New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone.

Mum made us both think long and hard about our resolutions. She said that we was rubbish at keeping them last year, so we need to do better this year. After a lot of careful thought here they are -

Poppy's List

1) I will lose no more than two tennis balls a month. So much more achievable than last years goal of not losing any.
2) I will only bark when mum eats cheese and no other foods. Cheese is too good not to bark at!
3) Sometimes I will come back when mum calls me. I've realised that if I occasionally listen to mum, I've got more chance of being allowed off lead.
4) I will not whine when mum leaves me in the office at work unless I feel really lonely. I realise that I'm not properly lonely until I've been left for 15 minutes or more.
5) I will allow Fly to eat her own rawhide instead of barking at her so I get all the rawhide and she has none.

I think my list is so much more achievable than last years. Mum says it's a bit of a cop out but she will make up for it by doing lots of training with me so that my behaviour improves anyway. I don't know what she's talking about, I'm a lovely Poppy.

Fly's List

1) I will not roll in poo when mum is taking me to work, I realise that people don't like it when the office smells funny. I will only roll on days off.
2) I will not chase Treacle. There are enough cats in the world that I can chase, so I shouldn't chase my own cat.
3) I will try to be clever at agility and may even try to do two obstacles in a row.
4) I will only chase cars when mum says I can. I will be good and only do the chasing if I'm allowed because I know it's naughty.
5) I will try not to bite people that come in to mums office. I don't ever properly bite, I just get nervous and do a little nip, and apparently some people don't like it.

It's been a very good new year so far because we spent new years day on the beach and we have already had two trips to pets at home, so we think it is going to be a good Poppy and Fly year.

Big woofs
Pop and Fly xxx

p.s we says sorry for not having photo's this week but we can't seem to upload any, we have bad computer this week.

The Pop Dog is back!!! So is her Fly sister

Mum said I'm allowed to use the computer again! I'm a very happy Poppy dog, I missed writing things. Mum has said I do have to share this blog with my Sprollie sister Fly as she doesn't have time to help us both write things, but as long as she lets me write more than Fly I don't mind too much.

Tuppy's last photo

Anyway as it's been 10 months since I wrote things I thought I'd sum up my year -

My Tuppy sister died. It was very very sad as the longer she lived we all started thinking she was immortal. She was put to sleep on 23rd November, only 6 days away from being with us a whole year. Her legs were getting worse and she was having trouble breathing over night and had a stroke as well. She had a good last couple of days though and managed a last little walk, even doing a bit of a run, and had a whole pack of chicken. Fly was very sad and pined a lot, I was sad as well but I do appreciate being able to sleep in the comfy Tuppy bed.

I'm getting cleverer at agility. I even go twice a week some weeks. I'm not allowed to compete yet because I'm not quite as clever as some dogs. But I sometimes get a clear round in training as long as there are no weaves, and I think I'm getting very good.

We moved house and although it is sad that we don't live in the countryside any more, we do have a really nice park near us. It has woods, and a river and even a bmx park with ramps that we play on. We like chasing birds and swimming there. We dosn't like our house so much as we have very nearby neighbours that make noises and when we bark at their noises they complains about us. So now mum won't let us stay at home in case they complain more. Luckily we are moving again in a couple of months where we will have better neighbours but will still be near our lovely park.

Poppy on a comfy work bed

I live in mum's office when I go to work now. I made a fuss about having to be a kennel dog so mum makes me live inside. Happy days! Sometimes I live in the other office with my dog friends, and when I do Fly goes in mums office. Me and Fly are very rarely allowed to be together at work as we make too much noise.


 I went to the vet twice, it was upsetting. Firstly mummy tried to groom me and was very bad and accidentally cut my leg. I had to have stitches. Very bad mummy. Then I ran through Brambles and got an eye ulcer. I had to be muzzled at the vet, and I had eye drops for 7 days and had to be muzzled for those as well. It was very painful so I think it was acceptable to try and bite people.




A good walk, when Tuppy
was with us

We had lots of very good walks and beach runs as always and enjoyed being a happy Springer and Sprollie. We hope to have more of the same in 2013. Mum has said I have to make new years resolutions, so me and Fly are going to think about them, we will tell everyone on New Years Day. We hope that we are more successful at them than we were this year.

Me and Fly hope you have a happy new year and we'll write more in 2013

Lots of love
Pop dog xxx

A sore Poppy

Mummy is rubbish and never lets me use the computer. I have barked loudly at her and she knows this is wrong and she will try harder in future to help me.

Sulky Poppy

I am a poor sulky hurt Poppy now. I got a cut on my lip with some dirt in it, and it swelled up so it was huge. Mummy gave me big snuggles and said poor Poppy a lot and when mum does that I know things must be bad. So I whimpered and sulked a little bit (even though it actually didn't hurt but I thought it might do later). Mum got worried and started looking at the lump, and she accidentally burst it. That did hurt. I wobbled my big fat Poppy lip and cried. Mum cleaned it up but I felt so bad that I took myself off to my crate and whimpered some more, and stayed there all night. It doesn't hurt any more, but I'm going to try and milk it a little for sympathy anyway. It seems to be working, I have a brand new Kong ball to amuse myself with.

