{"id":68,"date":"2010-04-22T13:23:48","date_gmt":"2010-04-22T13:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/?page_id=68"},"modified":"2018-04-16T22:19:53","modified_gmt":"2018-04-16T22:19:53","slug":"arnies-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/?page_id=68","title":{"rendered":"Arnie’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
Young Dog<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Arnie<\/a>

Arnie<\/p><\/div>\n

Once upon a time, long ago and far away, I lived with my Mum and sisters and life was pretty good.<\/p>\n

I guess I have no-one to blame but myself for what followed. My new humans tease me all the time that my nose will get me in to trouble and \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcshe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 has said more than once \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccuriosity killed the cat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and is likely to kill the dog as well!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

And so it happened: we were all out on a little hunting expedition when I got wind of a most exciting scent and I was off – my Mum and the sisters left miles behind \u00e2\u20ac\u201c well you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect much of girls can you?<\/p>\n

Life was just so exciting. I went through woods and fields until I was exhausted but a drink from a yummy scrummy muddy puddle followed by a nap in the sun soon sorted me out.\u00c2\u00a0 It was only then I realized how long it was since I had seen the others.\u00c2\u00a0 Slowly I sniffed my way back the way I had come. It was nearly dark by the time I got to where I had last seen the others.\u00c2\u00a0 I waited and waited, but no-one came back for me. That was the last time I saw my real family.<\/p>\n

I was a pretty resourceful lad however and was soon able to fend for myself. If push came to shove I could manage on mice and snails but I found a place where lots of humans came to dig and plant things. They often seemed to bring food with them and would throw me bread and sometimes tasty bits of meat and cheese.<\/p>\n

One day someone threw me a bone, which I wanted to bury for later.\u00c2\u00a0 There was lots of nice soft earth and I was just getting to work when a man yelled at me and started chasing me with a spade \u00e2\u20ac\u201c oops, I must have been about to dig just where he had buried his bones!\u00c2\u00a0 The more I thought about it the more likely this seemed, perhaps that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what all these people were doing – burying bones?\u00c2\u00a0 The more I tried to dig the angrier people got, first trying to keep me away with spades and brooms, then trying to catch me \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but I was much to clever.<\/p>\n

Then one day, when I was obviously not at my best, someone did get hold of me.\u00c2\u00a0 I was lured into a shed by people offering me a juicy looking bone only to find the door shut behind me.\u00c2\u00a0 Later they took me to their home where they fed me and gave me a nice warm bed; perhaps life wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to be so bad after all!<\/p>\n

Next day however they all went way and left me locked in. \u00c2\u00a0I thought it was a mistake and tried to find a way out.\u00c2\u00a0 First I tried to claw my way through the door. I managed to get a lot of wood out but gave up in the end.\u00c2\u00a0 After a sleep I tried to tunnel under the floor.\u00c2\u00a0 The carpet presented no problem, in fact it was quite fun, but again I was defeated by wood.\u00c2\u00a0 I made quite an impression on the floor-boards but couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get through.<\/p>\n

When the humans came back they seemed pretty upset, in fact they really freaked out. They bundled me into their car and took me to a place called Raystede<\/a>. I have to admit everyone there was really nice.\u00c2\u00a0 I was well fed and went on plenty of walks but there was no FREEDOM.<\/p>\n

After a while I was introduced to a number of new humans.\u00c2\u00a0 I was told if they liked me one of them may take me home with them.\u00c2\u00a0 Well this could be my way back to freedom, so I smirked at them all, rubbing up against their legs, rolling on my back and generally acting the clown.\u00c2\u00a0 One dog, rather a smart looking bull terrier called Olly, who had been brought out with me to meet the humans said it was little short of prostitution \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but he got his comeuppance when the humans chose me not him!<\/p>\n

