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Day 2, August 28th - Bank
Holiday Monday
The night had passed
peacefully and the paper laid down in the event
of accidents had been used twice, breakfast came
and went and Mylo's first full day began and it
was time for him to start experiencing what
would become normal activity in his new home.
The dishwasher, vacuum cleaner and washing
machine were taken in his stride as we made the
house ready for our expected influx of visitors.
My son Matthew and his
girlfriend Lucy came for lunch, well that was
their excuse, and as it cooked we took the short
stroll to the village pub, Mylo being carried of
course. It has been said that when not busy
herding reindeer a Lappy is busy stealing
peoples' hearts, how true. We must remember that
in future a trip to the pub with Mylo might
involve quite a lot more conversations with
total strangers than normal.
Mylo's list of first
experiences was rapidly growing, a man with a
walking stick, a lady in a hat, a baby in a
pushchair and the smell of cider....
Though we are feeding Mylo
according to the advice given his appetite has
not yet fully returned since leaving his first
home and there are instances when his bowl of
freshly prepared food goes untouched, no doubt
he will eat when hungry, however he seems too
busy exploring and sleeping.
Having so far been confined
to his pen and run we thought that the time was
right to introduce Mylo to the garden and for 15
minutes he enjoyed the fresh air and grass,
maybe I should have cut it however Mylo seemed
to enjoy its lush texture.
The picture at the top of
this page, taken by Louise, shows Mylo
experiencing the garden for the first time and
perfectly captures his symmetrical markings
and colour which will, we have been told, gradually fade as
his natural sable colour becomes dominant. We
had hoped that, whilst outside, he might have
taken advantage of the garden to relieve
himself... alas no, paper seems to be one of his
favourite surfaces.
Mylo's lunch was prepared,
and served... and ignored, playing with Louise
seemed preferable, well at least for a short
while, before settling down for a nap under the
kitchen table.
Ten minutes later we heard a
muted growl from Mylo fearing something was
amiss Louise and I turned round, no problem Mylo
had merely wandered in to the living room to
ensure he hadn't been left ... his growl was
simply a means to attract our attention.
Assured that all was well he wandered back to
the kitchen and settled again under the table,
sleep beckoned.
Perhaps the downside of grass
being green is its similarity to the colour of
our living room carpet which, at the moment
seems to be his second favourite watering place
.... ah well, he has only been with us for 24
hours.
After an evening spent
snuggled under my chair it was time to put Mylo
to bed, hopefully the night would pass as
peacefully as the one before.
Day 3, August 29th
Oh dear, perhaps we spoke too
soon, bed seemed to be a good idea and Mylo
settled well. However a episode of barking at
3.30 awoke Louise and I from our slumbers...
Mylo wanted some company. I went downstairs and
opened the door to the kitchen and then to
Mylo's pen, his cries subsided, his tail started
to wag and I put the kettle on. Having
spoken to him for his barking Mylo was released
from his pen and he trotted over to what now
seemed to be his preferred resting place, under
the kitchen table. As I sat down to enjoy a
coffee and read the paper Mylo promptly settled
his head on my foot and dropped off to sleep, as
I did too, though not quite as comfortably, half
an hour later I awoke and put Mylo back to bed
for, what I hoped would be a few more hours
sleep.
6.30 saw Mylo awake and his
barking awoke us too, another day had begun.
His list of experiences
continued throughout the day, a tractor, the bin
men and the post person came and went without
any distress and a trip out in the car to the
post office was calmly taken in his stride.
Though more than happy to sit in the car I
decided to take him in with me..... bad move, a
10 minute visit to buy a few stamps extended to
half an hour as Mylo stole a few more hearts.
Once home Mylo enjoyed
another play in the garden, experiencing the
joys of damp grass, made more so by a couple
more toilet trips. Dinner came and went and the
evening was spent with him exploring his new
surroundings and getting used to Sam and Lucky.
A new plan for bed time has
been agreed, Mylo will be allowed free use of
the kitchen, which he so obviously feels
comfortable in, rather than being confined to
his pen.... will it work? We shall see.
Day 4, August 30th
An undisturbed night... woo
hoo. Mylo, allowed free roam of the kitchen
went through the night, awakening around 6.30,
his litter box had been used and, other a
slightly chewed leaf had done no damage to
Louise's beloved kitchen. Ignored, but
acknowledged, for the first 5 minutes as I made
tea and coffee, Mylo was then given a little
attention before being given his breakfast and
then taken into the garden... and to do his
business.
