We had something of a milestone today. Spike has always been very reluctant to surrender a ball - usually I just leash him up while he still has it, and count on him dropping it while we walk home from the park, which nearly always happens because it's not really THAT interesting for him to walk around carrying it once he knows I won't throw it ( Read more... )

* bullet pointed for my convenience ( Read more... )

Just came back from Early Afternoon Park Romp. We have two kinds of typical winter weather here: thick with cloud and pouring with either just-above-freezing rain or wet slush, or else solid, sparkling sunshine dazzling your brains out on the remains of a hard frost. Today was type two, and the dazzle and winter-low sun made visibility even ( Read more... )

Picture this: we are in the little wooded patch behind the houses. Spike loose, Squish on his longleash. Squish is puttering about eating grass and Spike and I are sitting on the grass having a breather ( Read more... )

We are now down to only one of Spike's special soft rubber balls. We went to Big Park with the last two in my pocket, and Spike lost track of one when a Springer Spaniel came past and attracted everyone's attention ( Read more... )

I always carry two rubber balls to the park. Two reasons: one, Spike loses them, and two, Squish also wants to play ball and Spike's head explodes if Squish ever has a ball while he doesn't. That is a violation of the natural order of things and is never, ever permitted to happen. The biggest regret of Spike's life is that his pointy, narrow muzzle ( Read more... )

Reasons why I hate summer that have nothing to do with bitching about excess heat ( Read more... )

So we went to Big Park today, because I though it'd be a good place to practise Squish recalls under distracty conditions. Big Park has many big tangly brush patches, knee high spring grass, squirrels, foxes and pheasants. It is distracty pointer heaven. Spike also loves it because he is not impervious to distracty - plus, it has ponds. Well, very ( Read more... )