tired now

Anyone would think that they sleep all day, not a chance!  It is just that they are bouncing about all over the place and are too fast to take a photo.  Murphy never lays on the stool, sometimes he stands with his front legs on it and looks out of the window but his back legs stay firmly on the floor.  He can stand like that for an hour, but still makes no attempt to climb up. 

They do look spectacularly scruffy at the moment. 

Bleddy dog

Does Murphy look starved?  Why oh why does he feel the need to eat dead birds?  This evening I had to take two off him, one was halfway down his throat before I managed to grab it's feet and pull it out.  I saw him drop his ball and approach the second so managed to get him away.

Just what I need, feet and feathers up-chucked at three in the morning. 

stones bones and random other stuff

Twigs, stones, white plastic, fluorescent blue pottery, chunks of nylabone.  That was last nights collection. It isn't the stuff that Murphy up-chucks in the middle of the night that I find so fascinating, it is the fact that Brian examines it so closely.

I keep a pile of towels by the bed these days, very handy for catching what Murphy throws up, then I put it in the bath for later foresnic examination - wouldn't want to deny B his pleasures ;)  at least if it is in the towel B doesn't have to scoop it up with my best spatula.

Kizzie always looks fed up as soon as I get the camera out, Murphy had the hump too because I had a bit of a grooming session, he looks a bit poodly without his curls.  Look at the tip of his tail, I always think he has dipped in a cup of tea :)

Fine Art

I do clean my windows but have left this emerging piece of art for a week or so, just for the sake of Art.  It is all Kizzie's own work and coming along nicely. 

Last Agility

The move to the beginners, beginners class was a great idea.  Kizzie was no better but no worse than the other dogs :)  We went early and had a walk, we did some watch me exercises in the field for 10 minutes before the start of the class and Kizzie was much calmer.  So was I.
We were doing well going over the jumps and through the tunnels until I somersaulted over my own feet.  I did a lovely little pirouette in mid air and managed to land flat on my back, quick look around to see if anyone noticed (8 pairs of human eyes and 6 pairs of canine had!).  No damage except to my pride though.

Kizzie has gone over the A frame many times and even managed to stop at the bottom to 'touch' and eat her treat.  This time she had to stop with all feet on the frame.  I tried to slow her down and Kizzie fell off the side of the frame.  Time slowed.  Kizzie's leg slipped under the crossbar, she twisted and fell onto her back.  All I could do was step back to give her space to land.  I listened for the snap of a broken bone.   Kizzie stood up straight away, she limped for a few steps and was then fine.  Our trainer took her straight back over the frame, Kizzie was cautious but she did it. 

The next task was new to us.  We had to go over 'the walk'.  Up a ramp, over a bridge, back down the ramp.  The bridge was as high as my shoulders and only around a foot wide - I admit I was anxious, I don't like heights and I likely passed this fear on to Kizzie.  She went up the ramp, put her four paws on the bridge and froze.   Nothing could induce her to move forwards.  Then her legs started to shake.  Hetty called out to her partner to run and help.  With one of them each side supporting Kizzie, I tried to lure her forwards with prize chicken, without success.  Eventually Adrian got her to take one tiny step, I held my breath and said 'good girl'.  It took 15 minutes of patience to lure her to the other side, I think I aged 15 years. 

There is a tiny cut on the inside of one leg, where she hit the support and caught her leg.  I feel incredibly lucky that there is no more damage.  Incredibly guilty that I wasn't in the right place to catch her.  Incredibly guilty that I took chicken - it was the chicken in my hand that caused her to fall off.  I know better than to give Kizzie chicken, she had a dreadful tummy upset the following day.

That was our very last Agility class, ever. 

The things you have to do

I have just taken the dogs for a walk. There was a dead sparrow. Yelled 'leave it' to Kizzie, she glanced at me, sighed but then she walked past it. Murphy grabbed it and swallowed it whole. It got stuck in his throat. He coughed and retched and I had to stick my hand down his throat and pull it out. You can go right off dogs sometimes...