A good night's sleep works
wonders for everyone and we were all set for the
day.
The working day came and went
with Mylo becoming an integral part of it. The
breaks necessary for his welfare provided an
opportunity to leave the computer screen and
enjoy the weather as Mylo discovered the
delights of wet grass - strange to note that
even when wet from his romping in the grass Mylo
still managed to smell of .... well nothing
really.
Not only did the garden
provide an opportunity to run and jump, ok,
pounce, it also gave Mylo the opportunity to
begin his toilet training.... things seem to be
working out quite nicely.
Visitors in the evening - odd
that we now seem to be the most popular people
around - ensured that Mylo got the attention he
enjoyed and, as a result, was tired out from
it. Once again the last few hours of the
evening were spent with him fast asleep under my
chair, head on my foot, before putting him to
bed in the kitchen. Fingers crossed we would
have another good night, after all seven hours
should be enough for anyone ...... so they say.
Day 5, August 31st
Seven hours, pfft, let's make
it eight... Louise once again took the early
shift, feeding Mylo his breakfast and tidying up
the minor mess from the night. The toys that
Myah brought last evening certainly seemed to
have been appreciated by Mylo; company and chewability.... perfect.
Today has been a day without
the need to leave the house and Mylo made the
most of the weather to enjoy the garden and the
freedom it gave him. Louise came home with more
of what has turned out to be his favourite food
along with another cat flap for me to fit to the
front door to give Sam and Lucky another route
in, and out, of the house without having to pass
by Mylo to closely.
Mylo appears to have
discovered the joys of chewing.... time to put
away the valuables.
The cats' attitude to the
intruder are interesting to say the least, Sam
merely glances disdainfully at Mylo, while Lucky
does all she can to avoid him. The upside of
this is their desire to spend more time in the
security of our bedroom, the downside is the
fact that I have to get the jigsaw out over the
weekend to fit the new catflap. We are hopeful
that an entente cordiale will prevail and that
the cats and Mylo will become friends .... they
better, as we have no desire to see any of them
upset.
Louise commented that Mylo's
colour seems to be lightening, new pictures will
be posted tomorrow, we shall see.
As I sit in my chair and
create today's entry Mylo is once again nestled
under me.... he will be really miffed when he
has grown to big to do so.
Day 6, September 1st
The concern of disturbed
nights seems to have been unfounded as Mylo now
understands that bed time means no noise for the
next 7 hours please. Mornings have taken on a
whole new meaning though for Louise and I,
making tea and coffee has taken on a new
dimension as it is now accompanied by Mylo's
enthusiastic but loving greeting to either one
of us. His breakfast is followed by a romp in
the garden - his opportunity to do the necessary
- and to hunt out more slugs, creatures the hold
a bizarre fascination for him. Its surprising
how my days have become more enjoyable, working
from home means days sent with no company, Mylo
has changed this, knowing he is in the kitchen
and the hourly checks on him means an
opportunity to leave my office and enjoy Mylo's
company for a while.
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Though he still has
the odd accident Mylo is becoming
accustomed to the hourly visits to the
garden, and Louise and I are now aware
of his early warning signs meaning we
might no longer need to buy shares in
the kitchen roll manufacturing
company. It's quite amazing how he is
growing and, as Louise thinks, changing
colour .... I'm not convinced, but that
might be because I have grown to love
his markings, who knows, maybe he will
take after his father, Hapmi and become
a pure sable, rather than his mother, a
pale golden colour. |
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Day 7, September 2nd
Today would be the first when
Mylo would be left during the day with Louise
going shopping and me having to have a few
errands to run that would not be safe for Mylo
to accompany on.
Well..... that went well, 2
hours on his own, no accidents and no chewed
furniture...Mylo seems to be able to be left for
short periods with no problems. Being a
Saturday I would normally spend the afternoon at
the rugby club, however today's fixture was a
friendly and it was not vital that I went. Two
other factors influenced my decision, it was
raining and Mylo could not yet accompany me, his
booster being scheduled for next week meant
another 2 weeks before he could have the
pleasure of interacting with other dogs.
Instead, my day would be spent at home relaxing
with Mylo, something he seems to do quite well.
There was still a major
obstacle to be achieved in Mylo's integration
into our life .... he, and the cats had to begin
to get on. Though we had had no real concerns,
Mylo seemed to look upon the cats as members of
his litter with whom to play, the cats viewed
him somewhat differently. As an intruder into
their previously calm lives Mylo was NOT
approved of, Lucky spending most of her day
either outside or on our bed and Sam, superior
as ever, looking down his nose at Mylo.
