Heat & high maintenance

We're really sorry about the length of this, Molly hasn't been well enough to help me write an update for a few days so we've got quite a lot to talk about!

Wednesday was horribly hot so I didn't go out for a walk & spent most of the day sleeping in the coolest spots I could find. I liked it when Molly gave me an ice cube to eat/play with.

I woke Molly up at 6.30am that morning with a hacking cough that resulted in me being sick on her bedroom carpet, oops! It was only a little bit & I was fine afterwards (she wasn't impressed that I went straight back to sleep while she had to scrub her carpet!) so she thinks I might have just eaten something that didn't agree with me. I also had a poo incident later that day after eating something I shouldn't have but Molly says you won't want to hear the details of that!

On Wednesday Molly had a couple of friends round & although I was good in the afternoon, I had to be shut behind the stairgates in the evening because I got quite silly with my excitement, oops!

I didn't sleep well that night because of the heat & neither did Molly. Luckily it was cooler on Thursday so Molly's dad took me for a walk at the local reservoir. While we were there I found a dead fish to rub my beard in. I was very pleased with myself because it was really really stinky but Molly wasn't so happy when I got home & insisted on washing & then brushing my head. Humph!

Apparently I was quite high maintenance that evening. Firstly I discovered a really tasty plant behind the garden pond so I was running around, jumping in it (the plant, not the pond - I'm not that foolish!), tearing leaves (with stalks attached) off & eating (not just chewing) them. Yum yum! Molly wasn't sure if it was harmful of not so tried to distract me but I just kept going back to it. So in the end she gave me a pizzle stick to distract me, yay!

Once I finished that I went to find Molly (who was in bed) & proceeded to try to lick her all over (mouth, nose, glasses, arm, elbow, leg, feet...). Molly attempted to stop me as she knew what I'd just eaten but I was bouncy & persistent!

Then I went into her parents' bedroom & stole one of her dad's slippers which I took downstairs to chew. I did a good "leave it" when Molly caught up with me though & got rewarded with food.

And then I chased a sparrow all round the garden. I thought that was great fun but Molly & her mum were worried I'd catch it so Molly's mum redirected me by asking me to follow a few simple commands away from the bird so it could get out the way.

On Friday morning I thought Molly ought to get up when I was ready to so I repeatedly jumped on her in bed & licked her face to try to get her going, hehe. Then her mum took me out for a walk before it got too hot. We saw lots of other dogs (whose owners must have had the same idea) & I wanted to play with every single one of them!

That morning I got really silly & overexcited & did a lot of mouthing with Molly & her mum. Molly thought it was a combination of the heat, overtiredness & hormones.

In the afternoon I got hold of one of Molly's prescription ordering sheets & shredded it all over the living room floor. That was good fun! I've also been enjoying bringing lots of leaves, twigs & other bits of plants inside & tearing them up, making quite a mess, hehe!

On Friday evening Molly, her younger brother & her dad ate their tea in the garden. After vacuuming up all the crumbs from the grass I had to find a way to entertain myself. I was still hungry despite having just eaten so was delighted when I found that the bucket that the dirty chickens' bedding is put into had been left on the ground (it's usually kept out of my reach). As you'll probably already know from reading this blog I just love eating poo! Luckily it took ages for anyone to realise what I was doing so I had time to eat lots of it!

That night there was a big storm. Molly was worried when I barked at the first few thunder claps as she thought we were going to be in for a long night. I didn't know what the noise was at first, hence the barking, but once I realised I was safe I just fell asleep! I did a bit more barking when I went outside for a wee later in the night but then fell asleep again in Molly's bedroom & apparently I slept through the most impressive part of the storm!

Saturday was quite uneventful. Molly was boring so I stuck like Velcro to her younger brother & then her dad when he came home because they were more exciting. Her dad took me out round the village & to the bowls club where he plays. We did some good "stay" practise there.

Our neighbours had a party that night. I didn't mind when it was light but was surprised they were still being noisy when I went outside for a wee at 2am so I had to bark to let them know I was there & guarding Molly. I quickly quietened down though when Molly called out her bedroom window to me.

Yesterday got off to a brilliant start. While Molly was still asleep her Mum was photographing a baby dunnock in the garden. She thought I was upstairs but I was watching carefully. When the time was right I ran out & ate it! I was really pleased with myself but for some reason Molly's mum was upset. I didn't mean to make her sad.

Molly's dad took me for two walks yesterday. The first was just around the village but in the evening he took me to the local woods. There were no cars in the car park (meaning there were no other people or dogs in the woods) so he let me off the lead! I had lots of fun exploring & even chased a fox!

Last night Molly's mum forgot to shut her bedroom door when she put her light out. I came upstairs a bit later & after greeting Molly I went into the next room to see her mum. Molly swiftly removed me from her bed before I got the chance to lick her though.

This morning I forgot Molly's mum was downstairs so when I heard footsteps coming upstairs I thought it was a burglar & barked lots to warn Molly & scare them off. This was at 8am & her dad was still asleep, oops! I was so relieved when her mum appeared!

I can't remember which day it was but to stop me running out the front door when it had to be open for a bit, Molly's dad asked me to do a "stay". I'd never really done one with him before & it was a different situation & location than usual but I did it perfectly so he was really impressed. Molly's mum wasn't so impressed though when she discovered that he'd encouraged me to do it sitting on the table, haha!

Talking of training, Molly hasn't been well enough to work on things like "stay" with me but a few days ago she had the idea of taking some of my food up into her bedroom to have on hand for when she feels up to a bit of training that she can do there. One of their things we've been doing is strengthening my recall. Yesterday I was making a fuss at the front door because a neighbour had knocked but Molly's dad went outside to speak to him rather than him coming in, so I didn't get to say "hello". So Molly called me from upstairs, expecting I'd be too distracted to listen, but I ran straight to her. She was impressed & I got food! Molly has also started trying to teach me to get on ("up") & "off" furniture.

I was 9 months old on Friday :)

I've continued to make Molly laugh with where & how I choose to sleep so here are a few photos for you plus a couple of extra ones that might make you smile.

 ^ This is what happens when me & Molly's younger brother are left unattended in her bedroom!

^ Despite having the choice of sleeping anywhere, including on the furniture,

on Saturday night I squashed myself up next to Molly's sofa

 

^ And last night I chose to snuggle up with the base of her office chair!

^ Don't I look so innocent? You'd never guess I'd just let out a silent but deadly fart in
Molly's bedroom & then swiftly moved into her parents' bedroom to save myself!