23 July 2010

It's been a busy week. I've been to dog training classes and the trainers told mum how good I am. I can do things like sit and stay better than some of the older dogs who have been going for a few weeks. The downside has been that I've had a couple of accidents on mum's new carpet but it was because it was raining so much and I didn't want to go outside.

Today Annabel came and we got in the car with mum and set off to come back to the boat. Mum has been giving me glucose in a drink before travelling and I haven't been sick in the car at all this week. We had a good journey down to the marina and arrived at lunchtime. Mum's been a bit anxious all day because Annabel's dad got taken into hospital last night and has had his appendix out this afternoon. Everything seems to be OK though now.

Annabel decided she didn't want to go out for a trip so we have stayed on the marina. Annabel and I have played all sorts of training games and I have watched while she fed the ducks and the moorhens. I've been very bouncy so it was nice to cuddle up on Annabel's knee and have a nap. I think bedtime will be interesting because Annabel and I both want to sleep in mum's bed with her!

17 July 2010

We've come back home now.

Mum and I had another lie in this morning and then we finished tidying up the boat. We changed the bedding. I really enjoyed that, pulling the duvets and climbing and rolling through the things on the floor. When mum started putting everything in the car I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy either when she said, very sadly "Oh Zac, you naughty dog." I hadn't realised that the knobs on the drawers weren't put there especially for me to chew!

The car journey was horrible. Even though mum hadn't given me any breakfast and sprayed that nice smelling DAP stuff everywhere I was very sick. We stopped at Sandbach and mum threw all the horrid smelly newspapers away and put a lot more down for me. Despite everything I was sick again.

We stopped in Parbold to visit Grandma Rosie. I've not been to her big house before. I had a good bounce when we met for the first time and then I lay down quietly.

It was wonderful arriving back home and seeing Toby and dad again. Toby and I bounced all round and played tug-of-war for ages and ages. I think I won. I enjoyed it when Ivan came home again as well. It's good when all my people are together.

I don't know when we will be going back to Jennyanydots. Mum has been to chemist and bought some special glucose powder to try to stop me being sick next time.

Woofs and bounces until next time.

This evening mum and I were sitting on the deck at the front. The wind had dropped and she had taken the covers off. She was drinking red stuff and I was chasing my tail round and round when a load of ducks and geese came and swam round in front of us. Mum said "I think these are the geese and the goslings that Annabel liked when she came to the boat. The gosling have grown really big." Now, I know Toby gets all excited when ducks swim around the boat but I can't see what all the fuss is about.

Mum says that we are going to have to go home tomorrow because she has run out of pills, so this is our last night for the time being. I've just been playing a lovely game with a bottle of fruit shoot. I squeezed it hard and all this liquid dripped out of it. I thought mum would be cross but she just laughed and we played trust and paid for with some special puppy sausages. I did it perfectly. She was so pleased with me.

16 July 2010

I've been much more confident today and haven't always waited until mum says I can get off the boat. Mum saw me on the other side of the pontoon. She called "Za-ac" come here, so I sat down and waited for her to come and play. Then I got naughty and mum couldn't catch me while I ran and bounced at her and then ran off again. Eventually she grabbed my collar and made me come back on board. When she had shut the doors mum got a chew and said "trust". This time I waited until she said "paid for" before I jumped on my treat and ate it. I've learnt so much this week. Mum hopes I can remember it all when we get home.

16 July 2010

This morning mum and I didn't get up until very late. Once mum had drunk her coffee we then played a really fun game. She threw all the mats and rugs out of the hatch and brushed the floor. I 'helped' by hanging onto the brush and scattering all the contents of the dustpan back onto the floor. After that we went out to play.

I am much better at chuck it now and usually bring the ball back to mum so she can throw it again. I've also discovered how tasty goose poo is but mum gets cross with me when I start to eat it.

We went round to the shed to empty the bucket again and I met loads of other dogs. I wasn't so scared this time. Maybe these dogs want to play with me?

15 July 2010

It's raining now and cold and miserable but mum and I have just been out playing chuck-it before it gets too dark. Every time mum says " do a wee" today I empty my bladder but I think it is because she is recognising when I am going to go. If it makes her happy and tell me what a good dog I am and strokes my ears I shall keep obliging.



We've not done much today. Guess what? Last night I slept with mum on the bed and we didn't wake up until eight o'clock. After we had been out we went back to bed and didn't get up for ages. Mum had a shower and I helped her clean out the shower but she told me stop it.



