Paint Tubes & More Company

This week Alpha Graham rolled out a 3 level trolley with all kinds of colourful tubes on it, and put a contraption of poles beside it with something he called a painting in progress resting on it, and warned me to be careful. He set it up in the living room, lit the fire and we hung out. When he went into the kitchen I decided to investigate a little more thoroughly, I like the tubes. He picks them up and squeezes them and stuff comes out.

What on earth can that stuff be? I wondered, so I picked up one of the tubes carefully in my mouth, and gummed it, but nothing came out, so I bit it. I looked at Graham not sure why he wanted to get the stuff out, because really – I doesn’t taste all that flash – when I discovered how fast Graham really can move.

Elwood Nooooooo – He called and made it to my side before I could get my second bite in, pulled the tube out of my mouth, and had me out the door with the hose in my mouth in nano-seconds…..

You crazy animal he said and told me I had purple all over my mouth, my muzzle, my teeth and tongue. He was adamant I had to be really cleaned up. I wasn’t happy to have my mouth hosed out for so long, but as soon as the water wasn’t purple any more we could stop.

I think that’s the last time I’ll taste a tube of what he calls PAINT.

Waghorn Family Visit

We had another pack arrive this Friday night. This pack doesn’t smell like ours, so I think they’re from another pack. They’re called Waghorns, and they’re all ages.

One of them they call Ben, is smaller than the rest and called a boy – he’s soft and I like to lick him a lot, which makes him giggle. He was a bit nervous of me at first cause I’m the same size as him, only a bit heavier and I think he thought I’d bowl him over, but now we’re buddies and I like to follow him around and when he’s not paying attention I get to lick him. He likes to tell me to sit, and I like to sit so that works, and we play catch.

Giggling, Tastey Ben

The big people of this pack Bruce, Bernadette, and Jean are all very nice too. Just not as darn tasty as young Ben. Everyone seems to like talking and laughing, and as usual in this house, a lot of time is spent in the kitchen and around the table.



Graham got his telescope out one night but the sky didn’t cooperate, so although everyone had a little look, it wasn’t one of our ‘big night out’s”.



They came to my last Puppy Lesson with me. I think I had the biggest cheering section. I get a week off then progress to the basic obedience course. I’m looking forward to that!

Puppy School

We had what they called a bon fire at the bottom of the property. They built a pile of really good branches, I thought they were saving them, I couldn’t figure out what was happening when suddenly the sticks all caught fire, and started to smoke & burn. They didn’t even try to save them, they took really long branches and put marsh mallows on the ends and then put them between chocolate coated digestive biscuits then skewered some tube like thing they called “hot dogs” (what the?) on the sticks and held them over the fire until they got hot and ate them. People, I just don’t get them some times.

Well, got to get off the computer before they get home. Woof Woof.. Elwood.

My yard is changing and me at puppy school

What's happening to my yard?

One day last week I was in my pen when I heard a commotion out front. I didn't know what to do so I called out like crazy. My people came home, and let me out and as I rounded the corner to the front yard I thougth holy smokes, I'm going to get in big trouble for this!!

See the hole I saw when I came around the corner?  Yikes!!

They assured me it was all OK. The front yard was dug up past any of my hole digging efforts. Actually I was rather impressed and eager to investigate. There were clumps of grass to shake and dirt to run through and piles of dirt to paw through. Very cool really, and I can't understand why they were so adamant I stay out of it.

The next day, There I was in the back in my pen when I heard another truck come up and a bunch of noise. This time at the end of the day when I rounded the corner, there was a lot of metal stuff laying on the front by the hole.

Thursday Graham was home, so I knew anything that happened would be sanctioned by him. Whew!  Just as well, as up came a couple of trucks again, they put the big metal mesh in the hole, then a really big truck came up and for the love of God, THEY FILLED MY NEW HOLE!  What the heck??

Graham seemed happy with it, but I can tell you I wasn't. I hadn't sniffed half of the hole yet. However, there were still some piles of dirt for me to push through so I was somewhat molified. Although my Alpha Male pushed all the dirt back into the edge between the new concrete and the dirt. Tsk... more fun lost. Drat.

