The Surrey Country Fair... and a New Friend!

On Sunday Sally took me to the Surrey Country Fair with Nan and Jack. We had a great day. We saw gundogs (like me but they were very good at sitting on the whistle and doing other clever things). We also saw lots of dogs jumping over "pretend" fences and going through tunnels (like mine except mine is really for cats and now it is too small for me cos I keep getting stuck!). But apparently I'm still too little to have a go myself! I love being a puppy but sometimes I wish I could be big. We also had a chat with a man called the doglistener. Sally wanted to know how to stop me pulling on a lead (fat chance!!) but he was on my side. He said I should just enjoy being a puppy and not to try and lead-train me for another month. What a nice chap he was!

I also wanted to tell you about my new girlfriend - Tess. Tess is a yellow labrador puppy who is 4 weeks younger than me. Her Dad is the postman. He brought her round to see me on Monday. Sally chatted to her Mum & Dad while we got to know each other. Unfortunately I haven't seen her since. On Wednesday when Sally went to answer the door I heard her talking to the postman but I was trapped in the office. I whimpered and Sally let me out. I dashed downstairs to the front door.. but it was shut. I tried to get round the back but that door was shut. I am sure I missed Tess but when I saw the postman this morning he didn't have Tess with him. Maybe she has got lost somewhere!

Here is a picture of me with my new toy.

Jack has moved in with us!

I have very exciting news this week. Jack has moved in with us. Now there is Sally, and two cats and two dogs (that's me and Jack). I wasn't sure at first because I thought maybe he had just come for a sleepover like he did before but he has been here for days so he must have come to live with us. I don't know where he sleeps because he doesn't sleep in the kitchen with me because the "moon" sometimes comes into the kitchen at night. I overheard Sally telling someone that he barks at the moon to try and get it to go away. I think that is very silly of him - even I know that there is no point in barking at the moon!

One very good thing has happened since Jack moved in. He has started to play chase games with me when we go for a walk. At long last - I have asked and asked him to play for the last 11 weeks - ever since I came to live with Sally. I've tried running round him in circles... jumping over him.. and even jumping on top over him. I've tried barking in his ear and under his chin...but too no avail he just put his head in the air (all snooty like) and ignored me. Even now he will only play when he feels with it but that is a lot better than not at all.

Here is a picture of Jack that Sally took when we were on our holidays.

My First Holiday!

I'm just back from my very first holiday. Me, Sally, Nan, Grandad & Jack all went to a place called Aberdovey on the West coast of Wales. We went in the car - I was very good and hardly bothered Jack at all. We lived in a small house with no upstairs (called a bugalow or something like that). I was very good almost all of the time. My crate came on holiday too which was nice because I could go to sleep in a place I knew.

We had a little excitement on the first day when Jack got a little over-excited and I overheard Nan and Sally saying he was lucky not to get drowneded (not sure what that is but I think it is something very bad). He went chasing after a kite-surfer and swam out into the sea trying to catch him. He didn't listen to anyone who was calling him. I couldn't see the point in chasing it as it was even I could see it wasn't a bird (I liked chasing birds on the beach on my holidays but Sally wasn't very pleased as I can't hear her call me when I'm chasing them!).

We had lots of lovely walks on the beach - and across the hills - and one day we went walking in the Hafren Forest alongside the River Severn. That was the only day which was wet - I got very wet so Sally had to dry me out with a towel.

One of my favourite days was the day we took the train to Portmadog. I went on Sally's knee because there wasn't enough room under the table which is where Jack went! In the afternoon Sally, Nan & Jack went for a walk - but I stayed with Grandad because Sally said I had done enough walking. I had lots of admirers but I am getting used to that.

Here are some pictures of my holiday - the first one is me and Jack in the car - - then one of me and Sally in the Forest on a wet day - and then one of me reading the business news on the train to Portmadog!

My busy week

Sorry I haven't written for awhile. I've been very busy getting ready for my first holiday. Sally, me, Nan, Grandad & Jack are off to Aberdovey in Wales tomorrow. We are going for a week and I am very excited because Sally says it is near another "end of the world"

I have had a busy week. On Saturday I went to the Chase with Jack and his friend Dylan and we met lots of other dogs. On Tuesday I went to dog training with the big dogs... and they were very big.. particularly Kaiser who was a very barky GSD and Zimber who was a very laid back yellow lab who doesn't like men. But I was very pleased to see Rufus who is a Tibetan Terrier who was in my puppy class a few weeks ago.

