AUGUST 2013

This is my new friend – Fifi the French poodle – she doesn’t say much but she has a certain finesse. . . After the village fete, where I made lots of new friends and acquainted myself with some old ones I visited another larger fete at an incredible house with more games for dogs.  We went under a long tunnel (no rabbits in it) and came out in another county where I found the French poodoo.   After the usual stops at Caves (no bears but plenty of the red stuff the Boss likes to taste and admire) we arrived at Chambord and La Fete de Chasse.  I have never seen so many hounds in one place before and when I said “hello” they all answered together, making so much noise I had to be removed to a quieter area.  They all bark in French so I am hoping they were pleased to see me.  The large square box on wheels in now my new home for a while and if I sometimes get spooked in the night I am allowed to sleep inside providing I lay quietly and keep all my beautiful perfumes to myself.  Sometimes I am kept awake by the snores coming from the Boss and the Mrs who have the cheek to say my barks are too loud!  Confusingly, just as I had got used to seeing bats, balls and stumps on the box at home, it turns out there are things in the trees here called crickets that have nothing to do with sport.  They make a noise all day long and nobody seems to care, but if I did that it would be most frowned upon so I stick to playing with Fifi and chewing the occasional baguette.

JULY 2013

Although I live in my own kennel most of the time, occasionally, if the house door is left open, I sneak in unobserved and lay my head on the arm of the Boss’s chair and he absently mindedly stokes my head for quite a while as he sits staring at a black box with all sorts of things in it.  I am definitely an outside dog but occasionally I have a weekend pass to the sitting room to check there are no strange animals escaping from the black box, especially when the Boss watches Countryfile or David Attenborough.  Sometimes they nod off and I become alarmed at the number of animals living inside and I give voice to warn them of their imminent escape, causing great alarm and near falls from the sofa….oops!  Once, someone in the box started singing at a certain pitch and I accompanied them with my plaintive howl – well that certainly woke the Boss up and elicited a strongly worded request to stop.  The most exciting time indoors is when the Boss is watching balls on the box which, despite disapproval from the Mrs, he insists is very good for me to watch, at which point the Mrs usually exits the room so us boys can watch in peace.  Apparently this is called sport and balls feature in many different forms so I am constantly keeping my eye on the ball in the hope it may pop out of the box and I can retrieve it.   Up to now this has never happened despite several near misses when I get excited and have to be told to “sit down I can’t see the screen”.  I have to sit close so that I can catch the ball as soon as it comes my way...I live in hope.