The sun was out so mum took the covers off the front and we sat outside for ages drinking coffee (well, mum did) and watching the ducks and their ducklings, the swans and their cygnets and the moorhens and their babies. Mum doesn't know what they are called. I've been very good and not tried to chase anything except the chuck-it ball. Later on we walked round to the Elsan with the bucket. I thought this was a very strange thing and you should have heard me howl when she tied my up and left me to go into the shed. On the way back we met a collie dog and her people. She was on a lead so I got all brave and bounced around her. I still don't like all the big dogs though and run between mum's legs when I see them so she can protect me.



The most exciting things today were the man cutting the reeds back at the edge of the pontoon and the man who was working on Millie, the boat next to us. While mum was washing up after lunch I got off the boat all by myself to help the man cutting the reeds. I thought this was really good fun and when mum realised I had got off and came to find me. I played a really fun game of catch me if you can. When she eventually caught me I decided to go on board Millie and explore. The man on board said I was very nice but had very sharp puppy teeth. Mum pulled me off and told me to get back on board Jennyanydots. I was so excited that I slipped! I hadn't realised that stuff under the boat was so wet but mum caught me and only my back legs and tummy got wet. She pulled me back on board our boat. I didn't want to get off again later. I must remember to be much more careful in future.



We have done a lot of sleeping and a fair amount of crochet today. I've helped mum by pulling loads of the thread but she didn't really seem to mind. We've also played a lot of trust and paid for. I know what she wants me to do but I get so excited that I can't sit still for very long. I was much more controlled at tea time though and waited until mum said I could I have my food.



Mum's put the radiator on for a while now because it has gone chilly. We are also using one of the new lights. It is much better than the old ones.



I don't know what we will be doing tomorrow.

July 14 2010

After lunch Toby and dad got into dad's car and drove away. Mum said they were going back home. When dad rang up to say they had got there safely he told mum it was thundering and lightnening and Toby was frightened. "Typical" explained mum "the day after BW announces the closure of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal because of a water shortage it absolutely buckets down". The weather here has been ok. There has even been some sunshine and only a little bit of rain.

Mum was really pleased to get a message from Rag's mum. I'm looking forward to meeting Rags and his people sometime.

It is really strange without Toby. I've bounced around trying to find someone to play with. For the first time mum got really cross with me. I've never tried to share her food before. I didn't realise I wasn't allowed to take things off her plate but the Brie cheese smelt really tempting. I've also discovered that if I climb up the cushions of the settee I can wrap myself around her neck. It's a pity she doesn't like me chewing her hands. I didn't mean to make her hand bleed. I think she still loves me though.

Mum and I have been playing chuck-it. This is much easier without Toby who always takes the ball from me. I can chase the ball and bring it back now although I am not always good at dropping the ball when mum says "drop it". Mum is also extremely pleased with me because I have discovered I don't need my convenient place to go to the loo, I can go outside anywhere when I need to and she cleans up after me. Every time she takes me out she says "do a wee" and I think I know what she wants me to do. She keeps telling me what a good dog I am! We have also been trying to do Trust and Paid For but I get too excited to sit and wait. I'm not really sure what she wants me to do.

I wonder what is going to happen at bedtime?

14 July 2010

Mum has been really pleased with herself today and I have been really pleased with myself. I stayed on board the boat all night and didn't need to get off for a wee when dad got up at 5.00 a.m. Mum was so pleased with me for being such a good dog. During today mum has put up a new shelf over the table and tried to wire up the new lights she bought yesterday. Eventually she went and asked Peter next boat but one for help and he fixed the lights. The man at Shobnall was right about there only being two wires but wrong because there was nowhere to wire them up to easily. Jennyanydots now has two really bright LED lights to help mum and dad read when it gets dark.

14 July 2010

This is a picture of me and Toby when we went out to play last night. When mum takes me and Toby out at night before we all go to bed she puts strange collars on us. These collars flash so that she can see where we are. I think we frightened Bingo the collie dog's dad last night because when he saw these red flashing lights he got out a powerful search light to see what the strange phenomenon was. Mum reassured him and we went back to Jennyanydots and went to bed.

I've discovered a really good new game this evening. It's called `let's bounce on people`. Dad was sitting reading his book and playing with his blackberry. Now I can get up on the settee it's dead easy just to climb across to the chairs. I enjoyed this game but mum kept telling dad and me to be careful. "Stop messing about" she kept saying "you are going to knock my bouquet of flowers over". Grandma Rosie's friend Barry gave mum the flowers on Thursday after she had done a BBQ for them both. The flowers were so nice that mum decided to bring them to the boat rather than leave them at home.