Actually, now that it's all finished, it's not too bad. It seems to make them happy and I suppose that's a good thing. Graham even signed our initials in the corner (I get a paw print which I think is rather artsy and very me)

Puppy School - 2nd Session

We've been working hard at the lessons since last week. Stay and heel I thought I knew, but now we've got a hand signal and leg signal to work on. Gheesh, can't we just chase butterflies?

My humans have taken me to the dog beach on Saturdays so we've had a good time there. I love how much fun I can have there with the other dogs.

I got to see Winnie the other night when Julie and I had our evening walk. I smelled her from afar and kept running ahead and looking back at Julie. I tell you, when I caught Rose's scent along with Whinnie and it was fairly close, I lost it and ran for them. Julie wasn't very happy with me, but I just love Winnie and her look but don't touch attitude drives me wild.

Anyway, back to Puppy school. Graham and Julie took turns walking me around the grounds early, and lots more dogs seemed to be here. Some of them aren't very friendly and I'm not sure why they're here, but I don't care. There's always someone new to sniff and play with. Today there was a labradoodle that I couldn't get enough of and a Grate Dane named Scarlet that was very attractive. She stood beside me and I think she thougth I was hot.


The Labradoodle wanted me, and Scarlet in between us. Both very hot gals.

I did quite well in the call to come while playing - Julie kept a nibble in her hand that kept my attention. I was more than a little distracted when standing in line, with Scarlet and the little brown labradoodle, but not as bad as last week.  It was Scarlet's first day so I was pointed to as a good example. I can't remember why, but I was very proud.



The Instructor pointing me out

 All in all a nice day. Next week is the assessment, then Easter holidays and I go up into dog obedience training. Yikes!

Oh yes, and today I got to see my cousins Meg and Reily on Skype on the computer. I had to play stupid puppy and pretend I didn't understand the technology, but I think I might be able to get through to them during the week.  Haaa haaaa... they'll never know......  Woof Woof, Elwood.

First day at school

Well, just when I thought we were going to the Kingston Dog beach, we ended up at this big field where there were a bunch of people with some other dogs. When I was getting out of the truck, my people told me I was going to puppy training school.

There were all kinds of dogs &  humans there. Big ones, noisy ones, friendly and playful and grumpy and standoff ish.  There was one dog who crawled from dog to dog - We wondered if it didn't have any muscles in it's legs, but it turns out it's just really really nervous around the other dogs, and is submissive to the point of rubber legs.

I was in puppy class with 2 Dalmatians (very friendly & playful - a brother and sister), a Red heeler (a bit of a scrapper), a white fluffy dog who didn't like anyone and growled at us all, and an assortment of other dogs who seemed friendly but were at the other end of the line so we didn't sniff each other too much.

One by one we were all walked down the line to introduce ourselves, and then the lessons began. I had the Dalmatians on either side of me. One was relatively well behaved, but the other one just wanted me to play with her, and I was so distracted. We jumped up at each other, and she let me walk over her and we wrestled.  It was good fun, but I think Julie was frustrated with me, and the Dalmatian distracting me. Julie tried her hardest to keep me on track, and for the most part did OK.

Us dogs were told to always stay on the left, which I'm already OK with, and our People told they are supposed to always start off walking with their left foot if I'm to heel, or their right foot if I'm to stay. (Sneaky people code eh?)

We walked around the pen and I stayed on the left, and paid attention to her just like when we walk in the afternoon. Then we did some "sit" work, and "play come to call" exercises.  I didn't pay as much attention as I was supposed to but there were so many dogs to watch. I especially liked the obedience class on the other side of the fence.  That's 2 weeks away.

Any how, I didn't embarrass the family name, and we'll go back next Sunday at 1 to carry on. Graham has been running me through my exercises so I remember them for next week.

We touched on stay (where Julie puts her hand in front of my face and tells me to stay, then we see how long I can stay there for.)  I should be good at that, as she can ask me to sit, tell me to stay and walk to the other side of the lawn with a yummy treat and I stay put. If only I can remember to do that with all those distractions.