More Photos From Today

 I had to share these too ...

Beti and Zavi 

Siska and Orin

Sammi and Zeus

Ross and Meerah

Autumn Sunshine

Beti and Zavi

Orin and Siska - just love the background.

Two walks in Dinas (not Dinas Dinlle) in warm sunshine. We had a great time with all 4 getting time off lead. Orin was very lame yesterday, worryingly so on his front right, but he seems dramatically better on it today. I did give him some loxicom, and I'll give it to him again for the next two days.

Zeus and Sammi

Ross and Meerah

I then walked the other 4 on the outskirts of Fron and really enjoyed my morning. I wasn't keeping a check on the time and was gobsmacked to find it was going on for 1.30pm by the time I got back. Honestly, my stomach thought my throat had been cut, but I just didn't want to go home. I'm so blessed to have these wonderful places to walk.

After lunch I cleaned my van, this is the third time since I've had it, my word, did I clean the expert three times in 7 years? Well maybe, but I've never had anything as nice and I want to keep it looking this good. The Expert has failed its MOT. I'm not really sure what happens now, but no, it's not coming back here!!!! haha

Honestly I'd Move.

When it's raining and windy, I often look at houses for sale in the area. I've always said, if anything was to kick me off this mountain, then it'd be the wind. You honestly have to experience it at its worst to appreciate it, or not, as my case may be! 

Anyway, I came across this cottage that needs renovating, and I just fell in love with it. It's about 6 miles downhill on the outskirts of Llandwrog, with its gable end on the country lane. It doesn't have a field, but it has a generous plot and off-road parking. It would/could be just perfect. But of course it's just a dream – and though the asking price is 80k it would probably take that much and more to make it a home again. Right now a lotto win could make dreams come true. 

(I've just realised it's being sold at auction.)

Dinas Dinlle

A beautiful walk upstream with Beti and Zavi. They had a lovely time as did we. 

Then downstream with Ross and Meerah. The views and colours were just amazing. Another of those days when I wished I'd taken my camera. 

Today was Linda's last day here till the spring, so after our walks we met up with Steve and Frank for lunch in "The Airport Cafe." 

Between the second walk and lunch, Zavi had had a long break, so we decided to show him the sea before we went home. He was happy but pretty unimpressed really! 

The Cost Of The Blaniks

Well I'm back on my winter timetable, getting up at 7am, letting everyone out and feeding them before snuggling back into bed with a hot cup of tea around 7.30am. Even Zavi is happy to have a lie in when his belly is full! Sadly the last few days have been shit weather wise, and today is no better. With the strength of the wind increasing to 62 miles an hour by this afternoon, I guess I'll be staying home again! At least I can start sorting out Xmas, a list and some online shopping at least. This Xmas we really have to cut back, the van has bled us dry, but honestly no regrets. It was more important to get the van than to spend silly money on silly gifts at Xmas. Of course we will be "doing" Xmas, I want to buy gifts for the people that mean a lot in my life, just that this year, a little more care will have to be taken.

Following the shock of the answer to the frequently asked question of how many dogs we have. The next statement or question is usually something like, 'Well, that must cost you a fortune!' Well yeah probably, we'd be financially richer without dogs, but our lives would be so poor in every other way. I've given up counting how much it costs, even if I knew it wouldn't change things, would it? Dog food isn't ridiculously expensive; the treats cost me about as much as the food. If I had to cut back or go cheaper on treats then I could, after all, nothing pleases 6 out of the 8 any more than a carrot! It's the "NAW" natural dog treats, and their like that really knock up the costs. I also buy yogurt, sardines and butchers' tripe for them, as well as 12kg boxes of bonios, theoretically all that could be dropped to gain £££, but would I? I doubt it, I'd sooner go without myself! 

In The Fields

I was desperate to get out for a walk, but Steve was really on edge after hearing reports of  trees down and road closures. My option was to come down the mountain to find a bit of shelter, but I understand his concerns, and I ended up being battered in the fields! 

I really don't want to miss the opportunity of walking, I feel the hot weather of this Summer has deprived us all of a lot of adventures this year. Anyway, the weather for late October and early November is currently looking promising! 

Walking At 5 Months

Though it was pissing it down when I left for Tremadog this morning, the wind hadn't woken up yet! With Steve in charge of letting me know if the wind increased on the mountain, I drove to the nursery in Tremadog. With the right clothes on and in the canopy of trees, I had a lovely time. I've done the best I can to capture the beauty of the wet woodland, enhanced only by Beti and Zeus. I really could have stayed there for hours, but I'm well aware that Zavi still shouldn't be walking for too long. Of course I don't set a stopwatch, but I do keep an eye on the time. I kind of wished I had a couple of other dogs with me to do another walk, but with Mum no doubt clock-watching, I had to make it back to hers before she sent out search and rescue! lol

I love walking these two together. It's a bit like Orin and Siska, a mostly pleasurable time, though Beti was really keen on squirrel chasing today! I saw three other dog walkers, all exchanged plesantaries and other than a short grumble from Zavi directed at a JRT; well, it all went well! 