New Home<\/strong><\/p>\n

My new home was great \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in its own way;\u00c2\u00a0 I had plenty to eat and lots of time off my lead but not the same FREEDOM I had in my other life.\u00c2\u00a0 This was the price I had to pay for knowing my tummy wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be constantly rumbling with hunger and I would have a warm comfortable bed.\u00c2\u00a0 I was out all day with the man (\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 or \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I remember my mum and I know the humans aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t my real parents.)\u00c2\u00a0 But when He was out and about in his tractor or van the man nearly always took me with him and I was able to run free nearly every day.\u00c2\u00a0 If I was shut in I would still want to get out, but I soon learned not to try too hard. When I ate the mats and electric wires in his van, the man got really stressed.\u00c2\u00a0 Although I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand why, I soon stopped doing it because I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want him to be cross.<\/p>\n

I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t realise it at the time, but my exceptionally good nose was to become something of a mixed blessing.\u00c2\u00a0 The man was quite proud of the way I hunted\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and I was quick too.\u00c2\u00a0 When I was let loose in a field it was only minutes before I had caught two or three rabbits and I was soon able to add ducks, pheasant and even a mole to my list of successes.<\/p>\n

I should put in a warning here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c catching chickens is not <\/strong>a good plan… One day, I was taken to a farm and saw loads of them. As soon as the van door opened I was out and at them when suddenly, WHAM! – I found myself bouncing straight back!\u00c2\u00a0 Ouch! my poor nose.\u00c2\u00a0 And how all the humans laughed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c with not a thought for my wounded dignity.\u00c2\u00a0 I was too shocked to even try to make my ungainly leap look like nothing more than a joyous bound of pleasure at being alive on such a bright summer day.\u00c2\u00a0 It seems that chickens have a defence system called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcelectric fence\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if they all have it.\u00c2\u00a0 I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t dared try again so \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a word from the wise – BEWARE \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Pride however would soon prove to come before a fall.<\/p>\n

One cold dark evening I had gone down to sort out a hay delivery with the man when I caught a good strong scent \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I just had to follow it.\u00c2\u00a0 I heard Him calling me but I hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t time to stop.\u00c2\u00a0 I followed the scent down the drive \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was getting stronger and stronger.\u00c2\u00a0 It was so enticing and I knew without a doubt I would soon catch up with whatever was leaving such an irresistible trail.<\/p>\n

Suddenly the world was exploding around me – bright lights – screeching – shouting and pain – so much pain.\u00c2\u00a0 I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move, I wanted to run away and hide, but my legs felt all wrong \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and they wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go straight.<\/p>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t remember much of the next few days, but when I got home both my front legs were all bandaged up and they stayed that way for months.\u00c2\u00a0 I was told the bandages were called splints and I would have to be careful for a few weeks as my legs had been broken and put back together.\u00c2\u00a0 One was held in place with a metal plate.\u00c2\u00a0 I was supposed to be quiet and rest my legs but with so many temptations constantly coming my way the splints were broken more than once.\u00c2\u00a0 Everyone tells me how lucky I was to have such a brilliant surgeon.\u00c2\u00a0 He was called Mr Draper and they said he looked after me in a place called Worthing, although I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t remember anything about it.\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway, he must have been pretty good, \u00c2\u00a0as my legs seem ok now.<\/p>\n

Well, the next thing was that because of all these scrapes, it was decided I should go to school.\u00c2\u00a0 So off I went to start on what they called an introductory course at Uckfield and District Dog Training Club.\u00c2\u00a0 It didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really seem to make a lot of sense to me, and what with one thing and another I ended up taking this course FOUR times before I worked out that if I did what they wanted me to I got rewarded with FOOD.\u00c2\u00a0 Once I got that sussed there was no stopping me.\u00c2\u00a0 Suddenly I was the star of the class! In next to no time I found myself being moved up from Class 1 to Class 2 and before much longer into Class 3.\u00c2\u00a0 I even managed to get these things called rosettes and shields on the way.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really understand the point of that.\u00c2\u00a0 They didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t taste very good and were no fun to play with.\u00c2\u00a0 But they made my new owners happy and they fussed over me quite a lot, so that was fine with me.<\/p>\n

Little by little I was getting to like my new life and, after I had had a long enough period of freedom would look forward to going home – so long as it was on my terms – and so long as no-one actually tried to catch me\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Enter George<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d all been rubbing along pretty well together for about three years when one fine sunny day, He said we were going to look at a possible addition to the family.\u00c2\u00a0 Next thing I knew, I was bundled into the van and off we went. Little did I realize this was to mark the end of life as I knew it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a life where I thought I was the centre of the universe.<\/p>\n

