Happy Oakley!!!

Snoozy Saturday! Just the ticket after Frantic Friday!

It is good to be back in our floatyboaty home. We have actually cruised - all of about 5 minutes - out of the boatkennel and across to the other side of the rivercanal. That means we are moored against the towpath. That means passing pooch pals! That means happy Oakley. It also means I get to go out for a wee without having to be escorted on lead. That, in turn, means I can push slightly on the limits of Mum's supervision (ha ha! Funny word for a Blindie!); I can sniff just a tad further away to select the best place to tiddle! Now.....if I remember correctly.......just the other side of the hedges......there is a park and a stream......I wonder how far I can push these limits........

City Dawg - I strutted my Stuff!

Cor! Flipping Eck! I am kerzonkled!

We've been to that crazy London place today. The workywalkies this morning from the boat to the station was great, Then it was quite nice to chill out on the train. Then the hard work began! All I could see was a forest of human hind legs! I worked my paws off guiding Mum through all that lot! Twice I had to find a bus stop, then find a seat on the big red bus. Mum says we workywalkied places called Pawdington Station, Oxford Street, Soho, Lester Square and Pickledlilly Circus. I had to weave and wiggle all over the pavements to guide Mum around all that lot. The place was heaving with hurrying humans.

We met up with Debbi and went with her to a huge building where I had to guide Mum upsteps and then had a bit of a rest while Debbi went around tickling the black & white teeth of loads of different big noise boxes. Next, it was back downsteps and more workywalkies to the command from Mum of "Find Costa". In there, I got a lovely bowl if water and managed very successfully to create a small lake on the floor! Heehee!

The train back was mega hot. It made my tongue hang out and drip, and it was a little bit distressing but we survived. It was really nice to work guiding Mum around the chilly bits of Sainsbury's on the way back to the boat!

Mum was mega pleased with me and she said I was really impressive today guiding her around such busy places. I rather enjoyed the big juicy crunchy carrot I got for dessert after my dinner!
Now, Mum's lap is making a lovely pillow for a very tired head. Mummysofasnuggles again! Happy Oakley!

Photo shows me lying on the sofa between Mum's legs,
with my head across one leg, very contended snoozing.

Floatyboatyhome!

Home! Yayyyy! Mummysofasnuggles! Bliss!

Today has has been all about visitors - ie Debbi and Ryan, workywalkies, snoozing while Debbi tickled the black n white teeth on several different big black noisybeasties, then bag-packing, long drive and now HOOOOOOOMMMEEE! Floatyboatyhome! Mum says we are here for a week! Yayyy!

Aaaaaand.....relaxzzzzzzzzzz......

Pooped and Pee-ed off....

I think I want to be a human puppy. She gets to make all the noise she wants, she doesn't have to go outside to pee or poop, she gets cuddles all the time and, it seems that whatever she does makes human mouths turn up at the edges!

If I pooped anywhere except outside where I was told to (gutter, spending area or wherever else Mum or Dad deem acceptable), I would be in big trouble. Today, we went to Worthing again to visit Rosie and little Hallie. She pooped just where she was - in Mum's arms and inside her fur-substitutes. They all seemed really chuffed with her and it was all happy upturned mouths and cheerful noises while she was uncovered, de-pooped and stroked with little damp white squares! All I get is a pat on the head and a 'good boy' when I do it on command in the 'right' place!

Zoomies, Diggies and Swimmies. Fantabulous!

Photoshoot - that's what Mum called it.

Blimmin good fun - that's what I called it! Heeeeheeee! Well, a trip to the beach couldn't possibly be anything else could it? Certainly not when Mum swaps my harness and working collar for my play collar and says 'Go play'! Well, I couldn't possibly be disobedient could I?

We met a lady called Jules who had a one-eyed-clickybox much like Dad's. Apparently this was an arranged date for her to 'capture' me both in work mode and in play mode. The work mode bit didn't last long; just a short workywalkies along the road, across the road and back again. Then came the change of attire and ....... Yippppppeeeeeee! We set off over the sandygrassyhumps and down onto the beach! Jules kept pointing her clickybox at me while I got on with the very serious business of doing zoomies, digging, swimming, playing ball fetch and just generally having a fantabulous time playing with Mum. Mum says she hopes Jules will do something called 'upload' the photos soon so we can share some of them.

Jules said something about the light not being too good this evening so we might try again some other time. Well, I don't think that would be too much of a hardship..... Tomorrow????? Maybe????? Please?????....... Oh, Mum.....who cares that you've only just got me clean?.......

Mum's a Fraud!

Oi! Mum! That is well out of order! That is fraud! That is serious diddling!

