Flynn's story - soon I will be one year old

Well what an exciting few months.  I am almost one year old and the last time I told you about my life was in February, that is nearly five months ago!  The reason I haven't been on here is that I have been keeping my Mum and Dad on their toes.  Its not easy growing up you know, it takes a lot of energy!

Well now, let me think.  Ah yes, when we spoke before I loved my foot ball. Well I still do - except I am on my second football.  My first one went flat a couple weeks ago.  Mum says kicking the football to me, loses inches on her waistline.  To be honest those kicks are pretty awful.  One minute she kicks it and I run and catch - yes I am clever I can catch the football before it hits the ground.    Then she kicks it the other way, and another time it just goes about six feet from her, or rolls across the ground! Hopeless it is.

See that's me!  Ahhh...only my leg!!! To be honest I hate my photo taken.  Whenever the camera comes out, I attack it, just hate it. 

I haven't really grown up that much since I was last on here, but I have grown wiser.  You see I go to dog training every week, I am only in the Bronze class, and many weeks later I am still in the Bronze class.  I just don't get it!  My Dad says I got there to learn good behaviour, You don't go there to play with my friends!  

A few weeks ago there was an Obedience Competition.  My Dad says I wasn't ready to enter, but my Mum put my name down for five things.  She knew I would not be able to do them all, as I am too fidgety.  I almost got full marks for the 30 second stay, but hey someone sneezed and I had to see who it was so I got up - at 28 seconds...I lost marks, of course.  

Several of my mates were doing the three minute stay where all the owners had to leave the room.  It was amazing, I could not take my eyes of them, still as still could be watching and waiting.  I was sitting at the side of the hall with my Mum and Dad, and I kept looking at them and asking what are they doing that for?

Well it was a good night and I did win a purple rosette and a bag of biccies.  I was told by the judge I wasn't last.

I do have some rough edges to rub off with regards to my training.  I will keep pulling on the lead and I don't pay attention all the time.  I am the worse in my class for that, and I still don't learn.  

Right, that's enough for today - here is some more pictures of me.....aren't I just sooooo good looking???

This was a lawn!  Its now a football pitch!

I am too exhausted now - must go to sleep.  It is only 9.30 p.m. but I am always up at the crack of dawn - I got a lot to do tomorrow, haven't I Dad?.....Oh he is already asleep. Night night then....
 

Flynn's Story - Lots of energy

 

Hello everybody..... Here I am again. 

Last week I had an accident, blood everywhere.  Dad thought I cut my mouth, but in fact I had caught my paw on something sharp, probably one of the rocks in amongst the trees.  As luck would have it, I was off to the vet anyway to have a micro chip.  The vet says I took the pad right off one of my toes on my left paw and that it was going to take weeks for it to heal.  She told my Dad that I had to wear a boot when I go out for walks or go to the garden and not to be let off the lead. I was not to lick it either, if I did I would have to wear one of those great big collars. 

So the next day, I didn't go for a walk, I went in the car instead......I was happy. And I would not wear a sock or anything on my paw when I went out to the garden for a call of nature. I thought of a better idea, I would just hop on three legs.  Thats what I did. 

After about four days, I could put my paw down on the ground, but if I wanted a bit of sympathy, I knew just what to do - I would lift my paw off the ground and run around on three legs.  But my Mum and Dad were having nothing to do with that, as they said I was just wanting more attention......so I didn't do it anymore.

Now I am back to normal, just seven days later, it has healed.  No collar, no boots, no walks. I didn't mind as I had lots of other things to do.

Yesterday was busy, I helped Dad in the garden.  He was up the ladder repointing the brickwork of the house.  All this rain we have had has caused some of the filling to drop out.  I sat at the bottom and watched him.  When he got down off the ladder, he would kick my football to me.  Goodness I was exhausted, I could not keep awake and by 5 p.m. I had fallen asleep for the night.

Oh no - heres Mum with her camera, always wanting to take a picture of me.  I will just wriggle round....umph try taking one now!!

I just love the garden.  I don't care if it is raining, I just want to play.  I get a good rub down with a towel before going indoors.  I spend hours in the garden.  I also play games in the house.  I have lots of toys and chew bones - so I am never bored.  Of course my favourite toy is the balls. 