We went to a place called Linden Lodge Kennels where my kind are taken if we are picked up by a dog warden.\u00c2\u00a0 This funny, scruffy, tiny spitfire of a dog was brought out.\u00c2\u00a0 He was quivering and bristling all over, but somehow I felt it was only a mixture of fear and bravado and that he probably wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a bad sort \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Just ignore him, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take the wind out of his sails\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I thought to myself.\u00c2\u00a0 And I was quite right, we went for a bit of a walk together and I reckoned we could probably brush along together pretty well \u00e2\u20ac\u201c so I decided I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d let him come to stay<\/p>\n

Many were the times I would rue THAT decision.<\/p>\n

\"Rowland<\/a>

George and me with Father (that’s a plant behind him he doesnt have that much hair!)<\/p><\/div>\n

In no time at all, he decided he was going to adopt my humans as his<\/span> family and they instantly became mum and dad to him.\u00c2\u00a0 Well, I could live with that, but next he decided his place was going to be on his \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdad\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 lap, which I was not <\/strong>going to allow.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d ever been a lap-dog myself and, as a matter of fact, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d rather looked down on that sort of thing, but I was here first and I was going to get up on that lap even if I had to sit on George too.\u00c2\u00a0 So that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exactly what I did.\u00c2\u00a0 But blow me down if the little blighter didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just respond by hopping up on my human\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulders and sitting there!\u00c2\u00a0 I did give this a try myself a couple of days later when George was sniffing round the kitchen, but I had to admit my legs probably were a bit long \u00e2\u20ac\u201c still \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it was necessary for the others to laugh at me\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00c2\u00a0 With as much dignity as I could muster I slipped back down on to His lap.\u00c2\u00a0 Those shoulders were pretty uncomfortable anyway, so George was welcome to them, so long as I could have the lap.<\/p>\n

Next problem was that little whippersnapper wanted constant attention.\u00c2\u00a0 Now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m quite happy to play with people if they reward me with tit-bits, but why would I want to play with George?\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d try to pretend to be asleep until he dropped a ball on my nose.\u00c2\u00a0 The cheek of it!\u00c2\u00a0 But eventually, after he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d done it half a dozen times I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d usually give in.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really take to this playing thing at first, but after a while I found a game I liked.\u00c2\u00a0 It was tug-of-war and the best thing about it was I knew I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d always win, which was a great way of reminding the little runt just who was the boss.<\/p>\n

The worst problem was how George always had to try and get rid of anyone who came within a stone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s throw of the house.\u00c2\u00a0 Now a couple of barks to let people know you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re there is one thing, but threatening all and sundry with instant death, just to prevent them coming any nearer is quite another.\u00c2\u00a0 All I could do was try to drown out his insults by barking even louder and longer myself.\u00c2\u00a0 They (my people) both tried to stop me, but once I started it was so exciting I just wanted to carry on, enjoying hearing the sound of my own bark, which I had always been rather proud of.\u00c2\u00a0 Although this always earned us both a good scolding we could never resist the temptation to do it again.\u00c2\u00a0 What was worse though was George didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know where to draw the line and carried on the same way when we went out for walks.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been taught to walk past quietly, whatever came along.\u00c2\u00a0 But that little urchin swore his way round our roads until it made my ears curl with shame.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d tell him off from time to time if he gave grief to my special mates, but it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make much difference.<\/p>\n

One thing was for sure and that was my life would never be the same again.\u00c2\u00a0 I gradually discovered though that good things could come out of even the most unpromising turns of event.\u00c2\u00a0 For some reason the bad feelings I had about George sitting on my human\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lap brought about a big change in the way I got on with Him.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really understand why, but He seemed pleased when I wanted to sit on his lap, and I started to think how lucky I was.\u00c2\u00a0 Almost without having noticed it happening, I realised I had become really attached to my new family.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think of them as Mum and Dad the way George did, but they were MY people.\u00c2\u00a0 The arrival of George had cemented my<\/strong> place in our home.<\/p>\n

