KT an Irish Setter

We are now Novice!!!!!

2008-01-06T21:48:00.001Z

Saturday we managed yet another 3rd place at agility - this has allowed us to go out of the beginners level, and into Novice.
Sunday wasn't so nice - it was almost like starting right from the beginning. All those fast dogs and tricky courses. I was eliminated on the agility course, on the jumping we knocked two poles down.
On the whole I think it went OK, maybe just my nerves, and KT being a little on the tired side after competing two days one after the other.
Funny thing though, the others were discussing how they were fractions of a second behind 1st placed dog, I was about 10 seconds behind 1st and 2nd! Lucky I guess to get third, we only needed a clear round to go up a level. Give me another year and we'll be doing well at novice. KT will be an old lady by the time we get to Champs!!!!!! Oh well!!!!!

Great News

2007-12-23T18:27:00.000Z

KT, my irish setter, today, scored a third place in an agility competition. Isn't she great. Can only get better!

Summer of 2007

2007-08-25T08:19:00.000Z

KT is never really happy in the hot sunshine - she drags her feet when I take her out for a walk when I come back from work in the evening. She does love going down to the river on days like this. It's like an amazing metamorphosis, from a sluggish dog, to an hyperactive, oh what fun it is to play in the river (and mud), dog.

KT's in season again, having to keep a close eye on her. She was demanding more attention than usual, but this is settling down now. A few more days to go and we'll have the all clear. I reckon the next time KT comes into season will be Feb/March 2008. Hopefully it will be before the clocks change, and the evenings start becoming light again.

I find it amazing how much KT is tuned into "me"! She knows what I'm going to do, when I'm going to do it. She seems to understand anything and everything. And she remembers things that happened ages ago.

She, for the first time ever, touched an electric fence about 4 months ago. It was a place we had never been to before, and only went back there last week. She knew it was there and that she should be careful, I don't think she knew what it was.

Hartpury 2007

2007-06-04T19:46:00.000Z

This time last year was the first time I took KT out for an Agility show - at the Hartpury open day. This year we did it again. I don't think it was as hot as last year - but it was still really hot, and by the end of the day KT was slowing down to a near standstill - I couldn't possibly make another jump! However - we went down the lake afterwards and KT was back to her usual self! Must be a motivation thing I think! Water and freedom to run around! Yeahhh, but when she has to work hard, it's: do I reall have to?

Worcester

2007-05-20T06:31:00.000Z

KT and I are getting more used to agility events. I'm not as nervous as when we first started. Now I'm starting to think: just go for it. Doesn't matter if we win or loose - we are just trying to do the best we can. When we go to a competition, KT is really fired up in the morning - although as the temperature gets hotter, and the day goes on, she gets slower and slower. I'm sure that if one day we have to spend the whole day at the event and have a run late in the afternoon, KT will be her usual slow self. We'll just have to wait and see.

We very nearly had a clear round in the helter skelter yesterday - but KT just clipped one of the last jumps! Oh dear! She wasn't going that fast anyway - but at least we had a nice controlled round!

The agility run in the morning went really well! KT was ever so fast - it went jump then the dreaded dog walk - she went ahead of me, she was that fast! Even the see-saw, I said steady as she was hurtling over it, she skidded to a stop just in time for it to pivot! We went wrong on a tight left straight into the weaves, right hand weaves! Maybe KT sniffed something and missed the weaves. We had to go back and do the weaves again! Arghhh!!!!! Oh well. We'll do better next time!

We had a clear round in the jumping - that was nice and straight lines.

We did get a few moments to say hello to some pigs - KT wasn't too sure about them!

As I type this, KT is staring into the garden - I wonder what she's thinking?

Looking forward to the next one now.

Dordale

2007-05-06T05:54:00.000Z

Yesterday KT and I managed our very first clear round at aglity. Isn't it great all these firsts? Anyhow, our running order was number 3, so as soon as they opened the rings, I went and fetched KT, and we just went for it. With a little more experience now, I realise that KT is eager and keen at competition, so I was prepared - the course was nice and easy, mainly straight lines. KT went ahead of me on the dog walk, and I had to slow her down a bit - the last thing I want is for her to fall off, that would be major disaster. I noticed I was trying very hard to keep her on track - a few strong commands in select places. And Yippee!!!!!!! a clear round, and it couldn't have gone better.

