Dog to dog blog: great boating, shame about the wind.

Hi guys, Sally here again.

I've just spent the holiday weekend on Granny and Grandpa's boat, recovering from my first experience helping Mummy guard somewhere. We'd spent loads of nights in the car park of this pub in Shardlow (another canal connection, seemingly). Mostly we sat in the car while looking out at the darkness, but from time to time we went for a walk round the fence line and I woofed at anything I didn't like.

Not much happened, to be honest, except Mum got through a lot of quiches and stuff, but didn't give any to me, boo. Anyway, we've finished with that for a bit, so after a couple of days to get Mum's sleep pattern turned round (don't see the problem, myself, I mean, sleep all day, sleep all night, what's to change?) we drove across to meet Granny and Grandpa on their boat and had a bit of a trip along the canal.

This meant a visit to an ace walking place called Hopwas Woods; loads of rummaging and running around, some of it in a sort of field, and some in seriously big woods. Towards the end, there were some excellent squirrels to chase; I took off after one that made it up an oak tree and stopped to pull faces.

I'd got up to full speed, uphill too, mark you, and hit that tree so hard I was well up it before the traction ran out and I had to drop back. I nearly had the little so and so, but as usual it cheated and ran off further up the tree.

Never mind, it was a serious result, and I pranced all the way back to the boat.

Lots of ducks about, and the odd swan, so a bit of barking practice there too. Mum's trying to train me not to bark at people, dogs and cyclists going past, which is a bit of a drag, but I get a treat for every time I don't do it, which is some compensation, I guess.

At Fradley, Mum tried to make me jump over the rail between the road and the towpath, so for a laugh I went underneath. She wasn't too pleased about that, so the next time, when she told me to go under it, I jumped over, just to even things up.

Today, I helped work the locks back to Alrewas where Mum had left the car. That was good fun too; I can walk across the top gates no sweat now, and had loads of admirers into the bargain.

We did more running about at Alrewas, in the field by the river, but there's a herd of cows in it, and though they were down the far end, I was worried that they might smell my breath, so scoffed a load of fresh cow dung to try and mask it a bit.

Mum didn't seem to think that that was a good idea, specially after I wiped some of it off my face onto her hand. I mean, what's that about? There's just no pleasing humans sometimes.

It's been the same with the wind. Everyone's been complaining about the wind this weekend, but like I say, it's better out than in, makes quite a musical note if I hold my bum down on the wooden floor as it comes out, and if it's a bit niffy, who chooses my food, eh?

Loads of licks (did you want poo with that?)

Your friend

Sally