One Year Today

It hardly seems possible I've been here with my pack for one year today. I feel like I've always been here....

Well, now that I think about it, I suppose I always have been. I've changed a lot since I arrived as a little puppy. Chubby and serious looking my pack female said I looked when I arrived. I couldn't even go for long walks.

Now I love to run and jump, and especially like to go on my daily walk down my road. I have to put up with their incessant demands when I'm on the lead. Sit, heal, stand, stay... then they let me off the lead and I get to investigate. I know the smells of that road very well.  there are Wallaby's that leave their scent and droppings, quolls, bandicoots, and of course other humans and dogs that frequent the walk. It's very interesting for me.

The alpha male takes me on a no nonsense walk. Brisk pace, so I run around a lot exploring when I walk with him. The female keeps asking me where her stick is. So I find one, and we play tug of war with it, and every time, she looses it just before we go home, so I have to do it all over the next walk. People.

Last week she took me to the cricket ground with a stick that helped her throw the ball a long way. (She's not a very good ball thrower, so it helped a lot) I chased the ball for ages, it was quite fun.

I've gone from sleeping in a little pen in the garage, to having my own house in the back yard. I quite like it there, and I get the run of the front yard as well.  I have a new neighbour - Mindy  a white fluffy dog who escapes fairly frequently. She comes to her fence and barks at me to let me know she's there, then wriggles through and comes over to our fence for a good long barking session. Her people call and call and then they hop the fence to get her. It cracks us up. People... they're so predictable.

I've trained my people quite well over the last year. If I stand at the front door, or ring the bell they have hanging there, they get up and let me out. Same when I stand outside and look at them. Sometimes I do it several times in a row just to see how many times they'll get up before they stop.

I've got them sorted out for feeding me too.  When they get up, they come down and let me in, and I bounce around the kitchen as we walk through to the front yard to get my bowl.  They get my food, and put it out front, then make coffee and come and sit with me and throw my orange ball.  When they come home, they feed me again.  On the weekends, when the female stands in the kitchen cutting things up, if I hang around her, she feeds me vegetable bits. I like that, and I always get a bit of pizza crust.  After dinner is our daily walk.  Like clockwork.

Lately they've let me sit on the couch with the female in the evenings. I like that because it proves I'm not really a dog. I'm one of them.  They do tell me to get off that comfy sleeping platform they have. I don't know why, it's very comfortable, and I like it a lot. When they're not using it I like to sneak up and jump on it. I'd let them in my house on my blankets....

Well, I'd better run as I think I get to go to the dog beach today.

Woof arf arf... Elwood.

Made it onto the couch for a snooze

Humans, all that talk about me being different. Stay down. The couch is for people.  Well, all it takes is a cool night watching the stars and I had them.

Here's the proof.  they were up until 3:30 looking through the big thing they call a telescope.  Humans.. they have no stamina..... he he he... the next step in my plan to dominate my pack!!

Intermediate obedience training passed



ready to pounce at any moment


Well, the Sunday my pack came back, they took me to dog school. Really - I hadn't had any practice for 3 weeks. However, Rose had been secretly tutoring me, so I shone.  I got 5 A's and 1 B and a blue ribbon. Next week I go to "Graduate" class which is for 45 minutes. I get to start doing 'tricks'. I'm quite excited.

Abandoned

Rose came over. and we had a great day, but she just didn't leave. Can you believe it?  My pack didn't come home! I was glad she stayed around, but where the heck did they go?

Every day I'd wait at the door and Rose would come. She was great she selpt over, so I wasn't lonely and she taught me alot about soccer, I've got some great moves now, but I'd go inside and check their big room upstairs, nope, not there, then the computer room, nope not there, and their cars were in their spots so I was very confused.

Rose read me a couple of emails from them (like I couldn't read them if I could have sneaked past her to the computer) so I was hopeful they were coming back.

Rose was very good to me, and George and Whinnie came to visit so I wasn't lonely. Rose showed me what BACK meant as I was pulling forward in my walks. I like the way she explains things to me.

I heard a hundred "no's" from her the first week when I tried to get away with things. She wouldn't believe that I was allowed up on the couch, or on the big bed. I couldn't convince her it was OK for me to eat from the table, or sleep inside.  Drat.. they must have left her a list.