All this time I have been happily accepting my Good Boy treats thinking I am being rewarded for being such a good boy, doing good works etc and today I discovered that I am only getting a bit of each treat.

I smelled the yummy dried chicken sticks and wandered into the kitchen in the hope that my goodness at being vigilant and observant might be rewarded. I caught Mum red pawed! She was using those shiny-cross-over-sticks-with-loopy-ends to CUT UP my treats! It turns out that each treat is really four times bigger than I've been getting. They are actually quite nice long sticks - enough for a good chew. All I've been getting is a morsel the length of one of my pawpads!

What a stingey meanie Mum!

I really Deserve my Bone Tonight!!!!

Bone O'clock! And about time too!

Well, actually, to be fully truthful, as I type this, I have munched my way through half of my Sunday bone. It was very late though when I got it. A very welcome unwind after a crazy weekend!

We are, of course, back at Granny's flat again after a day of workywalkies around a bit of Worthing, followed by workywalkies a place with lots of strange creatures. Mum says it was called Washbrooks Farm and that we went there because it was Rosie's 21st birthday. Well, there were some very scary beasties there that made me bark and growl at them. Mum told me off and made me 'sit' but I just couldn't stay sat there for long. Those growls and barks just wouldn't stay down! Mum got a bit miffed with me and told me 'About turn', 'Find the way out'. We waited outside while Dad, Debbi, Rosie and James stayed to check out all the oinks, moos, neighs, baas, clucks, quacks and gobbles. Oops! I kinda get the impression I wasn't supposed to get all gruff with them. But.....they were big and scary and I didn't want them attacking, so I defended! Ahem! Oopsie!

Next came a lie down in a human yummyery while Mum, Dad, Debbi, Rosie and James noshed and little Hallie howled for a bit, then started chewing on Rosie's chest bump! Then she stopped howling and went to sleep.

We went for a brief visit to Nanny and Papa before starting the journey back to Bournemouth - thankfully, this journey included a very welcome stop off at a park where I got a good runaround with a little bundle of fluffy fun - a 14 week old Border collie pup. That was a great release of energy and tension. Just what I needed! Thanks Mum and Dad.

Now, bone finished with for tonight, I think it is time to catch up on some serious zzzzzzzzz........

Mini-human malarkey......

Human puppies dont half make a lot of noise! Well, my niece, Hallie certainly does! And it seems that big humans do all sorts of jiggling and cuddling and rocking and putting things into her mouth, and a whole range of other weird things to try to stop the howling. Soooooo, I'm thinking..... If I start howling and flinging my paws around, will I get jiggled and huggled and have things put into my mouth? Maybe it is worth a try.....

In the meantime, I will continue to stay out of the way - I'm still really not sure how to handle this microhuman malarkey.

However, all the workywalkies today was great, especially as it led to a lovely reunion with long missed humans - Clinton and Joanne and their two maxi-minihumans, Emma and Josh. It was great to be allowed to just chill in their garden while the inevitable vast amounts of yacketyyacking went on.

Not Allowed to be a Dog.

"Not fair"
"Cruel"
"Sad"
"No life"
"Wicked"
"Never any fun"
"Always on duty"
"Not allowed to be a dog"

These are some of the comments often heard from passers by.

Oh how very wrong they are! Every one of them!

Yes, I am a WORKING dog. I am a very HAPPY dog. I LOVE my job. I have oooooooodles of FUN. I have a very PAMPERED life. I have the BEST care and treatment. I get to go into loads of places that pet pooches can't. I am NEVER left alone for hours like some pets.

My work is all about going walkies. What dog doesn't love going walkies? I just go walkies with a very special purpose and I am very clever so I love to use my brain to do this job. When I am off duty, I am just like any other pampered pooch; I get to be loved, groomed, tickled, fussed, played with, relaxed with, cuddled, stroked...... all the nice things about being adored by humans. I also get some awesome playtimes in parks, on beaches, in woods, along tracks.......and when I do this, I do it to the max! I HAVE FUNNNNNNN!

If ever you hear anyone saying anything negative about Guide Dogs then PLEASE point them to this page. I try very hard to spread the happiness and tell everyone about my wonderful life.

If anyone has any concerns or wants further information then they should contact The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (UK)​

One-eyed-clickyboxes eeeeevvvvveerrrrrrryyyyywhere.....

Another long lazy snoozy hot day but it ended fantabulously!

After dinner, when the heat was less hot, we got in the car and, when we arrived at a certain familiar car park, I have to admit that I couldn't contain my excitement. I may just have made a bit of a goof of myself with all my squeaking! Mum just didn't open the boot door quick enough. I just couldn't wait to get out! We were at Hengistbury Head! Yippppppity Yipppeeeee! I think that has to be one of my bestest, favouritest, goodest, nicest, happiest places in the whole wide world!