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Day 8, September 3rd
What is it about a Sunday
that makes one want to lie in? Mylo thought so
too and did not stir till 8.00, just before the
Sunday papers arrived and when they did, a
slight bark was all that was necessary to notify
us of their arrival.
Today would be a week since
Mylo joined us and, apart from the cats' disdain
towards him, he had settled in remarkably well,
better than we had expected. The puppy guide
recommended that pups be introduced to new
experiences as soon as possible, however Mylo
was NOT impressed with the noise from my drill
and jigsaw as I fitted a cat flap to the front
door to give Sam & Lucky another means of entry
- it was getting too cold to leave the lounge
window open.
Being Sunday a stroll to the
pub at lunch was called for, and with harness on
and in my arms the 129 yard walk was
undertaken. Now our local pub is exactly that,
the hub of the village, and with all manner of
characters frequenting it. Mylo most definitely
approved as he sat on my lap watching the door
opening to allow new faces in, each one was
greeted with a slight tilt of the head and then
vigorous tail wagging as he was introduced to
what, most probably, will be a rather large fan
club.
Mylo spent much of the day in
the garden with Louise, someone who 18
months ago was adamant in her refusal to even
entertain the thought of a dog, Mylo had
certainly won her over. The garden had not seen
a lawn mower for several weeks and as it was
becoming harder and harder to see Mylo in the
grass my afternoon was spent with the mower,
which for Mylo was not a pleasant experience.
Once cut though he was out and about enjoying
the smell of freshly mown grass.
His evening was spent
sleeping, well he had had a busy day, and we
were concerned that his night might be an active
one .... totally unfounded as he again stirred
sometime after 7.00 am - this is a clever dog -
he even knows our sleep patterns. Tomorrow
might be less pleasant for him however as he
will be visiting the vet for his booster
injections, 2 weeks to go and he can be taken
out properly, we can't wait.
Day 9, September 4th
Another good night, Mylo
certainly seems to have settled in to an
excellent night time routine, which saw us all
wake at an acceptable hour. A trip to the vets
had been arranged for Mylo to have his booster,
2 weeks to go before he can be taken out for
walks, and a check over as this was to be his
first visit. Mylo managed to steal a few more
hearts as he met other pets in the waiting room,
but, what a wonderful practice it is,
appointment at 9.30, seen at 9.30, now that's
efficient. His check up showed him well and
healthy apart from what could turn out to be a
small hernia where his umbilical cord had been,
a return trip in 3 months will tell us more.
Trips out in the Jeep are taken in his stride so
it appears as though Mylo will enjoy car
journeys with us.
Mylo's day has taken on a
regular routine, wake, garden, eat, play,
garden, rest - wake, garden, eat, play, rest
..... that is until the evening when he joins us
in the lounge and manages to distract us
completely from the television as he plays with
his toys. Invariably he will settle down for a
nap, either under my chair, Louise's feet or the
coffee table.
The cats have yet to accept
that Mylo is no threat to him, however the newly
fitted cat flap in the front door seems to have
gone down well.
Day 10, September 5th
Our days have now developed
into a comfortable pattern, Mylo's routine seems
to be established, one which suits us all.
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During the evening
Sam, our laid back tom, appeared to
forget about the front door cat flap
when he wandered through from the back
and promptly came face to face with
Mylo.... a Mexican stand off saw Mylo
politely raise his paw in greeting and
for Sam to hiss. Mylo decided that the
best course of action would be to lie on
his back in submission to which Sam
responded by lying down in front of
him.... oh well a slight improvement.
Ten minutes later it
is was all over, Sam on Louise's lap and
Mylo under my chair, for a change.
Later in the evening
Mylo had a mad half hour which saw him
gambolling around the lounge and trying
to jump on the sofa, not to be
encouraged, before settling down for
another nap. |
Day 11, September 6th
A later start to the day as Mylo did not stir
until after 7.00. Much of the morning saw him
enjoy the garden which was bathed in sunlight,
Mylo deciding though to take up his favourite
position in the one flowerbed that was in shade
all day.
Day 12, September 7th
Hi folks, this is Mylo, I've had enough of the
old guy writing about my life so I've pinched
his pc and decided to tell you my side of things
....All in all it's pretty good here, the pack
leader and his partner look after me pretty well
and my new home is OK. I get lots of attention
from them as well as all the other strange
people who keep calling in and everybody keeps
wanting to stroke me, now that's fine my me
too. The only things I can't work out are the 2
black furry things that keep hissing at me - I
think the cats don't like me much.
