Tiring…..

Caring is tiring!

Greetings Labrador Lovers!  The Pocket Sized Labrador here….. phew I gotta tell  you I think MH and I deserve a medal!

It is so tiring looking after FH and the puppy one… they are a bit of a challenge at the moment, one of them has damaged himself speeding around and is now on enforced rest and rather sorry for himself and the other can't see her feet anymore and 'oofs' with every movement.  They need some looking after… and as there doesn't appear to be anyone else to share the load it's up to me and MH.  I have wondered about asking those pesky mules in to the house to help with the 'baby'sitting but alas they will make too much mess and there's only so much poo hoovering even a labrador can manage.

When the day is done there is only one thing for it, yep you've guessed it!  A good jowl spreading snooze!





Although sometimes even my peaceful snoozes are interrupted by the puppy one needing my comforting ways.

My puppy shadow…. always there

I even tried to find a little peace and quiet by having a rather sneaky snooze on the sofa, alas no the puppy was right there needing me…..

Even the sofa wasn't safe

I guess it's nice to be needed even if it is tiring?

I'm off for a little snooze somewhere quiet, MH and I need to keep our energy levels up, I hear there are likely to be even greater calls on our energy soon, I am in denial…. my ears do not look like comfort blankets and my tail is not made for grabbing by teeny tiny fingers ….. I shan't enjoy any of the attention for a second…… honest :-)

Wags and woofs friends, stay safe and spare a thought for us carers trying to keep their charges under control!

If Dogs Could Smile

Greetings Friends!  Well of course we can smile!  I heard the humans say if dogs could smile the Cloth Dog would be, duh well look at me.... I'm smiling!

Yippee, hooray, it's a Dartmoor doggy day!  My favourite place in the world for a lovely winter walk.  The sun was shining, the bushes were ripe for sniffing and peeing on and my naughty puppy was occupied with dashing and playing and chasing.

I always know when we're in luck and about to escort the humans on to the moor..... we head up this little track.  The edges are great for sniffing and it's definitely a doggy racetrack, Milo might be fast but I make up for his speed with experience.

He is rather prone to prancing and dancing and forgetting which way he's supposed to be going...

I think he rather enjoys running around in the long moorland grass!

I have to keep my wits about me as he is prone to flybys at great speed.  Oops this photo shows that even the inside of my ears are going grey, honestly folks if you had to bring up this pup and look after the humans your ears would be grey too!

There's always time for a quick look at the view in amongst running around. Sometimes we'll explore far and wide over those hills but today we made do with a bit of a meander, splash and soak up of the sun - it feels great on my back :-)

Just when I was enjoying the view it came from nowhere... beep, beep, zoom! Come back here rascal!

Have you ever seen such funny ears on a pup? Tehehe they rather make me smile just looking at them.....

One final thing before we head home.  I've spied a little bit of a swimming spot, time for some peace and quiet in the chilly water - one place the puppy won't follow! Something about it being cold, he needs to grow a labrador coat, no worries here!

You know what folks?  Us dogs definitely can smile.... I'm doing it right here, loving being a Dartmoor Dog.  

Woofs and Wags everyone, have a lovely weekend.  I'm looking forward to an afternoon snuggled with my mistress bonding with my next pup in the making, babysitter Murph at the ready.... I've heard that my ears will make the best baby comforter..... ah well guess I can cope ;-) I wonder if Human Foal will call me their Cloth Dog too?  I sure hope so!

Milo's Movember Moustache!

Milo's Magnificent Movember Moustache!

Greetings Puppyteers!  This month I have been busy supporting the spectacular that is Movember  - this month is made for me as a moustachioed master of hairy handsomeness!   It is also in a very good cause - us boys grow moustaches to raise awareness of men's cancer and health issues.  If the girls can do it with pink we can use our manly moustaches!

So whadya think?  I look handsome don't I?  And I've decided my moustache is not just for Movember, I of course will be keeping it ;-)

I take my facial hair very seriously - it's very useful for collecting all sorts of yummy morsels just ready for a midnight puppyteer snack - yum!

And it's not just a moustache that I have been cultivating.... I am going for the full beardy look :-)

So here's to my friends with facial hair everywhere!  To the Beardy Barons and Masters of Moustaches - this Movember I salute you!

Woofs! Milo xxx

The Perils of Tea Leafing!

Milo Pups here Muleteers!  Oh dear I got caught out tonight.... I was having a lovely little truffle snuffle in FH's carelessly discarded crisp packet (see all her fault).

And what do you know?  I kinda got my long pointy nose kinda stuck in the bag....

Oops, I need some assistance here folks, I know I been bad but could you kinda help please?

While I'm waiting for you to assist me I will just lick our the little crumbs in the bottom.....

I thinks it's a bit like a doggy nosebag?  I think my long nose is made for this thieving thing.... or in rhyming slang as is beloved of our London friends it is also known as 'Tea Leafing'

What's a dog gotta do to get some assistance here?!

