Danish Camp

Today Gloria and Mum took me and my friend Barney to the Danish Camp. Barney got some thistles stuck in his long fur and had to have them pulled out - ouch! When we got back to Gloria's house Gloria gave me and Barney a chew. I thought I would have a little swim in Gloria's pond to cool down but she didn't think it was a good idea and pulled me out.

Trains

Today we went to somewhere with great big things called trains that you sit inside and go very fast. I met Elvis and Dora and Frasier at the station and we had to go up the stairs to get to our platform. Elvis was really scared of the stairs and he tried to go very fast and had to be given lots of treats. I wasn’t scared at all. When we were on the train I was a very good puppy-boy and laid down nicely on the floor and ate my chew. Mum picked me up and carried me on and off the train, though, because I didn’t like the big gaps between the train and the platform. The gaps were bigger than me and I didn’t want to fall down one.

I like going out with the other Canine Partner puppies. It’s fun.

Emma and Barney

In the afternoon we went to visit Emma at her house. Emma’s a big girl now and coming into something called a season – so she has to go the kennels for three weeks from tomorrow. I’ll miss Emma while she’s gone. We took her some tripe sticks to eat. She likes tripe sticks just as much as me. When we’d had a huge play it was time for us to go home.

In the evening Mum and Dad left me at home for a little while and then they came back with Gloria’s dog called Barney. Barney and me got to eat an ice lolly and sit on the garden bench. Barney jumped up all by himself so he could sit next to Mum but I’m too little yet to jump so Mum picked me up so I could sit on the bench too. There were lots of interesting smells because Mum and Dad were having a mini barbecue. They had salmon on it and me and Barney got to have some salmon too. It was delicious. I like having Barney come to visit.

Chicken Wrap

While Mum was doing some writing Dad took me for a walk down by the river. I was very good until I saw a boy with a chicken wrap. It smelt wonderful. I was so fast the boy didn’t even notice I’d taken it and eaten half of it before Dad managed to grab it off me. The girl who was with the boy said it lucky that I was so cute they didn’t mind. Dad didn’t take me for a very long walk after that. I wonder if there’ll be someone else eating a chicken wrap that they’d let me share when I go for another walk down by the river. I hope so.

Doggy-Do

Today we went to Milton Keynes Doggy-Do in the fast car. It was great - although I think Dad should have let me drive. I met some hearing for the deaf dogs - they were all a lot smaller than me and some guide dogs in training and some pets as therapy dogs - Mum thinks I'd be good as a PAT dog as I like being stroked and sometimes people in hospitals feel much better when they have a cuddle with a nice dog like me.

They even had some special doggy paddling pools for dogs to get cool there.

After Milton Keynes we went back to Kempston so I could go to the Kempston Fun Day with some of the other Canine Partner puppies but by then I was a bit too tired to walk around and had to be carried - I still let people stroke me though.

When we got home I fell fast asleep on the cool wooden floor.

My Mum

This afternoon Mum took me to see my Mum and my brother Raffy at their house. Raffy didn't get to go to new people like all the other puppies did - he stayed with my mum. I liked playing with my mum a lot. Her name's Summer and people say I'm a lot like her. First of all Raffy was a bit cross that his mum kept playing with me instead of him but then he joined in too and then Raffy and I had a contest to see who was the top dog. Neither of us won because we didn't get to finish the contest - but I bet I would have won if we had been allowed to finish it.

Puppy Class

This morning we went to puppy class. There’s a little Labrador called Happy there who’s training to be a dog for the disabled. I showed everyone how I can sit and wait while Mum goes right across the other side of the room and not be distracted by the other dogs and then run as fast as I can to Mum when she calls me. I can also stay – in sit or down – for a long while (it gets a bit boring but Mum always gives me a treat at the end). Then I had to run after Mum when she ran in and out of some cones. I did it without being on my lead and I didn’t run off like some of the other puppies did.

Mum said I was a very good puppy-boy.

River

Nicole is crazy about water. She kept diving in the river at the back of our house. I swam a little bit too. But she’s more like an otter than a dog. She likes jumping in after sticks and then swimming back with them. She can swim a long way much further than I can. I wonder if I’ll be able to swim as well as her when I’m 10 years old.

Nicole

Clare’s black Labrador Nicole came to visit us today. It was Nicole’s tenth birthday so Clare gave her lots of treats and said I could share them. I don’t really like sharing. I like it better when I can have everything myself! Nicole had a big knuckle bone that I tried to eat in Nicole’s bed. Nicole had a very comfy bed but she kept crying at night so Mum and Dad had her in their bedroom with them. I don't cry at night because I'm a big puppy-boy now.

This is a photo of me in Nicole's bed with her tasty bone.

Blackberries

Today we went out to Ampthill park with Gloria and her dog, Barney. He’s a white golden retriever like me. We had a great time. Mum and Gloria picked blackberries off the bushes with their hands. Mum gave me some they were yummy. Barney showed me how to pick the blackberries off the bush with my mouth and then I got to have lots of blackberries. I’d like to go blackberry picking again.

Canine Partners Class

At Canine Partners class I kept barking and barking when I was supposed to be being quiet so Jamie put the bark collar on me. It makes a funny – yuck – smell when I bark. I didn’t like it. Mum asked if she could take it off when I stopped and Jamie said yes. I was very pleased when it was gone. So pleased I made a happy face and Clare said ‘Look at Freddy – he’s smiling!’ and then everybody was smiling too.

Eliana

Today Mum took me to Royston to meet up with her friends Susan, Graham and Eliana. They've come all the way from Ecuador to see me. Eliana gave me some tasty treats. I hope they come back again with more treats.

Middle of the Night

I was having a very nice sleep when Dad woke me up. It was 2 o’clock in the morning. His work wanted him to sort some things out on the computer. They kept phoning him all night When Dad’s awake I can’t go back to sleep in case he makes himself a tasty snack that he might give me some of – so I stayed awake too and then got a bit too tired to remember to use my bark area to go to the toilet on and went in the house instead.

Tunnel and Tent

Dad bought me a little tent and a green tunnel to play in. I'm a bit scared of them at the moment but I keep going over and giving them a sniff now and then. I wonder if they'd let me sleep outside in my tent one night I get very hot indoors. Mum and Dad could sleep outside too. I bet they'd like it.

Lead

Today I picked up my lead and brought it over to Mum and she told me what a good boy I was and took me for a walk! I'm going to bring her my lead again. We went for a walk up to the shops and back. Lots of people stopped us so they could say hello to me and give me a stroke. One lady had very long nails and when she stroked my tummy it felt funny but very nice.

Canine Partners Class

This morning we went to Canine Partners Class. I was very very good and waited for the non-furries as us puppies call our people to drink tea and eat biscuits and talk about us. Then they took us for a long walk in Clapham and we had to practice not getting distracted by other dogs or interesting smells. All of us did very well but I was exhausted and fell asleep on the floor when we got back. It's because I'm the youngest still but in a few weeks there'll be some new puppies.

It was Diesel's last visit to our class because he's going to do his advanced training down in Heyshott now.