dogblog

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Gould Gould Gould for Harki!!!!!!

Saturday, 29 January 2005 ( I wrote this yesterday but didn't come here till today!!!)
Harki is the new Shane Gould!!!!! Today at the dam she swam, out into the water, past the fallen log and way away out to fetch a stick. I was so pleased she was patted and praised and rewarded 1000 times!!! She was so pleased with herself that she was wagging her tail as she swam. She and Peri even cavorted in the shallows, splashing and running after a stick. I think Peri was a little bemused as, up till now, swimming has been solely her province. We spent 28 minutes on our walk, the longest ever, and I am not exhausted, only because I stood and threw sticks for two dogs endlessly rather than doing any actual walking myself.
Peri has discovered how to get the best out of Mr Cool. She places herself on the very end of the bed, right in the breeze and then soaks it all up, like the Andes she blocks all the cold air!! I have to stick a leg out the side to get any coolness at all. She was particularly happy last night as I put ice into Mr Cooly so he was Mr Cold-as-icy. At least a good proper swim cools the Labradors right down, Maybe that is why Harki has decided to swim? Don’t care really!!!!!
Uncle Mark and Aunty Di have given the Labradors a flotsam and jetsam tennis ball each. Harki is holding hers in her mouth and wagging her tail. Peri was initially excited but as she can have the attention span of a tree sometimes, who knows where the ball is now?????




Thursday, January 27, 2005

Esther Williams with fur

I have spotted Peri playing in the paddle pool. The game involves an empty plastic drink bottle with some dry pasta in it and an inordinate amount of splashing and cute ear expressions. I'm not sure what she is actually doing but it keeps her amused and wet and cool for ages!! She bites the water, moves the bottle with her paw, paddles a bit with one front foot and nudges the bottle with her nose. She is very involved , and has the very cutest expression on her face!! Harki is insistent on chasing the DingleDangle toy up and down the stairs. It inevitably gets caught in a tree and I have to trudge up the stairs with a broom, no doubt looking like a witch on her way somewhere, and I have to knock it out for her. She has been playing for an hour and has finally stopped, though her panting sounds like a train engine!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Swim Fan

It is 30 C today so we went for a walk early at about 8 am. It was so hot already that Harki swam and blew bubbles underwater ( Learn to swim term - she put her head underwater), and Peri was swimming in the direction of the Casino!! The Gardygardeners came for morning tea and then we all had a nap till 3 pm when Harki woke me up emanating heat. A breeze has come up now, but Peri has beeen playing in the paddle pool and is wet from head to toe!!!
The Labradors are not built for the heat.

Monday, January 24, 2005

2 Labradors are in the hot wars...none have a wooden horse!!!

I popped in earlier and couldn't make the page appear!! It is very hot, 27 inside but 40 C or more outside in the sun. Harki is very hot , but still wanted to play. We met a black Labrador and her mother on our walk and then we talked to Auntie Louise on the phone and she has a black Labrador called Jess!!! Now we are all resting from the heat. I did offer them the tail end of the stir fry but they don't like sweet chilli sauce. The only saving grace is that there seems to be a breeze and we did walk early when it was still cool. They may have been in the paddle pool, but mostly it is in the cool kitchen on the slate tiles where refuge is sought.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

I'm swimmin' there's no rain, Just swimmin' there's no rain!!!!

dogblog
There is no rain, it felt like rain last night, but none came so although it is cooler, the Labradors were still glad of their swim/semi-swim. Peri was once again trying to bring me the giant tree trunk half submerged, and then, when she saw there was a man checking the barriers with floaty polystyrene spheres she decided she might like to swim to him!!! I tempted her away with more sticks though she was on a cross-Channel type swim at one stage. harki had her usual paddle and then tried to steal Peri's stick. We all had curry for lunch and now as it is humid we are going to have a nap. Since Peri has turned 3 she is such a good girl, almost as good as Harki-Parki!!!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Vine, biscuits and no song!!

dogblog
Oh, I have never used the 'Blog This' button before!! Yesterday Peri had another trauma!! She was under the pine tree by the gate and would not come when I called her. I squirted near her with the lemon juice of naughtiness and I tried to tempt her with a biscuit, but she would not come. In the end I went back through the gate and went to haul her out - and she had a vine around her neck, right around, and she was stuck!! I had to give her a whole biscuit and a giant cuddle. It has been very hot so they have been sleeping on the slate tiles and paddling in the pool. Today on our walk we saw some kangaroos, and someone chewed my walking stick I had found that was exactly the right length. They have been fed and had a play and a pat and now they are both having a nap. It might rain later on, we hope!!!!

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Knock, knock, who's there? Poor little Peri!!!!!!

What a trauma for poor Peri this morning. At about 3-45 am the Labradors wanted to go outside, so I let them out, and in they came. I went back to bed and harki came, but Peri didn't. I wasn't worried as she goes off to be independent. Horror of horrors, when I woke again at 7 o'clock and opened the door, poor little Peri was outside. She had been out there by herself for 3 hours. What a bad parent I am. She had TeddyBunny in her mouth and would not let him go, and needed love and comfort for at least half an hour. She was beside herself. We have all recovered now, but all day so far she has made sure if one of us moves, she is there and she did the best coming when called on our walk ever!!! I have downloaded pawprints to my mobile phone from www.rspcaqld.org.au but I expect it only works in Australia. They are very cute and free!!!

Monday, January 10, 2005

Happy Birthday Peri

Today is Peri's birthday and she is a big 3 year old today. Yesterday at the Evandale market I bought a teddy and a bunny - 2 TeddyBunnies!!! How apt- for just $3 altogether. I washed them and Peri chose the Teddy. I wrapped them up, one each, and this morning we sang Happy Birthday to Peri and they opened their presents. Well, Harki did. I taught Harki to sit, and wait until the song was over, and then she could open it, and she did. I have neglected Peri's education. She just carried her presents around in her mouth. I had to show her it was perfectly acceptable to rip open the present. Of course they then looked at each others' toys and immediately swapped!!! Then they had lovely Stephanie Alexander recipe dog food with chicken in it, and garlic flavoured cat-shaped biscuits that I cooked yesterday. Peri is overcome and has had to go for a nap. Harki played with her DingleDangle toy and Teddy, but she is having a sleep as well. When I came home yesterday I was so very tired, but they were so excited to see me. Harki ran around and around in circles on the spot and Peri was beside herself. I gave them a bone so I could go to bed!!!

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Floats, Dam Floats and Tree statistics!!!!

Today Harki had the closest thing she has had lately to a tantrum!! I was giving them the water from cooking the pork when I soaked the pan, and I gave Peri hers first as she needs to be outside incase she decides to carry her plastic plate around : Harki pushed in and when I pushed her back she tried to get in first and made complaining noises in her throat!! There was no growling, Harki has never ever growled at any person. I made her wait for hers a bit longer. I had obviously upset the world order of dogdom in the house. We went to the dam today, Harki had a big paddle and Peri swam, but not to fetch sticks, she was after the net floats in the water and also the very big tree trunk!! She could get neither, but it kept me amused as she was all alert and had her ears up. Very cute!!! She has been digging a hole this afternoon. She had the empty 5 kilo flour bag to play with and emptied the last tiny grains onto her rug, and then refused to lie on it until I shook it all out and refolded it. Harki has had a play with her DingleDangle toy, but we are all having a nap soon !!!