Three weeks have flown by.

 In a haze of mostly office stuff, see the office blog for that.
The pups are doing very well although we’ve had a few setbacks, mainly a tummy bug.  Dido was being picky with her food and I thought it was just the dish problem but somewhere along the line she’d picked up a bug which eventually resulted in a very messy yard and cage and of course shortly after Hester got it too.  They were really quite poorly, very flat and listless, not interested in anything at all really.  An overnight 18 hour starve (they’re not really big enough to do a full 24hrs) and small portions seemed to so the trick.  They both recovered quickly but a couple of days later Dido had a relapse with explosive results! This time round I thought vet assistance was required, if only to ease my mind, there was some rebounding in her guts which were loudly gurgling and a small area of tenderness.  One tube of puppy ‘calf paste’ and small bland meals every couple of hours for the next few days was the prescription.  Dido was really good about going into the vets on her own, Hebe had come with us in the car but was left on guard.  Small complication - the aga was out (that’s another story) so only a microwave for cooking.  I picked up some cooked turkey and swiftly learnt to cook rice in the microwave. After 48 hours she was much improved and I started adding back in the Euk.  A week later she’s so much better that she eats a load of cut grass which ferments in her tum resulting in all of her tea making a reappearance in spectacular fashion over the course of a few hours until the brown gungy, smelly mess appears and then she’s looking for food again - brown bread and honey for an extra supper and by morning she’s thin but ravenous!  Even more so when I only let her have half her breakfast - well, that’s what happens when you eat things you shouldn’t.
So we lost a week’s worth of training but I don’t think it’s had a major impact, in fact being stuck inside we’ve been working on sit, which is coming on really well.  They will both sit on command both verbal and hand signal with words and hand signal without words; Dido will sit at a distance of 2-3 metres (assuming no distractions) but Hester still comes towards me before her bottom makes contact with the ground.  Hester is a more natural retriever and gift bringer and today we’ve started on wait before sending out. Dido is more inclined to take the retrieve and dash off with it, and on retrieve recall (different command from plain recall) will often drop it mid way back, in expectation of reward I think even though she’s never been given one after a retrieve - that brain of hers is sometimes too smart for her own good, you can see the problem going in, rattling around and off she goes with her chosen solution which usually involves feet or teeth!

The upset tums made me readdress the feeding regime.  The first brainwave was adding a splash of hot water to their dry kibble which is very sticky and requires lots of trips to the water dish.  Since starting to add the water they’re both noses straight in and gone in one sitting.  The second lightbulb moment was feeding times, we’ve always dropped lunch first giving them breakfast, tea and supper; however this wasn’t working this time round, our (or more precisely my) time schedule is different, there wasn’t long enough between tea and supper so supper was ending up at somewhere between 10 and 11 and I was having to wake them up for it and then keep them awake long enough to empty their tanks before bed; all in all not a good arrangement.  So lunch went back into the routine and supper has gone without being missed at all.

Poor Hester still keeps getting bad experiences when she’s out and about but now she gets over them faster so we’re building up some confidence there.  Dido has had a few scary moments and although she doesn’t quake like Hester it takes longer to settle back down and carry on in a normal fashion; Dido is also much more bouncy and wants to bounce on the world which means that sometimes our progress is more a series of kangaroo jumps than a sedate walk.  Hester trots along happily beside me being nudged back into place - until something scary happens!
They’re both coming along really well on their own; however, yesterday we had our inaugural two puppy outing and as an exercise in heel work it was not a success!  I had to do it much earlier than I had planned because we’ve been invited to a puppy party at the vets next weekend and I need to be sure I can manage both of them; apparently the answer is yes, but they’re not exactly at heel!  Oh well, it will come in time.
This week we’re going to start walks with Hebe, weather permitting taking it in turns to go for the morning paper which will reduce my walk schedule by one but also cut the length of Hebe’s morning outing  - we’ll make it up with playtime after dark.  At least that’s the plan but we have the builders starting work on Monday in the sitting room and Maia is at the vets on Tuesday for her second cartophen injection so things will remain fluid.

