Haggis - Our neighbour Haiji

Such a beautiful day again today! I had a lead walk and a training session all the way to our neighbours house (round the back), I had to sit down about 10 times! How silly is that? But it made mum happy.. weird. And then we arrived at Haiji's house. Haiji is a Portuguese Water Dog and about 4 months old, extremely well known for their love of swimming and playing in water.

Chico got thrown over the fence, as he doesn't have to do training anymore, lucky bugger, not fair. We had a ball with Haiji, she is so much bigger and thicker since we last saw her, which is great as she can play fight with more confidence now. We chased each other round and round the big garden until we were so thirsty and tired that we had to have a big drink from the well.. Haiji even jumped in for a swim. She swam round and round, drinking as she went and then just jumped out! She's a funny dog!

She's just had a new haircut and when she got out of the water, she was soaking wet, but she LOVED it! Being wet got her even more excited! so she started chasing us around the garden again! Being cold isn't a problem for Haiji.. She's the best swimmer, can't wait to see her in Radar's huge dam!

Then she cuddled up to her mummy all soaking wet.. she must love her! Mum would push me far far away if I was soaking wet like that!..

Chico - Mushroom risotto

Another run around the forest today, it feels so good to do this and it has been 3 days in a row! Pine mushroom picking again. Last night it rained a little so it's a good day to come. There are so many smells in the forest, and it's very exciting when you get a whiff of a wild animal such as a rabbit or a fox. We did meet a fox once, and tried to make chase but mum and dad held us back. It was a very smelly mangy thing, it would have been awesome to get a real good smell of it - up close.

There weren't many mushrooms at all, very disappointing, the weather has been too sunny, which has been glorious! Mum and dad found a couple of fresh ones and brought them back with us. These toadstools below can be found everywhere, and no we didn't pick these ones..

At home mum made a delicious pine mushroom, thyme, smoky bacon, garlic and onion risotto, it smelled so amazing as it wafted through the room, I was starving! For lunch WE got crappy mixed Dry dog food and canned meat - yuck - so disgusting! I hate eating this crap and the same stuff all the time. Bleurgh!

But I must admit we had a special treat tonight. We had the most delicious dinner I ever tasted. I don't think I have ever tasted such delights before and will dream of the flavour for the rest of my life. Mum presented a bowl of ripped up salmon and caper & lamb and yoghurt pizza. Magnificent!

Haggis - My boyfriend Radar!

Today we got to hang out with my boyfriend Radar! I love him so much I could squeeze him to death! Radar is a red Stumpy-Tailed Cattle dog, he came from the same rescue centre as I did in Woodend www.headingforhome.asn.au.  When mum and dad came to look at me, they were really impressed by his good looks and sweet temperament with the new puppies. Radar was used as the baby sitter, because the puppies loved jumping all over him, and he let them! Looks can be so deceiving, Radar is such a sweetie, even when he looks like such a tough breed of dog.

We get to hang out together quite a lot, and the three of us have too much fun together. Because Radar is pretty slow when he runs (not like us) he's developed all these new tricks to fool us, such as running under the fence when we almost catch him, or pulling up under the trailer - yep he's got us sorted. He also knows the exact height of each fence around the paddocks so that he can make a quick getaway if we get too close when playing chasey.

We LOVE play fighting, it's a bit like wrestling where one of us has to tap out with a squeal - usually it's Radar though.. ha ha.. I look pretty scary here, but it's only because I have a large mouth - honest! Once we finish play fighting, we always lie next to each other and cuddle up. We share ropes together, we even share bones together! Ahhh.. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine too isn't Radar? H x

Chico - Mushroom hunting

Today mum and dad went for a run to find wild mushrooms, usually the ones you find around here are Pine mushrooms or Slippery Jacks. We also get to come along for some exercise, when we first arrive I am so charged!! It's great fun jumping up the mountain and then racing downwards on the way back.. So exciting!

I did hurt myself once, as I caught sight of a rabbit I sprinted for the chase and ran straight into a thorny, spiky bush. One pierced my left eye. OUCH. That hurt. I trotted over to mum and walked alongside her for the rest of the walk. I really wanted to go home to bed. I kept touching my nose against mum's hand but she didn't take any notice. Only once when we jumped into the car did she see that my left eye was covered by my inner eyelid. She panicked and drove me to the vet immediately, picking dad up on the way. A couple of eye drops later.. I was almost right as rain!

There hasn't been any rain so there were no mushrooms. Boo. So we went for a run instead. Haggis and I had the best time ever chasing each other through the pine trees, there's a couple of tracks we can follow, or we can simply crash through the forest at top speed! Then we'll hear mum and dad calling and we'll run back to them as fast as we can. Don't realise how far we've run sometimes...

A big black crow followed us all the way on our run. It was like having a new friend on our walk.. it was very playful and swooped us almost every 100m. At first it scared me.. all I could hear was strong flapping over my head and I ran as fast as I could. But towards the end of our fairly long walk, it would swoop in front of me encouraging me to chase and follow, which was a lot of fun!

Mum and dad are on a health kick at the moment, so we ran pretty hard and fast the whole time. Haggis was so tired she had to have a lie down in the middle of the run.. and she was also a bit scared of the big black bird that kept swooping us, it sounded so much bigger than it was..

At the very end we were really hot and needed a drink, so it was wonderful to be able to jump into the lake, have a drink and wade around the cool water to cool our legs down.

Haggis - Meeting our new Uncle Archie ! He's awesome!

