Good Morning
A four-week report…..we can’t believe just how much our lives have been enriched by sharing them with Charlie, and like to think he feels the same.
Starting this morning and working backwards, have all been for a run together in the pinewoods with plenty of puddle sploshing we tried on the ‘army’ harness for the first time since we tried it at the kennels and are delighted to announce it fits now!
Yesterday was full of firsts; he went for a romp on the beach with my friends staffy/collie cross who is also a rescue dog, four big humans and a baby. It was the first time they had met and thanks to Shadow not mithering they were quite happy in each other’s company apart from at one point when they were both running at full pelt and shadow accidentally barged into Charlie. Quick scrap, peace was restored, and they continued their merry way!
Later on in the day, my parents came for tea and Charlie actually looked at them and let them look at him. He is happy to take a treat (politely) from them, and yesterday played with his squeaky ball with my dad – although he wasn’t quite ready for dad to take the ball from him I had to do that still. He was much more relaxed with them here though this time.
Finally, we have found a pool in the dunes which is deep enough for him to swim in properly. His little face, when he realised he couldn’t paddle any longer, was a sight to behold, pure bliss. He made us laugh so much the way he throws himself into chasing the inevitable stick.
He has very cosmopolitan taste buds these days, dispensing with the tinned hero when the three tins were eaten. He still enjoys the sticky mix but with assorted toppings; his dad’s chicken and ham always go down well but he also loves his mum’s weirdo food; black bean Dahl, pad thai, hummus, crunchy peanut butter, veg chilli, carrot soup, soya cream, rhubarb crumble, poached egg, cooked veg (but never raw thank you very much!)…
He is learning to use his nose for more than tracking animals, although he checks up on the activities of the hedgehog, red squirrel and mice in the garden every morning. We hide treats around the house and garden and get him to find them, which he loves.
Charlie has two somewhat strange but entertaining habits; as we live in a bungalow he gets to come in the bathroom. The shower is over the bath. When either of us pulls the shower curtain back he is standing there waiting and licks our knees dry!
The second occurs when I’m gardening, he stares with a look of such excited anticipation into the two bird baths!? Who knows what will happen in the summer when the toad sits in one for a soak as is its habit 😂.
He has had a visit to the vets as his rear dew claws were very long, in fact one was digging into the pad. We were pleasantly surprised how well it went and were very fortunate that the vet was patient, calm and very kind. I’m going back for a social visit in a week or two before we return later in the month for his boosters.
He continues to be a dream in the car and house, never trying to get on furniture and sleeping very happily in the kitchen behind a child gate. The snarling seems to be becoming a thing of the past and happens only occasionally these days. His tail continues to go in full circles as well as side to side, and his back legs still try to overtake the front ones.
What did we ever do without him?