However one day I came out to see Rose and George, and sniffed and OH MY GOODNESS I smelt THEM.  They were home.  I thought my whole body would snap in half with my wagging!

I've hung around them fairly closely to make sure they don't sneak away again. I think it's something to do with those big containers they filled up before they went away. What that's about I'll never guess 'cause they brought them back and unpacked them again.  People, who can figure them out???

Registered

My people went and registered me.  Humans have such wierd ideas. They waited until I had been de sexed, and they had my puppy graduation certificate to register me, as that would give them a discounted rate. Go figure - the council didn't give a discount on passing obedience class, which we all thought was a sensible idea, they only give you a discount if you pass an Australian acreddited assistance dog program.  Oh well, it's still a savings of $60 a year with me being de sexed.

Now I have a lifetime registration tag so they took me shopping on Saturday. I got to go to this HUGE pet store, and we choose a new collar for me. I think I look rather handsome....

We thought the red was very complimentary to my colouring

Then we went to the Kingston Dog beach where I had ABSOLUTELY THE BEST TIME... there were 6 LABS there and we ran and played like CRAZY.  Graham would throw a stick into the ocean and we'd all run into the waves to get it.  Us Labs love our stick, and you could see us running down the beach, with 3 of us hanging onto one stick. We also share well.  

note the bones on my collar and the attractive bone shapped clasp.

Back home I had my warm bath, and shower (I love it when they use the watering can to shower me with warm water) then they lit a fire for me to lay beside as I snoozed my way to my silky smooth dry self. My pac is very thoughtful.

I was very tired from so much fun.  Well, Off for another nap now... woof arf, Elwood.

Finally - made it on the big bed

I really gave them a run for their money this weekend. I sneaked upstairs Saturday morning, and my Alpha Male Graham was still in their sleeping platform. I was really quiet, and snuck up and jumped up to see him. It's very bouncy and quite fun. I was really quick and didn't get into trouble, as I was up and down, and raced out of the room in a flash. This made me think I could do it again, so I raced back and jumped up again. I managed to do 5 circles up on the bed total before I got in trouble.

Then, when Julie was putting new sheets on it, I did it all over again. What a fun game this is!!  She finally shut the door so she could finish. Kill joy!

We've had 4 days of drizzle which is most unusual for us here. Julie took me to dog school on Sunday and parked over a big sloppy mud bank.  Her boots got sucked into the mud, and it was very slippery. Class was small and I was totally distracted, the field was filled with puddles, and all us dogs weren't keen on laying down in them. I wasn't the star performer I was last week with Graham.  However, I always like visiting with the other dogs, so it was fun for me.

Julie had mud up her pants to her knees, and I was filthy, so she gave me a warm bath when we got home, mopped the floor, and had to wash all her clothes. Then I got to dry out snoozing beside the fire. I thought it was great, but she was pooped. Graham went to Fire practice, so he missed all the fun.
arf arf... til next time.  Elwood.

More Reno's for me

Well, back to normal for me after the little operation. I actually quite like going to the vet as there are 3 or 4 young gals there who treat me like a king, and they give me treats too.

My pack says I've settled since the Op, I certainly seem to be more prone to go to them when they call now. I don't think it's because of that, but if that makes them happy.... I have to remind myself to grab their ugg boots and shoes every now and again for a chew to keep them on their toes.

I had what Julie called a 'play date' the other weekend. Some lady Graham works with brought her pack over, and Bronson - another chocolate lab who is 6 months older than me. It was terrific. They made food and stood around the pizza oven (slipping nibbles to us) and Bronson and I ran for 4 hours straight.  They were surprised we didn't break anything.  Now really,  me??

Since they finished the front area, Graham decided I needed a little reno out back. He took some laser light and put up a wall, so I have a dry court yard to hang out in. It's quite nice, keeps out the sun, the wind and the rruff raff. woof woof woof...a little canine humour...

I'll put a photo up when I can get my paws on the camera next.  Ghessh, sometimes I think they know what I get up to when they're at work and hide stuff.

Well, better get off for now....  woof woof arf... Elwood.