Boxing Day Walk

We all felt the need for a bit of fresh air today, so we went and climbed a mountain. No, not really, but it was fun.

Merry Christmas!

Just look at that. Presents!

This one is for me.

Tearing the paper is the best fun. And finding biscuits inside.

Look, I got another Christmas cat!

Latest fashion

They bought me a coat, and I love it because it keeps me warm and dry. I do look smart, don't I?

Just checking

I seem to remember that when this is put up, there are presents to be found under it. Not yet? I'll keep looking.

Bad Dog

When I want to be bad, I do naughty things, like pinching the dishtowel. Look, I got it! Chase me!

The Christmas Cat

Here I am, a freshly knitted cat. I look good, don't I? But I have a grim fate. Like my predecessors, the annual knitted Christmas cats, I am destined to be Tess' present, and will most likely end up shredded and torn apart before the holiday is over. Which is why I do not look very happy.

Cold Days

What a big ball. And hard. I can't take this one home with me.
Everything smells so much fresher when the ground is frozen, but I do miss the warm, sunny days.

Today - and yesterday

I just love the smell of seaweed.
We went for a walk by the sea today . . .

and yesterday we found a nice path.

Eating

I am the fastest eater there is. I can finish my dinner in seconds and if I get a treat I swallow it immediately, whole. Mom says: Tess, chew your treat. Savour it. But I don't do that. I gobble everything up as fast as I can, and then go over to them and look at them pleadingly. More?

Yesterday . . .

In the morning our house suddenly filled with visitors. I was worried and tried to make myself very small and invisible, because I did not know them. A couple of months ago strangers came here and took me away to the dog hospital. How did I know that these people were not all vets, coming to take me away? Mom's book club, were they? That's ok then.

In the afternoon we went for a lovely walk by a lake, where I had a paddle and found a good stick to take home with me.

Dog walks

We do not walk with the big group of dogs and their people any more. It is just us; we walk slowly and our walks are shorther than they used to be. Mom says that there are too many young and boisterous pups in the group now, and they could knock me over, but I think it is her age catching up with her. This suits me fine, I get to do all the sniffing I need and am always well informed about who has been around: dog, fox, cat or human.

Playtime

After my dinner I get very energetic and usually grab one of my toys for a little playtime. Unfortunately I am the only one that likes to play in this house, the two of them are both getting old and it is hard to get them to play with me.

Look at me now . . .

It is hard to believe that a couple of months ago I had a shaved belly and a big scar in the middle. I am in fine fur now, and after yesterday's bath I smell of camomile and marigold.

Beauty spot

I have a white spot on my nose. I got it years ago, when I was given a chew bone for a treat, and I took it outside and used my nose to bury it in the sharp gravel behind the house. My nose got scraped and the black pigment never came back. It makes me look special, doesn't it?

Waterdog

There is nothing like a nice, cool swim.

Behind Bars

I know I managed to get in here myself, but I don't remember how, so please help me find the way out!

Fit For Anything

I can go for longer walks now, and this afternoon we went for a walk in the country. There were cows, rabbit droppings, and a lake. I loved it. I went for a swim, even though I was told not to. I stepped in cow mess, and I disappeared into the shrubbery, looking for rabbits and did not obey when called. When we were going back to the car I pulled the lead so that mom walked into a barbed wire fence, and tore her jacket. Maybe not a walk enjoyed by all. Just me.

Chewbone

When I am given a chewbone, I turn. I am no longer the loving pet, a member of a human family, but a wild, bad animal. A primeval creature from long, long ago. A wolf ....
I do not spend many happy hours chewing my “bone.” I defend it. I growl and show my teeth to anyone who comes near me. I become frantic with worry being responsible for looking after it. I walk all over the house carrying it, trying to hide it in corners where nobody can see it. I want to go out into the garden to bury it. Then I forget where I put it and comb all the places where I tried hiding it, because everywhere smells of it now.
Maybe this is the reason I am rarely given a chew bone.

Sausageday

Every Saturday I get sausages. It is their "fry-up" day, but I do not get bacon, I get three "wee willies" - which are tiny sausages meant for kids. We all get an egg. I love Saturdays.

The Esplanade

This is called The Esplanade. It is by the river, and not as interesting as the beach or the wood. Here a dog has to walk on a lead in a civilized way.

Miracle Dog

This is something they never thought they would see again. Me having fun on the beach. But here I am, just three weeks after my life saving operation, running down for a short dip in the Clyde.

