Another Day Another Lapphund – well actually 2.

With Christmas behind us we can begin to look forward to a new year – helping us fill the time between now and 2011 is a houseful of dogs.

Millie, the cockerpoo, who arrived in the 2^nd week of December has made herself at home and has been busy ingratiating herself with all of our visitors and most people that she meets whilst we are out walking.  She is a bundle of energy and has been constantly playing with Rosie, Kiva and sometimes even Mylo.

Millie eyes up Wheeto's bone whilst Mylo watches on

Rosie – Mylo’s half sister who joined us just before Christmas now prefers sleeping upstairs rather than on her own in the kitchen – thought it is a little unnerving to feel a wet nose nudging me in the neck in the middle of the night encouraging me to reach down and stroke her.

Ilo – another of Mylo’s half sisters (same dad, different mum) is with us for a few days with Mary, her humum.  They arrived on Tuesday, the day that the snow started to melt away meaning no long walks across crunchy snow, we had to make do with treks across muddy fields.

Yesterday Wheeto, Kiva’s nephew, arrived for a 2 week stay.  He has been to us before but this is the first time that I have seen him as a fully grown male – and what a handsome chap he is.  Unlike his last visit he is also very calm – though he does like to play with Mylo, in, on, around and even under the coffee table and Millie, whom he knows from home as they are walking buddies in London.  Last time Wheeto was with us he slept in the kitchen in his crate - last night he decided that he wanted to be treated the same as Rosie, we could hardly say no - this is his holiday after all.

Sadly all of the snow has now gone meaning that the roads and lanes around us are wet and dirty and the fields muddy - does that stop us?  Does it heck - it just means that when we get home that the dogs have to be dried off and left to play in the yard for an hour before crashing out in the lounge and kitchen.

Chistmas Day at Dogs to Stay

Rather than writing loads I thought I would post a couple of videos of the day.  The first is a compilation leading up to present opening time, the second sees the dogs enjoy their christmas dinner.







Lappy Christmas from Dogs to Stay

Our Standards Have Slipped

After the trials and tribulation of getting home with Rosie on Friday things have been decidedly white at Dogs to Stay - in fact it wasn't until Monday that were able to get out of the village.
Things hadn't been much better further south and Rosie's hufamily had their flight to Australia delayed by over 24 hours.  Lou had been going a little stir-crazy and was worrying that we might not be able to stock up for Christmas so the decision was made that we would try to go to our nearest town (for town read Tesco).  Having warmed the Jeep up, scraped the snow and ice from it, loaded up the dogs, shovels and grit off we set.  The hill on which we live had seen many a vehicle unable to climb it but I was confident that we would be able to do so thanks to the new tyres fitted a month or so ago - time to find out.
To be honest the journey wasn't as bad as I had feared - the 20 minute journey only taking 35, we didn't see any stranded vehicles and the roads, though still snow covered, were passable with care.  I dropped Lou off at Tescos and parked up in town so that I could do some banking and shopping of my own - I lost count of the number of people who said "all you need is a sledge" as we walked through along the high street - Millie loved showing off her pink coat and the Lappies did what they do best, smile and wag tails.
It took a while to get back into the Tesco car-park but when I did I met up with Lou and loaded up enough food to keep us going till next Christmas - next stop Pets at Home where we stocked up with enough food to keep the dogs well fed before heading back home.
Now might be a good time to say that I do hope that Millie and Rosie's hufamilies are enjoying the summer in South Africa and Australia ;-)
Since Monday we have had more snow - the village isn't yet cut off again and have enjoyed some fabulous walks across the fields with Rosie and Millie, Kiva and Mylo - they have been loving the weather but also enjoying the comfort of lying in front of the fire.
Millie and Rosie continue to be best of friends - I'm not sure which of them enjoys having the company of the other the most.  Millie is as good as gold at night time, I am most impressed with her being crate trained, Rosie is happy in the kitchen but has, due to a certain someone forgetting to shut the kitchen door properly, spent the odd night upstairs next to our bed.
So to Millie and Rosie's owners - your dogs are fine, I would like to think that they could tell you so themselves - perhaps they will when you return from your sunny holidays.
Lappy days.

Let it Snow

But preferably not until I get home (see below).

Millie has made herself at home and thinks that she is top dog, that Mylo and Kiva know otherwise is besides the point - Millie thinks she's top dog so in Millie's mind she is, Kiva is there for Millie to play with - Mylo is there for Millie to lie next to, Kiva is also there for Millie to lie next to.

Fire Dogs

The observant among you might notice the decorations above the fireplace - yup, you guessed it, Dogs to Stay is now ready for Christmas.  Millie was a great help with dressing the tree - OK, she wasn't a great help but she did like playing with the baubles.

Millie and Mylo
(it only looks as though they are on the sofa)

Oh - Millie has worked out how the dog flap works - it's only taken her a week but now she can let her self into, and back from, the dog run whenever she chooses - and she does choose to a lot!!