Father \u00e2\u20ac\u201c found and lost<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only since I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve grown older and wiser and can look back on my life I can see it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just me who was reluctant to accept my humans as a new family they too had had a problem.\u00c2\u00a0 I found out they had had another dog before me who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been very much loved, especially by Him.\u00c2\u00a0 He was a Jack Russell and his name was Jo.\u00c2\u00a0 At first they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t talk about him much, but bit-by-bit I found out he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d died in some sort of accident.\u00c2\u00a0 My human had been beside himself about it and seemed to blame himself.\u00c2\u00a0 Looking back, I can see he still hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t got over it when I started living with them.\u00c2\u00a0 Sometimes He would look at me, shaking his head and looking sad.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d always say the say the same thing. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not half the dog Jo was\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 Well, at that time I might not have been to any of those fancy learning classes some dogs went to (and which would later become part of my life) but even I knew being half a dog was not much use to anyone, so I can tell you it made me feel pretty bad about myself even though the woman was always kind to me, saying he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d soon learn to appreciate me for myself.\u00c2\u00a0 But it was a long time before I got over that feeling of hurt and rejection.<\/p>\n

Now, as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said I can just about remember my mum and being part of a pack, so I knew my humans weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t my real family, but over the years <\/em>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to look at them as my pack.\u00c2\u00a0 I could never feel quite settled in the evenings until they were both home.\u00c2\u00a0 If one was late I felt it was my duty to listen out for the other\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s return; humans aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t much good at that sort of thing – I suppose it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not surprising with their funny little ears.\u00c2\u00a0 So anyway, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d always be listening out for the missing one and could hear them ages before the other human had any idea they were coming.<\/p>\n

This feeling of being part of a pack grew over time and later, when I started going to one of those schools I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d heard about and managed to do rather well, the man started being proud of me.\u00c2\u00a0 I could tell from the spring in his step and the lightness in his voice that he was really excited when we went home with one of those funny rosette things.\u00c2\u00a0 And when they both disappeared off for a meeting and came back with what they told me was the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmost improved dog\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 shield I though he was just about going to burst with pride.\u00c2\u00a0 I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really understand why, but somehow all this seemed to make him love me more and by and by I notice he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d stopped comparing me with the other dog, Jo.<\/p>\n

My next amazing success came after about two years when I was taken to Agility Training, which I took to like the old proverbial duck to water that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m always hearing about.\u00c2\u00a0 There was a small difference of opinion about this, which they called a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcconflict of interests\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 The problem was that it was done out of doors.\u00c2\u00a0 The conflict was that my human\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interest in having me take part in the activity didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work well with my yearning for freedom!\u00c2\u00a0 I really and truly loved leaping skywards over the jumps, running up and down the apparatus and especially showing off my prowess on the see-saw, to say nothing of gobbling down all the tit-bits that flowed freely when I did what they wanted, but after a bit I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d usually give in to the call of the wild and mosey off on my own for an hour or two.\u00c2\u00a0 The humans responded by making me wear what they called a flexi-lead.\u00c2\u00a0 Personally, I called it a blooming nuisance, as it really slowed me down, especially through the tunnel, where my lead was taken off at one end and put back at the other before I had time to plan an escape.\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway, as they keep telling me, every cloud has a silver lining (although I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never seen what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so special about that.\u00c2\u00a0 You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t eat silver and its no fun to play with.\u00c2\u00a0 I should know – I really hurt my teeth on some one day).\u00c2\u00a0 But it was the old flexi-lead that gave rise to my next great success.\u00c2\u00a0 As we were approaching the tunnel my human dropped the lead, so I grabbed it by the handle and ran through the tunnel holding it in my mouth before returning it to her at the other end.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only did this result in huge applause from the humans who were watching me, as well as a good handful of treats, but also it really cemented the relationship between the man and me.\u00c2\u00a0 You could tell he was always sad about the other dog and never forgot about him, but somehow I knew deep down that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d won my own place in His heart.<\/p>\n