Pack leader was upstairs in his office today and
I had free run of the kitchen and the garden
which was pretty good, that was until 2 strange
people with big ladders came round the back, I
barked once and then ran into the kitchen, I was
a bit scared, I don't think that I am going to
be a guard dog, I like people too much.
Day 13, September 8th
Just another day for me, the pack leader's
partner came down first today and made a fuss of
me as I nibbled her toes. I had some breakfast
whilst she cleaned up after me - I like the bits
of paper they leave out for me each night.
Other than all the normal things that happen in
my day things were pretty quiet, well at least
till the evening, those damn cats! The big one
sort of tolerates me but the little one is
pretty nasty, especially when she scratched my
nose last night, that hurt and for a while my
tail wouldn't wag. All I want is to be friends
with them but they don't understand that when I
lift my paw I'm just saying hello, and that when
I lie down and roll over on my back I am telling
them that I'm not a threat to them. Oh well,
one day.
Spent most of the evening alternating between
lying under the coffee table and under the pack
leader's chair. I got a little concerned though
when lots of bright lights and heat came from
next to the television but relaxed when I found
out that it was a thing called an open fire -
kind of nice to look at, but a bit warm for me.
Day 14, September 9th
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This is one of those days when my master
and mistress are around most of the day
so I get lots of fuss and attention. In
the afternoon my master went out for a
long time, apparently next Saturday I
can go with him to something called
rugby, I'm not sure what it is but if
there are lots of nice people there I am
sure it will be fun. In the evening a
man knocked on the door - was I supposed
to bark? - and the house was full of
strange smells, they were having a meal
called an Indian, mmmmm I like the
things called popadums.
When I get a bit warm I go and lie down
on some metal plates, I think that
they're called loudspeaker stands,
they're nice and cool, my owners laugh
and say that the now have something
called a woofer, is that another name
for a dog? |
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Day 15, September 10th
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I must admit that I kind of like it
here, I get fed regularly, there is
always plenty of water for me to drink
and I don't get told off when I have a
wee or a pooh on the paper that is left
for me and I get lots of praise if I wee
or pooh in the garden. We went out at
lunch time - why do they insist on
carrying me, I can walk perfectly well -
to the place called the pub, I really
like it there because lots of people
come up to me and stroke me whilst I
just sit on my master's lap, wagging my
tail and looking at them - I think they
quite like me. |
I made friends with another dog there, he is
quite big but very friendly, he is called Blue,
which is strange because he is white and brown -
some humans are a bit strange I think.
When we got home I played in the garden, had
something to eat and then went to sleep in the
lounge. I like that room because there are lots
of things to do there, jump on the sofa - they
don't seem to like that much, and sit in the
basket full of wood.
I still haven't managed to get the 2 cats to
like me yet, I wish they would because they look
good fun.
Day 16, September 11th ~ Day 17, September 12th
~ Day 18, September 13th ~ Day 19, September
14th
Not a lot to report just normal stuff, eating,
playing and sleeping - I am really trying to
make friends with the cats, I hope they like me
soon.
Day 20, September 15th
A pretty normal day, eating, sleeping and
playing in the garden - now that is fun, lots of
places to hide and dig. My master got a bit
cross with me though when he found me sitting in
the pond, well I like water so why shouldn't I?
In the evening we went for a walk, which was a
first for me as normally when we go out I am
carried, it was quite exciting walking along the
road to the pub because I had a chance to sniff
things outside the home for the very first
time. We went to the pub again but this time I
didn't have to sit on my master's lap. There
were lots and lots of people there and they all
made a fuss of me, which was GREAT. The man who
was with Blue was there too - I think he likes
me a lot.
I realised that if I sat still my by master's
feet that I would not get told off - he seemed
happy about that because he took me out into the
garden for me to have a wee. When we went back
inside my master and Louise had something to
eat, it smelled really nice and I was treated to
some bacon and some brie cheese, now that WAS
tasty, I think I like cheese.
I think the walk to the pub thing might become a
bit of a habit - sounds good to me.
