summertime

Yesterday we went over to Rooster and Sol's village and went for a walk downriver. They decided to teach me the rudiments of swimming although I still wouldn't go in further than belly depth. Rooster is not as fast as he used to be, but still swims a mean water-fetch. But mostly we all stood around in the water - dogs and people - and I did my best to get everyone's trousers wet.



I have to show you this picture of Sol running, even though it's blurry. He's amazing. He's so huge and so fast, and as he hurtles by his feet thunder on the ground. I've a bit of a crush on him, so whenever I'm on a walk and see lurchers in the distance I go crazy thinking it might be him. So far he kindly tolerates me but seems to find my beard-pulling antics childish and annoying. But a girl can dream....



My final act of the day was to be sick in the pub garden because I had eaten too much cow poo. Better out than in, as they say.

Kraken

I am the kraken under Dad's hammock. I nip his bum as he swings past. If he leaves his shoes on the grass I steal them.



If that fails to annoy, I pick on the cat. She took refuge on the compost bin, so I dragged out some rotten fruit.



and when all else fails, I chew on something.

road trip part 2

As road trip 1 went so well, we had a second run to the sea today. Things got off to a shaky start as I got carsick just a mile or two from our destination. Mum and Dad couldn't work out where the smell of dog food was coming from. In best dog style, I cleared it up for them once we stopped the car - something that makes my Dad feel quite ill. He's trying to block it out of his mind right now.

The walk starts with a huge walk up to the cliff tops. At one point, there is an endless staircase. We got halfway up and Mum yelled "stop, I need to take a shot of this for Mitch".



Mitch, you'd have been an expert by the time you finished this lot. I was made to have a sit down at the top for ten minutes, although I felt ok. I think my parents felt guilty.

What goes up comes down. The beach in the distance is where we started. And, yes, I am heading the wrong way.



Mum lost her hat over the edge of the cliff at the top. Mum and Dad had to stop an old man climbing the fence to try and reach it. He was so excited when we asked if he had a pen-knife to cut the bramble, that he had a rush of adrenaline and thought he was Rambo or something. Thank goodness they stopped him. They nearly lassoed it with a prickly chunk of bramble tied to my extendable lead, but it got blown under a gorse bush and that was that.

The beach was really hot. But I'm not stupid. I stood in Dad's shadow and dug a hole down to cool wet pebbles and had a lie down. Smart, huh?



Eventually I just sat in the sea to cool down. Naughty waves!



I think mum and dad should stop work altogether and take me fun places every day. It's great!

Road trip part 1

The sun is shining and Dad has a lull in his workload, so we're out and about! First stop petrol station. Fill 'er up, Dad.



They took me to the sea! I was less than enthusiastic about seaweed.



And really rather dubious about seawater.



But we met a man from the West of England and South Wales Airedale Terrier Club. He has 5 Airedales - sadly they weren't there - but he talked to us about their upcoming fun day and the grooming classes. Mum and Dad were really interested to hear about that, as they've never had an Airehead like me before and were wondering how they would tame my coat once it gets to tumbleweed stage. I overheard the word stripping and got a little bit worried. Does this involve nudity?

bambi legs

I'm beginning to grow into my Bambi legs now. Not only am I more co-ordinated, but I get to go for longer walks. Yesterday mum took me to the next village and back, which was about 3 miles altogether. There seemed to be a lot of dead things around - rabbits and birds - but mum wouldn't let me roll in them. She's seen me and smelt me when I find dead voles and shrews. I tell her it's in my nature, be she still says I stink.



In the evening dad took me out and I met a young Doberman and Ridgeback, and we played a high speed chasing wrestling game that was THE BEST! Hopefully he'll take me out again tonight to find them.

Today mum took me on a new walk to enjoy a burst of sunshine. She tells me that I should make the most of it because she really ought to find herself a job. Apart from minding me, of course, and I don't pay very well.

On this walk, I kept feeling like I was being watched.



Maybe they didn't approve of me snacking on their poo.



I had a splash in a pond and ran around too fast for autofocus again.