Although,

Major disaster,

The timer wasn't working! Towards the end of the class I heard them calling my name over the tannoy for a re-run! I was: who me? why? What's the matter?

Anyhow, after finding out what went wrong, I fetched KT for a re-run, I don't think it would have mattered if we made any faults on the course, but madam was having none of it. I've done my round, why do I have to do it again. The course started off, jump, jump, dog walk. Maybe the first time KT thought - we'll miss the dog walk, but the second time she knew what was coming, so KT went jump and right.

I grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and said we're going this way! And so we did it. Although from being possible contenders for first place (I am allowed to dream) we went into last place!

But at least we had a clear round rossette!

Our Visit to the vet

2007-04-25T11:58:00.000Z

Yesterday we went to see the vet for our annual jab. KT knows what happens at the vet now. As soon as I stopped the car and pressed the button to open the boot - she barked - as if to say: "No, not here" She doesn't drag her heels to go in the vets, as Sheba used to do, but it's quite funny seeing her legs collapse under her - she seems to forget how to walk! Inside the surgery she shakes, she's definitely not a happy bunny. I wonder what she thinks?

Saturday we went to an agility event near Newbury - Wallingford. Weird how KT seems to like going to a competition event. We went for our first run - and she stormed out of the blocks, catching me totally by surprise. She flew out of the weaves, missing the last one, and wasn't too happy when I made her do it again. We were disqualified. On the next run we had a few jumps down - KT was much faster than I expected.

The main reason we went to Wallingford was to take part in a team event. First time we did it, great fun it was, apart from me falling on my knees! Our team had two gun dogs and two collies. I think both the gun dogs, Tia and KT made a "small fault" during their runs, and the two collies were E'd!

Irish Setter gets a first place at an Agility Event

2007-04-01T20:43:00.000Z

Unbelievable, incredible, I wouldn't have believed it if someone told me. Today KT got her very first, first place rosette. Week before last we were trying for a clear round, and managed on our last run of the day. I remember saying that next we were going to come first, and get a first place cup. Little did I know that it would come true.

It wasn't an agility course, which was a pity. It was a snooker course - quite tricky it seems, but KT and I decided what we were going to do, we stuck to our guns, and 1ST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we just need a few more points and we go out of beginners!

PS we did get another clear round today, thought I better mention it before I forgot - I can't remember if it was the steeplechase or jumping event. Today was a UKAgility event.

We managed to get our first clear round

2007-03-20T13:16:00.000Z

Saturday we had another lovely, very long, day at an agility event - still takes some getting used to. KT did really well in the three courses we took part in. It was me who let the side down! Oh dear. Not to worry though, we are only learning at the moment so, every step is a step in the right direction.

The first run was a full agility course, although there were no tunnels. KT and I managed to negotiate the see-saw, then the dog walk, yipee, then I got distracted and we missed a jump, arghhh!!!! The second run was a Helter Skelter, jumps and weaves, I got so lost to begin with, but we sort of managed to get round - we continued our agility competition career without a disqualification.

The third run was briliant. I made sure this time that I knew exactly what I was doing, only jumps and tunnels, nowhere to go wrong, and hurray we managed to get our first clear round. Next step is to try and get a point! Watch this space.

Great, we saw two or three other Setters competing this day. The other's were a bit more excitable than KT, they went all the way round barking! One even fell off the dog-walk! Brought back memories of KT and her experience with the dog walk. Luckily the dog brushed itself off and went straight back on! If it was KT that would have been the end of her agility career!

Funny thing with KT, sometimes at training she seems ever so bored - do I really need to do that, so many times she has refused to do a jump, and I think arghhhh!!!!!!!! But at competition she seems to be another animal, here I'm worried she is going to do something silly, and she does exactly what I tell her to do - any mistakes is usually my fault. Oh well.

The weather has been really nice over these last few weeks. February is usually the month when we start walking in the light evenings again, and this year we are incuding an "off piste" route to our usual walk. Some access land that has recently been made available to us off Haresfield Beacon. Not really a footpath, but a really nice hill to do some "extreme" walking, if you can call it that!.

A few weeks ago I had a week off work, and we went for a really nice long walk around the Wye Valley and Symonds Yat in the forest of dean. My intention wasn't to make it that long, but as we walked I decided to turn it into a circular walk, and it took us nearly 4 hours to complete - lovely, I enjoyed it, although KT got quite tired. Two days later at agility training she was still a little stiff! Oh well, she's young and will recover.

