I'm a tired working dog



My new friend Patrick



Mum took me to work again yesterday. I really do love it there. I saw my friends Storm and Patrick again, although I'm not sure Storm likes me that much. She woofed at me that she thinks I'm a little bit young and silly. I think Patrick is lovely and I think he likes me too. If he was a little bit younger he might be my boyfriend dog, but I think 14 is a tiny bit too old for me. I gave him my kong even though it was an amazing kong, full of lovely biscuits and kong liver paste. He liked it a lot and he let me have a little play and a chase with him. Mum told me off for being a little bit rough and made me sleep in the car to calm down. Patrick has very sore legs and they can't keep up with my playing. To tell you the truth even I got a little tired from our playing. I was so tired I slept all evening. I was too tired to even give dad his daily ear lick.



My doggy bed at mums work



Mum taught me a new trick today. If I lie down when she tells me to I get a treat. I should really have learnt this one a long time ago. I get a treat and a lie down, what's not to like about that.

Mum tells me I have an exciting couple of months ahead. She says it's New Year's Eve tomorrow and that means I have to make resolutions. Personally I don't know how I could improve on anything, but when I told mum and dad this they both laughed and said they could think of plenty for me. I have three whole days off with mum and she has promised me lots of long walks to make up for the ones I didn't get over Christmas. Then I go back to agility on Wednesday night. I want them to be impressed with all I've learnt. I've worked so hard and I even went over the dog walk yesterday without being bribed with sausage.

Mum also said she might get a friend for me to play with soon.She says I need a doggy friend because her and dad get bored of playing tug and fetch all day and she would like me to play with another doggy instead. She says she will adopt one who is looking for a new home. I can't wait til next year!

Happy new year to all the doggy's and their humans.

Lots of love

Poppy xxx

Christmas is over - and I still haven't had turkey

Christmas really isn't as exciting as everyone tells me. When I woke up in the morning Santa Dog hadn't been. Mum said it was because I hadn't been good enough. She said Santa Dog had told her I only deserved a turkey jumbone, so that's what she gave me. Then her and dad took me to the park to play in the snow, and I did play with a labrador which was fun. But I'm really not enjoying the cold any more. They said it was -6c and no doggy should have to be outside in that weather.

I heard mum and dad talking about how they were going to have a lovely turkey dinner and my little doggy mouth started watering. And then the next thing I knew, to my horror, mum and dad went out of the door and told me to stay at home and have a good sleep. They went to my grandparents house. They ate Christmas dinner without me! They shared their dinner with the cats! I was extremely unimpressed when they came home later with no turkey for me, and smelling of cats.



At least I didn't have to wear a silly hat like George



There didn't seem to be much I could do to rectify the situation, but I have made a point of keeping them awake all night by batting them in the nose or stealing their pillows whenever they tried to sleep, and I did shred the last of my pink fluffy slipper over the living room floor today. It made me feel slightly better, but they are going to have to work seriously hard to get back in my good books again!

Lots of love

Poppy xxx

Two more sleeps til Christmas

Mum says it's only two more sleeps til Christmas. She says she doesn't think that I've been a particularly good girl, but a good couple of days could go some way to help. So I'm going to curl up and look cute and resist the urge to continue shredding the pillow that I started yesterday. I'm sure it will still be there after Christmas and by that time it doesn't matter about being good.

I went to work with mum again today. She told me off a little bit because I got really over excited and woofed at everyone. I had to leave the room for a little bit because she says my woofing is so loud that no-one gets any work done. I don't believe her. I think she is lazy and she enjoys my woofing. She says if I call her lazy again she is swapping me for the new lurcher that came in yesterday. And that is yet another reason why I'm staying quiet.

She let me run round in the agility paddock off lead and I even ran through the tunnel. It was fun but still very snowy. Anyway I hear the rattle of the dog biscuits and feel it may be tea time. I'm very hungry, a lurcher called Tate ate part of my lunch when mum took me out and forgot about my bowl on the floor. I like him so I don't really mind but I am very peckish.