Stitches

The vet took the stitches out yesterday, but I did not even notice. I am feeling great, and they say they cannot keep up with me now. I am not surprised, they have suddenly got a lot older, both of them. Hobbling behind me, dad all bent over (from lifting and carrying me while I was ill?) and mom walking with a stick because her back has seized up on her. She says it is all the stress and worry. They better shape up, because I am ready for action!

Pink belly

When I woke up at the vet's my belly had been shaved and I had a line of blue stiches where my little belly button used to be. If they had shaved all of me, I would be a pink dog.

A little fresh air

Look what they have done to me. Shaved my front leg to stick needles in it, and you should see my belly. I don't know what happened. I even lost my appetite, which really worries them, and they keep offering me all sorts of things. I take the opportunity and only eat what I really like, such as steamed chicken, scrambled eggs and chips. I am feeling much better, and even managed to sit outside for a while today.

Small steps

Tess is making small steps toward recovery. She is now eating, little bits of chicken at the time, and sleeping a lot. She is still restless, and when she stands up, she is reluctant to sit down again, and walks about the house, moaning. We take her to the vet every day, for her antibiotic and pain medication. According to the vet the operation was successful, so all we need to do is making her as comfortable as possible while she recovers.

Tess is back home

Tess came home yesterday. Very glad to see us, but also very restless and sore. We take turns watching over her. She is never alone.

Operation

Tess became very ill again on Sunday and spent last night at the vet's surgery on a drip. She had an operation this morning and will hopefully come back home tomorrow.

Down by the Riverside

It was hot yesterday and they took me to the river. Usually we walk, but I don't do much walking these days, so we went in the car instead. It was lovely and cool and I found some good sticks.

I also found a bag of sweets lying about.

Refreshed and ready to go home.

Feeling better

Here I am, in the garden today, and glad to be home. I was kept in a cage at the vet's place, and had needles stuck in me, and now I am only allowed food for sick dogs and no treats. Lots of pills. I guess those pills must be working because my appetite is back and I am hungry.

Saturday

We got Tess home from the surgery this morning, but she is a very sick dog. She is on steroids and antibiotics, but I am afraid that we now need to be prepared for the worst. I cannot bear to think of losing her.

Tess is ill

During the early hours of this morning I woke up to find Tess in distress. She had breathing difficulties and could hardly walk, and was very restless. We called a vet, who came and took Tess away for tests at the surgery. She is still there, spending the night for observations. The blood test revealed that she possibly has something wrong with her liver. We went to see her this afternoon, and she was agitated, and wanting to go home.
This has been the worst day for us. We cannot believe this is happening. We pray that she responds to the treatment she is being given and that she will come home again.
Tess' mom.

Summer

Is there anything more fun than coming upon a clear mountain stream on a hot summer day?

TessTalk

Sunny Sunday

I love the warm sunshine, but when it gets too hot for a black dog . . .

. . . then I crawl into a hole I dug myself under a tree in the garden.

When is a Tick Not a Tick?

There is a lot of ticks about. Many of my friends have had some this spring, and yesterday mom and dad found one on me. They decided to remove it with tweezers. Big operation, big fuss. Surgical spirit, cotton wool, me getting held while dad worked away at the tick. It just would not come off. It got squeezed and deflated and bruised, but that was all. First thing this morning off we went to see the vet. After a little pinching and a lot of looking came the verdict: It is a skin flap. Not a tick. Embarrassing for mom and dad, but it made them feel they owed me. To compensate for my suffering we went for a day out at Loch Lomond. A walk, a swim, and lots of nice treats. Lucky tick.

Sunday Morning in the Park

I do not know this guy, but his owners called him Angus. They were throwing sticks for him to fetch, so I dived in and got one of them.

There I am , to the left in the picture, with all my friends and their owners. I must admit that I like the owners better that their dogs, because most of them carry biscuits in their pockets.

And then i saw a ball!

A dip before going back home.

Dog At Large

Our family did not get their mail last Saturday. Today the letters were delivered with "dog at large, 10.5.08" written all over them. This has caused some puzzlement. Usually special care is taken with the garden gate around the time the mailman is expected because the mailman does not like me. He has accused me of showing him my teeth. Did I somehow sneak out? Did the mail come at an odd time when I was not supervised? Was I actually "at large," and did I growl a little bit, and bare a tooth or two? Not me. It must have been stray.

The Stick

This picture is part of yesterday's series. Me and my stick.

Good morning Springtime!

Mom and I went for an early walk in the woods this morning. Just the two of us. There is a lot of flowers, birdsong and fresh green leaves, all of which mom finds fascinating, while I was more interested in chewing a stick.