Hebe has been a real revelation, she’s a perfect Big Sis, stepping in to break up raucous playtime, playing gently with tug toys, sharing chewy toys but sometimes keeping one for herself, firmly but gently.  Watching at teatime (the one shared mealtime) and darting in to hoover up any spilt bits (she doesn’t know I’ve cut her ration to account for her ‘extras’!).  Although sometime she does take advantage because apparently puppies make perfect pillows during a hard day at work.

The pups are also forming their own Job Descriptions, they taken over shredding duties and will even sometimes read the papers for us.

I think I had read this one before Hester did...

Dido

They are so different.

Chunky Monkey Dido has grown into a long legged, square headed girl; she has a week of growing up until she’s a real skinny-ma-linky-long-legs and then a week of growing out until she’s puppy shaped once again.  Hester seems to grown all ways round although sometimes she’s a real plumpkin, her face is more rounded than Dido’s and she has much bigger eyes.  Dido is curious about everything and wants to help - no matter what you’re doing - she also sleeps less and really quite vocal, grunting to be let out, a different grunt for a cuddle (which are few and far between she doesn’t like being smothered) and whingy series of grunting when she’s desperate to stay awake and play a little longer but is dead on her paws. 

Hester

Hester in contrast loves to be cuddled and will tuck her head into your shoulder folding her legs in and doing a very good impression of a teddy bear, she too fights sleep but not as much as Dido, she needs more reassurance but contrarily is often the instigator at playtime and the one who has to be forcibly stopped for her own good. Hester watches what’s going on but only if you’re on the floor will she come to investigate  - usually with a gift in mouth; she has only two speed flat out top speed ahead and flat out asleep with very little inbetween.

So as Mr Robson says on GQT it’s onward and upward.

(and I will get those photos online....)

Walks and new dish

I've been out again, lots and lots of times. In the morning I go with the big girls to "get the paper" This means we walk to a building called 'Post Office'; we wait outside whilst The Girl goes in and then comes out again with a bag. Then we go home again. In the last couple of days I've been allowed to run with the girls on our road - without my lead. I go out again in the evening, usually on my own (well, with The Girl but not other dogs) we go lots of different places and see and meet lots of new people and things - it's all sooo exciting. At the weekend I went on my own on a different route and walked across a lot of grass and met these greyish woolly beasts called sheep. I'm not allowed to look at these - not sure why but anyway they're boring so that's OK.

But the really big news is that I have a new dish! it's the same as everyone elses. it's shiny stainless steel and holds more food than my little blue puppy dish. I'm growing fast and need lots of Euk. I was two stone on Saturday, that's around 13kg.

I went for a WALK!

What a big exciting world it is out there.

I went out of the gate on my new lead! Maia and I walked (well pranced a bit) 'around the block' turn left out of the gate, through another gate, along a hard road, across a bit of grass, along another road, turn left again and along our rumbly bumby road back our gate. I saw so many new things, hedges, gardens, people and cars. Loads of new smells too. Oh wow – can I go again please???

Ah, that's what it's for!

I know what the green harness is for. You wear it to go in the back of the car, not on the dog shelf but sitting on the back seat! We tried it out yesterday evening. I'm not sure about it, the other girls know where they sit and I've not found my place yet, I'm sure they'll make space for me; we'll have to try again.

New Clothes

Yesterday (Wednesday) was very good. To start with I got a new lead. It very smart, rope like the big girls but it clips onto my collar. It's a lovely shade of deep purply-red. And for once it's brand new not a hand-me-down. I got to try it out by walking round the garden, it goes very well. Then after a bit of sleep we went upstairs and flapped a yellow duster around – that's great fun. We also looked in lots more cupboards and out of one of them came a green harness. It fits round my chest and over my back; the girl fiddled with the straps and buckles and made it fit me very comfortably. I can run and jump and play and it doesn't bother me at all. But then it was taken off and I've not seen it since.

More adventures....

Monday - We had visitors today. Flag came to say hello, he's been in the wars and is wearing the most ridiculous lampshade. He was quite embarrassed about it and didn't want to play.

Tuesday – today's excitement was a new toy – it's a bell with a ball around it and it jingles when you roll it. It's really, really good. And more visitors, the people from the 'shop' (whatever that is) came to say 'Hi', they really liked me and stayed for a while. They have two Labradors but I wasn't allowed to meet them.

