The Dog's Blog

Christmas

Christmas! What Christmas? Mistress and Master’s friends came to stay at our peak district cottages. You know, the friend that is allergic to us. How can anyone be allergic to dogs – what did we ever do wrong. Anyway we were banished to the kitchen and our own room which is just not fair. OK I quite like the kitchen but it is not as cosy as the lounge. Besides we don’t dry off quite as quick on the tiled floor as we do on the nice warm carpet. Smudge of course was totally traumatized. He could see all the food leaving the kitchen and disappearing into the dining room without him. He just sat at the kitchen door whining. To be fair we did get a few scraps but nothing like Smudge was hoping for. [NOTE - the picture shows me in the lounge 'enjoying Christmas' - it is a fabrication. I was taken into the lounge, antlers put on my head, photographed then marched back into the kitchen - a definite case of abuse!]

Even worse than not being allowed in the lounge. We didn’t get taken out for the Christmas Day walk. Now that is definitely abuse and I will be taking the issue up with the local RSPCA. Ok it may have partly been my fault. I had overdone it a bit the day before and had been limping (only a very little bit) in the evening.  So master felt I (and therefore Smudge as well) should be left at home to rest. Why? I was better. I was up for a walk. I tried to nip into the car before anyone noticed. But no! I got thrown out and told to behave. Behave? I want to go for a walk!

Me at Middleton Top on the High Peak Trail

We did get two long walks though. Christmas Eve we went on a long walk along the High Peak Trail. Starting at Brassington and walking to Cromford. Master left a car at one end then picked the other up later. Of course the car transfer was all a bit complicated as we (Smudge and me) aren’t allowed into master’s friend’s car (we might leave dog hair – as if!). So master had to be driven to the other car then drive back to pick us all up.

On Boxing Day we all went for a long walk from home. Out the back fields to the Magpie mine, across to Monyash where we (well they) stopped for a bacon butty sandwich and a mug of tea. Then off down Lathkill Dale towards Over Haddon. Master had cheated a bit by leaving his car near the bottom of the dale at Over Haddon.  So we (or more likely mistress) didn’t have to walk all the way up the hill back to home. We were off our leads most of the day except of course in Monyash and when we went through that field with COWS. I was just about to disappear into the next field to avoid the damn things when master grabbed me and put me back on a lead. I  had no alternative but to go straight through the middle of the big vicious things. I kept close to master – just in case.

Me at the source of the River Lathkill

Master was very excited when we got to the cave that is the source of the River Lathkill. He had never seen water coming out from it as usually it starts 100-200 yards further down the valley. Water was gushing out in torrents (see picture). As there was so much water, in places the footpath was flooded. This slowed mistress down as she had to keep stepping round the big puddles. And she calls us wimpy because we try to avoid puddles. Down the bottom end of the dale things got easier and we could progress a bit faster as mistress could keep up better. All in all it was a nice walk.

My best side (Middleton Top)

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Me looking after master

So much for our promised walk yesterday. We were supposed to go from our peak district cottages over to Chatsworth for a nice walk and picnic. Its great over at Chatsworth at this time of year although we do seem to have to be on our leads more often than at other times of year. Something about breeding season and us chasing young birds etc – as IF. But master decided he was ill  stayed in bed all day (mistress thinks its had ‘Man flu’. Mistress could have taken us. But then maybe that wouldn’t have been such a good idea as we would have taken hours just to go a few 100 yards as she ‘stops to see the view’ so often its hardly any point moving. Master did get up about 7:00PM by which time of course it was too late to go out.  I must admit he did look a bit rough.  A bit like Smudge after a day with his duvet. No actually. Thinking about it.  Smudge just looks like that most of the time.

Me 'helping' with the clearing up

We did get a few fun hours in the sun helping mistress plant out her new bedding shrubs and played with the handyman while he was trying to paint the children’s swings etc but not really the same as going for a nice walk. At last it is getting warmer and I can laze in the courtyard.  We have a very very very big dog here this week. His name is Winston. He came last year but I don’t remember him being this big. We both keep a respectable distance from him – just in case.

Because master has been ill I have not been taken on any trips down town or out to any exciting building merchants etc. Hopefully he will be better soon and we can do the ‘bonding’ bit again.

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Us with our Dad

Sunday looked as though it might have been another bad weather day at our peak district  cottages so we were expecting a boring day in.  Then we heard the magical word ‘walk’.  It turns out mistress wanted to go and look round the ‘Open Gardens’ in the next village (Monyash) so as it was not raining, off we went.  Of course we had to be on our leads and on our best behaviour so it wasn’t much fun.

Our Dad and sister

Whenever we are out, we seem to attract attention and people come up and make a fuss of  us which we enjoy.  I always put on my best cute look just to make sure I get more attention than Smudge.  We were about half way round when one family took a major interest in us and started to say how much I looked like one of their dogs (they obviously had a cute dog too).  Mistress told them where we had been born (Monyash) and the family announced that they were the owners of our farther.  So, as they lived in Monyash, we dropped in to see our DAD.  It turns out that not only does our dad live with this family but so does one of  our sisters.  They have a field behind their house so we were all allowed to play in it for half an hour or so.

Monyash Open Garden

There were a lot of snide comments from master about how well trained our dad and sister were compared with us.  We are well trained, we just have a more  independent spirit than they do.  Of course we all  had to sit for the family photo before we left.   So it wasn’t such a bad day after all.

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One of our Dogs

Over the years we seem to have started specializing in Pet Friendly holidays.  Although we never set out to be in this market we seem to have moved in that direction.  When we took over our Peak district Cottages a number of years ago we always had a number of people coming with dogs but over the years this seems to have increased to such a point that one week we had seven of our Eight Peak district Cottages with dogs in them.  This was possibly too many as this added up to 11 dogs in all (we contributed 2 boarder collies).  Luckily our dogs tend to get on with most dogs with the possible exception of very small dogs.  We think they are a bit unsure whether to eat them or not.

Our first concern when we arrived, and decided to continue with the previous owners policy of providing pet friendly holidays, was the risks of damage to the cottages and the additional cleaning that would be required.  Luckily (so far) these fears have never materialized and the amount of damage done by dogs is less than that done by children.  The level of cleaning in most cases is less than anticipated.  The vast majority of pet owners are very conscious of the dog hairs etc and clean up before leaving.  The odd guest has left with dog hairs everywhere but this is rare.

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www.bighoneydog.com / Honey the Great Dane goes on her first ever holiday with her humans, to Rotorua, New Zealand – staying at the wonderful Broekhaven Cottage (www.broekhaven.co.nz).

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