Three miles of blissful freerun up and over the top of the hill, then back along the road. I was maybe a little disappointed that I wasn't allowed to perfume myself in the stinkygreenditches but I think I can survive this time. I found some doggypals to play with and we ran and played all the way back along the roadtrack. They were there with their humans - all of whom had one-eyed-clickyboxes like Dad has. Apparently it was a one-eyed-clickybox club outing. Personally, I think doggypals are much more interesting!

Photo of me looking happy and super handsome in the evening sunlight.

Frrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Swimmmmmmmmm!

Heh heh! Mum took this video of me playing in the sea on Tuesday evening.....

Yacking and Yummeries

I don't get it! All the humans are moaning about the heat. Me? I just hang out my tongue and have a great day!

Mum mum said it was too hot for workywalkies, apart from one short wander that just had to be done. We stayed in the shady bits though so I didn't get toasted paws.

We visited Granny, then I persuaded Mum and Dad that it was essential to visit the park opposite Granny's human-vet-kennelblock. That turned out to be great timing! I found a good buddy to play with which meant that Mum and Dad got to sit on a bench and yackety-yack with Scampi's Dad while we got on with some serious chasing games. Mum said Scampi was a pocket rocket coz he was super speedy. Scampi's Dad said he is a Jack Russel X Whippet. I just think Scampi is an awesome playmate!

Next stop top was a human yummyery where we met Nanny and Papa. Yippee! I haven't seen them for ages! Of course, I had to be good and snooze under the table while they all munched and yacketyyacked, but I was quite tired after romping with Scampi, and tge nice lady brought me a big tub full of lovely cold water with crunchy lumps in it. I enjoyed sloshing that on the floor! Heehee! Of course, Nanny insisted on giving me a coupl of those little white crunchy minty rings she always has in her bag. Well....it would offend her if I declined wouldn't it?!!

The rest of the afternoon was spent snoozing on the little tiny garden that sticks out in the air from the lounge at Granny's flat. I figured that was a good place to get in some zzzzzs, soak up some heat from the skyfireball, and enjoy the little bit of cooling airfuff all in one!

After dinner came the bestest bit of all: I took Mum and Dad down Middle Chine and onto the doggybeach! There is one little bit where dogs are allowed in the summer and we went there! Yippeeeeeeee! I changed into my play collar and had a fandabbydoozee time! I met another new playpal; a seven month old pointer called Gunner, and a few other dogs who came and went too. Gunner and I had done superb chasing fun but he was a wuss when it came to the sploshy wet stuff. He wouldn't follow me in so, every time any of the silly humans threw a ball out into the splosh, I was the one who had to swim out to fetch it back! I think I did a good job of getting them all with some excellent big shakes though! Heehee! It was a fabulous time! Mum pointed her talkybone at me a few times so I will upload the pics and a video.

Once we returned to Granny's I had to put up with a froth attack but that wasn't too bad. I made sure I got edible help to get me through it. I also managed to decorate the bathroom pretty well with a good liberal scattering of water and fur with several big shakes! I got rewarded for that with the finale to the day; a rawhide chewring!

Yep! I think I can declare this a blimmin good day!

 me zonked out on the tiled floor of the balcony surrounded by flowers

digging in the sand

digging in the sand

with Dad in the sploshy waves

lying on the floor with my chew ring in my mouth

Video of swim in a seperate post

Will a little thing like a lid stop me?????

Mum just gets dafter!

She he bought me a new toy box a while ago. It has a lid. She thought that would stop my ideas of playing at 'inappropriate times'. Well, when it has been so hot all day, I think that late at night IS a perfectly appropriate time to play. And that lid is absolutely NO barrier: one quick flip of the nose and I'm in! My squeaky space hopper is just perfect to chomp and toss around and pounce on at late o'clock!

Carrot Sprays and Bouncing Yogurt....

Is there no end to Mum's daftness?

Honestly! It is such blimmin' hard work sorting out her mess sometimes! After a lovely day of church, visiting Granny and relaxing on the beach, we get back and she starts doing all her choppy-stirry stuff in the kitchen.

First of all I had to hoover all the long strips of carrot-outsides that she sprayed all over the floor. Then came a small (sadly only very small) chunk of cheese. Oh! And the knobby end of one of those long green logs with the juicy insides. Allll of this landed on the floor so I had to hoover it all up.

