Thursday 19 April 2007

To Our Dog Training Friends

Hooray you made it! Well done to everyone who remembered the address. If you scroll down you will be able to find pictures of your good selves.

Don't forget to leave us a comment too. Just click on "comments" at the bottom of the post.

Love from Beanz

PS Chris, if you put me off again by waving food around or calling my name when I am supposed to be staying or heeling, I will have to set Chips on you! It is her turn the week after next. Be afraid.

Tuesday 17 April 2007

Toast

I always thought that toast tasted nicer at Grandma and Grampy's house (when we stayed over and had breakfast in our home made nylon dressing gowns) because Grandma buttered it and then we had sugar on top.

However, I think it was actually because the toast had stood in the toast rack (remember a toast rack?) and was cold when it was buttered.

If you leave your toast to cool before buttering and jamming/marmalading (have I just invented two new verbs?) it tastes like a completely different breakfast. How is that possible? I have no idea. Leave your answers in the comments section please.

Incidentally, Chips was going to be called Toast but then I changed it to Chips.

Monday 16 April 2007

Sharing

TJam always says I should share nicely. So today I put my nose up to TJam's face and she felt little footsteps promenading on her cheek. Six little footsteps. Yes, I had shared a flea that I had picked up from something dead in the woods. I only shared one. I kept the other six for myself. TJam did not wait for the Frontline to kick in. She shared the flea comb with me and broke her vegan principle of "Do not kill"

I bet you a dog biscuit that you, dear reader, have scratched your head while reading this post.

Sunday 15 April 2007

A New Experience

Today I found myself in a novel situation. I was in a scrap that

a) I did not instigate
b) I did not win

In fact, I would say I was set upon. TJam would say I need to learn that if a dog sets upon Beanz (who runs away) and then pulls its lip at me, I should back off and not even look at at.

It is a shame because I have been doing so well. Yesterday I sniffed 2 puppies on the lead and I did not even try to tell them off. I hope this incident does not affect my newfound mellowness. The humans like me a lot more when I can be trusted in a pub garden while they have a lager shandy.

Thursday 12 April 2007

I Won Something - by Beanz

I did my trick at dog training tonight and I won a prize. Well, actually, I did the trick and TJam won the prize. There's something wrong there but she isn't complaining. And since the prize is chocolate, she isn't letting us dogs anywhere near it.

In my acceptance speech I would like to thank my agent and all those people who TJam pinned down and forced to watch me practise. And I would like to thank my teachers and friends at class.


Here we all are, working hard. TJam took her camera, so if you click here, you can have a look at all our photos of our tricks and the egg and spoon race (which I did not win). I am particularly impressed with Archie on the skateboard. If you have any problems with the slideshow link, or if you want to order copies of any of the pictures to be delivered to your door, you can view the album here.

Tuesday 10 April 2007

Flat Stanley goes to Russia

With all the excitement of the last few days, we forgot to tell you, Flat Stanley has been to the Former Soviet Union. Oh yes.

Here he is outside a church. He says he had a very nice time thank you. He's glad he is flat.

Monday 9 April 2007

Curiousity and the Activated Charcoal

I couldn't resist and I had a little taste. In case you are curious, it tastes of nothing, but it is very very gritty. On balance, it is not to be recommended.

Sunday 8 April 2007

Happy Easter from all of us

Happy Easter to Everyone

We've been for a lovely walk. I'm glad to say there was one happy human with 2 whole live dogs. Carlsberg stayed home but she wishes you a Happy Easter too.

Saturday 7 April 2007

Pondering

I have been pondering the events of the last few days.
  1. My hat goes off to Chips. I mean, she managed to polish off two whole bars of dark chocolate. Even I, the great queen of chocolate, would struggle to manage even half of that
  2. Isn't life fragile, yet so strong. Can't it be affected by the tiniest of things yet survive a real battering
  3. You never know when the unexpected will happen. That is why it is called the unexpected. Appreciate the now. Take nothing for granted
  4. Thank goodness for washing machines and good washing powder. Imagine if I'd had to wash all this lot by hand
  5. Isn't it amazing that I have actually gone off chocolate. I'm sure it won't last

Friday 6 April 2007

Black Dog Poo

Never has a black dog poo looked so glorious nor been so celebrated.

I resisted taking a photo.

Thursday 5 April 2007

Not Death by Chocolate today thank you

Today, I had to take the van to be fixed and it had to stay in.

Meanwhile, I received a lovely Easter present through the post. Two bars of yummy dark chocolate.

When I arrived home, all that was left was the wrappers. Happy Easter TJam.

Even more happy Easter because chocolate is poisonous to dogs. We are not talking grape poisonous. There is no "maybe" in chocolate poisoning. Chips was looking a little uncomfortable (as I would have been if only I had had the chance to eat both my bars of chocolate at the same time). Beanz was fine, leaving me to believe that Chips had not shared nicely.

I phone the vet. The toxic dose for a dog Chips's size is 15g of dark chocolate. Chances were she'd had 20 times that. Time to go for some medicine.

No car, so thank you to Silky for coming to pick us up and take us there.

A dose of medication and the ongoing treatment? Activated charcoal.

To the unitiated, this is what it looks like dry. "Try mixing it with their food" said the vet. YUM. Looks tasty.




Beanz ate her own and then Chips's. I hope you can't overdose on charcoal.









Meanwhile, it was plan B for Chips. By this point I had stopped bothering cleaning things up, so I will tackle the black stuff tomorrow. Since 4 hours worth wouldn't stay down, it was little and often. It has to keep going in until it comes out the other end.
According to my frantic internet search, chocolate poisoning symptoms go:

Vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, tremours, seizures and possibly death. In there somewhere is also a raised heart beat that can cause heart attack. Not joyful reading.

So, working her way dutifully through the list, Chips started on phase 4, the tremours.

Call in Pin (thank you Pin) who took us back to the vet for an injection of diazepam (that's valium to you and me). Lucky dog. I hadn't even got through the sentence, "How long does it take to work?" before Chips's eyes glazed over and she wobbled to the floor. We came home with instructions of what to look for and what might constitute an emergency.

All praise to the vet, who even offered to come and pick us up and take us to the animal hospital in the night if we couldn't get a lift. That is beyond the call of duty and something you don't hear about these days.

By 10pm, Chips was looking a lot more perky. I don't think we'll be needing the valium tablets. Well, I don't think Chips will be needing them. I will be sleeping downstairs to keep an eye on the patient.