Munster Meet at Poppit Sands

It was great to have the oppertunity to meet up with some Munsters and their owners.  It was just coincidence that 3 owners were on holiday and staying at various places throughout Pembrokeshire and the surrounding area.

We had a total of 6 munsters, 2 tollers, 2 cockers and a collie!  We all had a leisurely walk along the beach with all the dogs having a great time running in and out of the water and a few having a swim.  Not a grumble was heard from any of them and we caused quite a stir amongst others walking their own dogs.  It must have looked quite a sight!

Dogs were dried off and given a drink and then we all headed into the beachside cafe for some refreshments and a chance to catch up on all things munster.

I spy strangers!

So - it's been a lovely day here.  Mam and Dad have done all the front garden whilst I've stretched out in my cage on the lawn watching the world go by. 

Then tonight they've crashed out.  Mam watching Big Fat Gypsy Ladies' Day on TV, Dad on the laptop watching Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke, desperately trying to hang on to years he can never get back.

Me - I'm normally at their feet or on the settee but tonight something's caught my attention under the dining room table.  Mam and Dad break off for a cuppa but I don't follow them into the kitchen.  My nose is firmly under the table.  They ask me if anything's wrong - have I lost a toy under there - but they know I can squeeze under there to get it.  So they take a look.  And we've had a visitor crawl through the open back door when we were out the front earlier.  But I spotted him!!  So he's been carefully picked up and put outside again.  And I never laid a paw or jaw on him!

Just an Update

Trio is making good progress, now over 3 weeks since her injury and she is coping ok with having to have a quiet life.  We have had a few problems with her toes being rubbed by the cast, and with a bit of creative remodelling this seems to be under control.  It's amazing what is kept in the cupboard of the surgery!!

She is now weight bearing on the affected leg again, we spent nearly a week hobbling due to the sore toes but all is looking positive.  Still on weekly visits, and this is likely to continue until the cast comes off in another 3 weeks.  We are now counting the days down after reaching the half way stage.

Not to be outdone by one of our dogs, mum slipped last week and has broken her leg.  Some of you will know mum, she's my right hand woman!  first to call when dog/puppy sitting, let all child sitting! Do feel like sending Trio over to her so that she would be in good company.

We did manage to go to Pembrey Agility last weekend, part of the Dogs Day Out organised by Burns.  Sadly the weather didn't stay dry for long, and we all got pretty soaked by the end of the day.  Maddie was affected by selective deafness in the first class, yes it was another tunnel!  So was eliminated.  She did however win the Helter Skelter, she was the 2nd dog in and held the lead to the end.  It was rather fraught as I was helping out with the scoring thinking every dog was going to beat her.   She was also eliminated in the last class, part of this was due to being left in the car and then having to go straight into the ring, again I was helping on the ring and didn't have a lot of time to sort her out.  She picked up 5 faults on the seesaw, she was blown off balance as it tipped and so jumped off.  She then lost attention and was eliminated in the weaves, my lovely naughty munster!

Maddie's lovely trophy

Yellow with smiley faces this week, cause she's such a lovely happy girl!
 

Look Who Came to Visit!

There was a knock at the door this evening as I was preparing dinner, not anything too fancy I hasten to add as just the children to feed.  I follow one of the children to see who is calling, to be met by a familiar couple.  I can't quite place them straight away and I feel a dog brush by my leg as they (the dog!) let themselfs in.  It's a Munster, and one that knows where it is!!!  It's one of ours, and then the penny drops.  Alan and Fiona have visited with Louis, formerly known as Alfie and a Maddie (Paddockridge Madelaine at Seahaven) and Darcy (Blitzan Eternal Chaos) baby. 

Well he has certainly grown up since we last saw him, although we have been kept up to date over the last year or so of his exploits nothing beats seeing them in 'the flesh'.  They are staying near Cardigan on holiday and decided to drive over to see if we were in.  It was a lovely surprise, we managed to have a good catch up, managed to burn the pizza (sorry kids) and Louis had a good run around and play with his Seahaven family.  Poor Trio had lots of fuss though, and some treats bless her. 

He is really such a lovely boy, has been working hard at training gaining his Bronze and Silver Good Citizen awards and currently working towards his Gold.  Watch out brother Rookie, he might follow in you footsteps!

Too much talking and not enough pics I'm afraid, althoug Fiona did take some more. 

I'm not used to this, but very obliging.

Me and my mum!

Louis and Eve

Rookie's Latest

Rookie has been up to his usual antics lately, most of them involve mud or embarrassing me in public, or on rare occasions both!

He has started his working trials training now, and is showing promise. So far he has worked tracks into wind and with the wind behind him, and I have to say I think I'm enjoying it just as much as he is. There is just something about holding back and letting them work a scent and do what they do best! They are really amazing to watch.