Wednesday – another boring day although there was a delivery of lots of boxes which were carried upstairs. After the boxes went upstairs they came back down again! My people do some very strange things. But I was allowed to investigate the boxes and I had lots of bits of cardboard to play with. I like cardboard. Later on after tea I worked out how to get past the boxes and climb the stairs, it's really good up there, lots of new rooms and things to sniff, lick, pounce on. And the doggie in the window is still there, I wonder it what it does when we're not there. I hope it doesn't get lonely.

When I went out after supper there was a strange browny green waddling thing, it didn’t taste very nice at all. Maia says it's a toad and to pick them up you carefully slide your bottom jaw under its belly and lift, that way you don't get the nasty taste on your tongue, but I don't think my mouth is big enough yet. I hope it comes back soon then I can try it.

Thursday. More office work, but I've been upstairs again. I really do like it up there. I walked round the garden on my lead again today. I'd still rather explore on my own but then again I do like all the good girls.

We had an interesting weekend.

Friday was a boring day, in the office again and despite my best efforts I couldn't distract the people but later on we opened lots of boxes and did things with heaps of paper. I like the boxes, they are lovely for chewing. Having had a boring day I wasn't very tired so I kept calling for playmates and distractions, but my people didn't seem too pleased to be out playing in the garden whilst it was still dark. Saturday morning we did interesting things in the house and garden, I got to investigate those cupboards again, I've not found any more yet but I'm sure there must be some somewhere. We trued the string on my collar again and I discovered that Maia has one too! She doesn't have a collar like mine just a big blue bit of rope that goes over her head. It's a lovely bit of rope just the right size for my mouth. We walked round and round the garden and backwards and forwards. Apparently this is 'doing figures of eight' whatever that is. Well whatever it is I get lots of good girls so I think I like it. In the afternoon the people watched that rugby again, it took longer this time so that was lots of time to sleep. As I'd slept so much during the day I didn't really need to go to bed when it got dark but everyone else went so I thought I would too but I was bored so I decided to explore what I can fit in my mouth. It turn's out to be lots of things if I scrabble at them with my paws first and then gnaw a bit. I like plaster but not wallpaper – that's sticky and tastes funny. But even with all that to entertain me I get lonely and cried for company. It was the Girl who came to see me tonight and she wasn't happy at all. I thought she'd be lonely too and would want to play. Apparently not – oh well.

So eventually we get to Sunday morning and everyone is up and about. We did interesting things in the big doghouse. Everything got moved and there was loads of fluff – I love fluff – but it was all swept up and put in the big black bin. Then even more amazing my cage bed was flattened, moved and made 3d again but in the doghouse! Wow…. And when it was dark that was where I went to bed, with the other black girls but no hound. I don't know where she went but she was there again on Monday morning so it can't have been that far. Everyone keep disappearing up those stairs, I must try to get upstairs again and have another explore.

(sorry it's late folks - there so much to do I keep forgetting to tell you all about it!)

Lots and lots of news

I have such a lot to tell you. The vital bit of electric string that connects Goathland with the rest of the world broke and we've been incommunicado ever since – well until now obviously.

Monday was a day of discoveries. First I discovered cupboards – this house has lots of them, some of them with plates in, others with human bean food, some hot ones (called aga), others which are cold and called fridge and one which is very, very, very cold and is called freezer. Then there are magic cupboards there's the one with the round door where the people put in nice smelly clothes and they come out all wet and not smelly. And then there the one where all the plates that I'd like to lick go, they stay there for a day or so and like the clothes they come our all clean too.
After my post-lunch snooze I went out and found this lovely black rock it leaves black lines on the yard and makes my tongue all black too. The people didn’t approve and took it away, Maia says it called coal and they burn it in the winter to make a lovely warm fire (not sure what all of that is yet but I'll let you know). My last discovery of the day was the big black car which is called discovery – it says it on the door. Maia and I got in the big door at the back and Juno sat on the seat in front– don't know why she doesn't come with us, perhaps there's not enough room. Anyway the noisy bit started and then we went out, I can just see out and I watched some of the world go by, but there was an envelope in the door and tearing that was more interesting. After a bit we stopped and we all got out and guess what? – we'd not gone anywhere at all we were still outside the house, this needs more investigation.

Tuesday I went off on an adventure. There are lots of stairs, the people and Maia too sometime go up them. Well, obviously, I was curious and wanted to know why they kept going up them, so I saved my energy and I went up too. There's another whole house up there – it's amazing. And there's this strange window which has another little doggie in it – wherever I went it followed but it couldn't come out of the window so I had to leave it behind.