Ah - now the snow bit

We had a sprinkling of snow yesterday and the Jeep this morning was still covered.  After warming it up and clearing the snow, and ice, from it I set out to collect our next guest.  Rosie, who has been with us several times before, is Mylo's 1/2 sister (same dad, different mum) and she is to be with us until early January as her hupeeps are off to Australia (can someone please explain why the owners of our guests are all going to the southern hemisphere whilst we are in the middle of winter?).

The journey to the collection point was no trouble, 18 miles in 25 minutes,  Rosie happily got into the Jeep and we headed home.  Five miles before we reached home it started to snow - within 10 minutes traffic had slowed to a crawl and it was becoming difficult to see.  I decided to leave the main road that I was on thinking it best to avoid traffic and travel along quieter roads - all went well until I hit the last stretch - a couple of miles from home and on joining a main road the traffic ground to a halt.  Cars, vans and trucks had brought the A361 to a halt - the last thing I wanted to do was to get stuck in the snow for a couple of hours - cue 'cunning cross country plan'.

Shifting into low ratio I negotiated by way past the stranded traffic to what, to those not in the know, appeared like a farm track, well it was a farm track but one that led one across country and almost home.  I'm sure that the stranded motorists thought I was mad but knowing that the track was a fully maintained, and little used, road I felt confident that I could get through the ever thickening snow.  Had I met any oncoming traffic things might have been different but as it was my cross country route eventually got me home safe and sound where I was greeted by the pack - cue play in the snow in the garden;

Millie in the obligatory Dogs to Stay pose

Rosie enjoying the snow (she is still there an hour later)

Things To Do Whilst On Holiday

Go to pub and make friends with locals.

Check.  Two hours in the pub at Sunday lunchtime winning hearts and making friends (including time spent sat on bar stool so that people could see me).  Even better because Kiva and Mylo had to stay at home.

Stay up late and get up late in the morning.

Well this goes without saying - not only to I get to stay up late I also get to lie on the sofa with Kiva (see below).

Eat wellCheck.  I eat at the same time as Kiva and Mylo - though I do take longer than them, why do they get bits of raw chicken and i just get dry boring kibble?
Chew bones
Check.  Lots of bones in fact, this place has more bones than a graveyard.
Play ball
Check.  I do this a lot, sometimes Mylo plays with the same ball as me - then it becomes really interesting.
Play with the other dogs.
Check.  I do this a lot, especially each morning with Kiva.

Wag my tail

Check.  I do this a lot too - apparently someone said "does that tail ever stop wagging?".
Look cute
Check.  The people in this village like me I think.
Look stupid
Check.  Though I was kind of hoping that this photograph hadn't come out.

(no animals were hurt in the taking of this picture) 

Go upstairs and play on the bed with Kiva and Mylo
As if I would do something as mischievous as this ;-)
Go for nice walks

Check.  Always with Kiva and Mylo, sometimes with Sally as well.

Be spoilt rotten

Check.  Well what else would you expect.

Easy - Just Like a Sunday Morning.

Millie is the first guest at Dogs to Stay that has been fully crate trained in that she happily goes into her crate at bedtime and doesn't make a sound until she hears people up and around in the morning.  To be honest I didn't think that she would be as good as she is in that she allowed us the luxury of a bit of a lie in this morning.
As a result our day began at 9.00 - Millie, Sally, Kiva and Mylo were let out into the frost covered garden to do the necessary before being given their breakfast - and yes, Millie does eat it straight away now.
Yesterday Lou went of to a dog show for the day leaving me (in peace) for the day with the 4 dogs - we enjoyed a couple of nice walks in the slush, black dogs get just as dirty as one's that aren't, they just don't look it, so much of the day was spent cleaning the dogs and kitchen floor.
On Lou's return it was a case of all of the dogs settling down in their favourite spots, Sally either on one of the sofas or in front of the fire (unlit last evening but I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise), Millie on, or next to, Lou's lap, Kiva lying on her back wherever she fancied and Mylo in his kennel. 

Millie has quickly become part of the pack - she loves playing with Kiva and seems besotted with Mylo.  I think we might take her to the pub in a bit.
Lappy days.

Meet Millie, our guest 'till the New Year

Yesterday saw the arrival of Millie, an 18 month old Cockerpoo (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle) and what a darling she is.  Millie belongs to friends of Wheeto's owners (who will be with us over the New Year too) and will be enjoying the wonderful countryside around us for the next 3 weeks.
She quickly settled in and got on with Kiva and Mylo from the off - she has endless energy yet loves nothing more than sitting on someones lap.  Boy can she jump ......
Here she can be seen playing with Kiva during her first afternoon with us - don't worry about the noise, that's just Kiva being playful.

Oh - the black lab, that's Sally - a regular visitor to Dogs to Stay.
Millie, apparently, cruises her meals - that's to say she doesn't eat it all there and then.  That sentence now needs to be rewritten as "Millie used to cruise her meals" - obviously she doesn't want Mylo or Kiva to devour it before she does.
Millie came with a rather fetching pink coat - fortunately as all the snow has now melted she didn't need to wear it  today so we were able to walk through the village in daylight ;-)
As I write this blog Millie is asleep next to my chair - I daren't move for if I do she will follow me everywhere, bless.