Breed standard, breed schmandard!

"The tail should be high set and carried erect but not curling over the back."

Who made up those rules anyway?  

I mean, could I be more handsome?

PS from Gail: Low self-esteem has never been a problem with Bertie.

Phwoarr! Foxy Keira fae Ballater

Gosh I hope Addi isn't reading this, but I just have to tell you about this cute wee foxy lass I ran into when out and about last weekend.

This is Keira from Ballater. We met near the visitor centre at Burn o'Vat. I'm telling you lads she was quite the stunner! If only I had words to describe how excited I felt sniffing her rear end. In fact I tried mightily to get even closer, climbing on her back to 'hug' her, know what I mean boys?

Meanwhile her owner was saying something to Gail about a 'season' as she pulled Keira out of my reach. I guess she was referring to the unusually warm and sunny weather we've been enjoying in NE Scotland just recently...

So after this delightful encounter, Gail took me over to the nearby loch and suggested I calm myself down a bit by contemplating the beautiful water lilies.






It sort of worked.

PS from Gail: Incredibly, given that he is now aged 3 1/2, this is the first time I have ever seen Bertie attempt to 'mount' another dog. Interesting he chose a WFT, when we meet so few of them.

Educating Horatio

Oh I am so proud of myself.  It’s a wonderful feeling, to teach a young pup a valuable new skill. To play a part in educating him on how to be a ‘real dog’.

OK, let me backtrack.

A few of my blog friends will already have come across Horatio, a wiry pup in Edinburgh who belongs to Climbing Mandy and is just over one year my junior.

Well I am thrilled to report that yesterday I had the very great pleasure of meeting Horatio (and Mandy) in the flesh, when Gail and I stopped off in Edinburgh to change trains on our way back from a long weekend in Nottingham.

They came to meet us at the station. Horatio was looking most dapper, I must say, in his best blue bandana.

But you know what struck me right away about Horatio? That he is a feisty wee fellow. Yes really. Who’d have thought it? A wire-haired fox terrier?

So there was quite a bit of growling and snarling going on as we were led through the station concourse to Horatio’s car. A few tourists stared at us. Admiringly, I’m sure.

Once out of the car, off the lead and racing around the base of Arthur’s Seat, we started to make friends, in a boisterous fox terrier-ish sort of a way.

We put up a united front in the matter of refusing to pose unless treats were offered.

 

By Salisbury crags, we ganged up on a pair of Scotties.

And overlooking the Scottish parliament building, we discussed important matters and agreed that we both supported the concept of independence….

 

Now you know how it is when you are busy with your friends, your humans start gossiping about you, thinking you aren't listening, and sometimes they will reveal your quite intimate secrets?

So it was that I overheard Mandy say to Gail that Horatio doesn’t cock his leg yet.

And him nearly one! Well I have to say I was surprised, and so I took it upon myself to provide a demonstration of the appropriate position etc. Though I say so myself, my leg lifting action these days is performed with a balletic grace. Any pup would have been impressed.

And you know what? A few minutes later, tentatively of course, Horatio followed suit.

I can’t tell you how pleased I was. If only we had had more time, we could have covered the finer points of balance and increasing one’s accuracy of aim, and decisions regarding amounts to release or retain for future marking.

But sadly Gail and I had a train north to catch.

 

I keep asking Gail if I can email Horatio via Mandy to check that he still remembers what to do, and that he hasn’t fallen over yet, but I am told not to be ridiculous, they’ll think we both are barking…..

PS Just want to point out that I didn't neglect my duties in Nottingham either. Here I am making sure HGD sits down for a rest when we go out walking by the river Trent. 

 

PS for Mandy and Horatio's account of the meeting, click here.

Bad hair decade?

This is SO embarrassing. And you know what I heard Gail saying to a friend this week?

"Oh well, I guess I'll have got the hang of it by the time he's ten".

Just like that.  All relaxed.  As if there was no problem.

I mean. It's my fur. My coat. My beautiful fuzzy coat.

Would you want to spend the prime of your life looking like a badly shorn sheep?

Yes, the bad news is that Gail has decided that she will try to master the art of hand-stripping and grooming me, despite (I'm told) a fairly disastrous attempt one time to do the same with poor old Hamish.

Well I can tell you I am not at all impressed with the results of last weekend's efforts with the stripping knife and scissors, and I think you can see why.

The good news is that she soon gave up with Hamish and put him into the hands of a competent professional.

I live in hope....