We Do Dog Shows

Up with the larks saw me walking the dogs at 8.00 whilst Lou did the weekly shop - and the benefits of early morning walks were soon evident with the sound of footsteps on the still frozen ground. Frozen ground = no mud, no mud = clean dogs - now that was an enjoyable walk :-)

Lunchtime saw us take the short trip to Ryton where many of our friends were attending a dog show - we hadn't entered but thought it would be nice to go and watch so with Kiva and Mylo left behind enjoying some peace and quiet Taavi and Jaaka were taken out for the afternoon.

It was nice seeing old friends, furry and human, again as well as making the acquaintance of some new lappies - Jaaka succeeded in doing what puppies do best - making friends and winning hearts - he, and taavi, were stars, impeccably well behaved and great ambassadors of the breed.

Back home it was a walk round the village with the pack of four before settling in for our last evening as a pack of 4 - tomorrow Jaaka and Taavi go home :-(

When Snow Becomes Slush

We do like to make our guests feel at home and with Finnish Lapphunds happy with temperatures as low as -40 a little snow only serves to make them feel very much at home.

Snow might look nice however it all too sadly turns to slush and walking 4 lappies can be somewhat mucky - today was no exception and walking across the fields was probably not the best idea - the dogs might have loved it but I got cold, wet and muddy - hey ho, that's what it's all about isn't it :-)

Taavi and Jaaka will be leaving us on Sunday - they have been such easy dogs to care for that we will truly miss them - though I am sure that Kiva and Mylo will enjoy the break before our next guest arrives.

Each dog has its own little quirks and ways that have seen them endear themselves to us:

• Taavi is such a delicate eater, chewing on each kibble before he has the next; if he were human I am sure that he would have a napkin clipped under his chin.
• Jaaka has a wonderful habit, when we are out walking, of sitting down as soon as we stop - all very admirable and a credit to his training - a bit of a nuisance when he doesn't bother to check what he's sitting in - there are times when he has looked more like a panda than a lappy.
• Taavi really doesn't like being the other side of a closed door - how do we know? Simples, the very faint whine that one can hear from behind the door whenever the dogs are banished from the lounge.
• To say that Taavi is discrete when it comes to doing his business would be an understatement - how he manages to squeeze his rear end into some of his favourite bushes is beyond me.
• Jaaka is unfazed by anything - he takes everything in his stride and every new experience is a new lesson to be learned.
• The way that Taavi picks up a toy and carries it round in his mouth when I first walk into the kitchen in the morning - something that we have encouraged Mylo to do since a puppy - it's quite hard to bark when your mouth is stuffed with a toy (apparently).
  

Fortunately Taavi and Jaaka (who as I write is busy cleaning Kiva's ear) will be back with us in the summer - I don't know that we can promise them snow but I bet the walks will be drier.

Dog City

Jaaka and Mylo are forced to endure the snow, actually it was their choice

With about 100 properties in the village and around 500 souls it would be a fair bet that one would meet other dogs whilst out and about, today was no exception. On our walk today we met a new golden Labrador brood bitch for the Guide Dogs for the Blind, 2 more golden Labrador brood bitches (Guide Dogs for the Blind once again), a Munsterlander, a Shih tzu, a Springer Spaniel x Border Collie, 2 Clumber Spaniels and a brown Lab, a GSD and a Golden Retriever, another chocolate Labrador, 2 Jack Russels and finally a heavily pregnant black Labrador brood bitch (yup, more Guide Dogs on the way). I make that 15 other dogs - all of which were Jaaka's new best friends - he's a tad fickle ;-) - later today we will be joined by 2 more Lappies who are coming to play - we do like to keep out guests amused.

The pictures below were taken yesterday evening after a hard day's running and playing (the dogs that is, not me).


Lappy days

Status Update

All is well at Dogs to Stay apart from the snow that is falling but refusing to settle.

• We have only used 1 roll of the kitchen roll provided - Jaaka has sussed out the benefits of the dog flap :-)
• Mr Picky Eater, aka Taavi, now eats his meals (well most of them) - perhaps hand feeding him helped :-)
• Our Dyson is still working - just, 4 lappies do tend to shed, especially when they are rough and tumbling.
• Taavi and Jaaka now understand that walking nicely when on a lead has its advantages
• Jaaka likes cats
• Taavi doesn't like the fact that Jaaka likes cats
• Taavi still doesn't like cats

A short video of the pack playing after their breakfast - as I write they are all sleeping - just as well that they tired themselves out playing because the weather isn't condusive to walking :-( hopefully it will be tomorrow when Smilla (Taavi's sister) and Susi come to play - yay, 6 lappies :-0

Tuesday - making a new friend.