Day 21 September 16th
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Now this was an interesting day which
began early with Louise going away on a
thing called a holiday for a week - I
thinks that's 7 days. I was given
breakfast early - it was the new stuff,
rice, tripe and chicken, mmmm,
yummy. When the master came home I
played in the garden and then fell
asleep on his feet, I'm not sure who
likes that most, him or me. After lunch
- which was the dry biscuit stuff, he
put me in my harness and we went out in
the car - I'm still not sure about the
car thing - and we went to a big area of
grass, where there were lots of people
with their legs showing and running
around after a funny shaped ball.
apparently this is something we will do
every Saturday. |
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There were quite a few other dogs there too,
which was nice, 2 Husky puppies (are they
relatives of mine?), a Staffordshire Bull
Terrier called Tillie and a big black and white
spotted puppy. It was good fun playing with all
of them, especially Tillie with whom I shared
some chicken. The master was busy with his
camera taking photographs of the men with the
funny shaped balls and whilst he was lots and
lots of people came and stroked me.
When we got home I had something to eat and went
to sleep - it had been a busy but really fun
day.
Day 22, September 17th -
Day 29, September 24th
Sunday being Sunday a stroll
to the pub was in order, the weather was
fabulous and it was a perfect opportunity to sit
in the Hollybush garden and enjoy a pint. Three
hours later I managed to prise Mylo away from
the throng of children who had been playing with
him and we took the long route home. A very
pleasant way to spend an afternoon indeed.
The rest of our week without
Louise passed without too many misadventures,
apart, that is, from him disappearing from the
garden - panic. We had assumed our garden to be
escape proof however Mylo had discovered that he
could wriggle through the gaps in the fence to
our neighbours, fortunately their garden was
escape proof and I discovered Mylo safe and
sound on their lawn..... either time for some
DIY or for Mylo not to be left unattended in the
garden. The cats seem to be becoming more
accepting of Mylo, we even had a couple of
evenings with them all in the same room, an
improvement indeed.
Monday evening saw us take
our constitutional stroll to the pub where I met
one of our local builders who said he had some
spare fencing which I could use to secure the
garden, see pub's aren't just about drinking!
Tuesday saw me busy with saw and hammer and the
garden was escape proof much to Mylo's delight.
He certainly enjoys his time in the garden and
despite warnings otherwise he is not a digger so
our lawn is pretty much unscathed, snails,
however are a different matter as he enjoys
nothing more then crunching his way through
their shells to get to the delicacy.
Our walks have now become
longer and the walk up the hill and then down
through the village is a wonderful way to spend
an hour, the views around us are magnificent and
the recent fine weather makes them even better.
I'm not sure who designed our village but
strangely enough almost every route leads us
past the pub, much to Mylo's delight.
Spending every day with him I
am not so aware of his growth development and
changes in his colour, however those that see
him less often comment upon both. perhaps his
coat is changing colour but to me he is just
Mylo, a perfect and loyal companion. The breed
standard allows for a Finnish Lapphund's ears to
be either erect or floppy - ok, we're 50% there
as one of Mylo's ears is proudly sticking up.
Saturday saw another
afternoon out at the rugby a day which both Mylo
and I enjoyed tremendously, Mylo because of the
attention lavished upon him, me because we won.
Mylo was even asked to attend school, well to go
to a local school for the children to see and to
be involved in a geography lesson about Finland.
The 4 hours we were out
should have been enough to wear anyone out
however Mylo insisted that he be taken out for
an evening walk, well it was a nice evening and
the pub is so local that it would have been
cruel to say no.
Our lives together
have developed into an enjoyable routine with
Mylo now well and truly settled. Walks are a
thing of pleasure for both Mylo and I, he
enjoying the new experiences and me the
pleasures of discovering the footpaths in and
around our home.
Mylo manages to make a half
hour stroll into an hour's adventure, not so
much due to his insistence in exploring
everything more due to the number of people
stopping to meet Mylo and chat about him.
Day 30, September 25th -
Day 36, October 1st
Mylo continues to grow at a
rate that we find difficult to comprehend, and
having at long last been able to find a source
for his favourite food - Nature Diet Puppy - he
seems to be eating much better; not that this
was a concern. The week has passed uneventfully
and our days continue to be spent in a
comfortable routine for us all; we wake, Mylo
wakes, we have breakfast, Mylo has breakfast and
another day is warmly welcomed. We have
discovered that Mylo is more than happy to use
his run during the night, the combination of the
security of the kitchen and access to outside
provides him with the best of both worlds, now,
if he would just learn not to use the paper for
his wee tings would be perfect.
We have recently managed to
convince Mylo to accept his collar and though
somewhat disconcerted by it the fact that we no
longer have to struggle with his harness means
that the picking up of his lead is welcomed a
lot more readily by him.
Walks within the village
continue to be a pleasure, I am discovering
aspects of it that i never knew existed and have
spoken to more people in the past 5 weeks than I
had spoken to in the past 5 years - Mylo
certainly is an excellent ice breaker, even to
the extent of having conversations with total
strangers opening with "ah, so this is the puppy
we have heard so much about".