Although it has poured with rain again today I have had another nice day. Each day I learn new things and today I have managed to sit and stay, just for a few seconds.

13 July 2010

"Zac is an incredibly good little dog" said mum to dad this morning. I slept really well last night and when dad wanted me to go out for a wee at 5.00 a.m I didn't really want to go but at proper getting up time I was happy to get off the boat by myself without being lifted down and I quickly found my convenient place.

Mum and dad talked about taking the boat out of the marina but the weather forecast was saying rain for later on. In the event they decided to have an early lunch and then go by car to Shobnall Marina at Burton on Trent to get the lights mum had ordered. We all got in the car and I managed to get to B&Q in Burton without being sick. Mum bought a shelf and then we drove round the corner to the boat place. Toby and I got out of the car and we went inside the chandlery. Mum bought two new lights and the man there showed her how to wire them up. He said "It's the easiest thing. There are two wires and if you connect them the wrong way the lights won't work so just do it the other way". Mum was a bit dubious. The man gave me and Toby a Markie each and after we had eaten them we got back in the car.

The Markie was a mistake. I was sick again!

By the time we arrived back at Jennyanydots it was pouring with rain again.

Mum found her screwdrivers and undid one of the lights in the boat so that she could put the new one in its place. The man at Shobnall was right, there were two wires but mum couldn't see how to connect the new ones or fasten the light to the ceiling. She put the old one back!

Playing out

Toby has taught me all sorts of interesting things, but sometimes I think he is a bit naughty and I don't want to play. "Come and chase the ducks at the end of this pontoon" encouraged Toby. "N0-o-o" shouted mum and I decided not to go.

One really good thing is that at last I have found a convenient convenience to replace my garden. Mum is really pleased because it is between the boat and the dog poo bin and is not on the path. Toby just seems to go wherever and whenever he fancies but I like to know what I am doing and where to do it.

Another really good thing is that I decided not to worry about jumping on and off the boat or about the pontoons. As long as I stay in the middle of the pontoon the water underneath doesn't bother me now. My legs are long enough to just step onto the back of the boat and to leap onto the rug at the front of the boat. I've got off by myself a few times this afternoon without mum being there. The trouble is there are quite a few other dogs around and most of them seem really big and I don't like being bounced. The best thing is just to stay near mum. I've also decided that every time there is a car around it's better to run to mum and just sit down. She seems really pleased with me when I do that.

When it stopped raining mum took us out for a walk. We walked right around the marina. She's got a stick thing and I can't quite work out how not to get us all tripped up. The only bit of the walk I didn't like was when mum tied Toby and me up together outside her convenient convenience. She seemed to be gone inside for ages and I was so pleased to see her when she came back outside.

They seem to have thought of everything to entertain a lively puppy inside the boat. There is a brilliant toybox with all sorts of bones and bits of toys and different sorts of bones. The best thing though is the basket of sticks. Fancy keeping a basket of my favourite things to play with specially for me? Dad keeps sweeping up all the bits and putting them inside the black box thing with glass doors.

I think like being on the boat and I really like being able to play out.

12 July 2010

It has poured with rain most of the day. In all of my eleven weeks I don't remember seeing so much rain. Mum and dad said we were goint to a place called Tixall Wide but then mum found out that the canal was blocked by a fallen tree at Rugeley so we just stayed on the marina. They were a bit fed up but it meant that I could learn all sorts of useful things about the boat and the marina.

Last night was good fun. When I'm at home they won't let me climb onto the furniture although Toby is allowed to sit on the settee. When I thought no one was looking I climbed up onto the settee. I was really surprised when no one told me to get down. Toby and I spent part of the night cuddled up to mum. I really, really liked that.

When it was still dark dad put his warm fleece on top of his pyjamas and mum pushed me out of the side hatch. I didn't like that very much, but Toby got off the boat too and I found a place to wee - what a relief! I duscovered how to jump back on the front of the boat last night so was really pleased with myself when I took myself back on board while dad and Toby were still outside.

In the morning mum kept saying what a good boy I am because there were no wet puddles or dirty mistakes inside the boat. I like it when she says "good dog" and tickles my ears.

11 July 2010

What a strange day I have had. I thought something odd was going on last night when mum and dad were packing bags. "We're going to be boat dogs" said mum, and Toby got all excited but I couldn't fathom out what all the fuss was for. This morning I woke up at 4.30 and called for mum or dad to come and get me out of my yard. Mum came but she wasn't pleased to see me like she usually is. She took me inside and put me on my lead (the chain one that I can't chew through) and made me lie still in my bed for hours.

