Birthday Weekend

Happy Pre-Birthday to Me!

 

 

Lucky me- not only is it my birthday tomorrow, but today I got to go to All About Dogs at Newark Showground for FREE! (I love a freebie!) I won a family ticket in a competition and, having no kids to drag along, I took my two fur-babies and their Nanny for a stroll in the sunshine.

I ummed and ahhed about whether to take the dogs- Harvey is a very spritely 10 year old with a heart murmur, and Alfie has a tendency to nip the bottoms of passing dogs. I say "passing"; he has been known to travel great distances, at speed, in order to take a chunk out of furry bums.

 

I consulted a few websites and forums before finally deciding this morning that I would take Harvey but not Alfie; it broke my heart to leave him but I wasn't sure if he'd cope with all the crowds and tasty bottoms. I threw him a biscuit, whispered "sorry" and ran out of the door with Harvey, fully expecting to return to a protest poo and chewed furniture- or worse (believe me, he has done worse).

 

When I got to Mum's, she was aghast that I'd left Alfie behind. So, barely ten minutes after I'd left him, I was back home, putting on his harness and settling him in the car too. He didn't know where we were going, but at least he was coming.

 

Now, dogs and Nanny pacified (my dogs call my Mum "Nanny") we were finally off!

 

Harvey was raring to go, as always...

 

 

...whereas Alfie acclimatised from his safe perch on Nanny's shoulder.

No, don't say "awwww"- he's a little monster to other dogs!

 

Once we found a (relatively) quiet spot, he was allowed down.

 

Unfortunately, we'd parked by the trade stands, where we lost twenty minutes shopping- and I found this!

 

 

SMURFS! I didn't buy it though- Mum wouldn't let me...

 

I also found this- which I did buy.

 

 

 How cute!

 

We found the agility arenas, but Harvey fancied something different.

 

 

I spy...

 

He'd spotted tennis balls and wanted a piece of the action. Harvey is a clever pup, and loves playing fetch, so I thought he'd be a natural. Not so. It turned out, he's so good at fetch, that whenever the man threw the ball to make him run, he'd bring it straight back to him! In the end, we managed it by me throwing the ball, Harvey jumping the hurdles to chase it, then him jumping them again to bring it back.

Not really how it's supposed to work, but he had fun.

 

Alfie, put out by all the attention Harvey was getting, got bored and started eying up bottoms... so we made a swift exit.

 Time for food. Like any good Hobbit, Harvey was ready for his second breakfast and got to work scrounging from Nanny.

 

 

 'Puppy-dog eyes'

 Focus...

 

 

Keep at it...

 

She caved, and Alfie got some too.

 

 

Happy Alfie.

 

 

Smug Harvey.

 

Fed and watered, it was time to continue.

 

 We watched Dock Dogs- very exciting! Harvey wanted to have a go but I wouldn't let him because I hadn't brought any towels (sometimes I'm no fun at all). It was great fun to see the other dogs diving in though. Maybe next year...

 

 

Alfie finds it all exhausting to watch.

 

More shopping, more demos, and I noticed the boys needed a rest and a third breakfast. I obliged and bought a burger, and Mum had pudding. During our snack stop, we were approached by a press photographer who had noticed Harvey's remarkable scrounging skills and wanted to take a few snaps.

 

Harvey knew what to do...

 

 

Nailed it like a pro!

 

Here's the shot he took:

 

 

 If you spot it in the paper, please let me know!

 

Alfie didn't get papped, but he did get extra cuddles-

 

-and I got extra-slobbery kisses!

 

 

Thanks for not leaving me at home.

 

We spent about four hours watching displays and shopping before

admitting defeat and heading home- tired, sunburnt, skint and happy.

 

It was ace. The boys were as good as gold- even Alfie managed not to bite any bottoms (although that was more to do with him wearing a muzzle than any new-leaf turning). Both dogs are curled up asleep on me now, after wolfing down their dinner, worn out but having had a great day.

 

I can't wait for next year! I might even pay for tickets next time!