Zavi is 5 months

Well, the baby boy is 5 months old. Lots to like and love about him, pretty decent unexaggerated confirmation, super coat and colour, and that left ear is getting stronger now. I see so much of Orin in him, but he gets his lovely feet and dark eyes from his mother. He's a very cuddly, affectionate guy, currently generally willing to please and mostly obedient. He is 56 cms at the wither and just 24 kg on my scales here. Next time I go into the vets, I'll weigh him on their scales again. (He was a tad less I think, on their more accurate scales than when I last weighed him.) He is absolutely on a par with Orin at the same age, he was 56cms and 24.2kg. Loki was a little heavier, 25.8kg and taller at 57cm at the wither, but I could really do with Zavi not getting quite as tall as Loki was! lol. I hope his teeth are all there now, but nothing we can do, as they say; it's all in the lap of the gods now! 

Kate, Zavi And Waves

Our lovely Kate is looking well. So balanced and unexaggerated. This must be the best photo of her yet. She has more coat than I imagined, and the hair lies beautifully over her croup and tail set. 

I took photos of all the dogs at class, but sadly no one took one of Zavi, at least Nicola got this video for me, I've taken a screenshot from that! 

You can see that, like his father, Zavi's coat is waving over the croup and tail set. At this age I did nothing with Orin, thinking then that the adult coat would sort itself out. Well I was wrong, and by the time he was hitting the shows he was 15 months old, and anything I did with it then made it worse, so I'm going to try and sort Zavi's coat out now. I have nothing to lose in trying to train the coat to lie flat and already have some Panagenics leave-in conditioner here. At the moment Zavi hates the blaster, so I'll have to just try and build up his confidence with the small one initially; at the moment it's a full-blown fight, but at least he's not screaming "murder" like Ross did at the same age. 

Did You Read This?

"🚨 FOR SALE. FREE TO A GOOD HOME. POSSIBLY WILLING TO PAY YOU. 🚨 

Anyone interested in an 8 month old, allegedly Hungarian Vizsla? Breed identification currently pending.

Colour: Predominantly red, although approximately 45% is now a rather fetching shade of dark brown. Not entirely sure whether this is mud, fox poo or something that was once alive. 

Fragrance: Eau de Fox Arse. Quite pungent. Lingers beautifully. 🤢 

Hearing: Selective. Possibly profoundly deaf. Can hear a crisp packet being opened three counties away but apparently cannot hear me shouting his name from six feet. 

Recall: More of a suggestion than an actual trained behaviour. Occasionally acknowledges my existence before continuing with whatever criminal activity he’s involved in. 

Intelligence: Currently sharing one brain cell with the rest of the Vizsla population. Unfortunately, it’s not his week to have it. 

Personality: Somewhere between a feral woodland creature, a caffeinated toddler and a Victorian street urchin with absolutely no moral compass. 

General behaviour: Feral. Completely and utterly feral. If chaos wore a fur coat, this would be it. I have spent over 30 years training dogs. I have qualifications, degrees, accreditations and a fairly respectable understanding of canine behaviour. And yet here I am, standing in a field, covered in mud, negotiating with what appears to be a ginger wheelie bin full of bad decisions. I am questioning my career, my life choices and whether I should have taken up something considerably less stressful. Like crocodile wrestling. 

THANK GOD FOR SCENT DETECTION. Because apparently, when there’s something to sniff out, the little git transforms into a focused, intelligent, highly motivated working dog. The brain cell clocks in. The lights come on. Someone is actually home. The minute we finish? Brain cell clocks out. Gone fishing. Back to being a complete and utter swamp donkey. I love him dearly. Obviously. But if anyone sees me wandering around Northamptonshire muttering to myself, please don’t be alarmed. I’m just a professional dog trainer being professionally humbled by an eight month old ginger idiot. Peanut. You absolute weapon. ❤️🐾 No puppies will actually be rehomed. Although offers of wine, sympathy and industrial-strength dog shampoo will be gratefully received."

The post amused me so much that I had to share it, and it reminded me so much of a young Ross. No male pup has ever pushed me so much, I have never come so close to giving up on any male pup as I did with Ross. I remember crying and telling Steve that I wasn't well enough to deal with this puppy, if there had been a through bus service to Suffolk, he could have been on it many a time. 

I've been blessed to have a lot of other male puppies, Blade, Dexi, Louis, Mikey, Loki, Orin and now Zavi, and of course others that have joined us on route, Simba, Jay, Kai, Finlay, Nico and Zeus ... and I have to say that generally these boys have been a damn site easier than the girls. Yes, Jay was a headcase, but a lovely one, Kai was an awesome but loud presence, and Zeus, well we do Ok, better than I ever thought we would really. In all honesty, as a puppy, only Ross has ever made me doubt my abilities; only Ross has ever made me feel inadequate. How could such a prat of a puppy grow into such a super adult? It just goes to prove that we should never give up on them, doesn't it?

Then there's the girls, as a puppy, Seffe didn't listen to jack shit, Kizzie was lovely but bloody crazy, Kiri fought with everyone into adulthood, as did Jezi who started fighting at 4 months, and Tali? OMG don't get me started on Tali and her ASBO! (HAHA) Sammi was not an easy puppy, hence "Naughty Angel," and Beti was and still is an explosion of excitement and love. Asha must have been the easiest female ever, and Ziva and Kaiah had the best recalls. 

Yeah, boys are easier than girls, but of course there are exceptions. Zavi is as easy as his father was – here's hoping with Beti as his mentor that he continues to walk the path to stardom!