Hah don't need your help!  I sorted it all out on my own :-)  

Great Muleteers!  I know how to sort this out next time I go Tea Leafing ;-)  Not that I'd do that, like ever, never.... well maybe next time FH leaves carelessly discarded foodstuffs around that my long nose will fit in!

The Problem With Sticky Buds....

.....is they STICK!

Oh dear there I was puppyteers having a lovely run around, you see I is nearly healed from my little accident with the other dog's teeth so I had been let loose.

Come on Cloth Dog let's go looking for bunnies......

But Cloth Dog seems to have decided not to go looking in this bush, I wonder why?  Hmmmm apparently it has something to do with the sticky buds?

Don't know what they is?  FH calls it Goosegrass or Cleavers, us pups just calls it Sticky....

So I ambled through at Super Pup speed, zooooom.... errm what's that?

Oh my goodness I is covered in sticky buds, they have attached themselves to every inch of my rough coat.  Oh no, they're even in my fabulous beardy! I looks rather silly doesn't I?  Stop laughing FH, it's not fair!  And as for taking pictures of poor me, well!

Do you think I could give the mules a run for their money with my ear posture?  I has been trying hard!

I gave FH my best poor puppy dog stare and she helped me by picking every single sticky bud out of my beard.  It took A LONG time.  I might give the sticky bud plant a miss next time, then again I might be going so fast I can't stop.... any excuse for a good brush of my beard ;-)

Laters puppyteers, have a nice week!

Wound Dressing (Up)

Oops I did it again.... I speeded around a bit too much upset the senior dog and got chomped!

I is not bothered at all, the itty bitty (ok maybe quite big) hole in my side is healing ok and my leg hasn't falled off so I'm all good :-)  Unfortunately I has managed to pull out my staples that was supposed to be holding me together which made the humans a little bit anxious, don't they know that us Super Pups is indestructible!

It appears that it's pretty difficult to keep bandages on a wiggly lurcher pup, you should see how they tried at first, they got this horrible lamp shade thingy out and put it on my head.... hmmm how many bruises did I put on your shins for that disgraceful behaviour?

So FH decided to take drastic action!  She raided her wardrobe and is dressing me up in her image!  I wasn't sure at first.... I don't want no pink dressing up stuff!

OK so she actually chose something quite fitting.  I gots myself a blue muscle top to wear which covers all the relevant bits to keep them and the dressing clean.

I tested it out, could I play in it?  The answer was yes! Do I look good or what?

As an invalid pup I must try to milk sympathy as much as possible, look at my soulful eyes.... I know what will fix me.... more food!

Later pupeteers! I'm off to look pathetic and wounded at FH to see if it's dinner time yet!

The Phantom Bed Disemboweler

Don’t look now but errmmm well my bed has met a terrible accident.....

The Phantom Bed Disemboweler Strikes!

Some naughty pixie must have crept in the house while I was asleep and disembowelled my beloved bed!

Look at my bed, it is all sad and hurt..... the Cloth Dog told me to be a good pups and not get up to mischief, I don’t know what he means?

Hey humans, come quick!  I need help!  My bed has met a terrible fate and now I am not comfy L  Look my head can’t rest on this cushion very well...

What’s that you say?  You think I did this?  Well, I take exception at that!  Look at my best innocent look.....

See butter would not melt in this handsome mouth. 

What was that about sleeping on the cold, hard ground, hah yeah right, we all know you humans are soft..... in fact how about letting me sleep in your bed instead?  Just imagine what fun I could have disembowelling that!  Errm I mean the pixies.... oh dear caught out again.  Laters puppyteers!

Time to Start Shaving....

Greetings Wooferteers!  FH has started to make noises about my beard... she says it’s nearly time for me to start shaving like a big boy (I think she’s joking?).  I does keep reminded her I is a pups and that I am growing my beard in order to store food in for the lean minutes that she don’t feed me..... honestly I only get four meals a day and snacks, you humans is mean on the foody front.   No wonder I has to take matters in to my own paws some days!  I have developed a taste for milk cartons, snails, wood, sheep poop, pony poop, grass (if it’s good enough for the biggest dogs in the family I thought it’d be ok for me, it’s pretty tricky to eat though?) and well, ermmm anything really, the more FH tells me not to eat something the more I think she’s trying to hide it’s hidden nutritional delights! Always worth the taste test.

So there we have it, I have been growing my beard to keep me warm, store food and look distinguished (that's what MH says so it must be true?).  I have even developed some impressive ‘cheek mice’ as MH likes to call them, I reckon he is proper jealous, FH has banned him from having any, I feel well special!

I have decided though that I might stop there with my hairiness, I have discovered that to run fast I need to stay smooth in all other dimensions so I am willing my beardy fur to stay on my face and legs only... I know I look a little errrm different with my patchy coat but hey if it works? 

