Go on then - more snow fotos

I know most of the UK are a little fed up with the snow but I know people from all over the world pop in here (and I am totaly amazed how many people drop in and say hello to my pair of nutty dogs - thankyou all!)

Thought I would share some more snow walks with you all






Not easy to get nice calm photographs of my pair when all the want to do is run and play

But it is amazing what you can do with a pocket full of sausages and a tennis ball









I know the snow is disrupting peoples lives. When its a total whiteout with the wind howling I hate the snow (or sky puke as C says)
But when you get days like this then its makes up for it










errm ben I think you have a little something on your nose
and your head
and

You have been making snow angels again havent you??

The walk for the Irish rescue doggies

Just back from the walk.
It was a really lovely day - after the weathermen telling us it was going to rain we had a totaly lovely time.

Mia had a little trouble at the start as we were on a narrow windy path where she didnt have much warning of dogs coming, but then after a couple of miles it opend out and she calmed down lots

When we set off walking we had about £700 pledged and that rose quite a bit by the end of the walk. Currently the total stands at just over £1000!!
Which is just fantastic
I will post the final result when we get it - of course we are still collecting - if you want to sponsor Mia and Ben please paypal me at pamduthie @ hotmail.com - even 50p will help the doggies lots

Here is the group after the walk - Mia is right on the end - but I never would have thought she could be so calm with so many dogs!!


I think about 6 of the dogs on the walk were Irish pound doggies, all happy in their new life and most training to be the agility stars of the future



The girl who organised it for us gave us theses cute certificates at the end


The bottom bit says (and beware - I was blubbing like a girl)

The reason

I would’ve died that day if not for you. I would’ve
given up on life if not for your kind eyes.
I would’ve used my teeth in fear
if not for your gentle hands. I would have left this life believing that all
humans don’t care
Believing there is no such thing as fur that isn’t matted,
skin that isn’t flea bitten,
Good food and enough of it, beds to sleep on,
someone to love me, to show me I deserve love just because I exist.
Your kind
eyes, your loving smile, your gentle hands Your big heart saved me…..
You
saved me from the terror of the pound. Soothing away the memories of my old
life.
You have taught me what it means to be loved. I have seen you do the
same for other dogs like me.
I have heard you ask yourself in times of
despair why you do it when there is no more money, no more room, no more
homes
You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a little
tighter, make just a little more room…
To save one more like me. I tell you
with the gratitude and love that shines in my eyes
In the best way I know how
Reminding you why you go on trying.
I am the reason. The dogs before me are
the reason as are the ones who come after.
Our lives would’ve been wasted,
our love never given
We would die if not for you

Sorry there are not more fotos of the walk but working a camera and keeping 2 dogs calm onlead just wasnt easy today

Happy birthday Ben, 2 today!! and its the 1st day of spring

Shhhhh, dont tell Ben but I almost forgot it was his birthday today

Thats the little guy 2 today. Its been quite a big year for him.

3 Clear run agility shows, 12 runs and 9 of them were clear with only 1 elimination (I got lost)

1 KC show with 3 clear rounds - the agility run he won taking us right up to grade 2

KCGC Bronze and silver awards

and of course Mia entering his life (which he though was the worst thing in the world to start with but now he loves her)

I had the day off work today anyway and was planning giving them a big walk anyway but as I realised that it was such a special day - and the 1st day of spring I thought it would be a good day for a trip to Troon.

and it really was.

Weather perfect, slightly hazy but warm enough that I had my shoes off but not my coat. We walked all the way from Troon to Ayr (I think) along the beech.

Except for the few planes and the thundering of my dogs paws it was sooooo lovely and peacefull

The dogs had a great time, zooming and playing and running in the sea (yes mum, Ben actually went into the sea!!! He will be swimming by the summer)

We met a few dogs - all of which Mia got on great with except for the 1st dog a GSD on the lead, but the dog was so lovely and chilled and just didnt react to Mia at all, I think if the guy had had more time to let his girl off the lead then they would have become friends.

On the way back the dogs found a great log for me to rest on (and of course bug them with some more fotos!!) and then we headed back to the car.

After a quick detour to the garden centre (hopefully the dogs can help me gardening tomorow if the weather stays nice) the post office (more wool arrived - yippee, I have recycled bottles fibre to try now - looks interesting!!) I nipped into the shops to get the dogs and extra special tea of oxtail (dont tell them its a surprise) They are currently totaly zonked out at my feet.

The car park in the sky walk - and cows!!

It actually wasnt raining yesterday so I took the dogs to the car park in the sky


Weather wasnt so clear - or so warm when I got up there but we still had a good 3 hour walk before the sun set. If it had been a clearer night I would have hung around and taken fotos at night because it is really stunning to see the stars above and the lights of Glasgow below, just like you are in the sky.





I have been told there are all sorts of dodgy things go on in that carpark at night, but it is such a magical place that familys and people go up there and are totaly oblivious to anything but the view.