The cats are in a room of their own, because I just won't let them sleep.  They have their food there and very comfortable. They can go outside by the other door.   I learnt to open their door today, by jumping up and with my paw bring down the handle and at the same time push my way in.  That cat food is very tasty.  Dad says he will fix that!  Mmmmm wonder what he is going to do. 

Thats it for now......see you next time.

Flynn's story - Up to so much mischief.....

and I am loving every minute of it!!!  The only time I am good is when I am playing football.

 

 

I will be six months soon.....I have learnt lots of things.  LOL one thing my Mum has taught me is how to beg for a cuddle and I have got that off to a tee.  I pretend I am going to take her shoe and she says "you won't get any cuddles if you take my shoe"!!!

Well what do I do - ha I drop the shoe on the floor, sit promptly down, point my chin to the ceiling and stick my tongue out just a little bit, so when my Mum bends to cuddle me, I kiss the tip of her ear.  She doesn't like her face licked, hates it she says.....so I don't.......

I don't chew shoes now, I just take Mums and hide it somewhere.  She gets annoyed when she can't find it.  I would rather her slippers, but she now puts them right out of my reach.  Oh I didn't tell you, she has a new pair now, brand new got them for Xmas.  I had made such a mess of those nice silver ones, that they had to go in the bin!

I am getting too big for my sleep cage, I can't stretch out any more and if I stand up I hit the top which means in the morning when I get up I have to stretch and stretch.  I am getting another one, a bit bigger. Going to the pet shop tomorrow.  Mum wants me to sleep on the pet sofa instead of the cage at night, I have tried but I don't like it.  I lovely my cosy cage.

Mum hasn't taken any photos of me recently.  Her camera broke - each time she puts a new  battery into it, it says "battery empty".  So she went out and bought another one today.  But....until she reads the instruction leaflet on how to use it, there won't be any more pictures. 

So thats it for me tonight,  I am off to have my sleep now and see you all another time. 

Flynn's Story - I have grown!

Mum hasn't written about me for such a long time, since October actually.  She went away for a month and left me with Dad, so she has no idea what I got up to then.  But, boy was I pleased to see her when she came home one month later.  I could not stop jumping all over her and trying to sit on Mum's lap.  The problem was I had grown and I now kept slipping off.

 Here I am again when I arrived on 3rd October.

And here I on 12th October

 

 And the 17th October

 And the 21st October

 And the 25th December.....look I am now a young dog

 And here I am again - oh you should have seen what I did with Mum's slipper.  I just loved the colour, it was glimmery silver with lots of fluff and bobbles.  I knew I was doing wrong because Mum kept raising that rolled up newspaper and that means I just gone too far.

 

I just love the garden - when I am not investigating behind bushes and sheds I play lots of football.  I have two footballs - One gets kicked to me and I crouch down to catch it on my chest and then I wait for the other ball to be kicked and I push one aside so that I can catch the other.  And then I rush off down the garden with one ball in my mouth and wait for the second ball to be kicked towards me again.  So much fun......

Here I am again.  I did not know my photo was being taken, as Mum was taking it from inside the house.  She says she had to do about 50 shots before she got me in it.  Because I was rushing about so fast, one shot just had my tail in it, some didn't have me in it at all!

My Dad is losing weight!  I am not surprised cause my day is full (Dad gives me three walks a day - not short ones - we walk for miles) and then a couple hours football in the garden - its a big garden!  Not forgetting me playing indoors.  I have another ball for that and I just love pushing the ball through doors and around corners. I have also a massive chew bone to chew when I want to.  And I also go for long rides in the car!

I might rest during the day but I don't sleep just in case I miss out on something.  But at 6 pm I am ready for bed, so my Dad (or Mum) tuck me up in my sleep cage and I would sleep all night til breakfast, but my Dad wakes me at 2 p.m. to go outside for the toilet.  When I have been I do not make a fuss, I hop straight into the cage and fall asleep in no time at all til morning.

Dad and Mum don't need an alarm clock - I make sure they are up and ready to get my breakfast at 6.30 a.m.  I don't bark or whine, I just tap on the cage with my paw. 

Well thats it for today....I got lots more to tell you - but I have to pose for more photos first. See you soon...

Flynn's story - home comforts

I have two cages.  One is my daytime cage and that sits in the living room and the other is my night time cage and that is in the bedroom. 