Worried about your dogs? Don't be.

Nothing to worry about - all is well, the dogs, and cats, are fine just a case of being a little busy yesterday evening and not having time to add the days blog.

I always seem to be lucky with the weather, well, when it comes to walking the dogs that is and even though the fields are still pretty wet underfoot there are still plenty of places to walk without the dogs getting too dirty - well, except for Jaaka that is. On my facebook page I recently posted; "contrary to popular belief cream dogs don't get any dirtier than any other colour - they just look dirtier" - Jaaka, bless him, managed to prove me wrong yesterday by, whenever we stopped walking, sitting down - all very admirable but when he chooses to sit down in; mud, horse poo, mud, puddles and clay it did make for a dirty little dog.

Post walk and somewhat grubby

Any way - our walk: We started off as four, Mylo and Jaaka on the brace, Kiva walking alongside Taavi - all is good. We encountered a neighbour en route, a local builder working on his house up the hill - I had seen him driving through the village but never walking - we soon discovered why he had left his pick up at home as walking alongside him was a puppy - well it would be rude to ignore him so we didn't. Holly, the German Short-haired Pointer was a gorgeous 10 week old puppy - full of confidence and totally unaffected by the attentions of the pack - and a great companion on our walk - Jaaka especially liked her as, for once, he had something smaller to play with.

OK Wolfie; you live here - what the hell was that?

Having wandered round the village with the pack of 5 as we chewed the fat - its always nice to get updates on all of the local news and gossip ;-) I continued with the pack of 4 for an extension to the walk - I must have lost all track of time as, upon arrival home, I realised that we had been out for the best part of 2 hours. Excluded from the lounge the dogs just had access to the run and lounge - they soon dried off and before long even Jaaka was back to his normal colour.

Me, my bone and my mate Taavi

Just in case you were wondering what happened to Kiva and why she isn't in any of the above photos she was fine but has decided to do her "I vant to be alone" bit and was sleeping in the kennel.

The dogs seemed to have enjoyed their day - they were certainly chilled out last evening;

Jaaka and Taavi on the kitchen floor
(notice the colour of the grout?)

I'm not too sure if Taavi is allowed on the furniture at home,
he's on holiday, so tough ;-)

Mylo, who normally hates crates makes the most of Jaaka's
(notice the colour of the grout - now clean)

Lappy days.

Probably the most boring video ever ....

The Dogs to Stay house dogs and guests enjoy their Sunday lunch.

No Pictures - Just Facts

WARNING NO PHOTOS

I love my dogs - Mylo will always be the most important canine in my life and Kiva will always be a close second, however today Taavi and Jaaka managed to push both of the house dogs into 3rd and 4th place.

Papers delivered at 9.00 - silence, cats through the cat flap at 9.10 (maybe the headlines were interesting) - up and dressed at 9.30 - walk across the fields and home by 11.15 (damn those church bells are loud - badly rang - and bloody loud) - 12.15 the discussion begins - do we go to the pub or not, and if so with which dogs.

Decision made and we take the short (125 7/8 yards) to the pub with the wonderful Jaaka and equally gorgeous Taavi - 2 hours later, after having won over numerous fans Lou convinces me to come home (Spurs 1-0 down btw) and swap Jaaka and Taavi over with Mylo and Kiva - it's a hard life; back to the pub ... whilst Lou prepares a Valentine's lunch with Taavi and Jaaka looking on.

So far we have managed to find new homes for 4 Lappy puppies - "I want one that look likes him (Mylo) - but is quiet like him (Taavi)" - "I want one like the pretty one (Kiva)" - "look at that the little cream one - how gorgeous - I want one like that". Taavi and Jaaka managed to win over a young (probably 2 year old) little girl who, prior to being introduced to lappies was scared of dogs ....

Spurs have just drawn 1-1 at Bolton, Villa (tee hee) only managed a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park (smug chuckle) and England have, just, managed to defeat Italy ...

We've just had lunch (late) - the dogs enjoyed theirs too - I am slightly tiddled - life is good ... video to follow (not of me being piddled of course) ...

Living with a lappy - perfect; living with 4 - divine ....

PS - we have a lot of kitchen roll going begging .....