As if all that clearing up wasn't enough, she then opened the top door of the big white cold cupboard and, instead of putting the big tub of yogurt in there, she threw it on the floor! But, before it hit the floor, it bounced on the inside of the cold cupboard and a great gloop of yogurt splatted all down the front of the bottom door, and a dollop landed on the floor too! Mum was very quick to pick up the tub so I didn't have to clear that up, but, oh my goodness! I did have a huge lot of licking to do in order to do my cleaning duty to the floor and the white door. I even had to stand up on my hind legs to get to the top end of the trail! While I was busy dealing with all of that lot, Mum was dashing for a cloth. She used it to clear up yet more of this yogurt from inside the big white cold cupboard. That was fine except that she managed to drop a big dollop of it on my head! Well! That was really rotten! I can't lick there! What a waste of good yogurt! AND I then had to endure a slathering with a cloth to remove it all from my neck and ear!

Its ts a good job I like yogurt! And apparently it is good for me too! So, in that case, I declare a job well done!

Now...... Where's my Sunday bone?......

Silly Mummy!

She launched a major attack on me with the grooming kit. When she had finished, she looked at the magnificent pile of black fur on the floor and said she could make a new dog out of it!

"Yayyyheyyy!" thought I. "I'm gonna get a playmate!" But no! Dopey Mum goes and gets that nasty noisy machine, sticks its long skinny tail into the square on the wall and proceeds to stroke the carpet with it. My playmate was all gobbled up! Huffffff!

Then, to make matters worse, she gets a bowl of froth and dips a square of cloth into it, squeezes it, then uses it to scrub me all over! Several times re-dipping and re-squeezing. She now seems to be convinced I smell nice and look super smart! Well, I was quite happy with my rugged look and my eau-de-horsewee! Harrrrrumph!

What HAS she done now......

I really do worry about Mum. I know she is old, but pink top head fur and a blue rinse?????

Not a bad day....

Play. Snooze. Walkies. Not a bad day!

We we tried to visit Granny but she was in bed and her nose was making big rumbling snorts so we left her in peace. That meant I had time to persuade Mum and Dad that we had to go to the park opposite. There I found a great playmate; a labradoodle called Monty. The rest of the day has been a long relaxing snooze while Mum rested her ouchy paws. Then I took Dad for a nice long walkies this evening.

Photo of me with Monty.

Ooooh! And a photo from Wednesday of Debbi sitting in front of her big black beast with the black and white teeth that she so loves to tickle.

Huff! Humph! and Harrumph!

Huff! My loving was forbidden!

I took Mum on a lovely long workywalkies into town, all around Tesco's and back along the pawmenade. The beach was absolutely covered in humans all lying down. I'm sure they must have all been poorly or something. Why otherwise would they all be lying down? I squeaked and whined my bestest but Mum simply would not let me go check on any of them! I so could have raced around the whole beach giving every one of them a bit of my loving but I just had to keep going 'straight on'. Huff! Humph! and Harrumph!

It was a good workywalkies of course and we did enjoy it, but .... but...but.... I so would have loved to whizz around that sand......

Wow. THAT was different....

Well that made a change!

What a very different day! A brief walkies, then a long car ride ending at Debbi's home in London. That means - huge garden! Yayyyyyy! When we went inside though we didn't find Debbi or Ryan - we found Rosie and little Hallie the squeaky microhumanpup - oh! and hissing furballs! I wasn't allowed to chase them though! I got my collar held! Hufff! I did find their carelessly abandoned food though! I started to make it feel more loved but I got 'removed from the scene'! Even bigger HUFF!

We didn't stay long - we all loaded back into the car. That meant I had to share MY boot space with Hallie's wheeliechariot. We went for a short ride and then on a short workywalkies all together. I had to guide Mum on completely new territory, while Dad confiscated Hallie in her wheeliechariot from Rosie, who just walked along on her own. We went into a big building and found Ryan and Debbi in there. After brief greetings, we all took our places in the seats and Debbi started tickling the black and white teeth of the huge black beast at the front. She carried on tickling its teeth for the whole time, but at different points she was joined by three different men; one did some human howling, the others parped on slightly different tootysticks with shiny bits on them. As each one finished, all the humans in the room banged their paws together and I got all excited thinking they all wanted to play with me. I was disappointed! It seems that humans bang their paws together for other reasons! I did get to have a bit of fun at the end though when Ryan played with me. Lots of people laughed at me though when my paws couldn't get a grip on the floor and I was running but not getting anywhere! I do like to entertain when the opportunity arises! Heehee!

The rest of the day was spent back at Debbi and Ryan's house - some of it with everyone in the garden. That was great fun - I had several people to play ball with in that lovely big grassy garden! I was tempted to jump into the big blue puddle thing at the end but Ryan scared me away from it by splashing at me! He said it was his swimming pool, not mine! What a rotter!

I forgave him for that though when he picked up my lead and I got to take him and Aimee for a lovely long walkies and a bit of a freerun on Hounslow Common.

