A Dog's Work is Never Done..............

Phew, what a tiring day I had a couple of weeks ago. Mum and Dad decided to cut down a Willow tree is our garden and I was drafted in to help ................. well, it was my choice really, anything for a bit of fun!

When Dad cut off the branches Mum was piling them up into a big heap, so I helped. I dragged all the branches and lined them up. Every now and again I would pinch a little branch and pull it out of the pile and take it for a run around the garden.

This is me pulling the branches into a big pile. Eventually I made it into a den and climbed inside for a sit down and a rest.

I had to inspect every branch to make sure it would go onto my pile. I nibbled all the sticky out bits until they fit together properly.

My den was nice and cosy but Dad dismantled it and started to cut it up, I wasn't too happy about that so I kept taking all the cut up bits and hiding them.

It was hard work and very tiring so I had to keep having a rest and let those two have a play. Mum and Dad said I had worked hard and were very pleased with me.

Think I will just have a snooze they may have finished by the time I wake up if I am lucky.

Sweet Dreams Bertie............................ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to Bertie, Happy Birthday to me.

If you haven't guessed it is my birthday, well, yesterday 7th September. I am now 1 years old.

Mum made me a lovely hat (couldn't wait to rip it to shreds) with the number 1 on. I got a new collar and some delicious sausages and I had a little cake with a candle. We did not light it though, Dad thought I might go up in flames.

I couldn't wait to get stuck into my cake, hurry up Dad, take the wrapper off!

It took a lot of concentration to sit this still with that cake in front of me. Come on, hurry up and lets get onto the best bit.

Okay, I have had enough of this hat, let me get it off now! At one point it slid down my head and I looked like a Unicorn, but Mum was not quick enough with the camera to get that one.

Then I had a lovely tummy tickle off Dad but I kept sliding down the sofa onto the floor.

Oh well, that's one birthday gone, time for my walk now. I might wander round and see my friend Jake and have a play fight in the garden.

See you all soon.

Football Crazy!

Hi,

Here I am again, posing for my Mum to take my picture. Quick Mum, I've got things to do!

I think I sat for two minutes, good job Mum was quick cos I was off again!

Been busy this week, perfecting my football skills. I am so quick on my feet that this photograph is slightly blurred. I think I could play for Newcastle United, I am a very good goal keeper too.

This is me dribbling my football. Nobody can take it, if they try I just run into the trees and cause another blur.

Have they gone yet?

Good, then I will sit down and keep my ball here, just in case.

Whoops, I was giving Auntie Rachel the evil eye here, she was trying to sneak up on me and get my ball. Better stick my teeth in there and keep tight hold.

Gerroff................. it's mine I tell you!

I do let go when I am told but I like to keep hold of it so I get a chase around the garden, just like I do when I drag the cushions from the sofa and take them for a run. Mum does tell me off for that, I do get them in a mess especially if the garden is wet and muddy.

Well, better get back to football practice, see you next time.

Holidays

Hi, me again.

I have just come back from my holidays. We went to stay in a little cottage in Ousby, near Penrith. We had a wonderful time, and I was 'good', well, most of the time.

Every day we jumped in the car and went for a ride. One day we went to Aira Force and walked along to the waterfall. I had to sit very still when people walked past me, the path was not very wide and I think Mum was frightened I would push somebody over, it was a long drop and at one point we were really high.

There were some really strange trees, this one is a fallen trunk and lots of people have hammered money into it.

Mum liked this one, a Monkey Puzzle Tree, but I couldn't see any monkeys! Mum said it looked as though the trunk had slipped to the bottom.

This is me admiring the view.

I went for a paddle in Glenridding, the water was lovely and cold. I wanted to go in a little further but Dad was a spoil sport and wouldn't let me.


We had a game of hide and seek but I couldn't quite get the hang of it. I don't think this fern was big enough. Anyway Dad's legs gave it away.


This was my favourite sleeping place at the cottage, looks as though I had 'one too many' the night before but it was lovely and cool. It was very strange during the night, all sorts of funny noises. But by the end of the week I was defending my territory and barking fit to burst when I heard strange things during the night.


Last Sunday we went to Keswick to meet Sally, Johanna and Neil. We had a lovely morning and it was nice to make friends with Sally. We had a walk along by the Lake and we both got some admiring glances, then we all went for a nice cup of tea and Sally and I had an ice cream. It was my first but yum yum ...... it won't be my last!

Sally likes ice cream too. I don't think my tongue could have got any further down the cone.

I hope we can see Sally again, I think we could be good friends.

