Olympics day 5

So four badminton teams have been disqualified for not trying hard enough. Harrumph! You would never say that about an Airedale. Although Mojo can be selectively deaf on recall unless she sees proof of biscuit rewards.

Anyway, our tribute today has to be swimming, what with Michael Phelps being both awesome in winning and gracious in defeat, and Chad le Clos's father being spectacularly emotional and thrilled.

We're lucky to live next to a canal that has been turned into a country park (for wildlife and people). For the first two years of Mojo's life she would paddle daily but only up to her armpits. In winter she'd lick the ice to try and break through to the wet stuff. Then one day we went up into Dartmoor, got into our swimmies and took her in the deep bit of  the river. The penny dropped, and now we can't keep her out.

We keep a stash of sticks in a tree, and believe me she knows which tree it is. So in she goes.
She always has to turn to the left, probably to do with her left hip being weaker. I'm always amazed she doesn't inhale a gallon of water when carrying sticks back.

Good job Airedales have semi-webbed feet.  I love the periscope tail!

In fact, this next pic makes me wonder if those old sightings of the Loch Ness monster were simply swimming Airedales - the serpent shapes following the high-held head...

Such a happy bear. Luckily she hasn't chased after any ducks yet, but give it time.

Meanwhile, Digger is  absolutely , never ever going to get his belly wet, no-sirree-bob, not on your nelly. Heh heh. What a wimp.

oh my oh my

Gosh I've been far too quiet for far too long. Many thanks to my wonderful friends who worried where I had disappeared to.

It's all Mum's fault as usual. First she got sidetracked sorting out photos to submit to an exhibition (if you want to take a peek, they are on her Flickr site). Then the weather went foul - 70 mph winds - and she wouldn't bring the camera out with us. Then she went and got a job. Ridiculous. The temp agency called late on Monday afternoon and she was in work the next morning. I was not at all happy that she would leave the house without me and be gone for so long unsupervised. I've been driving Dad mad. At least he has the good sense to work from home.

Anyway, she's under strict instructions to get her act together this weekend. Look at what has been happening whilst she has been so useless:

Not one, but two glorious golden roses have come my way. The first was from my fantastic buddies Maggie and Mitch. Do you know, they sent me a Christmas card and it was the first card to arrive at our house. Can you imagine how great it felt for me to have a card before my mum and dad got any? Ha ha! Priceless!

The second one was from the ever-wonderful Bogart. Bogart was the first dog blog my family ever saw. In fact, it was one of the reasons my mum and dad decided that they really needed an Airedale to spice up their life. So getting a rose from Bogey made me run loop-the-loop round the house with excitement.

I'm going to send this rose on over to Molly and Gertrude. We still haven't met in person though we've had walkies in the same forests. But you are two big-hiking adventure loving girls, so I know when we do meet there's going to be some serious wrestling and chasing to be done.


Here's a few pics of what I've been up to over the last few weeks. This is walking on Culmstock Beacon the day after the 70mph winds and lashing rain. Cold and windy, but lots of splashing to be done in the stream running along the path.


How ridiculous do I look here?


I'm getting used to the frosty weather and it still doesn't stop me going for a swim in the canal a couple of times every day.

Now, this is 100% pure Airedale. We were bred to hunt along riverbanks and here I am diving into the undergrowth along the canal bank. Check that curly wurly tail!



Right, I'd better catch up with what you have all been up to. Hairy kisses to you all.

6 legs 2 wheels

Last week a whole new adventure was revealed to me: bicycles.

I've seen loads, of course, as I live right on the canal and the towpath doubles up as a cycleroute as well. This time things got more fun for me. Mum dusted off her Brompton, a folding bike. It took me about five seconds to realise that life was going to be fun.

She looks pretty silly perched on this thing with little wheels, but boy is it a laugh. We now get much further up the towpath than we ever did by walking. I run for miles! A lot of the time she goes real slow to make me just trot along, but I get impatient and overtake. Once I'm in front I'm a nightmare, though, as I stop really suddenly and she nearly parks the wheel in my furry butt. My butt is not a cycle rack.

I'm getting the hang of heeling to the bike, sort of. I get level or stay just behind, put my ears back and go steadily with a happy look on my face. I think it brings out my instinct for running with the pack.

At times she puts me on the extendable lead to stop me running amok as we pass through the village. Then I try and pull her off the bike without warning. And I did once swap bikers and head off into the distance with a strange man.

Anyway, here's a vid. It's a silent movie to spare you the shrieks from Mum of "don't bite the lenscap","look out" and "hurry up" . She couldn't operate the brakes with one hand on the camera.

How fine is my butt?

Pup heaven

It's sunny. I've been in the canal. And what's that? A swan feather??

GIMME!!!!

Oh happy day!

autumn is arooooo!

Everyone says November is cold and wet, but here we are basking in the most glorious, warm, sunny days. Mum took me for a big walk up the canal towpath to see if she could wear me out a bit. Apparently I have been a bit pesky of late.

I don't think I'm pesky. I just think Mum is stoooopid. I mean, why is she pointing the camera at me when we should be going going going?

On Sunday we took a walk through the woods at Knightshayes Court. I was supposed to be on the lead, but who can resist. As soon as I was set free I hurtled off down the path with excitement. I just love paths in the woods. This is me coming back when called - just close enough to be seen, but no closer.
I think I was designed for autumn colours.

My new favourite activity is chasing leaves. At home, Mum rakes big piles together which I bomb at high speed, but I also love it when Dad kicks them up for me.
Trust me, Mum grumbles about low light and slow shutter speeds the whole time.

Coming to geeettt yooooouuuu.....

The woods aren't that big, and soon we are back in pasture where I am on the lead. Mmmm, tasty sheepy poo snacks.
We bravely made it past this bull and through the gate. Actually, he was very relaxed, which is just as well as we're all hopeless with cattle. I get quite nervous and bark at them. Dad hides behind me. heh heh. Mum usually tries to shoo them off with shouts and arm waves, but after stories like this tends to chicken out and turn back on walks if they get too interested.

Autumn is just as much fun as summer in my mind. Maybe they were lying about winter too. Maybe all that talk of grey, wet, windy days is just a story they make up to scare pups like me.

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.

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.

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.