When George come to live with us my feeling of being part of a pack had grown even stronger though I was quite envious of how he seemed able to come in and replace his own family with the new one so easily.\u00c2\u00a0 It took a while before I realised this was just his way of dealing with his own fear and loss.\u00c2\u00a0 But it did make me think more about myself and things like how sitting on my human\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lap more often had given us a much closer bond.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never go as far as George and call him dad, but he was becoming like a father to me \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to think of him over the years.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Hmm yes \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfather\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 it gives me a feeling of belonging without any loss of independence.\u00c2\u00a0 Comfortable, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d call it.<\/p>\n

So all in all, life was pretty perfect.\u00c2\u00a0 There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been a few blots on the old landscape.\u00c2\u00a0 One was when, long before George came, I was sent away, on what they told me was a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcholiday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 for a couple of weeks.\u00c2\u00a0 At the time I was frantic.\u00c2\u00a0 I thought I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never see my family again and I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work out what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d done that was so bad they had sent me away.\u00c2\u00a0 It took me ages after they came to get me before I could believe they still wanted to have me back.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d missed me as much as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d missed them.\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway it was the best feeling in the world to know I was where I felt I now belonged.\u00c2\u00a0 It took me a while to work out that this sudden disruption was because father had to go to some place called a hospital for an operation.\u00c2\u00a0 I suppose it was a bit like when I broke my legs, but he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the same bandages as me when he came home.\u00c2\u00a0 The worst thing was I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t allowed to lie on his lap for a while.\u00c2\u00a0 They kept telling me I hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t done anything wrong and dada still loved me, but I really missed feeling his warm legs underneath me, to say nothing of the titbits he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s slip me when he thought mum wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t looking.<\/p>\n

Then there were the days Father had to go off for something they called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcchemo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 It didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sound like much fun. \u00c2\u00a0Mum always went with him and I heard them talking about it when they came back.\u00c2\u00a0 So George and I got to do plenty of barking at the window without getting told off while they were out \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but somehow nothing was the same without them.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0It was about this time that he explaining that I mustn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put my paws on his chest as he had a special tube put in to make medicine go inside him.\u00c2\u00a0 He went on to say that it had been done by this chap who he really liked, (he was a surgeon like Mr Draper) whose name was George \u00e2\u20ac\u201c father considered this to be a really good name \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll call my next dog George\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he had thought \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and that\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153is how your young brother got his name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 As I said, we were left alone all day on chemo days, except when my friend Pam came to take us for a walk.\u00c2\u00a0 I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind telling you Pam\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one in a million.\u00c2\u00a0 I met her at my Club and sometimes I go to her house and see her dog George, short for Georgie Girl (a few too many Georges around!).\u00c2\u00a0 One of these occasions was when Father finished his medicine treatment and they threw a party for him to celebrate.<\/p>\n

All was soon back to normal, Father was back to work and I went with him in the van or in his tractor, George tagged along and we settled down into a routine.\u00c2\u00a0 But before long the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcchemo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 days came back and we also had to go on more \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcholidays.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c2\u00a0 But these times weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as bad as when I was sent away before.\u00c2\u00a0 Partly it was because I had George with me, but mainly because I knew now that eventually I would go home, back to father.\u00c2\u00a0 But these holidays still weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t good things as although they always welcomed us and gave us and gave us plenty of food and exercise we missed home and it beats me why humans get so excited by planning their own holidays.<\/p>\n

Little by little, almost so as you could scarcely notice from day to day, Father seemed to be slipping away from us.\u00c2\u00a0 We didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go out for long walks any more and he seemed to just want to sit with me on his lap and George round his neck.\u00c2\u00a0 Eventually father was spending a lot of time upstairs in his bed where we weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t allowed to go, so we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even get to see him every day.\u00c2\u00a0 Then a time came, after we hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen him for two or three days, when we were taken out in the garden and when we came back he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there any more. We hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen him go \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we just knew.\u00c2\u00a0 A week or so later we went on another \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcholiday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 but this time when we came back there was no father to greet us.\u00c2\u00a0 I slunk off into my cage and hunkered down to wait for him.\u00c2\u00a0 I only came out to eat and go for walks but although I waited and waited for him, he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come back.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 It felt as if a light had gone out in my life.<\/p>\n