On Wednesday we went back to the end of the world... to a place called Hengistbury Head. We had a lovely walk in the morning. I loved playing in the purple heather. Everyone said I behaved just like a Springer Spaniel.. which is just as well as I am one. I read the "Springer Spaniel" manual very carefully so I know just what to do! In the afternoon we met another Springer puppy who had marking just like mine but he was much bigger than me - nearly twice the size! So imagine my surprise when Sally told me that we were nearly born on the same day - he was just two days older than me!

Yesterday when I was out walking I saw my friend Sherlock again - he is a collie cross (not a cross collie like Jack). He is only 6 months old so he is still a puppy too. We had a good play. Today I have been helping Sally pack for the holidays - I made sure she is taking plenty of chews and toys. I' ll tell you all about it when we get back.

Here is a picture of me and Jack getting a treat from Grandad. You can see how big I'm getting!

My First Award

I have great news! Yesterday when I went to puppy class I completed my Kennel Club Foundation Assessment. Next week I will be getting my very first certificate. To get my certificate I had to do a sit, down and stand. Then I had to walk "in a controlled manner" which apparently means not pulling or dashing off to see my puppy friends. I have also done the "socialisation" things and my 10 second stay. Last night Sally also did the "taking something out of my mouth" - it was just as well the toy she tried to take was a ball I didn't feel like playing with because "drop" isn't my best thing at the moment!

Next week I am going to the "big dogs" class. It is sad to leave my friends in the puppy class but I am now 15 weeks old and some of them are just babies. Although this week there was very big baby in the class called Indy. She is a Newfoundland puppy and was the youngest puppy there but also the biggest.

Here is a recent photo of me that I got Sally to take to show you how big I am now! (I am just trying to see how hard I have to pull to get the curtain down... so I can get a better view of the road outside).

My new best friend - Pippin

You will be pleased to know that my new best friend is Pippin - he is our black cat. When I first arrived he was not very friendly but now we are great friends. We love playing together. We have chase games, wrestling games and batting games (that is where he sits on a chair or something else high up and bats at me with his paw).

I did try and play with our other cat today - Willow - but she just ran off and I got told off by Sally for chasing her! She is a 'fraidy cat and a big spoilsport.

Here is a picture of Pippin sitting on the catbox and me ready for a game!

Ball Playing at Lepe

Today we went to another edge of the world.. well I thought it was an edge because it was like the one we went to last week except when I looked over the Sea there was another bit of the world. Sally said it was called the Isle of Wight. It is all very confusing. We were at a place called Lepe.

We had a lovely day out and I played ball with Jack. I had some good ideas for ball-playing when you are only a little puppy (although I am quite a big puppy now as I will be 14 weeks old on Thursday). You can play by yourself or with your Mum but with another dog is the best fun. Today I played with Jack. I am not very good yet and he took great delight in telling me how good Heidi used to be. Heidi was the black lab who lived here before me.

I heard that she played rugby for England (I'm not sure I got that right but I think so). Heidi was very good at marking. She danced around the other dogs when the ball was being thrown, and then tried to put them off when they were running for the ball. When they got the ball she would try and stop them getting it back to their owner.

However when you are only a puppy you get tired very quickly so you can't do all of that - so I just did the running bit. When I got tired I found the best thing to do is sit and wait while they chase the ball and then tackle them (a fancy way of saying jump at them) when they are on their way back. This is sure to annoy them but it is great fun. Here is a picture of me running to tackle Jack.. and another of me, Nan and Jack sitting on a bench (Jack is on the ground!).

My Puppy Class

On Wednesday evening I go to puppy class. I go to catch up with my puppy friends but we're not allowed to run around and play - we do some playing but we also learn to be good dogs. This week I was very good (well mostly).
We did something called "puppy recalls". I thought I had worked out a quick way of getting my treat for this. What normally happens is... Sally lets me off the lead.. then I can go and see my friends .. then Sally calls me and I run back for my treat. But this week when Sally let me off the lead I decided I might as well stay where I was. Surely that would be the quickest way to get it. But no treat! Then the trainer called me ... so I ran to him but he hadn't got a treat. Then Sally called me.. you have never seen a puppy run so fast I did... and I got my treat at last!