Today we also got to meet our new uncle! I was so excited. Now - he's our 'Uncle' because he's dad's mum's new puppy dog. Uncle's name is Archie and he is a Jack Russell cross Shitzu - aka Jack Shit! :) He's sooo cute! And sooo tiny! He doesn't even reach my knees!

Archie was so excited to meet us! And so friendly! So intelligent and charming already, and very good looking for a young pup. His hair is a bit wiry like mine and he feels so soft. This is Uncle! :)

Chico and I had a great runaround at Granny's, she has a massive garden and it's so much fun chasing Chico at top speed! There are logs to jump and trees to dive in and out of, that Chico is pretty fast and it's good fun trying to keep up!

Uncle Archie tried to follow us everywhere, he told us he wants to be a big dog as soon as possible. He has pretty short legs though and he takes about 6 steps for my one step. He'd be no good for hunting. For pigs anyway! But he has the important job of protecting Granny. He has to bark whenever he hears someone coming, and I think he'll do a good job.

Chico - Going to the Vet :(

Haggis and I started the day off going to the Vet today to get our annual shots. We go to the Hamilton St Vet in Gisborne, they're so friendly there. We got our annual vaccinations (valid for 3 years) for Hep B and Parvo. We also got the vaccine down the nose for kennel cough, just in case... not 100% sure where we would catch something like kennel cough.. oh well.

 

Met another puppy dog there, a St Bernard, very friendly and a bit stinky.

I was nervous and shaky standing on the table about to get my heart and lungs checked.
I was given the all clear, I am very healthy and intend to stay this way!

Meet Little Miss Haggis Pie the Staghound

Woof. My name is Haggis and I have a deep throaty, growly bark that I like to use to wake everyone up first thing in the morning! Every day I head out through the giant dog door to the back garden. I'll run to the bottom of the garden to say hello to the chickens, lick my lips and tell them how good looking they are today. I'll always drop a hint to let them how tasty they look. Both of them. Lucky they didn't know their predecessors, they weren't so lucky and bloody delicious.Unfortunately mum and dad have built the chook house like Fort Knox and I can't get in anymore, no matter how hard I have tried.

But to introduce myself in a friendlier way.. I love you and I love everyone! And I'm always excited to see you no matter what. I love making new friends big or small but I forget how big I am, and sometimes little dogs may be scared of me, but don't pull back nor be angry, I just want to play and have some fun. Chase me! chase me!!

My best friend and brother is Chico the Whippet. He is my HERO. He's told me he's the fastest dog in the world and WOWEE boy can he run! It's weird, when I first met him, he was gigantic! Now he's so small and fine.. but still pretty tough. I love doing whatever he is doing. I love sleeping on his bed, it's smells so good! And I love cuddling up to him, but he gets a bit grumpy when I touch him with my toes.. To keep up with him, I practise running every day, and slowly I am getting faster and faster.

Mum and dad found me at a rescue house (www.headingforhome.asn.au) in Woodend. I had just arrived from Queensland and wasn't feeling very well. But I must have been cute enough. I was supposed to be a Whippet cross, but they tell me often how this is impossible because I am too big.

I love my home, I love mum and dad and Chico. Oh I LOVE my food as well. Any kind of food. If Chico is the fastest runner in the world, then I cam the fastest eater in the world, there is simply never enough food in my bowl. I always finish first, I'm sure they give more to Chico cause he takes forever to eat and I'm sure his food is much tastier than mine... hmm.

Can't wait to tell you all about our adventures, we have so much fun.

Meet Chico the Whippet

My name is Chico and I am the fastest little Whippet in the country! (Well I think so anyway.) I just turned three years old, and no other dog has beaten me at the park! As I dart in and out the bushes, ducking and weaving, jumping to catch a flying ball, twisting and snap my jaws around the tough rubber ball and finally power to a standstill, I know "I am the Champion of the World"!

My favourite games include playing 'catch' with mum and dad, and chasing things. ANYTHING. If it moves, I'll definitely run over to have a look. When I see something with my super sharp eyesight, my ears shut tight as I make chase to find out what moved.

Last year I got a new house mate, her name is Haggis.She is a Staghound (which sounds like a mongrel dog to me). She was pretty small when she arrived and I put her in her place. I am the boss and always will be. It's quite interesting how she's grown real big recently, almost twice the size of me, but I don't care. I am still the boss.

As Haggis is getting larger and older, she's getting a bit cheeky and likes to sleep in my bed. It's far too small for her, but it's nice and cosy because my bed is near the fire. So mum n dad have to make her go to her own bed, which is lined with a furry sheepskin (which is a bit unfair) and a blanket. She's hairier than me, so she doesn't need the warmth that I need.

Talking about warmth.. It's starting to get colder in the evening so mum has ordered me a custom made coat from www.whippetwear.com - I can't wait to get it! So exciting! (It's about time mum) I shall post some pictures in my my new outfit when I get it.I shall feel like such a prince when I wear it, I shall be a super model in the Whippet world.

Mum and dad used to own a restaurant, and I used to get the most amazing meals such a cooked beef, lamb, goat and chicken (and yucky vegetarian stuff - eww). I have a very educated pallet. But since they sold their business, I've been living on Advance dog food - dry and canned stuff (it was super delicious at first), but it gets a bit boring if I have to eat it every day.. Yes I know 'I'm fussy' but come on! Who wouldn't get bored of eating the same food for every meal. I shall give you a running commentary on what yummy dinners I get, you'll be impressed! So I am very open to trying new types of food and biscuits (as long as they're not too dry) If you have any delicious dog food samples, please please send them to me! Please! I use up a lot of energy when I run, so need food as often as possible, it's very easy to maintain my figure.. Yes I'm pretty good at begging...