Draw the Dog draws Bryn

I've just heard that Bryn's exploits in the snow have been used to draw the latest 'Draw the Dog' cartoon http://drawthedog.com/?p=895
How good is that?? International fame - though the story was a little altered, Lol!!

What a good boy!

Bryn has always been a 'meet&greet' dog - he loves to go and say hello to everyone he sees, especially if he thinks he knows them, and especially when running free on walks. For the past 2 years I have been working on getting him to focus on a ball-on-a-rope that we play tuggy with and that he retrieves for me, or seeks out from dense undergrowth etc. But he has still found it irrestible to go to see certain people, like the lady with 3 spaniels that we often meet, or the man with the two unfriendly terriers that we try to avoid.
This morning we came face to face with both, on paths that I could not detour from - and he didn't look at them at all, just at me and the ball! The lady even commented how focused he is these days!
Good boy Bryn!!!

Friday nights....

Well, Friday night was a visit to the expensive out-of-hours vet again. And a bill of £167 for the pleasure of visiting the vet, and having Bryn's torn claw removed (don't anyone dare feel sorry for him!) and pain relief, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics for him, and anti-inflammatories for Amber.........and hibiscrub and plasters for me.

Amber is a door guarder and self-appointed enforcer. In the dark, in the garden, she decided to enforce her rota for who went up the veranda steps first, and Bryn decided he'd had enough, so a scuffle ensued. I brought Corker inside pronto (bless him - you can always see exactly what he is thinking 'Oooh! A fight! How exciting! I wonder if I should join in?') expecting for the handbags to be put away when I got back outside. Far from it! Anyway, to cut a long story short, Amber ended up with a bruised throat and stomach - not nearly as bad as I had expected - and Bryn tore a claw on one of the patio paving stones....blood everywhere....and has a tiny cut on his nose, and I ended up with a shredded finger.

It was a 'daddy or chips' moment: do I take Bryn and Amber to the vet? Or do I go to A&E? Well, there was a lot of blood from Bryn's foot, and I didn't fancy spending Friday night with the drunks and druggies, so the vet won. ...
6am Saturday morning I'm sitting in A&E waiting to be seen. I'm told this is the optimum time to go if you don't fancy a wait..... 2 hours later I'm still in the same spot, and we're being told that it will be at least another 2 hours before any of us are seen.....so I leave. It's not a major wound; not worth waiting 4 hours. Lots more hibiscrub at home - my, that stuff hurts!!!
Monday morning and I'm trying to make an appointment at my local surgery for the practice nurse to take a look and dress it. 'I don't think our nurses do dressings - you will probably have to go to A&E' NO!!!!!! So now I'm waiting for a call back - if the nurse won't see me I'll ask to see the doctor for some anti-biotics, and see if that will work. Dammit! I've paid all these years for the NHS - why is it so difficult to get someone to take a look at a dog bite???
Needless to say, the dogs are all best pals again and doing hooleys round the garden - Bryn with his boot on. Have to take him back to the vet today to have his dressing off - bet it's easier to get someone to see him than it is to get someone to see me!
Update: a lovely nurse saw me at the surgery last night and redressed my hand......but she also insisted on giving me a tetanus jab even though I am up-to-date for life! I was very brave.........

NAWS January

A beautiful sunny day at NAWS - very cold, but lovely and crisp and bright. I don't usually do very well at our own shows as I'm too preoccupied with trying to make sure everything is going to plan, so I was delighted that Bryn got 4th in Class C Agility, despite me letting him do a monstrously wide turn, and Amber got a Clear (well 3rd really, but I was only giving rosettes to 2nd - damn!) in the Veterans Jumping, which was over the Class D course. Both dogs were really focused and flowing and enthusiastic - loving it! And Amber didn't spin once.
Memo to self - have more layoffs in future - the dogs really seem to benefit from it!!