And came back along the towpath from the other direction. I even got to stare at some young swans.

miserable Monday

What a miserable Monday. Rain rain rain gloom gloom gloom. I'm upstairs in my mum's office looking like the end of the world is nigh.




I can't be bothered to look cheerful.



And I totally resent mum waiting till I was asleep to make me smile for the camera.

when sharks attack

Luckily my mum and dad consume plenty of bottles of Stella Artois so that I get to kill the boxes. Funnily enough, they were going to call me Stella, but thought ordering a pint in the pub might get complicated.



I look like one of those snakes that disclocates its jaw to swallow eggs.

Have a close look at my teeth. Extra ones!

The two middle ones are my newies, but the next two are coming through before they have pushed the old ones out. so I have two rows of teeth just like any self-respecting shark.

loldog

This is just crying out for a loldog caption. Something like "ai iz on ur camerastrap, messin up ur autofocus"

can you believe...

...how small I was back then?

smile, originally uploaded by small fry.

This is me at 7 weeks old, when I had been home only an hour. Mum said I looked like that picture of Einstein with his tongue out, and Dad thought she was talking nonsense as usual. Then I saw Bogart making the same comparison on his site and I realised then there was something in it. Was Einstein an Airedale? I wouldn't be surprised.

Here's a couple more of me at 7 and 8 weeks just to make you go aaaaahhhh

missing Rooster

Rooster has gone back to stay with his family. I'm sure you can hear my huge theatrical sighs of gloom from there.

Things i miss

- I just miss him. Lots.
- I really miss stealing his bed, either just nabbing it for myself and making him sleep on the hard floor, or running off with the blanket and dumping it in the garden.
- I miss us being able to perform 'two lead crucifixion' on mum. You know... when two dogs walking on the lead head in separate directions at different speeds.
- I miss laughing when he is too doddery to cock his leg when peeing.


Things I am glad for

- I get the squeaky dino Cuz all to myself
- I don't have to put up with his snoring

Things I learnt

- Ignore growls and snarls, they don't mean it. Pups get away with murder. Ditto with humans yelling 'no' or 'off'.
- Rooster walks so slowly he gets miles behind on a walk and ignores all calls to come. Which means I can too.
- One for the future: the Rooster treasure hunt. Stand in the middle of the lawn and start to poo. Continue walking while pooing so you leave each bit about 12 foot apart. Remember not to walk in straight lines - mum will have to search when clearing up with the poo shovel.

Things that still puzzle me

- Why the cats are not afraid of him but hide from me?
- Why does he find me so annoying?

holidays are over

Rooster's family are back from holiday today. While they are on their way back from Heathrow airport we went for one last walk. As usual, I ran, and Rooster tottered. In keeping with the sombre mood, the weather broke. Good job the local farmer got the harvest in a couple of days ago. (Incidentally, the other night my parents had to move the cars to let the combine harvester get down the lane and I took the opportunity to eat their pizza. I was not popular.)



I tried so hard today to get Rooster to play. I hope I don't get this grumpy when I am old.



Luckily I met one of my favourite friends down the towpath, a 4-year-old lab called Heidi. She loves it when I behave like an idiot.



I've been to two puppy socialisation classes where I behave impeccably, but when I am on a walk I always jump on people's heads. Luckily Heidi loves it and makes lots of silly grunty noises.

not impressed

OK, so I'm getting teased for not liking water. So I thought I would give it a go. I hopped down the slipway into the canal and cleared a space in the weed



then went nutty




things were going so well then I hurtled across the slipway and plunged head-first into deep water. My parents stood paralysed as I disappeared under the weeds for what seemed like forever before I surfaced.

I was not a happy camper.



Thing is, when wet my lovely coat turns into tiny woolly curls, my beard and moustache all but disappear and my legs look like rat legs. All in all, not dignified.

I dried myself off on the gravel path so that I could add gritty mud to the canal ooze and algae, then we went to the pub and I was the stinkiest pup in town.

ball skills

My mum spotted a Liverpool FC dog collar in a shop and as my dad is an ardent fan I thought I'd better get practicing.