KT's 4 years old now. She's slowly turining into a really nice dog, and can start relating more with other people now without me having to stop her. She had a really nice day with my sister and her family the other day. They went for a nice long walk over the hill, and she even got groomed before I came to pick her up in the evening.

We have summer to look forward to now.

2007

2007-01-13T11:28:00.000Z

I sometimes wonder why on earth I decided to get an Irish Setter. I've always known that they can be difficult dogs to live with. Many people approach me and say that in their experience Irish Setters are un-trainable. If I were to sum up in a sentence what makes an Irish Setter, I'd have to say that they like nothing better than to range in a field. I imagine that this is what they were originally bred for. The Irish Moors, boggy areas with wide open spaces, difficult terrain for you or I to travel comfortably over. Yet an Irish Setter loves it. They can run through the moors all day long and really love it. A well trained Setter will keep half an eye on you at all times, although they do occasionally disappear.

Irish Setters and Agility - why on earth did I decide to do Agility with an Irish Setter? Setters are fiercely independent and like to do their own thing. KT loves to do agility, but she lacks the drive and keenness you see so many collies have. OK, we'll do it, is her attitude. Surprisingly when we go to a competition KT's attitude seems to change. She's keen and eager to get going, as long as she doesn't see the dog walk. Agility has helped me to train KT. Discipline, you will do this for me. Now at nearly four years of age, KT has become a well trained dog. I wouldn't say 100% obedient, but she knows what I mean, and she now seems to understand that every command I give has a reason, even though she doesn't realise what that reason is, and may not like it.

Another Competition

2007-01-07T08:49:00.000Z

Yesterday KT and I went to our third agility competition. What a lovely day it was, it rained all day long! Only as we were driving home did the skies clear and the sun came out to blind me on the way home.

On the whole I think we did OK. Don't think we were disqualified, but no clear round yet. The steeplechase, first thing in the morning went nearly to perfection, everything I asked KT to do she did, I even managed a difficult switching of sides, which very nearly went wrong, but we managed it OK. KT unfortunately clipped a jump, if it wasn't for that we would have been OK. OH well, we will keep trying, won't we KT?

The Agility course we did in the afternoon. KT did the dog walk to perfection, to think that there was a time I thought she would never do it again. We nearly messed up the see-saw, it started to pivot, then went back, and I saw KT thinking of a quick way out, fortunately it did topple and we managed it OK. The rest seemed to go horribly wrong, she refused a right jump, left the weaves early, missed another jump, and I had to call her back. Oh well, somebody said yesterday that it's hard work running a champion dog (this wasn't meant about KT!). I suppose that agility works on various levels.

It's interesting to see the variety of people who try agility. There are the octogenarians, lot's of golden age women, some youngsters. Everyone does agility for different reasons. KT and I just do it for the fun. KT seems to want to wonder off at times, typical Setter instinct. What I find interesting is that the only time KT comes close to walking by my heel is when we are doing agility.

On the whole, I think agility has helped KT and me to understand that we are a team, and that KT can't just do what she wants all of the time. I was speaking to a lady yesterday who was running an English Setter, and she was saying how hard it was to take him out for a walk in the country, Setters like to range, and if you don't teach them early on to keep an eye on you at all times you run into trouble.

When KT was young, I would hide from her if she disappeared. It was quite funny in a way, I could just hide behind a tree, lie down in the grass, and she would come back looking really worried. Where has he gone now? I would just step out and pretend nothing had happened. Today, I can't hide from her anymore, although I do try when she gets distracted. She finds me every time!

Our Second Agility Competition

2006-12-24T10:23:00.000Z

It was a cold morning, KT and I were up before 6am. KT always gets excited when she goes out in the morning, and as I chopped the garlic sausage, filled the water bottle, and got ready to go out, KT was roaring to go.

We arrived at Cheltenham Race Course just after 8am. We entered two events today, the steeple chase and a full agility course - this would be our very first full agility competition. Thought going through my mind were: will KT do the dog walk, or will she run in the opposite direction. A year ago she was refusing to go up the dog walk. At the time I wondered if she ever would do it.