Then one day I heard His tractor coming to the house and I ran out wagging my tail nineteen to the dozen, yelping with excitement because I knew he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d come back after all and I wanted to be there to greet him.\u00c2\u00a0 But when I got to the gate I saw it was only his friend Dasher.\u00c2\u00a0 Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get me wrong, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing wrong with Dasher.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great guy, but the disappointment was like a great weight crushing down on me so I could hardly breathe.\u00c2\u00a0 And then the woman came and took me back into the house and snuggled me down on her lap, which normally I would have enjoyed, but she told me that father wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t coming back \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 ever.\u00c2\u00a0 My heart felt as though it had turned to stone and broken in pieces\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d only just learned to love and trust Him and now he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d gone and left me, without even saying goodbye.<\/p>\n

Onwards and Upwards<\/strong><\/p>\n

I desperately missed Father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s love and attention and the loneliness constantly gnawed away at me, but George monopolised Her twenty-four seven, and somehow I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to push myself forward.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe it was because I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t face the possibility that she might not want me now George was a permanent fixture on her lap or round her ankles.\u00c2\u00a0 But she seemed to understand how I felt and coaxed me out of my special place for a cuddle each day.\u00c2\u00a0 It was around this time that I started to think of her as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 Walks became longer again and I went back to school – Club on Mondays and Club Agility on Wednesdays.<\/p>\n

Getting back into some kind of routine helped a lot and soon I found I was sitting with Mother and George most evenings, either on her lap or in my day bed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a soft round nest-like object that helped make me feel safer and more secure.\u00c2\u00a0 I still liked to go and lie in my special place, which at this point perhaps I should explain.\u00c2\u00a0 When I had first come to live with them, Father and Mother had bought me a cage to sleep in.\u00c2\u00a0 It was very cosy as it had a big squidgy cushion to snuggle down in and a cloth over the top turning it into a lovely, safe, dark cave.\u00c2\u00a0 I had been locked in for the first few nights, but after that I was more than happy to be there, especially if I was upset or frightened.\u00c2\u00a0 It was my den and I came to think of it as my special place, where no one else could go and I could be alone with my thoughts if I wanted to.<\/p>\n

Much to my regret agility with the Club only lasted until August, when the evenings draw, in but little did I know that Mother had something extra planned.\u00c2\u00a0 A couple of weeks later I started going to a new school at a place called Sandhills<\/a>, where two very nice humans called Val and Tracy were teaching agility.\u00c2\u00a0 To my amazement, after a few words with Val mum took my lead off and I was FREE!\u00c2\u00a0 I rushed excitedly round and round the field, looking for a way out, but eventually I realised there wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t one.\u00c2\u00a0 It was only then I noticed loads of jumps, an A frame, seesaw, tunnels and dog-walk – just what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been used to at the Club Agility.\u00c2\u00a0 Mother asked me to show the nice lady what I could do and I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind telling you, I could scarcely wait to start strutting my stuff.\u00c2\u00a0 I knew I was good at this sort of thing and it was surprising what a difference it made not being able to escape.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d always enjoyed agility, but now I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have half my mind on a bit of diversionary exploration I found it SO much better!\u00c2\u00a0 I began to watch Mother as she pointed my way round the course, learning about things Val called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcpull-ins\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcpush-aways\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and throwing a ball over the jumps for me to chase, so I knew it was ok for me to leap away from her, soaring over the jumps.\u00c2\u00a0 It was so much fun that I began to look forward to my lessons here just as much as going to Club<\/p>\n

Sadly, as the days grew shorter and colder, it got too wet to be spending so much time out-of-doors, so I had a bit of a rest for a couple of months.\u00c2\u00a0 But even these were not uneventful as this amazing fluffy, white stuff kept falling down from the sky, making great white mounds all around us and covering the roads in a thick cold white blanket. Mother took us out for the longest walks each morning and although it was quite fun to play in at first it soon stuck to my fur and made my paws icy cold, so I was always glad enough when it was time to turn round and go home. Afternoon walks were shorter, but it got dark so early we were only too happy to get back indoors where it was always warm and toasty, night and day.<\/p>\n