Now, we're back at Granny's after the inevitable car ride. I've been looking out of the huge windows in the lounge and just noticed a very handsome black Labrador who mimicks my every move. I growled at him! He was taking the mickey out of me! Mum and Dad seemed to think it was hilarious! Hufffffff...........

Dad took this lovely photo of Debbi

Debbi seems to enjoy tickling the teeth of this beast!

Chines, Pawmenades and Granny - oh, and play and Dad Walkies!

Started off with a nice longish workywalkies with Mum. She actually allowed me to guide her the best way: down the Chine! Yeayyy! Alum Chine is a lovely long, shady route to the beach, and it is very popular with lots of doggy pals and their humans. That means that, as lots of the lucky pooches are off lead, they come to greet me when I am working with Mum! I never get away with it. She says that she can read my mind when I am heading her off to greet a poochpal. She says that I tickle her left arm with my tail to tell her! Hufff! I shall have to work on gettign my tail under better control!

We turned left at the bottom of Alum chine, headed off along the pawmenade and then turned up Middle Chine. That is another favourite route - another nice shady chine, equally popular for doggy pals to brign their humans. More meeting and greeting opportunities! Heehee!

Dad picked us up in the car at the top of Middle Chine and we headed off to visit Granny. I gave her a good sniffy nuzzly greeting and then took a snooze while she and Mum and Dad did all their yackety-yacking. Then we left her and I got yummies from the nice lady who sits behind the reception desk in Granny's huge vet-kennelblock place. Those yummies gave me a little extra energy to enjoy the game of chase with a super doggy pal I found in the park a few minutes later. She was a six month old Viszla puppy and she was excellent fun - bouncy and full of chase and chew and rough and tumble! I was pooped out by the time we got back to Granny's flat, and certainly very glad of a chance to stretch out and snooze off all the exertion!

I managed to recover enough to take Dad for a nice stroll this evening though. That worked up an appetite for my chew-ring. Now I am ready to snooze off the exertion of munching my way through that! Night night......zzzzzzz.......

Buggalugs.

"Find Boots", "Find Tesco's". "Find the car", "Find Granny", "Find Boots" (again), "Find Primark" (that's a new one on me, but I must have found it - I got a yummy!), "Find the crossing", ""Find the ...oh! clever boy! You already found it!" Well! Of course I did! I am just brilliant! And I do like to get yummies each time I find whatever I'm supposed to find. They are essential affirmation of my amazingness!

Apparently though, I wasn't supposed to find the yummy for myself on the street! Well, I don't need a command! I worked it out all by myself! I hit the timing just right to catch Mum off guard so she couldn't quite snatch on my lead to prevent my head-duck! She still has no idea what I snaffled and I'm not telling! I did my duty! I cleansed the street of that particular item of litter! in the process I made a few onlookers laugh! That can only be good - surely? Well, to be fair, I think the laughter was at a combination of my gleeful success and Mum's outrage and calling me 'Buggalugs'.

Mum is O L D ! ! ! !

Mum is now old! Apparently she has had 50 birthdays. Now..... If I could have a Bonio for each of those birthdays ........ Mmmmmm...... Well, it might take a few minutes to count as I munch .......

The last couple of days have been rather good! Yesterday, after a nice lazy lie in at that posh humankennelblock, I endured the torture of the smell of bacon and sausages and......oooooh all those causes of serious jowl-drip. I survived it though and, a short while later, I recovered when we arrived at a fandabbydoozee freerun place! I had the most superb game if chase and roll and swim and chase and run and chase and swim and.......ooooh! It was great! There was a little river and mud and grass and super stinky brown patches - and an 11 month old boxer pup called Hugo to enjoy it all with! Then, when we had tired each other out with all that fun together, Mum and Dad declared me too soggy to go straight back in the car, so I just had to go run and play some more on the fields to dry off. Mum says it was called the New Forest. It didn't have many trees, but it had loads and loads of delectable brown dollops all over the place. Well, it would have been rude not to make use of some of them for a good roll to dry off wouldn't it?

Me and Hugo playing crazy chase

Me and Hugo playing crazy chase

A rather splendid mess!
Me all nicely covered in the dust and dirt I'd rolled in to dry my coat after swimming.

Next, we went to a place that was a bit boring but smelled kind of interesting In places. Mum says it was called Bucklers Hard. Hard what? I don't know! There were some strange humans in there that looked like they were doing various things, but they weren't moving at all. They weren't even breathing. They smelled all kind of dust and old. Some bits were really dark, which meant that I really had to do my stuff to guide Mum around. Dad had to use his one-eyed-clickybox to make a bright flash, then he showed Mum the little window on his clickybox. That was the only way she could see the funny not-moving people and the stuff around them. There were lots of outside bits here too. They were nice. For a while, Dad went off on a clickybox mission while I looked after Mum who enjoyed a sit-awhile on a bench.