I have learnt what my legs are for now.... zooooommmm, blink and you will indeed miss me.  I can outpace my cloth dog easy (although his brakes are better than mine so he still gets the ball most times) and I terrify FH whenever possible with my speedy ‘beep beep’ fly pasts when she is deep in thought on our walks (hopefully she is thinking about MY next meal).

Super speedy lurcher pups!

Got it this time, haha, you won't catch me Cloth Dog!

One last important thing to report my friends.  I have been working on the posing.  My Cloth Dog is the expert at this.  He does the ‘hang dog look’ good, the ‘aren’t I handsome look’, the ‘oh my god I’m starved’ look and finally the ‘someone tell the puppy to leave me alone’ look (he doesn’t mean it, I’m sure of this).

Handsome!

Handsomer?  I'll keep trying!

Do you think I got my, ‘aren’t I handsome with this beard’ look down?  Shame I got some food on my nose.... oh well, waste not want not....

Beep, beep, zoooooom...... catch ya later fans.... or maybe not unless you can run as quick as me :-)

 

 

 

Puppy Referee

Puppy refereeing is such hard work....

Greeting Wooferteers, Murph here (aka Cloth Dog, aka Pocket Sized Labrador, aka Chief Referee).  Do you know how hard it is to keep one puppy under control?  Yep - I'm prematurely greying for a reason.... Imagine my terror at the thought of refereeing not one but two puppies..... 

Two of my favourite humans came to visit and brought Milo's partner in crime with them Cousin Archie..... Arch is a bit of a ruffian like young Milo.... he isn't quite past his first birthday and has yet to find the delights of snoozing all day like a Cloth Dog should.

I have tactics for puppies though, it's called the 'let's tire them out on Dartmoor tactic'.

So I took the pups for a walk to the moor, I invited the humans along but honestly they are useless at controlling those puppies, call themselves puppy owners, I'm the puppy parent round here.

First of all the naughty pups thought it was fun to run around at top speed, snapping and playing furry crocodile games.... honestly I kept having to step in to the middle to break them up and referee the game of chase... pups will be pups.

After much ball throwing and chasing Arch found a tasty bit of wood.... he hasn't learnt that what's mine is Milo's, what's his is Milo's, come to think of it everything belongs to Milo in his opinion?!

After quite a bit of chasing.... I decided to leave the pups to this one.... you'll never believe it they are actually learning to share... wonders may never cease!

Then on to some more high speed run arounds....

After many puppy miles, high speed runs and sheep poo hoovering I was convinced that my 'wear them out to the point of exhaustion' tactic must work.  How could they have energy left?  So we invited Cousin Arch home and sure enough the pups looked serene and cute for about.... a millisecond.

Now time for the next game to referee, the pups decided it was time for a game of tug of war!  Honestly who let them have a rope toy?!  I'm exhausted.  As the humans seem to just want to giggle at the pups  as usual it's up to me to referee...  

Now then pups, take your end of the rope, take the strain.... and PULL!

 That's it pups.... PULL! We'll have no cheating on my watch!

It was a tie, surely after that they must be tired???  Ermmm no, time for the next game of puppy wrestling.... Oh dear!

The Snapping Furry Crocodile appeared again, that is fighting dirty Milo, not allowed!

Finally the game changed to My Stick, I'm too exhausted by now... those pups are something else, I think FH must be feeding them Red Bull or Coffee??

Only one thing for it, time to seek sympathy from my Auntie....

And finally.... time for a snooze.... who asked if I could puppy sit again?  Sorry I'm busy sleeping!

Tea for Two

Tea... a most British Dog Obsession....

Hey Cloth Dog!

What's that you're slurping?  It looks like you've managed to nose your way in to FH's tea mug?

Oops.... I hope she'd finished her morning cuppa before you slobbered in it?

Looks like tea for two to me!

What's that you say?  A secret delight?  A very British pastime?  Sounds puptastic!




Come on Cloth Dog let me in..... I really need to taste the delights of this tea thingy....  this mug ain't big enough for both our noses though surely??

Oh, ok we'll try to share nicely.  FH could you put your tea in the dog bowl for us next time please?  What's that about it being your tea?  Don't you know what's mine is mine, what's yours is mine and what's everyone else's is..... well mine..... and I want it!

OK I'm getting the hang of this now Cloth Dog, there is just one slight problem though....  I seem to be wearing quite a lot of tea?  It's pretty challenging to keep my adolescent face fluff clean.... FH says I need to pay more attention to grooming, I kinda like the scruffy dog look!

Here's to a good week full of tea (for me) and smiles (for you) and ever growing face fluff (for me!).  FH says I'm not allowed to sample the delights of coffee yet..... what, no caffeine fuelled lurcher puppy required?  REALLY??  What's the worst that could happen.... ;-) 

Laters friends - Milo xxx