Lots of love
Poppy xxx

Snow is amazing!

I take back every bad thing I ever said about snow. It is amazing. Mum took me to the park this morning to play and I was the only doggy there. We had the whole park to ourselves. Mum even let me off the lead for a little bit and we chased each other. Mum made balls out of the snow and threw them for me to catch. I got a bit confused because when I caught them they fell apart and I got snow in my mouth, but it was great fun.

Then in the afternoon we went back to the park and dad came with us. I saw Honey on the way, she had just finished her walk, but we had a lovely sniff and she wagged her tail so I think she is still my friend even though we haven't seen each other for a while. When we were at the park I saw some more dogs so I made sure I marked the park as my territory, I can't have other dogs stealing my snow. Mum and dad threw more snow balls at me, then they let me play with my kong ball.

All in all it was an amazing day. Now I am off to eat my chicken and tripe pate, before snuggling in front of the fire. I heard there might be roast lamb later as well. I don't think I've ever been so happy!

 I really hope all the other doggy's in the world are this happy right now, and I'd love to hear all your snow stories

Lots of Love

Poppy xxx





My day out with mum

I had such an amazing day today! Mum took me to work for the first time. But let me tell you about it all from the start. Mum took me outside and there was snow! I prefered this snow to last weeks snow because it was deep and crunchy. I still don't like having wet paws though. Then mum took me out to the car. We were in the car for quite a long time which is always good. I love the car, it takes me to some great places. I got to see lots of exciting things like birds out of the window.

Finally we got to work. Mum took me out of the car and I smelt some of the most amazing smells ever. There were dog and cat smells everywhere. Mum works at an animal rescue and rehoming centre.She is always telling me how lucky I am to have a lovely home with her and dad and that other dogs aren't so lucky. I know that and I wouldn't swap my family for anything, but I still hope I get to go to work with mum again.

She has her own office there and the blanket on the floor smelt of dogs. I didn't want to tell her but this made me a little bit jealous, I don't like that she sees other dogs when I'm not around. She made up for it though by giving me a stuffed kong, and letting me chew my wubba.

I met lots of different people and although I was a little bit scared they were all really lovely and gave me treats or threw my ball for me. I was on my best behaviour and tried not to woof too much. I showed them all the tricks I learnt, I sat, I left things and I did some hand touch. Then at lunch time mum took me for a snowy walk around the field and let me sniff as much as I want. I even spent a bit of time in reception, but I got a bit worried when mum said that the dogs go in to reception to help find them a new home. I don't want a new home, I love my mum and dad.

We went home a tiny bit early as it was snowing heavily. I've slept on the sofa with my wubba ever since I got home as I'm tired out from the fun. Don't you think I look cute? Mum says I can't go to work with her all the time as she didn't get much done with me there, and she thinks I would be even more excitable if there were other dogs in the office. But I can go next Thursday. I'm so excited I can hardly wait. Only 6 more night sleeps!

I hope all the other dogs out there enjoyed their snow days as much as I did!

Lots of love

Poppy xxx

Grumpy Spaniel

I'm not a happy spaniel right now. I'm feeling a little delicate as I'm having my season. I really don't enjoy it. I went for a walk earlier and a labrador tried to climb on me. Honestly, what is the world coming to? He didn't even sniff me first to introduce himself, he just climbed straight on. I feel a bit poorly as well which makes it even worse. I feel so poorly that I have asked mum and dad not to walk me too far, and that has made me a little bit podgy in the tummy. Mum tells me I have nothing to worry about and it's just my 'winter chunk' and it will keep me insulated.

Mum has been pleased with me though. She has made me do a lot of funny training things, like touching her hand with my nose, and sitting and waiting. I'm behaving really well and doing all the tricks. I'm even trying not to shout as much, I think it may have more impact if I save my voice for when I need to use it. She is trying to make me shake paws but I don't think I'll be doing that yet, not until I really have to. It's best not to do too much at once, I don't want them getting complacent about how good I am.

