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.

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.