A post on puppyness...
I had this whole post all planned but by now I can't remmeber the clever-ish and funny-ish way I had intended to write it. So I will just write it in my normal rambling incoherant style :)
This is an entry all about puppies, or rather the puppy also known as Min (although at two she is no longer technically a puppy)
Whereas my life has been quiet and sedate and not much has happened lately she has had quite an interesting few days. It all started on Sunday when Shaun called me from upstairs, having just got out of the shower. I asked waht he wanted a couple of times before having to go upstairs myself and actually find out. It seemed it was time to bathe the dog. Now we have talked about bathing her for quite a while since she had started to smell pretty dog-ish and it was time to lessen said scent.
I should maybe mention that her baths are few and far between, she mostly stays nice and clean, she gets other flea and tick solutions so no such schampoo is required regularly, hence the fact that we have not given her a bath since before we moved to this house (well over a year ago). I think her usual kennel tend to give all their charges baths while they are there which should put her last one at late April. Now last time we bathed the dog it involved much holding her firmly in place while she tried so wrestle, slither and shake her way out of the bathtub. I expected much of the same this time.
After the intital sad brown eyes pleading with us not to torment her and two, maybe three, very carefuk attempts to sneak out of the bathtub she was very good. She stood shivering in her whole body, head pressed agaisnt my knees as she was showered and schampooed and showered again. We gave her lots of praise in the meantime and ended up with a clean dog. A quick towelling off of the worst of the water prevented us from getting soaked in the following vigourous shaking of puppy all over the bathroom and later upper hall. The drenched rat that had emerged from the tub was now a very spikey-furred punk-puppy. (Apparantly with devil eyes and with her stricly outside toy, the football)
After this adventure much rest was needed while she, mostly dried out in the nice armchair with her blanket and/or next to the warm radiator. After some napping and recovering it was time for her second, and much better, adventure of the day. Shaun went to the shed for the bike. The dog went wild running inside to mark at her leash and was wagging her whole body enthusiastically. After one proper bikeride/run she has clearly decided that this is the way puppies should be excersised.
So off they went, husband and puppy, and stayed out for longer than last time. Now where we live it is very very close to a small country road running between fields towards an even more remote village/small group of houses about half a mile from the coast and lighthouse. (We can see the lighthouse from the livingroom, only reason it is 3 miles to get out there is because you need to use to roundabout-in-many-ways-opposite-direction country road, same as is mentioned above). When they came back awhile later it was with a very tired dog who immidiately drank about a litre of water before collapsing on the floor and playing sleeping-dog for several hours. Turns out they had ridden out to the village and back, about 5 miles return, with puppy running more or less full speed the whole time (or so I was told). It made for a very quiet Sunday night.
Monday was uninteresting and calm, we did nothing, not even a walk because I had sore hips and the dog still seemed a bit tired from the previous day. So she played in the back garden with the football most of the day.
Tuesday was Shaun's day off and this was a puppyday from heaven! We slept late before I was convinced out of bed by the dog (who then within 10 minutes was back upstairs with shaun to sleep on his feet). This is pretty much normal morning routine on Shaun's days off (sneaky dog) so I am used to not being wanted *sniffs*
Once they eventually got up and had breakfast and all such things they went for a walk, about 4 miles I think, which the dog always loves. This was followed by the highlight of her day, the visit to the vets. Now where many dogs hates going to the vets with a passion this is one of Min's very favourite things to do. I didn;t go with them but was told all about it when they came home. After she got to explore the waitingroom she got cuddles and treats from the nice girl in the reception and was fussed over a lot. This was followed by seeing nice Mr Vet who listened to her chest, gave her lots of attention and then stung her in the neck with a needle full of vacinations. Such evildoing was immidiately forgotten due to more attention.
Then back to the waitingroom/reception area to pay where there was more petting and attention for the puppy (possibly more treats, I am not sure) and TWO dogs to greet. Apparantly one was big and scary and not really approached, the second was a terrier of some kind who quickly became a Friend. See how exciting going to the vets can be?
After such an eventful day it turned out to have the absolutely perfect ending. Dinner was very good high quality sirloin steaks which meant the fatty rindthinglike leftovers ended up in a certain dogbowl. Heaven, walk, vets and meat...and then later there was some crust of toast (from Shaun) and an applecore (from me). All in all a very successful day.
Today however was completely uneventful As always after she gets her vacinations she gets a day or two of low level fever and is very out of form. So today has been almost completely spent being conked out sleeping or cuddling affectionately. Maybe that is why I have sleeptroubles at the moment, puppy has been stealing all the sleep! This is a theory worth exploring...
Now after I have entertained you with the story of puppy I am going to head off as there are no other interesting things going on.
*hugs*
Uli, puppy and bump.