He has also started working trials style sendaways. These differ to his obedience sendaways in that they are much, MUCH longer and to no obvious target. I won't tell you the trouble he's got me into by stealing obedience sendaway markers and dancing around me in circles with them!! But Rookie is belting out to his WT sendaways now. So it's all going well, and he is having a brilliant time. Next time: Jumping and search squares!

Rookie, Seahaven's Celtic Commander at 18 Months Old

 In other news, we only have three obedience shows left this year (which I have entered him in but won't work him- will just train) and two open breed shows. So the season is winding down nicely just in time for the weather to finally give. What a lovely summer it's been.

Rookie and best buddy Teak

Rookie is enjoying plenty of play time, and has been "used" a lot this year for young dogs and pups who need socialisation with safe dogs. He was also the escort of a young German Shepherd approaching her sensitive stage of adolescence on the weekend, walking around the show with her, giving her confidence. He is a really solid character, very proud of him for that.

The bogdog

Rookie has just spent the week with me dogsitting two labrador girls and two cats. As a dog who has never lived with cats it amazes me how tolerant he is of them. One of the cats HATES him, and won't let him near her, but the other one doesn't take any notice and he can often be seen giving her a play bow or a playful poke in the chest, to which she just rolls her eyes and I'm sure thinks "stupid boy". He is surprisingly gentle with them. 

We have two weeks with two labrador boys soon. They are a handful as Rookie and the younger boy like to play A LOT, and the rougher the better! Like a couple of teenagers! But they do stop and settle when asked to.

Happy boy

So we are just about ready to reclaim the sofa as the nights draw in. But I don't think Rookie will complain, he is a world class cuddler!

Jess and Rookie

What munster boys are best at

Gooey boy

Enforced Rest

Well we'll be having a quiet time for a while as Trio has to rest due to injuring her hock last week.  Due to a freak accident in the padock last week she has torn the collateral ligament in her left hock and it's going to take some time to heal.  After the xrays at the end of the week she spent the weekend strapped up whilst waiting for the swelling to subside.  On Monday she was put into an open cast (split and held together) so that it can be checked regularly and have physio.  She will be back to the vets on Friday to have this checked and start on the long road to mobility.

So glad though to hear all of the things that the other Seahaven dogs have been up to!  Do keep the news coming!

Great time at the beach with the Red Arrows thrown in!

With this lovely weather continuing we decided on Saturday to take Megane to the beach at Hengisbury Head.
We were hoping that the beach would not be too busy as it was also the weekend of the Bournemouth Air Show.  Luckily for us we went early enough before the masses started to arrive and the beach wasn't busy at all!
Megane had a great run around up and down the beach.  She found a couple of dogs to have a bit of fun with. The best being a two year old Vizsla male with whom she had a great play and they went into the sea for a short time which was great as we are trying to get her use to water!
As you can see from the photos Megane had a great time

We were lucky enough to see the Red Devils doing their display in the distance over one of Bournemouths other beaches.  We had put Megane on her lead before they were due just in case the noise frightened her and didn't want her disappearing off.  However as normal she wasn't worried by the noise!

 So a great time was had by all.  We are hoping to go again this Saturday and I think mummy and daddy will need to take their shoes and socks off so that we can try to get her more used to the sea!
I think Megane will be hoping to meet her Vizsla friend again!  So play time planned for Saturday and then Richmond show on Sunday......

Cooper's 1st Camping Trip

Many of you will know it was the second birthday for Tilly and Red's first litter on 2 September, and of course I am one of the dogs from that time.  And for a present this year I didn't get any toys to play with as I wreck them within minutes.  So instead Mam and Dad took me on a camping trip, where we went to Fforest Fields, just outside Builth Wells.  Mam had not camped for over thirty years, so for the both of us it was very much a new experience.  We found the site on the internet so that was a gamble too.

But, wow, what a campsite and what a time we had.  Drizzling heavily all day in Neath on the Friday we left but in Builth it was glorious and it stayed that way all weekend.  The site welcomes dogs and I met loads.  There are two lakes, one big and one HUGE, where dogs are welcome to swim so I was in every day for ages, doing ball and frisbee retrieve. Really weird because I had the lakes virtually to myself - don't you other camping dogs like the water or what?

Now where's my tent down there?

Hardly Four Star but I love it

How come  Dad's still in the showers?

Getting dark and I'm getting tired

Lots of fantastic waymarked walks lead from the site and we all went on a high level one on the Saturday for a long time. Again - where were the other mutts?  What a bunch of softees must have been staying there that weekend!  But when we got back to the seat that overlooks the site even I was shattered and had to take a rest and a drink.

The nights I found strange as I slept in my cage in the same tent as Mam and Dad.  It was weird to wake up through the night and see them more or less besides me.  I think I'm more relaxed now I'm home and I have the kitchen and living room to myself.  I mean a big toller like me needs to wander around his domain at night - check out there's no unwelcome creatures about!

So there we are - it was a nice treat for me, and I'm really looking forward to another camping trip - hopefully this year if the weather is nice enough.

Thanks for listening.

Love

Cooper
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