Note the skilled interception of the ball



this counts as a full body tackle



This got me the nickname "Two Balls" Terrier. But I'm a laydeee!



By the way, I don't dribble the ball. I bite it.

Rooster

Here's a few pics of me and my mate Rooster playing. Well, in truth, it isn't really playing. He just isn't in the mood for my style - which he calls "silly bl**dy puppy" - and growls at me every time I try to pull his ears. No fun. He tried to ignore me for days until I showed him my squeaky toys and discovered he is a helpless fool for them. Must be the squeak getting through his deafness.



He even breaks into a run to get them, which is hilarious on his unsteady legs. He walks like a drunk old man, each leg walking to a different rhythm and in a slightly random direction. Problem is, when motivated to run he is as quick as lightning, and once he has my squeaky ball he never ever gives it back.

You can't see in this pic but he is pulling a twitching snarl here. I'm learning to ignore everything he says.



As I mentioned before, he's staying while his family are on holiday. My parents have been borrowing him for years to play with. I expect he is surprised to find me here. Here's how he looked in his prime - the Eyebrow King.



And this is me as an 8-week old pup with their other dog, Sol. Sol is a huge, gentle lurcher whose beard I love to pull. All the time. And his ears. But especially his beard. Sol is staying with someone else but I think we'll have a puppy party when his parents get back from their trip.

mouthing off

They say puppies are all mouth.

They're right.



Mum says this freaks her out. Apparently I look like sucker fish with fur. Or some horrible creature from Dr Who. Or the kraken that swallowed Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean II.

What I would have liked you to notice (if autofocus could only keep up with me) is that I have just broken out my first two grown up teeth.

Red Letter Day

Today I climbed the stairs all by myself.

This means:
a) I can reach the cats' food
b) I can get to all the upstairs rooms where there are sure to be more bins to raid

I will be taking every opportunity to practice this skill, even though coming down the stairs I look like Bambi on ice.

towpath terrier

My usual walk up the canal towpath just gets better and better. Yes, I still park my butt and refuse to move. But now that I'm being let off the lead, the humans think it's necessary to practice recall. This means that they yell come and I turn up for treats. Naturally I park my butt a lot more now because I like treats. As long as I keep giving the impression I might just run all the way back to the road I should be able to keep those treats coming.


My friend in the photo is Rooster, a long-time friend of the family who stays whenever his family are on holiday. I've heard he used to be a whole lot of fun, but now he is old, smelly, deaf, and slow. My mum and dad adore him though, so I try not to call him smelly to his face. He deserves a post of his own which I'll write soon.

I am such a wuss when it comes to water. I don't care if Airedales are supposed to love water. I don't! I managed a silly five minutes where I almost got in the canal (and my mum nearly pushed me in for fun) then ran around like an idiot. I only stopped spronking around to run up to the partially-sighted man being led up the canal and tried to knock his walking stick out of his hands.



Tiring stuff, this.

Moors and 'Dale

It's been the dullest wettest summer ever in Britain apparently. But when the sun finally came to the party this weekend my humans decided to take me up into Dartmoor. This became a bit of a mind-blowing experience as I had my first trip in the car with the roof open:


which was ok I suppose. Not too happy about this seat belt harness arrangement as I always seem to wriggle around until I am tangled up. Note my tail, which is almost never this straight or droopy.

Anyway, it was a big walk up and down hills and footpaths, till we reached a beautiful shallow river. Problem is I hate getting my feet wet. But I got to play with other dogs off the lead for the first time - and soon found that biting their whiskers got me in a lot of trouble:



We had a picnic lunch and a nap in a shady nest of bracken. And then I told my human dad I loved him in the hope he would donate a sandwich or two.



Pretty exhausting stuff. I slept most of the way home, and discovered that my harness would let me stretch far enough to use Dad's knee as a pillow.


What I didn't appreciate is the way the breeze kept giving my tufty head a comb-over. I am not that uncool by choice.