Soon new games came along, in the form of what mother called Flyball and Obstacle.\u00c2\u00a0 I called them jolly good fun.\u00c2\u00a0 Another really cool human called\u00c2\u00a0Julia<\/a> taught me how to play them.\u00c2\u00a0 Flyball involved some of my favourite things – running, jumping and fetching – with a few treats for doing well.\u00c2\u00a0 I have to say I was pretty good at it and it gave me the opportunity to show one of my girl friends, Flossie, what a smart chap I was.\u00c2\u00a0 She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s quite cute in her own way and I was pleased to see she seemed to have taken a bit of a shine to me, so I was happy enough for her to follow around with me to try to pick up a tip or two.\u00c2\u00a0 It was good to see her growing more confident and I was glad to have been able to help her.\u00c2\u00a0 Even if I say it myself she is getting pretty good now she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got the hang of bringing the ball back to please the humans.<\/p>\n

Flossie lives with another dog called Jessie and their human sometimes brings them out with Mother and me and all of us dogs go for a good run in a place where there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s loads of trees, which they call a forest.\u00c2\u00a0 Even George likes Flossie and Jessica, which is good and quite surprising, as he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find it easy to make friends like I do.<\/p>\n

But back to the other new game, Obstacle, now that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not so easy for me, it involves obedience and agility, so I really have to stop and think.\u00c2\u00a0 I guess we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t all be good at everything and I have to confess, I think they must have caught me snoozing as they handed out obedience when I was a pup.\u00c2\u00a0 I had to try to learn these things like walking backwards and doing a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcstand\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00c2\u00a0 Mother told me she was supposed to have taught me how to do them, but somehow she had never worked out how to get me to understand what she wanted me to.\u00c2\u00a0 One of the things I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found hardest so far is doing the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcstand-stay.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c2\u00a0 As I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the yummy treats that really keep my interest in these games and usually I have to do a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 or a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdown\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to get a one, so as soon as I have stood up and mum starts on my well deserved \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgood boy,\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 without thinking I sit for my treat, then blow me down if the exercise doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to start all over again!\u00c2\u00a0 But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m please to say I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m eventually getting used to it.<\/p>\n

We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never been much of a family for doggie clothing, but you should see the way some of the dogs round here get all kitted out for their walks.\u00c2\u00a0 Father thought coats were only for what he called for wusses \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but our winter activities take place in a jolly cold tunnel made out of some plasticy stuff.\u00c2\u00a0 Being a bit of an athlete,\u00c2\u00a0it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important for me to keep my joints warm, especially when resting between mad spurts of activity like when I play Flyball, so Mother bought me a T-shirt and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to tell you, I do feel pretty darn cool in it (though perhaps that is not quite the right word as it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually rather nice and warm!).\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve noticed some pretty admiring glances from some of the other dogs, especially the girls.<\/p>\n

So – all in all life keeps on changing, but however bad it gets I just try to remember maybe there will still be something good round the next corner.<\/p>\n

Well that more or less tells you about my life so far \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I guess if anything else exciting happens I will just have to start a diary!<\/p>\n

………………………..<\/p>\n

I have had a few good but uneventful years living with Mummy and George.<\/p>\n

I have loved doing my obedience training and competing for our club and, in latter years, doing trick training but since the cold before last my memory has been less clear and sometimes I have hurts in my tummy and feel sick, then I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t eat.<\/p>\n

Mummy made me lots of special food and I tried to eat it to please her but sometimes I just couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.<\/p>\n

Now I just feel so tired and want to sleep<\/p>\n

Mummy has gone out with George for a walk and I think I will just stay here and sleep and dream of finding Daddy and meeting the Big Dog in that Kennel in the sky that they say is by a Rainbow Bridge<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So now to sleep \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

26.01.2018<\/p>\n

\n

My Diary<\/a><\/p>\n

My Legend<\/a><\/p>\n

Learning with me<\/a><\/p>\n

My home page<\/a><\/p>\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Young Dog \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0   Once upon a time, long ago and far away, I lived with my Mum and sisters and life was pretty good. I guess I have no-one to blame but myself for what followed. My new … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":3,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-68","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garniesdogblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}