrY/s320/alfiehorsetoy.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566824285680975634" /></a><br />Guess what - I'm getting my own passport so I can go with my humans on holidays in Europe. I've just come back from the vets and she explained that I'll get my very own passport as soon as I pass my rabies vaccine test. <div><br /></div><div>She said I can choose a photo to put in there which is really cool, but I forgot to ask her if I get to sign it with a paw print too? I will continue to practice with muddy paw prints on the floor just in case. </div><div><br /></div><div>On our way out of the vets I got to choose my own toy as a reward for good behavior - I picked a squeaky little horse. It is delicious and also works as a soft pillow for puppy naps...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-23738169679580888042011-01-20T09:17:00.000-08:002011-01-23T12:03:40.051-08:00Sweet SixteenMy humans have been told that the puppy at sixteen weeks without extensive training and behavior modification is what you are going to get as an adult. As this has been my sixteenth week I have given this a lot of thought and talked to all my friends about my career options. You see, dogs don't have career advisors, but as I'm from a 'working breed' with herding and guarding background, I think its important that I at least think about these things while I'm still a pup.<div><br /> <div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RGYS-lCJYkqwRSoy-Vb48OL4L5Br3oBtNuhNhVDwIJ8waGOOFZDRe5hfy9dy125h1PV43lAATPMHc2XXy4skNF28CiOIGUHahAHkm2c_DmUq3iYaNHbxz-7zYa9OqvgU2S-C6aTevaQ/s320/AlfieandGreyhoud.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565470926842440386" /></div><div>I started off asking my friends in the park what they thought my strengths and weaknesses are.<div><br /></div><div>The spaniel cross said I need to practice a little more before I can become a proficient mud diver, and my legs are too short and stubby for racing according to the Whippets and Greyhounds. The Golden retrievers said I need to grow some more before I can become a proficient beggar of treats in the park - apparently the cheese is usually kept in pockets higher up than where my nose is.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Beagle was a bit more helpful - she said I had potential as a sniffer dog. And the grumpy terriers in the corner of the park admitted that I do seem to have a way with the ladies - maybe I could wiggle my way into a pensioners home and steal sausages for a living?</div><div><br /></div><div>They were all very helpful but I couldn't help but feel that something was missing from their advice so I decided to do some more research. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of my humans works in the city so I decided to check out his place of work to see if it was something for me. Said and done, I took my other human on the tube, and boy was the commute a long and dreadful one. I was the only one wagging my tail, all the humans looked sad and miserable and I felt it was my Entlebucher duty to make them all smile again and that was quite an effort. The office itself wasn't very impressive. Everyone sat around staring at their computers and there was no cheese in the office fridge. Not my kind of place.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGafu_wjm1QD7PaPBa8u9YaBB4OTBY_gli87HPAZEc6BxhJlfYkhdgfqvH9DC7rkd2lCLjqnVvKDLY-aenddIQ2v4-DY31QqYStBhGtrO3tldm-N74IsRlaM-VIWSfoA3-MUJj42pFvw/s320/AlfieandTerrier.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565472482631823650" /></div><div>As part of my research, I also watched the TV show 'Call in the Dogs', which is a documentary following some very clever dogs helping the British transport police sniffing out robbers, drugs and sometimes even cash. I was very excited about the prospect until I realized they probably don't need a dog sniffing for chicken and cheese - after all, neither commit many crimes. I also don't think my humans want to change careers into the police profession so I think this one is a no go as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>So far no luck, but I'm only sixteen weeks so I probably don't need to choose my job just yet. In the meantime I will enjoy my job herding the two humans I share a flat with and try and improve my sock stealing skills - you never know when that might come in handy!</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-38543170839030710352010-12-29T00:55:00.001-08:002011-01-14T04:14:51.492-08:00The sock game and how to play it<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Being a puppy, one of my main jobs is to steal socks from laundry baskets and bedroom floors. My personal favourite is stealing the sock straight off the human's foot so the smell is fresh. This is not as easy as it might seem , in fact it is a skill that requires patience, stealth and most of all an impeccable comical timing. To help other pups out there, I've put together some guidelines.<div><div><br /></div><div>1. Make yourself invisible to the humans. Good places to hide include under the bed, their desk or even the kitchen table. Never use a hiding place more than once in a day or they will catch on to the game.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>2. Pretend to be asleep, but focus on your target from the corner of your eye and don't let them out of your sight. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Wait patiently. As soon as the sock is within smelling distance you should start to get ready. The second the foot comes off the floor you attack the toe end of the sock, grab it with your teeth and pull back hard. If you have done your prep work well e</div><div>nough the human should now be in a state of surprise and might even let out a little scream. That's good and gives you extra points.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. As soon as the sock is off the foot you run as fast as you</div><div>can. If you feel confident enough to throw the sock up in the air and catch it again, then do so. Again, this gives you extra dog kudos.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. If you manage to get the sock back to your bed it is by official dog rules now declared your property and you can start chewing.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_4ybKEC6Z1eJogCoOweIu0v1fTi4k-uv1j57u6aOKZSEVAUOrIYV3Z1-sMKrzVdfLADN45HX2Yxf3ZxSvSaJjVyVmXhhwZ9aMopfTzwcM3grGHlK_9mo9WHioW3qBaNsu-FbyaU2kpM/s320/socks2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562013464583098722" /></div><div>Practice often and enjoy the game!</div><div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-78314158493698320012010-12-26T07:56:00.000-08:002010-12-27T03:09:27.763-08:00FameI suppose I've always known that being the only Entlebucher in London would come with a certain level of responsibility. What I didn't expect however, was the fame and recognition that comes with being the cutest pup on the block. <div><br /></div><div>My humans who've lived in London some ten years now are amazed with the amount of strangers that come up and talk to them when I'm around. This Christmas weekend for example, I took my extended human pack out for a walk and as I was showing them how to stop and sit before you cross a road safely, I hear an excited voice from behind us. 'Oh, is that Alfie the Entlebucher?' Of course I didn't need any more encouragement than that before I rushed to happily accept her cuddles, but my humans were left a little confused. Turns out the other human had met us a couple of weeks ago and not only remembered my name but also the Entlebucher breed. In fact, she had been so curious about my breed that she had looked it up on the internet. I wonder if she found my blog?<div><br /></div><div>Then, on Christmas day, we were out for another pack walk and as I was busy sniffing for news on a lamp post, someone knocked on the window from the inside of a nearby house. The person called for all the other humans inside the house and they all turn up looking at us through the window, smiling and waving in the middle of their Christmas preparations.</div><div><br /></div><div>I could go on, but this sort of thing happens all the time. I've though about printing some business cards or maybe an info leaflet about us Entlebuchers, but then I'd need some sort of bag to carry them around and that would be very un-mountain dog like. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106828037753675074.post-42146380346394825762010-12-20T11:43:00.000-08:002010-12-20T13:15:02.499-08:00Winter Boots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSqNp1NkTWl3EiDI5Xa-BOuoSq9iRdUBReWVsieW51pHtot43tZRAYZKKKM29W6o4cQzlMqRhTrhkBJRMa2hWxwkIH5drRvnOpklZh1655T581lrZScRVcaMOZY7nRAr54h5mkL-btc0/s1600/Alfieandfriend.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSqNp1NkTWl3EiDI5Xa-BOuoSq9iRdUBReWVsieW51pHtot43tZRAYZKKKM29W6o4cQzlMqRhTrhkBJRMa2hWxwkIH5drRvnOpklZh1655T581lrZScRVcaMOZY7nRAr54h5mkL-btc0/s320/Alfieandfriend.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552873696403766066" /></a><br />I took my humans out for a pack walk in the new snow on Saturday. We went to the local park and boy was it worth the effort! The snow was fluffy and cold and I met lots of new friends in all shapes and sizes. The strangest one was made out of snow and had a traffic cone for a hat and tree branches for arms, and the smelliest were a pair of <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=basset+hounds&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=VbQPTYmNNdCwhAfZroW5Dg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQsAQwAA&biw=1240&bih=664">Basset hounds</a> with windmill like tails. Their owners said they were registered weapons but I'm not sure whether she meant the dogs or their tails. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQcYi_lXm8o">video</a> from the park.<div><br /></div><div>Three days into the snow I'm seriously considering getting myself some cool snow boots. Not because of the snow, I am an Entlebucher Mountain Dog after all, but but because of the grit and salt the humans put on the roads. Apparently its there so we won't slip and slide on the ice, but I don't think the council humans thought of their canine friends when they came up with that solution. Today when we went out for a walk I stepped onto a newly gritted sidewalk and my paws felt like they were on fire! The puppy emergency sirens went on immediately and were so loud my human had to carry me to a patch of fresh snow before someone called the police to report a puppy napping. My paws are feeling better now, but I think I'll stay away from gritted roads for a while. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1