I also so did some very good walking on the lead - everyone was very impressed. But my "downstay" went wrong.. it wasn't my fault you understand.. one of my friends - Daisy the Border Collie - moved. I just got up in case she wanted to tell me something. But I did my 10 seconds at the second time of asking... and so I did get my treat.

If you are puppy - or have one - I would recommend puppy classes because I have made a lot of puppy friends and got a lot of extra treats!

My Trip to the Edge of the World

Today I went to the edge of the world where you cannot go any further. It is blue water and called The Sea. It must be the end of the world because there is nothing after the blue water. I went with Jack, Nan & Sally. It was at a place called Mudeford, near Christchurch.

I am sorry to have to tell you that Jack was a real pain on the journey down there. We were both in the back of the car where there is a lot of space for playing. So I thought Jack and me would be able to play. So I barked, and ran round him... and barked and jumped on top of him... and barked and pulled his ear... but he did absolutely nothing. I went on and on for about 10 minutes. He just lay there. Boring is what I call it - so I went to sleep.

I liked the beach and The Sea very much. I tried to catch the waves but I didn't catch any today. Sally says we will go again soon so I am sure I can catch some next time. After a little while I got so tired I just had to go to sleep. We had a really lovely day. This is a picture of me with Nan. I am looking at the edge of the world.

The Wag and Bone Show

It was my most exciting day yet! Me, Sally, Nan & Jack went to the Wag and Bone Show for the day. Nearly all the dogs in the world were there. I said hello to as many of them as I could - its called networking you know! There were some dogs who were busy working - we watched some "hearing dogs for the deaf" and then we went to listen to a talk by a very nice chap - Roger Mugford - who thought that people if they wanted to have dogs should have more than one. I'd really like another dog to live with me and Sally but Sally says not until I am a bigger.

There was lots to see and do but it was a very warm day so after lunch I had a rest in the shade with Sally. Jack was very good - he did the "Super Sit" where you have to sit or lie down for two minutes with lots of other dogs without getting up. Sally said I was too little to join in but I could have slept for two minutes if that would have been alright.

Then Nan and Jack did the "Have-A-Go-Agility-Course" - he was brilliant and the woman with them said he was a "natural" and should go to classes. I think Jack would like that. I couldn't do it because I was too little (again!). So I'm really looking forward to next year when I will do everything.

Here is picture of Jack doing the agility course and another one of me and Jack having a rest.

Eight New Things I did on Friday

What an exciting world this is.. I've been out and about on my own feet for a week now and just as I thought I'd seen most things in this world I had a whole lot of new experiences.

On Friday lunchtime Sally took me to Eastrop park. I have been lots of times before and I really like it because we always meet people who want to make a fuss of me and tell me how cute I am. But when we got to the fountains at the end of the park instead of going back we went through the underpass and into town!

The first new thing I did was walk along a road in town which was quite busy with some big vans .. then we crossed a metal suspension bridge which felt very funny under my feet because it was metal grid and I could see and hear lots of cars going underneath. Then we went through some sliding shiny metal doors into a dark box. There was just me and Sally in it. I didn't much care for the floor which was very slippy. Then all of sudden it started going down.. and then the doors opened and we walked out into a place where there were lots of buses and people getting on and off the buses. Apparently it is called a bus station.

Then we walked through a big outdoor cafe by the cinema before getting back to the park. When we got back to the park I sat on Sally's knee and had a good sleep. Then I was woken up by some very loud screeching sounds - when I opened my eyes I saw some boys whizzing along with wheels under their feet (skateboards I'm told!).

In the evening we went to another park to something called "Balloons over Basingstoke" where I saw big balloons with fire underneath them going up into the sky - never to be seen again! I met some people with bright yellow jackets in the park who made a big fuss of me. Then we went to the funfair but that was very noisy and I really didn't like it so we went home. Now I really must have seen everything in the world!

The New Forest, Training & Thatcham Lakes

Yesterday we went to the New Forest and we had a lovely day except for one thing - I nearly died (of starvation). All was well as we were driving down there - at one point my ears pricked up as I heard Sally say she would feed me as soon as we arrived. But then when we did arrive there was panic..Sally had left my bag at home... with all my food in it! Help.. I was going to starve to death. I waited anxiously with Grandad while Sally & Nan went to find a petshop but apparently it was closed! I was doomed.... but then my luck turned... cos Sally got me some very nice roast chicken from the grocery store and mixed it with the kibble she had in her pocket...what a feast! (But no photos because Sally's camera was in the bag!)