I am still chewing......anything that isn't mine, like my Mum's shoes, I run away to have a nibble on the insole.  Hey what does it matter they are only her old garden shoes.  My Dad says I have to learn right from wrong, and whether these garden shoes are tatty or not, they are not mine.  "Here, Flynn, you have this, this is yours" he says and I get this old chew stick.  I am fed up with that I want something more exciting to sink my teeth into.

Because I still chew, my Dad and Mum, want me to be "safe" for half an hour whilst they get some jobs done.  So they pop me in the cage and close the door.....ha ha not without a fight though.  The door on this one is pull up and over and lift onto the catch and you have to be pretty quick to shut it before I am sitting behind them with a grin on my face and Dad is looking into an empty cage.

Oh well I never win in the end, so like a good boy I sit in there.  Its not long, not long enough even for nap.

Now my sleeping cage is a different matter.  As I said I have a busy day and I just don't want to close my eyes in case I miss out on something.  But.....as soon as 8 p.m. is here I am asking to go to bed.

 

 

 

 Now look at this.  Comfort!  When I arrived three weeks ago, it had just a cloth on the plastic tray.  Now look at it!  A real cushion under a red fleece blanket.  Heaven!  I could not wake up this morning I was too comfy.  I even have a black and white cloth draped over the top and round the sides, talk about colour co-ordinated - and when I go to sleep, I have a folded duvet in front to keep the draught out.

I think my Mum and Dad have forgotton I am a sheep dog - I should be rounding up sheep when I am older, but who could say No to a bit of home comfort.

There is a chair in the sitting room that belonged to their pet dog before me.  When I arrived it looked huge, but now I can do a little spring and I am in it.  Can't beat that for home comfort either, but I have to stop chewing before they can trust me to just settle down to sleep here.

I am trying, but see my eyes are still open.

Now what did I do today?  I did a lot of watching and learning.  Dad was busy with doing up the bathroom, so I watched from the door.  Facinating it was.  Dad and I watched a film on TV this afternoon.  I watched it close up, it facinates me how these people move about the screen.

This afternoon Mum asked if I would like a Bonio.  Of course I do, and I know exactly where to find one.  I wasn't hungry, but it is fun to throw around the room and watch it shatter into pieces all over the carpet. Easier to eat don't you think.

Well it is another day tomorrow, lots more to do and learn..........

Flynn's story - making new friends

Hello everyone, here I am again.  Been living at my new home for two weeks now.....see how much I have grown!

I have a new collar!!!  Green.... .  I had one of those lightweight puppy collars after I arrived, but with a bit of tugging and pulling that soon came off.  I still wear it all the time, but I have been given another one for when I go outside.  It was rather too big for me, but my Mum she wriggled it about, and tucked that bit into that bit, and moved it about and put a piece of tape across the ends, so that I don't try to chew it when I have it on.  It worked, and I love it!!

When I arrived two weeks ago there was already two animal residents in this home.  I heard my Mum call them "cats".  Now they did not want anything to do with me, they snarled and threw out their paws.  I thought they wanted to shake my paw so I put mine out too.  But no ...they just did not want me as their friend.  So up until yesterday I just left them alone.

Then last night Jade came in to the kitchen and I had her cornered near the back door.  She snarled but just sat there, so I went up to her and put my paw around her neck, and gave her a lick in her ear.  Then my Mum came up and patted Jade on the head and said - Jade this is Flynn who has come to live with us.  And then patted me on the head and said this is Jade.  Now we know each other.

So....today I also made a special effort to get to know Amber.  I did try but she just run away.

 Now how did you get up there, I thought I would try and do that too.

Nearly there......

Up we go......not sure if I can make the top level.  Whoops where has Amber gone.  Must go and find her.

Gone!  She doesn't want anything to do with me!  I can't get across there.

Oh well, I will go and find Jade again and see if she is OK with me now.

Huh there she is ....."Jade, Jade  I only want to play!!!"

"Did you call Dad.........what?  Going to the supermarket did you say".  "Oh yes please".  Did you know I just love travelling in a car.  I hint every day by going to the front door, but I can't go with Dad on my own.

Today Mum is going to watch me in the car while Dad does the shopping. 

This is all I can see when I am sitting on the back seat.  It doesn't matter because I am with my Mum, or my Dad or both of them and thats all that matters.