The next bit kind of reminded us of home: We went on a boat trip. It was a lot bigger than our boaty home and there were quite a lot of people on it. I spent most of the time enjoying delectable ear tickles from the man next to Mum. I soon discovered that his knee made a good chin rest and that made his paw come to my ears! Mmmmmmmm......that whiled away the time just lovely!

Eventually, we had to head back to reality - aka Granny's flat in Bournemouth. At least that meant I got my dinner! We didn't stay long though before I was back on workywalkies duty to guide Mum and Dad to a nearby human yummyery. There we met Uncle John and Aunty Judy. (Dad's sister). Of course, that meant hours of snoozing for me while they yacketyyacked and munched. I did manage to snaffle a little morsel from under a chair. It seems I like strawberries!

Phew! I was ready for my bed after all that!

Today has has been a little more sedate, but still packed with variety:

Workywalkies, then church, followed by a bit of hoovering duty (minihumans are so messy when they munch!). Then more workywalkies to a foodyshop, and of course around inside the shop. I almost managed to take Mum to the carrots but she said we didn't need any! Humph! After that it was a short car ride to a place called Poole. I have workywalkied some bits of this place before but not all if it and not with sooooo many people around as today. I really had to strut my stuff! There were loads of buses around too. Apparently that is why we were there. According to Dad they were all very interesting (??????) because they were very old. Yeah.....OK...... Well, I enjoyed sitting with Mum watching the world go by while Dad went berserk with his clickybox. We did go for a ride in one of these old buses. We went upstairs and it was very wobbly and bumpy and rumbly. It made Dad happy though!

After enduring all that, I got to 'uncoil my springs' with a brief but very energetic game of ball fetch in a park. I am soooooo not used to sprinting so much! I was right puffed out! I had to refuse to give the ball back so that daft Dad couldn't launch it again! It was fun though, and I did get some treats when I fetched the ball back to Mum a few times. It seems that pleases her!

This is evening Aunty Judy and Uncle John came to help munch up all the yummies test Mum had been busy choppy-sizzly-stirring. I was glad of my Sunday bone to relax with.

Actually, if I am really honest, I am too pooped to even bother to attack that. I think I will save it for later......zzzzzzzzzz....

Ooh! Posh!

After a long workywalkies this morning, Dad picked us up in the car and we went to visit Granny, who seemed happy sitting in her chair. We didn't stay long because she was eating her lunch. Next came a but of a car ride, finishing at this posh human kennelblock.

Apparently it is called Carey's Manor Senspa. Something to do with Dad treating Mum. Because tomorrow she will become old!

The first thing that happened here was that I had to guide Mum, following another lady, up and down loads of twirly stairs and into a room with a funny bed thing. I just had to lie down while a lady did allsorts of rubbing and stroking and kinda thumping with her paws all over Mum, who was lying face-down in the bed thing. I did peep underneath and discovered her nose poking through a hole so I gave her a kiss to make sure she was ok.

Next, we went to our kennel, where I got abandoned to check out the bed and sofa while Mum and Dad disappeared for a while. When they came back, they were soggy and smelled like the big puddleplace where Rosie used to work.

I then got my dinner before guiding Mum on a walk around the grounds of this place and then into a human yummyery. After that we were off for another long workywalkies around the village.

At one bit, the river runs across the road. Mum was a wuss. She wouldn't walk through it. We had to go over the little bridge beside the road instead! I was well miffed! It would have been great to splash about in there! I'm not do sure about all the cars big splashing through it though, that brings back scary nasty memories.

Dad was off on a one-eyed-clickybox mission, so I guided Mum to a seat to wait. As we sat there, a big brown beastie came around the corner and right past us, really close. It had a big long head and swish tail and clipclop paws. It was huuuuuuge! I defender my Mummy! I gave my biggest, bravest, gruffest growl and barks. It just swished its tail and slowly clipclopped on by! Huhhhh! And Mum told me off! Harruummpphh! I was only trying to see it off!

This big clipclop beastie just sauntered on up the road and disappeared into a side twitten. A little later, we had walked on up that road and stopped again to wait for Dad, when clipclop beastie came past again. Mum told me to sit. I did. She told me to stay. She kept telling me to stay. I did. Clipclop beastie passes us by. I got yummies and lots of praise. I forgave Mum for telling me off.

Now, there us a wonderfully huge bed in here...... I wonder.......will I get away with a sneak up there?......

Photo of Mum and me outside the big posh Carey's Manor.