Mia had a great run about offlead and made friends with lots of different dogs.
Both her and Ben had a great run around but neither were interested in playing with toys or anything, just keeping close to me and having sniffs and zoomies (it is a little worry because I am doing the KCGCC silver award with Ben on wed and one part of it is we are suposed to show playing with a toy - to show I can get it back off him - but I worry that he wont play when there are other dogs around and work to be done - to serious for his own good!!)


Ben did promise me that he wouldnt get too messy or roll in anything nasty but I think you can see from this foto that that promise was broken quite early on
Thankfully by the end of the walk he was clean again - love those teflon collie coats!!

Then when were were heading back on lead Mia was quite well behaived, we met 2 greyhounds and got within 4 feet before one of them started barking at her so she kicked off.
Then we met with a spanial and she got right up sniffing it before she decided she didnt like it. Looking back I shouldnt have made her interact with the dogs at all on lead - I should have just let her have had all the good interactions with dogs offlead and rewarded her for being calm with the other dogs close when she was onlead

But you live and learn - and at least she is soooo much better than when she 1st came here.



One scary moment we did have was when they were romping offlead and I looked round a bush to see a herd of highland cattle - dosent look much in a small foto but trust me they are biiiig!!!

- Now this is a public park where dogs can be (and were) offlead
Mia charged over and barked at them and they were getting up and mooing at her
I didnt think her recal would be good enough so I just ran away waving my arms and yelling 'MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI' and thankfully I was interesting enough to stop her being a kebab on one of those horns




Bit scary to realise that the cows are loose in the same place as all us walkers and dogs!!

Merry Christmas. Fairburn estate

Merry Christmas everyone

I hope santa claws and santa paws was good to all the kiddies and furkids alike

Mia and Ben shared the turkey giblets last night and today they are getting lamb. They have some chews and a big tuggy chewy squeeky soft toy to share
They love it so much it has already been repaired once.



As it was such a stunning day we decided to tire the dogs out before lunch so off to Fairburn estate for a lovely woodland walk.



Both dogs had a great time, running around till we saw the signs that said that dogs had to be on a lead. Then as they had worn themselves out a bit they walked pretty nicely on lead.



Dinner soon then drinkies and slobbing around watching TV. DOctor WHO is on tonight - yeah!!!

River Ness and Caledonian canal

Another stunning day and another lovely dog walk.
This time after visiting my fathers grave - and Mia giving us a little heart attack

Graveyeard in in the middle of nowhere surrounded by dry stone dykes, then a wee road, another wall, electric fence and then a field of sheep
I thought the doggies would be fine to run around in the graveyard, but nope
Mia climbs the wall, runs across road (just missing car wheels) cumps next wall and wriggles thru electric fence and runs into the feild of sheep

The laws in Scotland state that a farmer can SHOOT and out of control dog that is stressing his sheep
All she dose is stampeedes them all into one corner (about 100 sheep in one tiny corner) then, happy that she has done a good days work she runs right back to us.
Guess its on lead any time there might be sheep from now on.

Then into Inverness we gave the doggies a good run along the canal

Mia had a few growels at other dogs but every time she did Ben came over and jumped on her to distract her - good boy

up north

The doggies and I headed up north yesterday to visit my mum for christmas time.
Mia was a little star (as was Ben of course) infact overall she has been really good since the last post about her.



Out walking she has actually been hiding behind me when big dogs come too close and offlead running away more.





She still has her scrappy doo moments when approaching a dog first, but once she figures them out she is much better
and very flirty with big male dogs


After over 3 hours in the car yesterday we took them for a little walk and then they slept most of the evening.



Today after a shopping trip for us we took the doggies to the fairy glen(Reelig Glen)for walkies. We saw the tallest tree in the UK (although it is in a deep valley so it dosent look much)

And then we went up to A and B's to show them the doggies
Mia and Ben were v well behaived in the strange house, Mia only bounced a little bit but maily they said hello gently and then lay down under the table while we had coffie and yummy homemade shortbread.

My fave walk, for justnow

Had a lovely walk with the doggies on Erskine beach

Weather nice and crispy and sunny so I put on the silly hat and bundled the dogs in the car.

They had a total blast

Mia met lots of dogs including a GSD that didnt react to her barking!! Yeah we are making progress. She is relaxing and getting so much more like a puppy rather than a dog who has to contol everything and attack before they get her

We still have some problems, she sometimes guards Ben off the sofa (which she gets a time out for) and I doubt she would be happy if we didnt feed her in the crate.

Unfort the lovely people across the road have been using agreesive fireworks to scare the dogs, and it has worked, in the dark now Mia has to be walked on the lead else she will run home and just sit and wait on the doorstep till we come back

Poor puppy!!

On the training front things are going great, I have phased out the lure for her 'paw', 'sit', 'down' and circle 'right' she still gets lots of rewards

Tried to trim her nails tonight!! We got one done (one nail not paw) with lots of treats but the lady just wasnt happy so I will have to take it slow.

PAH this morning too, bought nice treats and a soft travel crate for her going away christmas and new year, she seemed to like it and trotted in and fell asleep, then chased Ben away from it!!