Just a quick ‘Stop Press’ that I took Bondy too eye testing, and he, Tom, Shiney and Deeds all passed so thats good. Always a relief! Shiney still dreamy and muttering ‘Lady with a baby coming through’ as she goes through doorways…. but, you never can yet quite tell 😉

Took Fishy the Fish to Gillys (Nickols) today. Had a good lesson which showed up that whilst he has excellent forward back and stop, his left and right is less established…. or at least less established than i *though*. Just goes to show you think you are getting somewhere then, new piece of ground, some exercises from anothers (very clever!) brain and it all turns to shit   😉 Thats a bit of an exaggeration but work is needed – (blare of trumpets to Herald new ‘extra work on Lefts and Rights’ regieme kicking in!) Good old Fishy. Always the tryer and the nicest bloke you could meet, bar very few! When he wasn’t sure when I asked him to do something about 50 yards down a track from me, he very…. very….. slowly sat down. Then when I paused, took a breath, and gave the command again, he very…. very….. slowly laid down….  😉  Could a guy express confusion more clearly!!! Its such a genuine response. He didn’t want to do the WRONG thing so because it wasn’t clear in his head WHAT I wanted…. he thought it best to stare intently and do…. nothing 😉 Then he couldn’t possibly be wrong… 😉  I feel a few husbands could take a excellent leaf out of Fishys book…. When in doubt, do, and say, NOTHING! It lessens your chances of being wrong… (Probably….)  😉

Bondy had a lesson this week with Uncle Robert (Worrall). The Meercat graciously allowed Fish to come in for the second half of the hour when his little brain had peaked and doing more would have been foolhardy! I wanted to pick Roberts brain on hunting exercises for the Fish-meister and he gave me some fantastic advice which I couldn’t possibly share or would have to kill you (or worse STILL, you might beat us this year 😉  ) Bondy really really pleased me. He did some nice memorys and marked well. He finished with a lovely blind up a hill at a decent distance… not bad for just ten months 😉 Training with another lady and her Golden at Roberts is also a massive boon as he is really learning about steadiness nice and early. I feel almost daunted by Bondys natural talent. Yes his progress is through work and practice, but Tom has had as much put in, and yet is quite a way behind Bondy and is a month older. Bondy has his first Puppy class with Gilly (his Grandma!) next Tuesday. We can only do our best. Just hope that shows the blimmin work that has gone into the last eight months and she doesn’t raise her eyes to the gods and think ‘why did I place pick puppy from that litter with this complete MORON of a handler!’  😉 More as it ‘happen’ (as they say!)

Darling Tom. We have decided he is a canine ‘Forrest Gump’. He is terribly straightforward and whilst slightly brighter than his Grandad Deeds, is a very black and white dog (whilst at the same time being Brown – grin). Tom is the sort who when the wind is right, Mars is in Pluto, and we are in a Leap year just does everything in his own sweet way, just so. I say go – he goes. I say stop, he stops. I say keep running…and that boy just keeps on running…. out the field… down the road… up the hill…. as they say in Forrest Gump, ‘That boy sure is a Runnin’ Fool!’. But he does everything he can NOT to have to think much. When it gets a bit trickier he packs in. Not in a ‘bastard’ way. But in a ‘throw himself on the ground because the pressure is JUST-TOO-MUCH-for-my-BRAIN!’  Tom is Tom. He is ‘Deeds started from day one in a positive and whizzy style’ using triallers training methods rather than ‘steady steady’ pet dog type ones. His progress will be almost as interesting as Bondys. I feel Bondy will get *there* faster (whereever *there* is, I know what i want but its getting there!) In terms of mental ability and natural instinct and problem solving I feel the three young lads go Bondy, Fish then Tom… but later on in terms of compliance and willingness to lean on me if need be and take direction I think it will be Tom, Fish, Bondy 😉  We shall see. The futures bright… the future’s Black Yellow AND Chocolate 😉

I love this picture so am sharing it here. The Meercat. Doing what he loves – Holding, Posing, and looking rather gorgeous (not that i’m biased!) 😉   :