Our first event was the steeple chase, just jumps and tunnels, nice and easy to start the day with. And we were lucky as it was the first event of the day. I watched a few people go, then queued for our turn. At the start line KT was really keen to go, and what a star. She jumped the large maxi jumps without a second thought, went through the tunnels. We, or rather I, made just one mistake. As KT came out of the tunnel, she had to jump a jump then come back and go through the tunnel one final time. Before she got to the jump I stopped, and stepped back ready to call her when she went over the jump, KT then stopped and went past the jump, argh! Nearly a clear round, maybe next time.

It was just after 12 as we queued for the agility event. As I lined KT up for the first jump, I could see her looking for a way out. She must of been thinking: "I don't want to do that dog walk!" But we went for it. One jump, two jumps, a sharp turn to the right and up the dog walk we went, what a star, she can do it if she wants to. Everything went well up to this point, we then jumped another jump, right, then jumped again, right, jump, the weave, what a star, she weaved with no problems at all. It was then jump, right and jump, but madam refused, it was the very same jump that led up to the dog walk, and she must of thought: "Oh no, I'm not going that way!" I then switched sides and made her jump going away from the dog walk, and she went, another jump, and I moved behind her to get back in the correct position, moved her out a bit after the jump, a tight right turn and up the dog walk. Another jump, tunnel, which was a bit off centre to the left, another jump, right, jump, go on jump, right jump, then the see-saw, what a star, she did it. It was a bit lighter than the one at training, and she kind of crouched down as she went past the pivot point, hit the contact point, then jump, jump and were there.

So far we have done 5 events at competition. No clear rounds yet. No disqualifications either. I have no idea what position we came in, wouldn't surprise me if we have been consistently last. But that doesn't really matter.

I haven't yet seen another Irish Setter doing agility. I suppose the only fair way to compete with an Irish would be only Irish Setters competing together. Which will probably never happen. I'm just happy now, that KT, at nearly four years of age is finally coming to grips with agility. She loves it, apart from the dog walk! I can hear her excitement as we go round the course. People have told me she seems to really enjoy it.

Yipeee!!! UKAgility - our first competition

2006-11-06T22:08:00.000Z

What can I say - KT was a real star. I've been thinking all week what to write about our excellent day out on Saturday, but today KT was an even greater star.

For the first time in ages, KT did the dog walk all on her own. She's getting there, with patience and perserverance, we're gradually mastering agility. I'm so happy she did the dog walk today. Now it's just a matter of time before we master it.

Saturday we did our first competition, it was great. It was only jumps and tunnels, and I had a lot to learn. KT really seemed to love it. She was really flowing through the course. The good news was that we weren't disqualified, but we didn't get any clear rounds. I got the first run wrong. KT wondered off course on the second, and the third she knocked one of the maxi jumps over. Oh well, it was just for the fun of it. It'll be really nice when we are able to do a full agility course.

Fun fun fun.

First Agility Competition - Here we come...

2006-09-09T17:38:00.000Z

KT is slowly turning into a really nice dog now - no longer the wild puppy she used to be, still a little excitable at times, but on the whole I think she is OK. She now seems settled in her routine, if something doesn't happen that should she gives me the look: "I don't think this is right, what are you going to do about it?"

I don't know if it is good news or not, but on the 4th of November we have our very first agility competition. Only jumps and tunnels, so we won't have to do the dreaded dog walk. I haven't told KT yet. I'll wait until closer to the time. I'm looking forward to it, should be fun whatever happens. There will be three runs, will it be a disqualification in all three? Maybe, KT will be so slow that we'll run out of time. Or maybe, on the day KT will be really good and surprise everyone. At least it won't be hot, as it will be in November. What can go wrong?

Hartpury Open Day

2006-06-04T06:30:00.000Z

Yesterday KT and I went to our first agility display. It was at the Hartpury Open Day. The weather was really hot, and there were only a few shaded areas under the trees.

KT was really good - I was a little nervous - but needn't have been, we easily managed the dog walk, only the see-saw KT wasn't keen to go over it, so came in at the wrong angle - but I think it went really well. I half expected KT to go really slow because of the heat, but she was a real star.

A bit more practice, who knows what will happen.

Arghh!!!!!!

2006-04-21T06:35:00.000Z

KT as an agility dog is useless! (Edited: not useless - just a little chalanging!)

