Alimentary, My Dear

No, not a mis-spelling of "Elimentary", or some Sherlock Holmes plot - but a tale of gurgling guts and number two's. (Ach - and before Supper, too!)

News comes from the one-time agarophobic Alsatian pup Keira, that she had, last night, for the first time ever, not "used her newspaper" in the kitchen overnight. When released in the morning she shot out onto the grass and did the necessary, but got heaps of praise from Xena and husband for being "clean through the night" - Well Done Keira!

Xena was also amusing them all at dad's work, with a story (including mime-acting) of a walk they had done. Apparently Keira still hates stairs and steps, so she gets to the front door and freezes, cringing, fearful of the three steps down to the front path, but once she's lifted down those she is now enjoying her walks. Yesterday, says Xena, she had a nice bounce around a small paddock with another local dog, and still had plenty of energy to bounce around with Tigger, aka Mia the labradoodle when they got home

The gurgling guts are those of Haggis tonight, who is off his supper and producing quite a resounding line in "Symphonia Gastrica" gurgles and ...um.... emanations. We don't know what's upset him but he was trying to eat grass while out on the walk, didn't touch his supper, and is now looking all "wounded soldier" at passing humans.

Worse thing is, Dad won't give out the dried tripe-strips to Meg and I while H is incapacitated, as it wouldn't be fair. We have to wait till he's better. Spoilsport!

The ever-sympathetic
Deefer

Bouncing Labradoodles

Remember Keira, the agarophobic Alsatian pup? Well, Xena tells us that she is now a lot bigger and braver. She will actually face the back yard now to do her poo, and (if she is carried down the three front-door steps to the front path), she is happy to go fior a walk, even near (shudder) traffic.

Her favourite thing now is to sneak under the back fence into next door's garden where lives huge, 2-year old Labradoodle "Mia" who apparently spends all her waking hours bouncing around like Tigger. Keira loves her, and will spend hours chasing around Kia's garden before sneaking back through the fence, filthy and exhausted

Xena says she will soon be big and brave enough to face "The Six Westies" (Archie, Mollie, Hector, Megan, Haggis and my good ol' self

Go Keira!!!

Deefs

Agarophobic Alsatian

Well, here she is, as promised, the world's first agarophobic alsatian, Keira

She's pictured here at Christmas, "opening" her presents, which she thoroughly enjoyed and loved taking a firm ownership of. She has also nabbed the Grandson Cole's green furry stuffed toy (from, I think, Monster's Inc, but I wait stand corrected by Keira's Mum, Xena)

The prezzies were all chews and squeaky toys. She enjoyed less the gang's attempts to put a santa hat on her, so is probably well and truly traumatised by now - no wonder she doesn't want to go out. Probably saying "In these shoes? No way Jose!"

Have a great weekend

Deefer

Don't Make Me Go Out!

Xena has been cracking them all up at work with tales of pup alsatian Keira (now about 12 weeks old?) who hates going out. They put it down to her being reared in a kind of stable building indoors, and never being taken outside with her Mum, or by the breeder lady. What ever the reason, they are having a devil of a job persuading her outside, either out back to do her poos, or out front for a walk.

Dad and First Dad were peeing themselves laughing at the stories and saying that all the westies and pups they'd known are stir-crazy by the age of 6 weeks and can't wait to go exploring out doors - rummaging in compost heaps and under hedges, falling in garden ponds (under close supervision, of course!) and generally causing outdoor havoc whenever possible, streaking out through gaps in doors left a-jar - 2 to 3 inches was always enough!

But, no, Keira doesn't mind the lead, and will get walked happily round the house, but take her to the door, and she plants her feet firmly on the threshold and whimpers. Meep meep. Xena had a "major breakthrough" only yesterday, when Keira ventured into the back garden by herself, and yeterday her Dad thought she'd enjoy a stroll down to nursery with the 2 and a half year old Grandson, Cole. But, reports Xena - she wasn't happy and ended up with her Dad having to carry her home in his arms. Soppy thing!

There were other stories too, of normal pup stuff, mouthing everything, play biting etc, driving Xena crazy, but that just comes with the territory.

Go Keira!
(More pics soon)

Deefer

Keira

At last - some pictures of Xena's new pup Keira, one at 6 weeks and one at 8 weeks. She looks remarkably like a black bear in the 6 week one, but by 8 weeks her true Alsatian sticky-up ears are getting the right shape.

In both you can see how absolutely jet black she is. She is, we hear, a very brave girl, and didn't utter a peep when she was having her jabs (unlike one white girlie I could mention (ahem)). She can go "public" from January 6th, so Dad and First-Dad are trying to get up a joint walk at our favourite Leybourne Lakes.

My real-Dad (Hector) and bro' Archie have been (the grapevine says) a tad boisterous lately, most recently with a couple of Shih-Tzu's, so First Dad is uttering dark threats about having them "done" (whatever that is!). Look out boys.... it's not gonna be good. Probably for the best. Doesn't seem to have done Haggis any harm anyway....

Talking of which, I am told that I might also be "on" soon - I'm coming up to 16 months now and my first time was at 8 months.

Love is in the air.....

Have a great weekend

Deefer