It was lovely on holiday but I am pleased to be back home, I took my football with me but there was nowhere to play with it. I missed running about in the garden but I have been rather naughty since I got back, pinching cushions and I chewed Dad's belt and my Mum's spare pair of glasses while they were out on Saturday. I got wrong for that.

I will have to try harder to be good, tomorrow, I will I promise ............ or maybe the next day.............. or possibly next week!

Wonder where I can persuade Mum and Dad to take me next!

My, How I've Grown

Hi Bertie here again.

I was looking at some photo's of me when I was younger and came across this one of me & Auntie Rachel. Wasn't I little!



And then Mum took this one of me & Auntie Rachel again and look how much I have grown in six months I can nearly pinch her hat!

I have been busy this week watering the garden, This is me taking a rest, mind you half of the water ran out by the time I got to the plants, I accidentally chewed the side out. But it was fun trying. I am quite fond of stripping the leaves off the tree too.

I do like a cuddle but I am a bit too big to sit on Mum's knee, so I sort of leave my back feet on the floor and lean over and get a cuddle that way.

Peeping Tom

Hi everybody, just dropped in to say hello again.

This is me looking through the bedroom window. If the door is closed and I need to get into the house and Mum and Dad are busy, I stand on the seat outside and peer in to see where they are. Sometimes if the window is wide open I will stick my head in and shout. Mum caught me one day when I did that and told me not to climb in case I fell ..... but I still do it!

I like a nice comfy bed to lie on and this one is very nice but ................. I am not allowed and I have to get off.

Perhaps, if I don't look at Mum she will just leave me! ............... Some hope.



I think I will have a go at crafting like Mum, just look at this delicately nibbled toilet roll, it would look lovely as a frill on a card!

How do you like my new dish. Every time I had my dish outside I went for a paddle in it, when all the water had gone I then had a game of football with it. Dad could never find it when he came to fill it up. So my clever Dad gave it a cement overcoat, only thing is I can't move it now. I expect Mum will paint it if it sits still long enough. I can still paddle in it but not play football ................ never mind, the watering can is a good play thing. Now where did I leave it.

Class Mates

Hi, me again.

Well, I have just done my fourth class and I thought I would introduce you to some of my fellow class mates. This is me going through my paces with Dad.

We had to sit first and then walk around the cones to let everybody know when I was born. We then had to walk around our phone number, each cone has a number on it. We all had to try very hard not to knock one over.

This is me with Keegan, he is small but he has a big voice and likes to bark a lot.

This is Sox. Sox used to race on a big track but then he got too old and he retired. I like Sox, he doesn't bark at me. He is laid back and relaxed. When we practiced our sit and stays, Sox lay down and went to sleep for five minutes. In the right hand corner of this photo is our newest recruit Bailey, he is an Australian Labradoodle. Every time I go near him he jumps two foot in the air. I think we might have to be especially nice to him till he settles in.

This is me waiting for our next game. We can take a toy to play with to relax while we wait.



I did some very good sit & stays at this class, while Dad had to work and pick balls up and put them into a bin. Our homework for this week is to build up our stays till I can do a whole minute. I can do 30 seconds now before Mum shouts for me but I do get bored after that but we are working on it.

When we come home I am very tired, Dad sat on the floor with me and I got a nice cuddle.

Classes

Hi, me again. With a quick report on my classes.

Mum and Dad say I am very good and did everything I was told and I didn't jump on anybody! There were five other pals there with their owners and we had to walk around and say 'hello' to each other and if we did this nice and calmly we all got a treat. The first week I was in the top section as I could sit and lie down on command. We learned how to walk to heel and the lady who was the trainer took me from Mum to demonstrate. She held a nice piece of smelly Stilton cheese that Mum had taken as a treat and I kept my eye on that as we walked round. I stuck to her side like glue, I could taste that cheese before I got it. We only had one problem with the cheese, it was in a plastic bag in Mum's pocket and it sort of melted, so it got a bit more smelly and crumbly before the lesson was over. We have practiced a lot at home and I am quite good at that now.

The second week Dad took me. Again I was very good, we had to walk between cones and not knock them over. I was quicker by three whole seconds. I did not do so well with a recall. They had lots of nice interesting things lying all over on the floor, I picked up a fluffy toy instead of going straight to Dad and then he ran out of the door. I thought he was leaving me and I wasn't having any of that, so I chased him. Phew, I'm glad I caught him quickly.

This is me waiting for the start of our class.

After we had finished we went to the pub for a drink.

We sat outside and relaxed and watched the world go by.

Wonder what we will do at our next class?