Mylo has yet to learn to tell
the time as he finds it frustrating when we walk
past the pub outside of opening hours only to be
denied access to what, to him, has become a
favourite watering hole. However when we take
our early evening walk and are able to pop into
the Hollybush for a swift cider he is happy
beyond measure, he too seems to like the taste
of apples as invariably he will collect one from
the pub's garden and carry it in with him when
he announces his presence in the bar. We are
truly lucky to be blessed with a pub friendly
dog and dog friendly pub.
With our Jeep now back on the
road we are able to take Mylo out with him
safely restrained within his cage and, as long
as he has a toy or 2 to play with journeys are
no problem at all.
Saturday saw us off to
Stratford on Avon for another rugby match, the
morning's torrential rain had fortunately ceased
and the afternoon was warm and sunny, a glorious
day for rugby and for a dog to enjoy. Jumping
down from the back of the Jeep is no problem for
Mylo, its just the jumping up we need to deal
with, and the expanse of grass and number of
people around saw Mylo as happy as Larry.
He spent the afternoon
contently watching the men run around after the
funny shaped ball, made friends with many more
people - and they say rugby players are hard -
and enjoyed his 3 hours of fresh air, as did I,
well we did win again.
Many people forewarned us of
the disruption to our lives that a puppy would
bring; chewed furniture, damaged flooring, holes
in the lawn, messes all round the place, barking
etc - how wrong they were, Mylo has been
impeccably well behaved, in fact there are times
that we forget he is there, I believe that it is
the Borzoi that is known to be a non-barking
dog, well now there is another, a Mylo. A deep
woof occasionally can be heard but a single word
of; "quiet" is enough to bring this to an end - (please
note that at the time of writing this was true -
Mylo since discovered his bark and can, at
times, be a very yappy lappy - his barking has
since been partially controlled by the use of a
Spray Commander training collar - we're getting
there).
Day 37, October 2nd
My humum and hudad took me for a walk to the
pub after she got home from work and then when
we got home a little later my hudad took me out
in the Jeep to something called "Dog Training
Classes", now why would I need to learn to be a
dog when I already know?
When we got to the hall where the classes were
held there were lots of people and lots of dogs
there, in fact it was quite noisy with lots of
barking. Things went a bit quieter when I
walked in though and a number of people came and
stroked me, which was nice. Not all of the dogs
were friendly though, I couldn't understand why,
especially a grey Husky, which I think is a
relative of mine. I just sat there watching
what was going on though I wasn't too sure what
to do when people kept saying "sit", "stay",
"heel" - oh well I suppose some dogs need to be
taught these things.
Later in the evening with the fire alight I
decided to lie down under the coffee table (is
the table getting smaller?) whilst the big male
cat, Sam, lay on the sofa - I decided to join
him once, he didn't even hiss - maybe he is
getting used to me, which would be nice.
Day 47, October 17th
I should apologise for not
having added to Mylo's blog for the past 10 days
- pure laziness on my behalf I'm afraid and not
a case of having nothing to report on Mylo who
continues to provide us with a constant source
of amusement.
Over the past 6 weeks our
lives have taken on a new dimension as Mylo
becomes an integral part of our lifestyle and
despite all the warnings of the disruption that
a new puppy can bring we must count ourselves
blessed that he has added to the quality of our
lives rather than intruding into them. Our
furniture remains unscathed, our kitchen floor
still has tiles on it and the only damage he has
caused has been to my favourite pair of
moccasins - mind, they are the best part of 20
years old and I could do with a new pair, oh
yes, and several pairs of shoelaces. Mylo seems
to enjoy my feet, either gnawing on my laces or
falling asleep on them when at work at the
kitchen table or relaxing in front of the TV.
When he has had enough of my feet he curls
himself up around one of the loudspeaker stands,
and there was me saying we needed a new woofer.
Mylo seems to have discovered
the art of barking - callers to the front door
can come and go without fear, birds however are
another matter and with 3 bird tables in our
garden we get more than our fair share of
feathered friends and more than our fair share
of Mylo barking - a stern quiet normally does
the job though, the birds fly off and Mylo looks
up to the heavens as if to say "who, me?"
|
We have yet to fully
integrate Mylo and the cats, Mylo is
totally blasé towards them, as if to
say; "if they want to be my friends
that's fine, if not ... pfft". The cats
are still a little wary of him however
we have managed to get them to share the
same room on several occasions. The one
good thing from this is that Sam and
Lucky have remembered that they are
related and now tend to share each
others space more than before. |
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|
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We had the gardeners
in during the week, something Mylo
enjoyed no end, what fun it was to take
the weeds out of one gardener's sack and
carry them across to deposit in the
other's.