When we got back we only had a little rest before it was time for puppy class. There was one new dog in the class called Alfie. He is very long and has very very short legs but is a friendly chap (Sally says he is a dachshund). Some of my other friends had gone up to the big dogs class but Milly the chocolate lab, Molly the Jack Russell, Marble the whippet and Daisy the Border Collie were all there, so it was great fun.

Today I went to Thatcham Lakes with Sally, Nan, Carl and of course Jack. I very much enjoyed watching the ducks and swans. Here is a picture of me watching the swans, and another one just of the swans and their cygnet.

My favourite toys

Today I thought I would tell you about my favourite toys. I have several sorts of toys. I like "moving" toys very much - like Sally's feet or the cat's tail but it Sally does not seem to like me playing with these which is a shame.

But it doesn't really matter because I have lots of other toys which I am allowed to play with. Here is a picture of me with my sausages! I like running around with them and tossing them in the air. Sometimes me and Sally play fetch with them.. and sometimes we play tug. I like tug games because sometimes Sally says "drop" - then if I let go of my sausages really fast I get a treat! Then we can start again.

My next favourite toy is my dog (it is in the picture in my profile). It gets me very excited because it woofs and pants just like a real grown-up dog!

Tomorrow we are going out to somewhere called the New Forest for the day. It sounds great fun and I am pleased to say my friend Jack is coming too! That is good because I'm much happier meeting other dogs if I've got him to look after me.

Newbury welcomes me!

It has been such an exciting weekend... yesterday I went for my first walk with Jack. His friend Dylan came along too. We went to some woods on Greenham Common. I was allowed off the lead which was really good fun. I came everytime I was called...except once when I was still saying hello to some new people friends.. manners must come first.

Today I went to Victoria Park in Newbury.. and it seemed everyone in Newbury had turned out to welcome me! There were stalls, children's rides, bands and donkeys... and everywhere I looked there were people (and other dogs) who wanted to say hello to me! Someone said it was the Newbury Waterways Festival but I think that is just another name for the "Welcome Kimba Party". There were people of all ages, one very nice lady with what I believe is called a Zimmer frame was very friendly and I made special friends with two girls from the Czech Republic. I also met men with beards, people with hats, and people in funny dress (called uniforms I'm told). One lady even said it would be very good for my socialisation whatever that is!

These are some pictures - the first one is me having a rest while my friend Carl is looking after me... next is me saying hello to one of the donkeys... and finally a picture of me having my tummy tickled by some of my fans.

World .. here I come!

Are you ready? If not... too bad! I launched myself on the world today.... and what a big world it is. I've been for a walk round the local roads... to the town park.. and this evening I'm going out to "the hill" to play with other dogs. You should understand it is not that I haven't been to these places before.. but today I went out on my own four feet! I did get a bit excited to start off with .. I just couldn't decide which side of Sally I wanted to walk on ... so I kept get my lead wrapped around Sally's legs.. but I soon realised that we weren't getting anywhere and there are so many places to see.

You get a totally different perspective from down here near the ground... and then of course there are the smells... and all those interesting things lying about. One of my favourite things today was a plastic drinks bottle I found.. but unfortunately I couldn't quite get my mouth around it. People laughed at me when I kept trying to get hold of it. But I am growing... so perhaps next time.

I met lots of people today... I'm very popular you know. I still look very cute and people who appear to be "in the know" say I have lovely markings. I like all sorts of people - wobbly little ones (better known as toddlers I believe) to old wrinkly ones (sorry I'm forgetting my manners - senior citizens). I am very patient with all of them.

My Friend Carl

Yesterday I went with Sally to Nan & Grandads. I had a good time playing in the garden with my toys. Then Sally got the hose out which I didn't think I liked very much. But I watched Jack and he liked it very much so I thought I would give it a go - and its really not so bad. Sally thinks this is good news because she says she will want to hose me down when I get really dirty on walks.

