Agility is Great Fun

Sorry it has been so long. I'm all grown up now. In fact I am going to be 2 next month and Kimba will be 3 in May.
I am a very busy little Springer. Today is Tuesday so I am very excited because on Tuesday's I go to my agility club. It is great fun particularly as Sally gives me treats when I do something good. I have been going to agility for almost a year but I had a break because we left my old club and now we have new club called Hartley Hounds so I am a Hartley Hound.
I am learning my left and my right. It is quite difficult but I like practising because I get lots of treats.

More Training!!

Kimba here!

Last week Sally took me and Kofi to another training class... well I thought it was going to be another class but when we got there, we were the only two dogs and we were in a field with this nice chap called Alex. Apparently he is a gundog trainer... and me and Kofi are gundogs!!

I will tell you more about what we got up too soon but Sally says it is late and time for bed so I will be back sometime soon.

We are the Golden Boys!!

Kofi here...

Saturday was a really big day for me because it was test day at our training class. I missed the last test day so I was not sure what was going to happen but I knew that something was because we have been working so hard for many weeks. Mostly I have been doing a lot of roadwalking where I have to walk without pulling or lunging.. and I have to take notice of Sally to see whether she is going fast or slow.


First of all I had to go in the hall with a lot of strange dogs because I missed the last testing session. This was apparently to do my Bronze test. I wondered where Phoebe was because me and Phoebe have sat next to each other in all the training sessions since I first started at Puppy School. A strange lady seemed to be in charge but I just did everything Sally said.. and after what seemed like a long time we had finished and Sally & I had to go and get my Bronze certificate & rosette! The assessor said I was very good for a 9-month-old Springer... and I thought you haven't seen anything yet cos I'm really super-duper!

Then all the strange dogs disappeared and Phoebe came in. There was only me and Phoebe doing our Silver Award. Apparently she did her Bronze when I was on my holidays at Nan & Grandads. We started by doing our roadwalk.. which I knew Sally had been worried about .. but I was relaxed... and stopped to "spend a penny" when I had to cross a little grassy bit! The rest of the Silver test was quite straightforward... except that Kimba was watching me which I found a bit offputting. Then it was time for another certificate and rosette.

But there was no time for rest. On we went. This time Kimba joined in because he was doing his Gold test too! I did everything quite well I thought.. and even got a round of applause for my "bed" exercise because I did my "really cute" act! Sally wasn't very happy with my free walk because I decided I wanted to lead the way.. and that wasn't the idea apparently so I started paying attention to Sally and all was fine.

At the end of the day me and Kimba both got a Gold rosette and certificate. Sally said she was really proud of us both (which I am not sure is fair.. surely she should be more proud of me because I got three awards!).

Sorry its been so long...

Kimba here... sorry it has been so long but we have been really busy. First Sally went on holiday to see Auntie Kay in Florida. Me & Kofi stayed with Nan & Grandand... the cats stayed there too! We were all very good animals and Nan says we can come again anytime we like.. and we do like it lots because when we stay at Nan's we go to the Chase. Kofi and me like it there because we can chase and chase and chase through the trees ... that's why it is called the Chase!

Since Sally got back she has been busy rewriting her website... and taking us to training classes... oh and Kofi has got something called dermodex which is a sort of mange (I told him it makes him look funnier than he is already... I think I have told you before that I am the handsome one! Anyway it is getting better now.

And then just a couple of weeks ago when I went for a chase with Kofi in the Chase I cut on of my pads and then had to have a minor op to have a bit sliced off my pad cos it was so deep. I had a bandage on it for about 4 hours before I managed to get it off... but the next one I kept on until the nurse took it off. But that's almost better too now which is just as well cos I get grumpy when I am not allowed to go on walks!

On Saturday me and Kofi are doing some more tests. I am doing my Kennel Club Gold Award... and Kofi is doing his Bronze.. and if he passes he will do his Silver...and if he passes that as well he will do his Gold.. all on the same day. So fingers crossed that we will both pass all our tests!

These are some of my favourite pics from 2007

Sunday's Playday

Kimba here. On Saturday Kofi and me go to our training classes in Burghfield Common. Sally's idea is that we show off what we have learnt in the week when we've been doing our practising. My idea is that is a good chance to play with my friends... and Kofi's idea is that he has been hired as a cleaner so he has to go round cleaning up all the scraps of treats left by the other dogs.

On Sunday we don't have to do any work. We just play. Here are some pictures of us playing this morning.

This is me playing quietly by myself



Now look who's trying to pinch my toy and my bed!



Here we are fighting over the toy (not sure where the toy is though!)



Now we are having a rest (Springer style)

Six Months Old

Hi.. Kofi here. Just wanted you all to know that I was exactly six months old yesterday. To celebrate such a momentous day in the life of a young pup like me Sally took me back to training classes - now I am in the Bronze class (Kimba is in the Gold class). Sally said that I wasn't very good really.. and Phoebe's mum said that it was good to see that even I could have "off days". So Sally said we will have to work hard over the next week cos usually I am the best in the class.

On Friday I had adventures. We went to the meadows and I went off chasing Kimba - then I spotted what I thought was Sally going back to the car and that she was going without me. So I slipped under the gate and on to the lane where Sally's car was. But when I got out on to the lane she wasn't there so I ran around the lane looking for her. Then 2 people called me and put me on a lead and took me back inside the gate to find Sally. She had been calling for ages... and was very grateful to the people for catching me and bring me back because apparently it is very dangerous to be out and about on lanes. Now she says we will have to be more careful where Kimba & me are both allowed off the lead so we can't just run off chasing anymore! Hope you like my 6 month portrait pictures.

So pleased I've got a brother.. I think!

Kimba here.. it has taken me a long time to recover from my exhausting holiday on the beach. I know I'm a Springer and I should be able to run and run but my little brother is a very good chaser and he's getting quite fast now. We had great fun on the beach together.

I'm really pleased Sally got me a little brother because most of the time we have great fun playing and chasing around. I do get a little bad tempered with him when he tries to sneak up and pinch my bed or nick the toys I have reserved to play with (i.e the toys I think I might play with.. or might not as the fancy takes me!!!!)

Here is a picture of Me and Kofi at our holiday home.