The freshly turned
flower beds looked wonderful, no more so
than to Mylo who decided to bury some of
his toys, and one of my much loved
moccasins in them.
Unfortunately our
neighbours have a Yew tree whose berries
drop into our garden to tempt Mylo into
eating them - not a good move as this
has seemed to upset his stomach. My
hastily erected screen to protect Mylo
from them has now become one of Mylo's
pet hates, his mission, should he decide
to accept it, is to totally demolish the
willow screen to gain access to the bed
full of berries. |
Mylo has continued to enjoy
his evening strolls to the pub and Saturday
afternoon outings to the rugby matches and more
recently the delights of the walks around the
local reservoir - well apart from the
fishermen's carbon fibre poles. Sunday saw us
out and about for the first time at Boddington
reservoir, a walk we all enjoyed until Mylo
decided he was tired and conned us with a poorly
paw - ok, back home via the pub then.
On Monday I took him out for
a long walk to a local fishing pool, ironically
named "Dog Lane", a walk he enjoyed enormously
until he decided to chase the ducks - into the
lake, thank goodness for a strong lead as I was
able to drag a wet and bedraggled looking pup
out of the water without having to dive in to
get him out.
His left ear continues to be
of the floppy variety however I have learnt that
he could be up to 9 months before it decides to
become erect so we are not that concerned.
Other than that, all is well in Mylo world, well
apart from him having chewed his way through his
extendable lead, watch this space.
Day 51, October 21st
Saturday is Mylo's day for
going to watch the rugby and today was no
different - except for the weather, which was
foul - not that Mylo minded as he seems to like
the rain. So many people ask if he requires a
lot of bathing and grooming and are amazed when
I tell them that he needs hardly any, we seem to have
a self cleaning dog. Mind you he did get a bit
wet not that it mattered, we won.
On our return Mylo was a bit
put out to find Sam on the sofa so he decided to
nap in the kitchen - for a while at least. As
always Mylo tried to make friends with Sam who
continues to regard him with disdain, however
they did share the same room for a while.
|
Now the cats are
excellent hunters regularly bringing in
mice, voles, shrews, birds and the odd
mole or two and this evening was no
exception with a shrew being brought in
by Lucky. Now the normal practice is
for Sam and Lucky to share their prey as
they chase it under the furniture - this
evening however saw Mylo join in the
fun. He knows that his boundary lies at
the living room door and ,with it open,
he watched as the cats began their
play. His patience was rewarded when
the shrew fled from the hall into the
lounge, straight into Mylo's waiting
paws. |
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Being Mylo he was as gentle
as he could be but got slightly agitated when
the shrew managed to work itself under the
carpet - parents to the rescue time as we tried
to; A - rescue the shrew and B - prevent it from
getting further under the carpet.
Things went a bit pear shaped
though when the shrew committed suicide by
impaling himself on the carpet gripper tracks.
Mylo was quick off the mark as he got hold of
the now dead shrew and took it onto his bed -
well for a while, until he brought it back into
the lounge to proudly show off, and to gnaw
..... mmmm, nice.
Day 52, October 22nd
Now this should have been a
day in which Mylo would be taken out for his
regular Sunday walk, to the reservoir or maybe
even to another rugby match however the heavens
opened and his walks were restricted to a couple
of excursions around the village dodging the
rain showers. Not that Mylo minds the rain - I
do !!
We are delighted to be able
to report that Mylo has no decided to confirm to
the UK breed standards and that ear number 2 has
decided to mirror ear number 1 - yes, he now has
2 erect ears, no need for the Copydex treatment
after all. As I write this Mylo is settled
at my feet, sleeping soundly and, at the same
time, keeping my feet warm ..... a perfect end
to a perfect day.
Day 161, February 8th
Wow, has it been that long,
sorry folks. The puppy is no longer a puppy,
though not fully grown Mylo is now, most
definitely a dog - and what a dog he is. Snow
fell overnight leaving a covering of some 6
inches or so for Mylo to enjoy, the picture
below was the featured on the cover of the
inaugural (2008) Southern
Finnish Lapphund Society calendar
- it was also the picture used for December.
So, Mylog, Mylo's blog, ended
on a high note, thank you for taking the trouble
to read it.
