I know I know too long, but some of us ‘have a life’ you know!!!

Ok well I cannot believe how things have changed around here!

This is so out of order

But we have had a few laughs at mum’s expense, which helps!

Anyway I shall start at the beginning but get over it if I jump back and forth as I remember stuff but sooo much been going on.

She has been very lapse in taking us out so I decided to go for the really so unfit I can hardly walk routine. Well this has resulted in her feeling a little bit guilty, well and so she should! I few well placed yelps on getting up in the morning, the odd hangdog look and the waddling and walking about like I am really old, but I am not too sure if this is a good thing or not, as I am really beginning to ache now.

So anyway let me start things off by saying that we had a very relaxing xmas and new year period, however life was getting just ever so slightly boring, she seemed to have lost momentum for walks along the sea and we had even got enthused in the fact that she was going to take up Geocaching, as this would mean long walks interesting places but that died a death as quick as it appeared!! Anyway we both (wolf and me) felt that we were being neglected you see. Don’t forget we used to have a really good social life in the UK up in Greensforge, we do miss them all. We don’t have any mates here! Anyway I digress, So after my very tactful acting at the potentially life threatening health issues and I am telling you I almost convinced myself that I had all this wrong with me, it was only Wolf that reminded me that this was a ploy and not real life that I remembered!

Anyway her and him then decided to take us to the sea one day, don’t ask me when, I cant remember and I think I may have pushed my luck just a wee bit, so again wolf came to my rescue and told me how to deal with the situation I had gotten us into. Ah yes I guess you may wish to know what I am wittering about? Well I basically was being a spoilsport and I wouldn’t go after the ball in the water or even walk anywhere, so they were about to go home and believe me by the looks on their faces they were not amused. So Wolfie advised me to act really scared of the water as this would result in some restorative therapy and they would then go from annoyed to concerned about our wellbeing and mental health, well SUCKERS!!!!!!!! It worked a treat! Though I have to say Wolfies performance far outshined mine, hell even I was sucked in!!, and they spent so much time working with his fear that they left me alone to continue being obnoxious on the beach.

Well that was about it for a week or so I reckon and then I stupidly encouraged them and created what I can only class as ‘The School of Dog Abuse!’ I think they call it Doggy Boot Camp! But you know what? I cannot help myself but I actually enjoy it! Anyway what this involves is her on the top terrace of the garden and him on the lower, there are 6 terraces in total and the gradients range as follows working from him up

Bottom level
1.5 meters up to 2nd level
50cms to 3rd level
50 cms to 4th
1 meter to 5th level
1.5 meters to the 6th level at the top

So anyway I have to run up and jump down each level back and forth with the aim of catching the ball that they are throwing to each other, the game ends when I either catch the ball or ask for ‘time out’ by going to sit in my paddling pool. I think we are up to 12 repetitions now.

Well of course this then inspired them into thinking about other ways of getting me to exercise (she said I was getting fat, talk about pot and kettles!) So a few days later they decide to take us to Aramoana for a walk as it is a really nice beach, well we had the beach to ourselves which is always good I feel. And I know I cannot help myself! But I was being difficult and didn’t want to play fetch and stuff so I was hogging the ball. I had done some swimming though, in my defence! So anyway it was inevitable that one or other would manage to gain custody of the ball eventually and so the game of catch started, but I didn’t have the disadvantage of having to negotiate jumping down over the terraces so it was a lot easier but I managed to catch both of them on their hands with my teeth, I just get a bit too excited don’t I? But anyway it was only a bit of bruising etc and I was genuinely sorry as we just happened to go for the ball on the ground at the same time and accidents happen, GET OVER IT OK!!!. However the funny part of all this was that she decided that I was going back into the water, I decided however that I was not! And so the fun began!!!

She had my toy and was dragging me in, so I played along for a while and then I realised that I could have a lot more fun here! As she was not suitably dressed for this in her jeans and trainers she was at the present time still trying to stay relatively dry only her trainers were wet, but you see what she didn’t know and I did being as I had been swimming already was that a little further back there is a biggish drop and so I played on this and let her continue walking backward, also I could see the waves breaking and she couldn’t, well look at these photos and make your own ending up! But guess what? she had to take off most of her clothes for the journey home!! I laughed!!!







And believe me the temptation at times to let go of the ball was huge!!!!!

And so this brings me to yesterday and I am still unsure about all this!

Well we trotted off to what was promised to be a walk around Bethunes Gully a cool place with a river in it for me to wallow in, however just before we were to turn into the track leading to there we hung a right! And then we ended up at this big playing field, and this is the cool part as I recognised what it was as we had been to one a couple of weeks back and this is so cool I don’t know why they didn’t have them in Britain, hell yes I do know, they would get vandalised in England!!!

But these areas and there are 6 of them in Dunedin are designated dog exercise areas, like proper places for us, no rug rats and stuff just dogs so we can hang out with our mates and stuff!! And a big field too about 3 acres at least!! And even better each one has a set of agility equipment in it permanently for us to play on. This one yesterday was the ‘Rolls Royce’ though it had all the following

Figure of eight of jumps
Set of jumps around the perimeter
Two plank walks one with a pause table
5 Tyre jumps
2 sets of weave poles
3 tunnels

So like….. COOL!

So we had a little play and it was such fun!!