The reason I went to Nan & Grandads was to see my friend Carl. He is Sally's nephew (I can't work out what relation he is to me). He came to our house the other day which I thought was good fun because he has a wheelchair and I kept get underneath the wheels! I like to sleep on Carl's knee and when I am not sleepy he sometimes holds my lead. Here is a picture of me asleep on Carl's knee.

p.s my training is still going well - I did a 45 second downstay today... and Sally is now training me to touch the end of a long black spoon - I can't imagine what use it will be!

Escape into the Jungle

Great news... I have worked out how to get out into the jungle. It has been a problem ever since Sally had the the really bad idea of opening up the playpen and placing it across the bottom of the patio.. that I meant I couldn't get out into the jungle unless Sally was with me (and I really would prefer to explore on my own!). She was very pleased with her idea I could tell.. it meant that I could potter around on the patio to my heart's content while she was reading or working at the table.

But this morning when Sally went down the garden to look for Pippin and left me on the patio.. it suddenly came to me. The little fence was made for climbing.. and in no time at all I was out into the jungle (and the nice basket of yellow flowers made an excellent step down on the other side). Now I can get out whenever I feel like going exploring.

My Own Den!

Today it has been very hot and I have slept a lot of the day because it is just too tiring to run around and play for very long but this evening Sally gave me some ice cubes to play with and that was great fun - every time I thought I had caught one it slipped away!

I want today to introduce you to my own den which was waiting for me when I got to my new home. I like it very much because when I am inside I can still see everything that is going on - in the kitchen and outside on the patio - but feel very safe in it. I sleep in it at night and go in it when Sally goes out .. but Sally also leaves the door open so I can go in and out as I like.

In my den I have newspaper (which is quite cool to lie on) and two blankets. In the picture you can see my special blue blanket which I brought with me from my first home. It very nice cos it is very smelly and reminds me of my Mum Saffron. You can also see "Softie" which was a present from Sally when I got here. In the picture I am drinking from my water bowl which is in my den - it hangs on the side which is a great shame because I like to tip water bowls upside down!

In the second picture you can see I am rearranging the blankets. Sally thought she would tidy the den before taking the pictures but no self-respecting dog (and I am of course nearly 11 weeks now) would lie on neat blankets - they are much more comfortable in a heap!

The Clicker Game

Today I thought I would tell you all about the clicker game which is the best game in the world because you get lots of treats... I wag my tail lots and lots everytime Sally gets the clicker out!. The clicker is a little yellow box and everytime it clicks I get a treat! So the game is to work out what you have to do to make it click. I've learnt how to touch the clicker with my nose... and how to do a "down" .. and now I'm learning how to walk properly on a lead. I'm learning that because Friday is my big day when I am allowed to walk outside on the pavement. At the moment I have to be carried which is getting just a little frustrating... there are so many lovely smells to explore.. and today when we went to the duckpond I saw another dog which I just know wanted to play with me. So roll on Friday!

Back to the training .. I arrived knowing how to sit.. at my first house I was very quick to learn that sitting nicely was the way to get picked up... and I also arrived knowing my name (Kimba in case you've forgotten - everybody thinks its a very nice name too!). I am quite good at coming when I'm called unless I'm playing with Pippin (our cat) or otherwise engaged. I can do a downstay for precisely 18 seconds ... and next I'm going to learn "stand" - not sure I understand the point of this as I learnt how to stand when I was very little! This is a picture of me doing a very nice "down".

Me and Jack

On Sundays we go to visit Sally's Mum & Dad... I reckon that makes them my Nan & Grandad.. anyhow they have a dog called Jack who is I believe what people call a collie cross.. but I call him a cross collie! I first met Jack the day after I came to live with Sally. I was so pleased to see him because in my first home I had all my brothers and sisters to play with and my Mum to look after me. I thought Jack looked a bit like my Mum "Saffron". So I bounced up to him to say "Hello" but he just looked at me.. then growled very quietly and ran off. I was very puzzled but I have since discovered the Jack is a grown-up dog who is very busy with his own affairs - he has the garden to look after - the pigeons to scare off - and his ball to chase - all of which are a very serious business and he certainly does not have any time to play with me!

I have seen him lots of times in the last couple of weeks and although I couldn't yet say he is happy to see me, he is not as anything like as cross and even lets me lick his face sometimes. I'm sure we're going to be very good friends! This is a picture of me and Jack getting a treat from Nan.