Anyway I'm feeling very poorly right now so I think I'm going to look cute in front of the fire and wait for strokes and belly rubs.

Love Poppy xxx

10 reasons why I don't like snow

So it snowed a lot this week. I think that might be my fault, I wanted snow, I thought it looked like fun when I saw other dogs playing in the snow on the TV, but when it came I didn't like it. Here's why -
1) It's cold. I have delicate paws and belly fur and I don't have a silly jumper to keep me warm so I don't want to be in it
2) When I go to the toilet it's really obvious where I went because it melts the snow. I'm a lady dog, I need to be more discreet
3) I don't get proper long walks. Mum and Dad say it's because I pull too hard on my walks and they don't want to fall over (that only happened once, it was an accident!) and so they take me for shorter walks
4) Snow covers up all the best smells. I walk along and where there was once a good smell by a lampost, now there is just a pile of snow. It makes a short walk even more boring.
5) Even worse than not being able to smell other dogs smells, they can't smell mine. So after all the effort I went to in marking my territory and claiming some bits that were a tiny bit dubious, I now have to do it all over again. And what if another doggy gets there first!
6) The birds that had stayed around have now flown south for winter. So although I was already banned from chasing ducks n to the canal, now I can't even look at the ducks and imagine chasing them.
7) Did I mention it makes my paws cold!
8) The rabbits go and hide underground or in the shed (yes mum and dad are stupid enough to have rabbits in their garden). So I can't even sit in the window and watch them any more.
9) I look really silly when I fall over. Did I mention I'm a pretty girl and I like to look ladylike? It does my image no good at all to fall on my belly with all my legs going in different directions. And sometimes it hurts
10) Snow men scare me. It is wrong to make people out of snow.I think they are real people sometimes and I get confused. I barked at one and it didn't move at all or go away. That confused and scared me. So I will be avoiding snow men from now on.
So I have made the choice to be a pretty lap dog from now on until it warms up. Mum agrees that I make a good lap dog. She says I'm cuddly. But she also says that lap dogs should be seen and not heard. I don't like the sound of that. I'm going to go away and rethink my decision, maybe I was a little hasty!
Lots of love

Poppy xxx
P.S. You will notice there are no photo's of me in the snow this week. That is because the only time mum managed to get me outside and get a camera out I was going to the toilet. And I stand by what I said, it is not ladylike for peole to see me doing my business.
Poppys mum - Just remember, I still have that photo. And I'm not above using it as black mail. You shred one more tennis ball this week and people see the picture!

I'm a grown up Spaniel now

I had a birthday on Friday. Apparently it was three years ago that I was born. I don't remember that far back but if Mum and Dad tell me it was then who am I to argue. I like birthdays. Mum took me to pets at home and told me I could choose my own toy. I chose a pink slipper with a squeak in it that has a rope attached so mum will play tug and it can come to school with me.
Mum had to buy me other toys there as well. She brought me a brand new Kong Wubba. She says she shouldn't have had to and that it wasn't right of me to eat my old one, but she didn't shout at me, she said it wouldn't have been fair to shout on my birthday. I didn't mean to eat the last one, I just wanted to know where the squeak is coming from, but I still don't know because when I made a hole in it the squeaking stopped.

Mum sat me down and had a talk with me about what it means to be three. She said that she can't get away with telling people I am a puppy any more, and so I should behave when people come to the house, I should stop the woofing and maybe if she lets me off the lead sometimes I should come back. I let her rub my tummy to show I understand but really I don't think I will change, I like behaving like a puppy. I know I'm getting older but I think I might still be cute enough to get away with it.

Mum put a big tree in the house this week. She said it's where presents go. She also said I can't eat it. I'm very intrigued, we don't normally have those trees in our house, mum and dad normally have a discussion about the tree but it never comes out of its box. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks a lot.

Lots of love

Poppy xx