I happened to notice some other dogs around on the main playing area and people setting up other non permanent agility equipment, so we wandered across and happened across the Otago Dog Training Club, so mum had a word with them and found out that I have to be able to do 12 weave poles before I can join the proper agility group, but they had just started a training programme last week and the lesson was about to start for this week so we could sit in and watch, so we watched and when they finished teaching the weave poles to the hapless students (all youngsters!! tut!! and they kept bolting off as well tut!!) the instructor (she spoke with a english accent) said we can go have a practice while they make a start on the front lunge (hell yet another thing I was never taught!! And this doesn’t do my reputation much good I can tell you.) These are serious people who do it according to the rules nationally!! And although it isn’t ‘essential’ to do competitions, all dogs have to be trained to competition rules so if you decide you want to go into competitions you can do it right. The other thing they have over here which is really cool I reckon is a monthly National Competition where every club has to set the course up exactly the same and you do the course within your club so it is only your own club not others, anyway then the results are sent to the national office and the leader board with results is published nationally, so basically like one huge competition so that sounds like a bit of a laugh. Anyway we were unsure about them to start with but they don’t seem too bad so we are going to give it a go. So we came back last night complete with a set of weave poles for me to start practising with. Also although mum hasn’t explained this to me yet I have to learn ‘clicker’ training whatever that is I am sure she will explain. However one huge brucey bonus is that mum is off to buy me loads of liver today to make some treats up for training!! BRING it on I say!!









Oh and they have a huge training hall, like i mean massive!! well cool and it is again only for DOGS!!!! You see over here they really understand how important we are!!



Anyway we got home and Paul was tasked with putting up the weave poles and i sat and looked at them with some moderate disdain, Dessie however was taking the mickey out of me, which i think is a bit rich from the fat heifer!





So we have just come back from a walk up Signal Hill and now that was funny, mum and Wolfie were panting like anything and we only walked for about 10 minutes!! Oh dear not good hey!!! They need to get fit like me!

Right well I shall now start again, I am sooooooo annoyed, I have spent hours last night finishing of my update for you and then the long tedious task of uploading the 40 (well it felt like 10) odd photos and guess what??????? The poxy site crashed; oh I am so annoyed I nearly chewed the table in half in my anger, so I went to bed in a big strop!
So now it is morning and I guess I have to do it all again, so I am not too happy and this hasn’t helped when I go to log onto the site and it is down as they are doing some maintenance! I wanted to get the photos uploaded while writing this as it makes it less tiresome, as you can only upload 5 photos at a time and it takes soooooooo long!

Anyway where was I? Ah yes yesterday, right, I last mentioned we went to Signal Hill, so all the rest of the stuff after I need to tell you.

Ok here we go

Demon Monster had to go to the vet so mum asked if we wanted to come along too, well after I had established that we would be staying in the car at the vets and not getting out of the car under any circumstances Wolf and I decided that it would be a good opportunity to poke fun at the Demon Monster, while safely contained within his cage.

Mum also mentioned that we would go back to the dog exercise area so she could take photos of the permanent agility course for you to see. We thought this would be cool, and as it was very hot she put the air con on in the car so we were nice and cool, Demon Monsters whining didn’t make for a peaceful journey though!

Well we had the dog exercise area all too ourselves, which is really cool and I showed mum how to do all the different things, she didn’t have a go though which I thought was boring of her.















Then off to the vets and true to her word we stayed in the car…..

However Demon Monster didn’t come back with us in the car, so Wolf and I were thinking ‘oh no!’ 'all these nasty things we have said about him we feel really bad now’ and ‘we really should have been nicer to him on the journey instead of poking fun at him’

So we travelled back in silence

When we got home we didn’t really want to get out the car……..

Anyway mum is talking to Paul outside as he came in a different car and then he walks over and plonks the cage that Demon was in on the grass and opens it……..

Well we have never been so pleased to see the little black monster in our lives; there he was large as life and right as rain strolling across to us, with the look that sort of said ‘you are going to suffer for taking the mickey out of me!’

We gather that Paul met up with us at the vets and mum let him take Demon Monster back as she couldn’t stand the racket!!

Oh and I forgot, just before the vets mum went into the supermarket and came out with loads of liver and doggy treats for me!!!

So anyway we get in the house and mum puts the liver in the oven to cook. Anyway while I am lulled into a false sense of tranquillity and contentment with the smell of roasting liver permeating my nostrils mum decides to unpack other items of shopping, and unpacks a bag that she brought out from the vets, so I help her by having a look.

HORRORS!!!!!!

She has bought me a rucksack!!!!

I look a complete prat!







And then she started adding everything into it, by the way it is brown and not pink or red at least!!

She will have me carrying all manner of stuff in it I can see it now!!

Water bottle for me and wolf, her own water bottle (excuse me!!!) poo bags, leads…..

Well who knows where it will end!!

Of course the Demon thought this was highly amusing




So anyway after a short break, mum announces that we are going to do some training…… She is serious too………..

So off we go to do the weave poles and I catch onto a winner here pretty quick..

I get food each time I do it

So I am thinking I won’t get the hang of this little game too soon

More practice = more food!!!! See all of you that thought I was dumb, I am so........... NOT!!!

So we do this for a while

Then out comes the clicker thingy

And this is like

COOL!!!!!!

I don’t have to do anything

It clicks, I get food

Again this may take a while for me to grasp the concept of…………………….

Well that’s it for now I am exhausted already and it is only 9.30am

I will write again later I promise

Love to all

Simba and Wolfie