Here I am in waiting for Dad to do the shopping.  Soon after this my Mum and I both fell asleep.  It wasn't until Dad opened the boot to put the shopping in that we both woke up with a start.

So....lots to do and lots of play but I will tell you about that another day.

 

Flynn's story - Wind, rain and shadows.....

Aah you wonder what I have been up to this week, I bet!  Well my Mum couldn't take any photos because she ended with a flu virus and everytime she held the camera she had a coughing fit - so she just let me get on with it.

I'm fine thank you!  I don't think puppies catch flu, do they? 

I have learnt lots this week - I have also grown a centimetre or so.  Every day Dad gets the tape measure out and measures me from top of my shoulder down to the paw.  He says "he is thirteen inches today".  My Dad doesn't do centimetres - can't get the hang of it!

Now one day this week I was taken out to the garden on a lead (hey I am getting real good at doing what I am supposed be doing out there!!), but I need to sit too and watch the world go round.  Well the other day, it was gusty and I didn't really know what to think of it, so I kept looking up at my Mum for her reassurance it wasn't going to hurt me.  "Don't worry, Flynn" she says, "its only the wind"!  Well it was a bit scary for me, so much my fur was standing on end.

Did you know my Mum is scared of the dark, especially when noone is at the house.  Well that particular evening she turned the outside light on.  When I went out on the grass there was this scary thing flitting across the back fence and shed.  Whoa whatever is it?  I could see Mum was a bit scared too - I think she thought it was someone walking by.  And then we both saw what it was - together - there was a plastic shopping bag on the clothes line and it was a shadow (well thats what I was told).  Haven't been scared since.

Then another day it rains.....I could not work out it out - I licked my coat, I looked up in the air, and I looked at my Mum.  She says "don't worry Flynn, its only rain".  It didn't last long and it was only a short shower.

Well there you go all that learnt in a week.

Today was photo day!  Mum is feeling better and she says "Flynn sit", and what do I do?  I sit, and I keep still. 

I think I have posed for enough photos today.  I am off for my nap now. See you soon.

Flynn's Story - 05.10.2013

Its Saturday!!!  I didn't know it until I was told this morning at breakfast.  To me its just another day, early to rise as usual and early breakfast.

Now today I did not last long after breakfast, I felt so tired that I just went into my daytime cage and fell asleep.  The door wasn't even closed.  I only needed an hour and was ready for my day. 

The knotted fabric, I found what I could do with it, throw it in the air and catch it.  And then when my Mum took the other end, I pulled it off her and we had a bit of a tug of war.  That was fun.

I watched a lot today - from the patio.  My Dad had to pick up some rotten apples and put in the wheelbarrow ready to be disposed off.  I never seen a wheelbarrow before.  Then he dragged this large bag to the centre of the lawn and pulled a cord on what I heard was a lawnmower, and the mowed grass was put in a bag.  All very interesting.  I didn't even attempt to join him.  I sat like a good boy on the patio.

Today Mum studied me very closely.  She said I had fur like a Collie on my chest (white and fluffy with grey specks).  I also have Collie fur along my back to my knees and around my neck, and from the knees down its Kelpie fur.  I have broad paws, so I guess that is the Kelpie in me, but I do have flecks of white on each foot and I have a broad back side.  I have lovely black and tan markings on my face. 

Actually I am a handsome dog.  Even if I say so.  I do have the cutest face, but I am full of mischief. 

Mum's battery was low on the camera today and she couldn't take any more photos.  What a pity as I was a really good puppy and I learned lots today.

Flynn's Story - 04.10.2013

Its only 5.30 a.m. is it really time to get up - ok ok you want to put on my lead and take me outside. I know I know I got to perform before breakfast.  Its dark out here....I can't see.  There all done, so can I now have breakfast.

Thanks that was good.  Now playtime.  Lets see what shall I play with first.  The green bone, the yellow ring, the red ringggs - thats too heavy, leave that one til I am bigger.  Ah yes the Christmas Pudding ball thingy.  What can I do with that? 

Hang on - you say I have to tap it with my nose, like this.....whoa whoa where is it going.  Hey look at me - I can make the ball go....through the door, into the hall, back again and under the table....whoa. This is fun.