New Humanvetkennelblock

I think I might get to rather like visiting Granny now she is in her new posh humanvetkennelblock. Well.....I suppose, if I have to be truly honest......it is the park opposite that is what I rather like! I am pretty sure I heard Mum say something about it can't do any harm for me to enjoy a few minutes freerun there after visiting each time, just to uncoil my springs! Well, I didn't know I had springs, but I would like to learn how to coil them tighter so that I need more of a freerun each time to uncoil them!

Granny seemed quite happy - her mouth turned up at the ends some of the time when we were there. I did have to endure the torture of starvation while Granny ate her yummies and then a lady brought flat food bowls for Mum and Dad too, so my starvation got even worse. I suffered the worst possible case of Wrong Mouth Syndrome while they were munching sausages and chicken and burglars from the sizzly-smokey thing outside. I may just have left a few mouth-drips on the carpet! I did manage to temporarily suppress the agony of such starvation for the duration of the little freerun afterwards, but, by the time we got back to Granny's flat I was just about dying of malnourishment - my dinner was nearly two hours late! I don't know HOW I survived! I also think I should have had double measures to make up for the delay - but I didn't even get a single nugget extra! Hoooooowwwwwllllll!

Aside from that wicked torture though, it has been a good day. I took Mum on a couple of good long workywalkies. One was into town and around the shoppybits. I was a bit miffed when my colleague Guide Dog Thomas went past. We didn't get to kanoodle at all because Mum was yipping on her talkybone at the time, and Pete seemed in a hurry so urged Thomas on past us! Huffffff!

I am sure I have heard Mum mention the idea of a freerun together sometime soon though. Thomas, you had better start nagging your Dad and I will work on Mum ..... we WILL get to romp together someplace nice!

Granny's new Kennel Block home

Peculiar goings on!

To start with, all was OK: a lazy-ish morning, then a nice long workywalkies with Mum down the ziggyzaggy, along the pawmenade and up through the lovely long, shady Alum Chine. Then Dad picked us up in the car and we went into Westbourne, where we met Sue and Rich, our humanfriends from Newbury. I snoozed under the table throughout all the inevitable yummymunching and yacketying. I did enjoy giving the floor a good sloshing with the bowl of water the nice lady brought for me. I created quite a good little lake - just right to lie in and get my fur good and soggy!

Next, we went to visit Granny in the huge human vets. When we arrived there were two other ladies with her. I recognised one of them; Erika from the senior people's vet-kennel place. Granny was all happy about their visit. We didn't stay very long today because Granny was all happy and wanted Mum and Dad to 'get her things ready'.

Next came the puzzling bit: we got back to Granny's flat and out came the hard bag on wheels. Usually that means that Mum and Dad's fur-substitutes and my bed get packed into it, along with the most important thing - my food! But today none of that happened. Instead, Mum took fur-substitutes out of Granny's cupboards and packed them into the wheeliebagbox, along with froth bottles, fang-ticklesticks, fang-scrub-yummystuff, some pictures from around the flat, and a whole load of the cuddlytoys I'm not allowed to play with. Then, after my dinner (at least that bit was normal!), we went to that Seniorpeoplevetkennelplace, where we went into a bedroom and Mum and Dad proceeded to unpack everything from the wheeliebagbox! Honestly, I really don't get it! They clearly just can't make up their minds! I just laid down for a snooze in the corner out of the way!

Finally though, the bestest end to the crazy day in Oakleyworld: a FREEEEEERUNNNNN! Yippeeeeee! A lovely romp around on that big place where strange humans use long sticks to thwack little white bobbly balls around.

Aaaaah! That's better!

Getting Nearer My Target!

Following my "Meet & Greet" at the Nationwide in Portman House, Richmond Hill, we are even nearer our target! Thanks guys!!!!

We are Soooooo close to the £5,000 - just over £750 to go. If you would like to contribute, every little helps. Please remember to Gift Aid if you can.

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/guidedogoakley

Yack Yack, Yackety Yak.....

Not much to report today except for oooooooooodles of human yackety-yackety-yack-yack-yack...... Do they ever stop?

Most of it seems to be about Granny. We went to a big kind of human kennelblock/vets sort of place where there were lots of senior humans and a very nice not-so-senior lady who had a bag of doggy-yummies! She asked Mum if she was allowed to give me a couple. My bum hit the floor with a bit of a bump! I like that lady! Mum wasn't so nice to me. She didn't share her yummy even with my bestest chin-on-knee pleading! I just had to lie down while that session of yacketying went on. Then we went to visit Granny in the huge human vets and, yet again, I had to lie down while Mum and Dad yackety-yacked with Granny about the first yacketying session.  It seems that Granny is going to move from the huge human vets to the human vets kennelblock place.