Wednesday was a bit boring. There are boxes on the stairs and I can't get past them to carry on my adventure. The people seemed very concerned about the lack of string to the rest of the world and much time was spent plugging in new bits of string and new bits of machinery appeared – it all made strange noises and so did the people there were lots of sighs and huffs and grunts. After tea we went in the big black car again, we were in there longer and the view was different but we ended up back at the house again – very strange we'll have to go again.

Thursday was another boring day in the office – it's very tiring this 'work' lark. In the evening when it got cooler I was playing the garden practising being a gardener which was great. Then all the other dogs were made to go inside and the Girl attached a bit of rope to my collar and pulled it. I didn’t like that and tried my very best to stop it and I yelped and pulled backwards at one point I even fell over but my Girl who is usually so kind and caring just stood there and watched me. When I stood up again and walked a little bit she told me I was good girl and we went a bit further. Then I tried to get out of my collar again and my Girl just stood and stopped talking to me. I like being talked to especially when it's nice words like good girl and well done. I seem to get these when I walk along so I'll try that for a bit and see how it goes – I'll let you know the results.

What a busy weekend.

On Friday afternoon I woke up from my post lunchtime snooze and I was wearing my frock (that's a collar to the uninitiated) I'm not sure I like it that much although everyone says how fetching it looks. It's a bit annoying but I forget about it quite quickly.

Saturday we went in the big black car, I sat on The Mother's lap. It was a long way and I got a bit restless so they pressed a button and suddenly a strange man started singing out of the door – most peculiar but it didn't last long. We stopped and The Girl carried me to a new building, I had to sit still for a bit and then another strange man called us into a room. He looked at me and poked and prodded a bit and THEN he stuck a needle in my scruff – it's a good job I've got lots of spare skin there otherwise it would have really, really hurt but I'm a big bold girl so I didn't grumble about it. I got weighed too, I've put on 1.25kilos in a week, I'm now 7.75kg! After that we came back home and I slept a lot. Maia and Juno say the man with the needle is call 'Vet'.

Saturday evening we watched the talking box - this is really interesting with moving pictures and sound. It was obviously very good because the humans kept jumping up and down and shouting. Maia says it's something called rugby and they normally do this in the winter not usually in the summer.

More discoveries on Sunday. We did lots of things and did lots of sleeping because it was sooo hot! I know about rain we've had lots of that since I was born but this hot ball of fire in the sky is something new. And then I met the guinea pigs. These are small brown and white beings, they go 'weeeaak' and scuttle about a bit in a cage on the grass. They seem quite friendly and came to greet me but they went back to munching the grass and when the cage is moved they behind lovely long bits of very chewy paper. Cara likes these too.

More photos

So click on "Photos of Me" in the left margin.

I've been very busy, in fact I was a bit too busy yesterday so today I've mostly slept. I still found time for a new activity - it's called gardening and it involves a long green snake which makes strange noises, big containers of water which splash all over, and sometime you pull up plants - I'm very good at that. Perhaps that's what I'll be - a gardener.

What a lot of words

I'm learning lots of new words, I know my name – it's Hebe by the way; I know "No" – I don't like that one and I seem to hear it a lot; I think I know "come here" and "drop" means that whatever I'm carrying is about to be removed – again I don't much like that one. "Good girl" I hear a lot and I like that one because it's usually with a cuddle and I like lots of those.

Today I met a new beast it's called a hoover. It makes a lot of noise for no apparent reason, not sure I like that either but the girls don't seem to mind.

I like it here. I was a bit lonely to begin with and I missed my playmates but I've got loads of toys and I don't have to share them which is great.

By the way the flashing thing (Juno says it's a camera) has been out again so some new photos soon...

I've joined a choir.

We practice at dawn or in the early morning. I'm not sure I understand this, I get a-aahed at for barking in the house and the other dogs scowl at me when I yip to invite them to play but then I asked to be let out this morning and the big grey one joined in and then Boss Juno did too but not my friend Maia. We sang for a couple of verses and then we all went out to play on the big grassy area. Then it was breakfast and then outside again and then – oh it was all too much I had to go to sleep.