Now what next -

Hey, this is something new.  A pipe my Mum says.  Whatever that is.  What can I do with it.  Like this my Mum says and rolls it towards me.  Wow that was scary nearly ran over me.
Hey let me have a go......like this Mum ....is this how you do it?  Not sure if I like this toy, its a little too big for a puppy like me.

Look at me arn't I just the loveliest boy?.....

This is a good pose.  My Mum has been trying to take photos of me all day - tell you what this one is hilarious.  I posed for Mum under the chair, and when she clicked her camera this is what she got.

 

I disappeared!!!  Well actually I got very tired so I decided to go to sleep, here I am at the back of the chair.

After my short sleep - I thought I would have some fun.  I was getting use to the tiny patch I could use in the back garden, but I wanted to see more, so I started to be naughty with the lead.  Everytime I was asked to wander about on this patch I threw myself onto the ground, and wriggled about.

 

I tried to take my Mum's slippers.  She has these ankle type fluffy ones, a bit hot for the summer, but they were sitting there in the hall doing nothing at all.  Now I took a liking to the fluffy part, so I dragged the slipper towards my cage, and settled down to chew it.  Didn't get far as it was whisked away and in its place I got these piece of fabric with three knots in it.  Now what am I supposed to do with that....well I couldn't fathom it out so I left it near my cage. 

I tried to make friends with the resident cat, big black snarly thing, she didn't like me at all.  Just hovered in the corner, spitting and her tail waving about.  I will leave her to get on with it and find something else to do.

Sometimes when my Mum or Dad are sitting down I make a leap towards their laps, but I just don't quite make it and slip to the floor.  But they do pick me up and let me sit on their lap for a while.  I kinda like this for a short while, but then I tire of it and have to explore some more.

Soon it was time for bed again....I am too tired so its not long before I fall asleep in my sleeping cage.

Flynn's story - 03.10.2013

"Hellooooo....its 6.30 a.m.....I am awake, anyone there...yahoo...I need to go outside!!!" .  Ah she is awake and getting a lead to take me outside - just for a minute - now I want some breakfast.   Mmmmm that tasted good. 

Now to explore some more.  I was just too tired yesterday to take everything in.  Today I feel better and I adore all the attention.  Now to explore the television again. "No....out"....I heard it, I am coming out.....see my bottom going backwards...."Good Boy"!  Oh that sounded nice, does that mean I have done something good.  Lets see...tuck my head around the television.  "Out"!!!  I hear.  "I know, I know.  I got it now, I am not allowed behind the television - okay it won't happen again.....for now".

Where is my Mum going....."Won't be a minute" she says and disappears upstairs.  I can't follow because she has shut the stair gate.  She says the stairs are too steep for me at the moment.  Ahh here she is - whats in the big plastic bag.  Must help Mum with that. 

Mum dips her hand in and out comes an old chewed rubber ring.....that looks good, then another three ring looking a bit grubby, but who cares.  Whoops that one is a bit heavy.  Nearly fell over with that.  Oooh now whats that coming out of the bag.  A mouse bigger than me.  What you doing Mum.  Looks like she just popped out the squeaky.  I would have liked a noisy toy. Whats next.....a ball she says shaped like a Christmas pudding.  I like that - but what do you do with it?  Now I already have a rubber bone and a hide stick to chew.  I can't see myself getting bored can you?.

Uhhh uhhh - got some problems with my water works.  Still not sure where I will go.  Decided to do it down one side of the room, but my Mum was just too quick and lined the whole of that wall with thick newspaper, just in case of accidents, but I already know I can go out on a lead to the edge of the path and go there, that is if I remember that is what I am supposed to do.  Have to admit I am getting better at it.   

This is as far as I can go for another two weeks.  I do try to pull the lead further into the garden, but my Dad  says not yet.

I am now getting used to where I can go in the house and where I can't go.  I did sneak through into the room where the cats were fed, and got ticked off for eating their biscuit.  I didn't like it very much anyway.

Today my Mum went off to see a lady at the pet shop to buy another cage for the bedroom, a lot smaller, because the big cage wouldn't fit in.  This one had sliding catches, so there is no way I can escape at night.  Who wants to anyway - bed is bed and you stay there for the whole night, don't you?  I have a new fleece blanket in the new cage.  Its not really new it was their other dogs favourite blanket.  I hope she doesn't mind me having it now. 

Oh well off to bed, tomorrows another day for more adventures.