Since Mylo came into our
lives Finnish Lapphunds have become an important
part of them - in August 2007 we got our 2nd,
Kiva,TabanyaRuu
Hyppia
we had hoped to be able to breed the 2 of them
but circumstances are such that it will not be
possible. I have put in a request for a 3rd
Lappy (there is a long waiting list) and in
order to be able to surround myself with them I
set up Dogs to Stay.
I migrated the above from an
old web site on March 1st 2009 and can now
report that;
-
The dogs
and cats now coexist quite well even to the
extent that Lucky will happily eat out of
Mylo's food bowl - sometimes even when Mylo
is eating from it too. Sam remains aloof
and though now happy to lounge about
downstairs still is inclined to make his
presence known to the dogs - normally a hiss
is all that is needed to dissuade either of
the dogs from sniffing his rear end - Lucky
is quite happy for them to sniff her.
-
Mylo can
be a yappy Lappy and can, at times be quite
vocal - Kiva on the other hand is the
complete opposite.
-
Walking
with them is a pleasure - though their
recall is not 100% - Kiva is much better
than Mylo however I am glad to say that they
have yet to disappear for too long ;-) - I
have found the key to good recall is walking
them with other dogs, as then they are not
as easily distracted by; rabbits, deer,
pheasants, ducks etc.
-
Both Mylo and Kiva went
to dog training, both passing their bronze -
we may resume when we can find a more local
establishment but, they sit, they wait, they
stand and they stay, sometimes they even
come back when called.
-
They are not expensive
dogs to keep, their food probably costs less
than £0.70 per day.
They get a combination of
kibble and freshly cooked food, their
favourite being boiled chicken and rice,
they also get the occasional treat of tinned
tuna or sardines, after all dry food does
look a little boring. On Sunday's they
invariably share our roast dinner, well, if
there is enough left.
-
We do show them; in fact
both Kiva and Mylo qualified for Crufts in
2009; Mylo having won Best Open Dog at Welsh
KC show and Kiva winning Best Puppy at the
above as well as being placed in several
other shows. We will, however, not be
showing them at Crufts; Mylo is a little
overweight and Kiva will just be ending her
2nd season, better safe than sorry, and is
out of coat.
Kiva loves the
opportunity to strut her stuff in the ring,
she is a natural show off. We did show
her again and at Crufts in 2010 she was
awarded Reserve Best Bitch - and on that
note she decided she wanted to be a mummy
rather than a show dog.
Mylo hates it,
loathes it, despises it - to the extent that
he will slip his lead and try to escape the
ring leading to his nickname of "Houdini".
-
We have no regrets about
getting a Finnish Lapphund, hey, we loved
our first so much we got a second. They are
an independent breed and do take a little
managing however they are loyal and loving
and, in our experience want to be friends
with everyone, be they of the 2 or 4 legged
variety.
If you would like to know
more about living with a Lappy do not hesitate
to get in touch,
as always;
Lappy days
I was sent this as an email ...
"Being
a veterinarian, I had been called to
examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound
named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his
wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane,
were all very attached to Belker, and
they were hoping for a miracle.
I
examined Belker and found he was dying
of cancer. I told the family we couldn't
do anything for Belker, and offered to
perform the euthanasia procedure for the
old dog in their home.
As we
made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me
they thought it would be good for
six-year-old Shane to observe the
procedure. They felt as though Shane
might learn something from the
experience.
The
next day, I felt the familiar catch in
my throat as Belker's family surrounded
him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the
old dog for the last time, that I
wondered if he understood what was going
on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away.
The
little boy seemed to accept Belker's
transition without any difficulty or
confusion. We sat together for a while
after Belker's Death, wondering aloud
about the sad fact that animal lives are
shorter than human lives. Shane, who had
been listening quietly, piped up, 'I
know why. Startled, we all turned to
him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more
comforting explanation.
He
said, 'People are born so that they can
learn how to live a good life -- like
loving everybody all the time and being
nice, right?' The Six-year-old
continued, 'Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don't have to stay
as long.'
Live
simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you
would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to
greet them.
Never
pass up the opportunity to go for a
joyride.
Allow the experience
of fresh air and the wind in your face
to be pure Ecstasy.
Take
naps.
Stretch before
rising.
Run, romp, and
play daily.
Thrive on
attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting
when a simple growl will do.
On warm days,
stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days,
drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're
happy, dance around and wag
your entire body.
Delight in the
simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend
to be something you're not.
If what you
want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone
is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by,
and nuzzle them gently. |