When everyone finally got up something really strange happened. Mum put me on my lead again (this time the stretchy one) and we went out of the front door and out of the front gate. I was so excited that I got us all tangled up around the first tree. Eventually we got going but it took me a while to work out that I shouldn't try to put my feet exactly where mum was trying to put hers. People kept stopping us to talk about me. They all said I was beautiful and asked how old I am and what my name is. We met a huge black labradog in the pub car park but he made me feel scared and I tried to hide under mum's legs. I wasn't that keen on the cars going past either. When we got back home Toby was so pleased to see me and mum told everyone I was a very good dog.

So far so good but then mum got upset. She had all the things ready to put in the car but then Ivan said there was a nail in her tyre. She kept going on about things always stopping her from going to the boat. This is a bad thing but I thought maybe I wouldn't have to go in that car again so I wasn't really bothered. Eventually all the bags got loaded into the car. Toby and dad got into dad's car and went to see Grandma Rosie while Ivan, mum and I got into the other car. Mum had a new trick up her sleeve. She sprayed lovely smelling stuff all over my bed and the back of the car and then put me on a very short lead so that I couldn't jump about. We drove to a garage place to get the tyre fixed but the man said we had to wait in a queue for an hour or so. Mum was really fed up and decided that we should leave the car and walk to Annabel and Lydia's house to wait until the car was ready. I was pleased because it meant I wouldn't have to sit in the car and be sick.

I had a lovely time walking along. There were so many different smells and different things to look at. The cars didn't seem so scary this time. Annabel and Katie played with me for ages until Adam drove us back to the garage to get the car. It was lunchtime by now. Mum put me back in the car and we drove for ages and ages until the car stopped at Sandbach and we got out for a sniff around. I didn't feel too bad and I hadn't been sick but I really needed to go the loo in my own garden. I couldn't find anywhere suitable to go! When we got back in the car I was sick!

Eventually we arrived at the marina and there, waiting for us, were dad and Toby. We were all so pleased to see each other. Mum let me walk around without a lead and I was a really good dog just staying near to her. Actually, I was a bit nervous of the other dogs and I still couldn't find my own loo. The afternoon was very warm and we all went to sleep. When we woke up mum gave me my tea and then we went out for another walk. I really needed to go and mum was so pleased with me when I did what I had to on the grass.

The boat is all right really although I don't like the pontoons. When you walk on them they wobble and you can see the water underneath. I yelped a bit when mum tried to make me get off the boat and jumped back inside through the side hatch. Mum and dad both laughed. The next time I went back to the boat I tried to be really brave and I walked to the front and watched what Toby did to get back on board and then copied him.

Dad is sitting watching something called the World Cup on the television and mum is sitting outside with her crochet and the computer. I think I am going back to sleep because so much has happened to me today. I have spent all the other days so far just playing in the garden or rolling round the floor inside the house. I never knew there was so much outside the front gate. I wonder where I will go to sleep tonight because I can't see my kennel anywhere and my bed is all wet from when mum washed it and is now on the roof of the boat dripping.

Learning about ducks

After I had played with loads of the brilliant stuff in the dog's toy box, Toby took me outside to the pointy end of the boat. He explained to me all about the ducks and how I must bark and get really excited when they come swimming round us.

I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about. Me and my brothers and sisters never bothered about the chickens, or even the goats, in the farm paddock where I was born. Neither does Toby make a fuss each morning when we dash up the steps to say "hello" to the hens in our garden at home. Oh well, I'm sure I will get the hang of this boating stuff eventually.

We didn't stay for a second night on the boat. Dad carried me back to the car and we bumped our way back home again. Yes ... I was sick again!

First time afloat

24 June 2010

I was very confused. They put me in a car and we bumped along for ages. After I had been very sick we eventually stopped and they carried me onto NB Jennyanydots. I wasn't allowed to walk by myself because my injections hadn't been finished and they didn't want me to catch anything nasty from other dogs.

My little big step-brother Toby tried to explain what was going on but it didn't make much sense.

At bed time it was even more puzzling. They usually put me outside in my kennel when it gets dark but this time I didn't even get to go outside at all. They went to bed and I chose where I went to sleep. I bounced around for a while and then bounced onto mum's face before I cuddled up and went to sleep. When I woke up the big big problem was that I didn't know where to do you-know-what, so I just did it but felt so upset my ears dropped round my chin and I tried to make myself small so no-one would notice. "Oh dear. Never mind." said mum and she just cleaned it up but I wasn't happy.