I love agility

Here I am protecting my ball from Fly.
She'll steal anything she can get her paws on

I've just got back from this weeks agility lesson, and I have to say I think all dogs should try agility. I had so much fun. Mum finally gave up trying to get me to play with a treat pouch and she brought out the big guns instead. Yes she had the squeaky kong tennis ball with her. Finally, it's only taken 6 months of weekly training to figure out that a tennis ball is the only thing I'll work for.

So when mum showed me the tennis ball I was the happiest Poppy dog possible. I bounced around like a mad spaniel thing and did everything mum asked of me. I completed a course of 13 items and didn't run out once! Mum was so proud of me. I even went through the collapsible tunnel which I haven't seen before. We only had one little incident where I saw another dog with a tennis ball at the other side of the field so I ran off to get that one too. Whoops! But considering that last week I didn't even want to go through a tunnel, I think on the whole I was very clever.

All this running is hard work. But fun!

I'm a little bit sad though as mum tells me there are only a couple of days of her holiday left and then we all have to go back to work. I feel mum should consider looking after me and keeping me happy her job. She says that while entertaining me and Fly is practically a full time job, she still has to go back to work as there are lots of cats and dogs that need homes finding and she needs to help them. I suppose she's right. But I'd better get a big rawhide to make up for it.

I'm off to have a little nap now, I didn't realise how tiring agility could be if you go at proper speed. And I need to get my strength up for my afternoon scamper.

Lots of love
Poppy dog xxx

Great day out for Dad's birthday



Muddiest Spaniel ever



It's my Dad's birthday today. I've been forbidden from saying how old he is. But him and mum took us on a great doggy walk today, we went to my favourite ever beach, where Fly has never been before. It was great to have my sister there to scamp around with.

We did some amazing chasing of birds. We found we're quite a good team, because I flush them and Fly herds them. I can't understand why Collie types (Fly is half Springer, but acts like a Collie) and Spaniels don't work together more often. Mum says she can, it's because together we're harder work than when we're apart. Honestly, the cheek of her!



I love playing with my sister dog



Our bird chasing really tired us out, we chased every bird on the beach. Mostly they were big black birds but we also chased some gulls and some tiny sparrows. We got so muddy that we looked like brown dogs. Getting muddy is great. Although I am finding it slightly uncomfortable now that it's dried and although mum gave me a good brush there is still a little bit on my nose. It's itchy.



A tired, muddy nosed and very happy Pop



After our run, we went to a cafe and me and Fly were allowed to be at the table. I had my ball to play with so that I wouldn't bark at food. Then the best thing ever happened. The waitress brought our food out and there was a lovely sausage on it's own plate just for me and Fly. It was a great sausage.

I wish Dad could have birthdays every day.



Lots of love

Poppy xxx

A better Poppy dog

Happy news! After two weeks of very short walks, antibiotics and special paw cream I am finally mended. I probably ought not to chase ducks again but I think we all know I probably will.
Speaking of duck chasing I did a bit bad when mum let me off lead in the big field at work. I saw a moorhen. And I tried to have self control but I don't have any. So once again I did bad and squeezed under the gate and dived in the isolation area pond. I got chased round for 15 minutes but I was starting to get chilly so I gave up and let mum catch me. She looked a little cross. She says it's my fault if I ever catch kennel cough. As I pointed out to mum firstly there is no kennel cough and hasn't been for over a year, secondly it would be totally worth it. Mum just shook her head and sighed.
She took me and Fly to the beach on Saturday. Apparently it's the only place we are allowed to go where I don't cause her stress when I'm off lead. It was so lovely, I splashed in the sea, and I even got Fly wet, because she wouldn't go in by herself.

Mum gave me a tennis ball. I love it so much I sleep with it.

I also went to school again on Saturday. It's been so long since I went that I was worried that I would forget things but I didn't, I even learnt new things. I now know Spaniel In A Box (a very clever trick, but I can't do it as well as the other two spaniels yet). I can do Spaniel On a Stool and I even had a little wobble on the wobble board. I then ran through two tunnels in a row when mum said Go Tunnel. She was very pleased, she wondered if I knew what she meant.

I think this week has been a successful and happy Poppy week. If only I could remember to come back to mum when she calls my name so that I could go off lead more often then life really would be perfect.

Lots of love

Poppy xxx

Sorry I haven't written much lately

Happy before I got lost

I'm a very poorly Poppy dog at the moment so as I can't move off the sofa I thought I should probably write something. We are now in our amazing new house but I'm sure Fly will tell you more about that if she wakes up and decides to write something.

I have been loving all the new walks I have been able to go on as we live out in the countryside now, and there are lots of open fields and rivers around us. But on Friday mum decided that we should have a special long bank holiday walk by the river. I forgot that it can be silly to chase ducks. I jumped in the river and started swimming after a duck, mum wasn't worried at first as I do this a lot. But then I swam out of view (the banks were overgrown so she couldn't see me). Mum lost me for an hour. I did find her a couple of times and I could hear her calling me, but I was so cold my brain wouldn't work properly so I didn't get out of the water.

Some walkers found me shivering and crying on the bank a little while later and they found mum and then they helped her get me out. She took me home and warmed me up with lots of snuggles, and a big warm duvet because I had got myself so cold that I was starting to get hypothermia.

I'm feeling sad now

But the next day I was still shivery and sleepy somum took me to the vets. I had to have my temperature taken and it was a little nasty because they take it in your bottom. I felt too ill to argue though. I had a high temperature and had to have an injection and mum has to give me antibiotics. She thinks I haven't noticed that they are in big lumps of cheese. I have, but I love cheese too much to care!

I feel a bit better now, but as the rest of my aches and pains went I realised I hurt my paw really badly and I can't walk at all. I have been carried everywhere for the last couple of days. I feel very special but I am wishing I could walk again so apparently I have to go back to the vet.

Mum says I won't be allowed back on that walk again. She says it is all my own fault I feel so bad, but she is giving me lots of love so that makes up for it. Hopefully next time I write all my paws will be working again.

Lots of love

Poppy xxx