Really happy Poppy

I've been doing lots of exciting things this month. I am back at agility lessons this month and mum says I'm actually quite good. I understand things like Wait and Leave It, I can understand which jumps to do, I understand the word tunnel, and I can even do weave poles from the left. I have to do lots of work on weave poles from the right, and the end of the A Frame, and mum has to do lots of work on her handling because sometimes she is rubbish and it is me that has to try and make her look like she's doing it right. Humans are rubbish sometimes.
I've had some amazing walks this month, and my favourite is a new one in a place called Beer Woods. I can't go off lead because mum says I will get lost, and I think we all know I would, but the smells are the most amazing ever. They're so good I almost don't mind staying on lead, although don't tell mum I said that! In fact this months walks have been so good that I can almost forgive mum for keeping me away from the computer.

Pesky Treacle Cat in my garden

I am having cat problems this month. The pesky little beast is allowed in the garden now. Is nowhere sacred! She chases me, she bites my tail, and then runs away when I chase her. But because I have to stay on lead in the garden I can't ever catch her. Life was so much simpler before my Treacle Cat sister came to live with us.
My Tuppy sister is still with us. That is a very good thing even if she does sometimes growl at me. Tuppy is such an old girl that she might not be with us very long so it is always happy and nice to have her around. Mum says four animals in the house is far too many though!
Lots of Love
Poppy xxx

Whoops, I broke a few resolutions

I've had a few problems with some of my resolutions, and I think now is the time to confess. I don't want all the doggies out there thinking I am a virtuous dog with a lot of willpower.

At Lydeard Hill, before I
lost my ball

Firstly I must confess to losing six tennis balls since the start of January. One was mums fault, she threw it in to direct sunlight and I couldn't see it. Naughty mum. However I did do a little bad on a Lydeard Hill walk yesterday and lost three balls in a bush. In my defence, they were rubbish balls, not proper Kong ones. And I did find one that another dog lost.

My food begging has not been doing well. Curry was rather tempting, as was roast gammon, as was fish pie. In fact I've even barked at cereal every morning. On the plus side I have been barking quieter unless cheese is involved.

At the levels where my
ears got wet

I went back to work with mum last week, and found that she has a different office. I can hear people walking past the door along the corridor, and it excites me so I bark. Mum gave up and brought me and Fly a raised dog bed to go in our kennel so we don't have to sleep at ground level. She wraps us up warm in fleecy coats and blankets, and then puts us outside. But I suppose it is our own fault, and she does keep us as warm and snuggy as she can.

I also broke the one about not moaning about my ears. In fact I have spent the past few hours rushing around the house wimpering and trying to rub my ears on surfaces that might dry them. I wish we had carpet in the house as that used to dry them nicely. I do know that I caused the problem myself by running through a freezing cold ditch with deep enough water that my ears dragged in, but at the time it seemed worth it. I'd like to pretend that I won't do it again, but I think we all know I will.

My lovely Tuppy sister

 But the good news is that I am doing well so far with my other resolutions. I am enjoying 2012 so far, we've had some lovely long walks, and a few tasty pigs ears as well. My foster sister Tuppence is still alive and well, and me and my Fly sister have had some great plays together. I think it's going to be a good year.

Lots of love

Poppy xxx

Poppy dog resolutions

Not Fair! Mum says that because sister dog Fly made new years resolutions that now I have to as well. I am doing so begrudgingly and can't promise I will keep them, but I'll give it a go.

1) I will not go and harass the rabbits every time I'm allowed in the garden off lead
2) I will not lose a tennis ball on every single walk
3) I will stop trying to take every rawhide and toy that Fly has (unless they belonged to me first)
4) I will try not to wash Dad's ears more than once a day
5) I will not beg for food by barking (unless it is cheese)
6) I will cease chasing moor hens as it got me in to a lot of trouble this year
7) I will learn to do weave poles properly, not to dodge them and then bark for a reward
8) I will accept that grooming and bathing is necessary so long as it doesn't happen more than once every three months
9) I will try to be quiet when I go to work with mum and will not bark whenever the phone rings
10) I will not complain about having sore wet ears and then refuse to have them cleaned. I understand that if I complain about my ears then I will have to have medication.

I had a fantastic New Years Eve beach walk today. My foster sister Tuppy had a lovely time, mum says it's important she goes to nice places and has fun because she might not live very long, and she's very sleepy and snoring now so I assume she did enjoy herself. I was proud of my little sister Fly as well because even when two annoying labradors and a terrier came to annoy us she didn't bite them. Yay for the Fly dog.
I've had a really really good 2011 and I hope that I get just as many lovely walks, tennis balls and rawhides in 2012.
Lots of love
Poppy Dog xxx