This evening, I took Mum on a lovely workywalkies. I had to work super well doing my job because she was a numpty. She left her dark eyeWindows behind and so couldn't see anything at all against the sky-fireball. Dad then picked us up in the car and we went to get another yackety-yacking session! This time it was a man at the front yacketying on about Facebark, Twits, and a load of other stuff to do with clicketyfingerstoys. Me? More snoozing under Mum's chair.

I was was glad of a nice walkies when we got back! Thanks Dad!

R I O T T T T T !!!!!

It was a riot! Fab fun!

The daft humans all thought we were there for their benefit, but we dogs knew differently. We were there for a blimmin good kanoodle and some good old doggy fun together!

There was me (of course!), Thomas and Nick, the other two working Guide Dogs, plus Bonny the one year old Guide Dog pup in training, and Leonard the chocolate lab X springer Guide Dogs Supporter.

We all met at a big building called Nationwide (we've been there before). Apparently we were supposed to be there for a meet n greet session for all the humans who work there. Well......I suppose we did get meeted and greeted quite a bit.......and the ear-tickles, belly rubs and general admiration was rather nice ......but, the bit at the end where all five of us were allowed to have a good old romp about and rough and tumble - that was the bestest bit! Heehee!

Various us photos of us at the meet n greet.

Visitors!

Workywalkies. Church plus yummies 'donated' to me by a minihuman. More workywalkies. Huge suffering of serious case of Wrong Mouth Syndrome when Mum and Dad ate cheese for lunch. Then - Ding Dong! .........Rosie and James came to see me! Woooohooooo! Well, they did say hello to Mum n Dad too! They also had that squeaky little microhuman niece Hallie too. I think I have concluded that she is a safe microhuman. She stays in one place and doesn't pull my ears or tail. She is acceptable!

We we all went to visit Granny and that made her mouth go up at the ends! For once though, I wasn't centre of attention in the huge human vets. Apparently a tiny microhuman is more appealing than a handsome gleaming black Labrador. And that was even after I had endured a serious attack from Mum with the shiny teeth stick that she uses to scrape my fur! She says it is important that I don't shed fur all over the floor at the huge human vets. I think that is very rude! I think my black donations make beautiful decorations!

Back Again!!!

We're back at Granny's again. That really was a very brief visit home, but it was nice while it lasted!

I took Mum for a bit of an inspection of Victoria Park, Newbury, this morning. Well....I did the inspecting. Mum just wandered. I had a lot of important weemail to catch up with. We've been away for a long while. After that, I guided Mum around town and up the main shoppystreeet. Dad then turned up in the car with stuff packed into it and so began the journey back to Bournemouth.

We we went straight to visit Granny. When we arrived, we had to wait for a few minutes because the blue flappy walls were all around her bed. I made use of this time by cheering up a few other ladies in other beds. They all seem to want to fuss me! I never know which way to go first! I did my duty for each of them in turn and it seemed to make their mouths go up at the ends! Then the flappy walls got folded back, a lady in blue wheeled away a chair thing with a lid on it, and we got to greet Granny. I soooooo want to jump up on the bed to check her out and give her my loves, but I'm not allowed so I have to just yup my front paws onto the bars at her side and just give her the best nuzzle I can manage through the bars. Then it seems my duty is to lie down on the floor while Mum and Dad do a bit of yacketying and paw-holding with Granny.

I've been back this evening into Westbourne to check out the local weemail gossip. Nothing much to report though!

Ralph.

Ralph! That is his name. A six month old mini me! I met him tonight and we have had a paaaaarty!

We are back aboard our boaty home. Mum says it is only for tonight. We went to visit Granny twice in the huge human vets, plus I took Mum workywalkies in Bournemouth too. Then we did the longish car ride to home. We didn't stay on the boat for very long before we set off again on another workywalkies that ended at one of those places where humans drink all sorts of strange coloured water from see through bowls of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Lots of humans also seem to talk all blurry in these places too!

But tonight, we met up with some humanfriends we haven't seen for a while. That was nice, as were the various yummies I had to hoover from the floor too! But bestest of all was kanoodling with Ralph, and then a good crazy freerun riot in the garden for a while! It was great fun running and chasing and chewing and chasing loads more all in and around the tables in the dark! We had a fantabulous time!

It's nice to be home - even if only for a very brief while.

Three photos of me relaxing cuddled on boat sofa with Mum. Mum's thigh making a lovely pillow!

Enjoying my pillow! 

Do not disturb.

Snoozing away.

Have you Missed Me????

Hi -


Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. Since Grandpa died, Mum & Dad have been spending more and more time looking after Granny. I've had to spend more and more time looking after Mum, so I'm afraid I haven't been able to keep this blog going.

However, things have settled down a bit now. We are getting into a better routine, and I am going to start posting to this blog again. Yay!