I don't know. Sometimes I think she has good potential - not to be the best, but to at least be good enough to complete a course. Sometimes she seems so useless, don't want to jump. No, I won't do that. You must be kidding. I'll just go over there and socialise with my friends!

Yesterday was one of those days - she refused to do anything. Probably my fault for being too easy on her. I just don't exite her enough. Maybe it was just one of those days when nothing goes right! I'm having a difficult time with some things I need to do, that maybe KT picks up on this. I try my best to keep things as normal as possible for her - just stick to a routine and she should know what's coming next.

I just need a little patience - with a little perserverance everything will work out, eventually.

Isn't this fun!

2006-03-12T09:46:00.000Z

Well what can I say, KT is now only a few days away of becoming three years old! That means that she has been with me for nearly three years now! Doesn't time fly. Slowly she is becoming a really nice dog - there are just a few things that need sorting out, but with time I'm sure that we'll manage to sort them out.

We are now training agility at a different place than last year - one of the instructors, Rachel, quit from Whitminster and started a training club of her own - Colliewobbles Agility. We are now at an intermediate stage - KT knows about all the obstacles - still hates and refuses to do the dog walk - doesn't like doing the see-saw, but apart from that she can do the rest - apart from the table!

Every six weeks or so, we have a little competition among the people we train with. This does make it more fun - nothing like a little competition to heat things up. We had our first friendly competition a couple of weeks ago, and KT came tops! Imagine that - an Irish Setter winning an agility competion! Well, that's the simple story - one of the dogs we train with is a collie, and the handler was unfortunately standing out as he had hurt his knee playing football! There are six of us, so one down four to go. I went first, and KT was so slow - she'd run up to a jump and refuse to jump, I had to back track and make her jump. We did cheat on the see-saw, I had to grab her by the collar to do it, should really have been disqualified for doing that, but Rachel the trainer said we'd overlook that. Anyhow, we did a clean run - no obstacles were knocked over and KT did do the course as it should have been done.

As for the other dogs, a couple of alsations, a speedy spaniel and a labrador, they were all disqualified, too keen to jump they were, a tricky course and they were all led astray. KT was slow but was the only one to do the course as intended, apart from the see-saw!

Oh, well. The others will eventually improve and do what they are supposed to do, but will KT do? She'll probably do what she wants to - "What jump that jump? I don't feel like it today!"

A New Year

2006-01-20T01:44:00.000Z

KT is starting to turn into a really nice Irish Setter. Gradually she is learning what she can and what she can't do. Also, she is aware of some of the commands I give her, and uses them to her advantage.

Yesterday we had a nice long walk along Berrow Sands, just south of Weston-super-Mare. She just loves to run along the sand. The tide was a little too far out for her to in the water, she did at first try and get there, but soon gave up.

Agility is going really well at the moment. We have started going to a new place, near Frocester in Stroud. Our instructor Rachel started a new agility club, so we joined her. KT is really good jumping, I can get her to turn left and right, although at times she does seem to assume which direction she will be going in. She still dislikes the dogwalk, but there is good news here. Rachel's dog walk has a frame that leaves the dogwalk about a meter off the ground, which KT does do. She still worries a bit coming on, so with a bit more practice we will eventually get KT and I will be doing the full height dogwalk.

Happy Christmas

2005-12-27T10:16:00.000Z

KT and I had a lovely Christmas. We sarted off taking my Grandparents for a drive around the hills, unfortunatly it was too misty to see the great views. We then went to have Christmas Lunch at my sisters. KT behaved really well. Of course she wanted to join us for lunch, but she was blocked out of the dinning area, and wasn't much of a problem. I took my grandparents back home then walked up to my sisters and stayed there until late. KT just didn't want to lie down and sleep, just wanted to be part of all the fun.

Yesterday we had a nice walk - KT is in heat again so I have to be careful to avoid all other dogs. We came across two female Irish Setters. I think it's so nice seeing KT play with another Setter, it's as if they speak the same language!

Sometimes I think we are getting there

2005-11-19T11:05:00.000Z

I wouldn't recomend anyone to get an Irish Setter for agility. They can be infuriating. Sometimes you think that yes she's good. Other times - oh no, what am I doing here.
The key I think is patience. KT hates the dog walk. Although I can get her up it quite easily now, dragging her by the collar, not sure if she would voluntarily walk up it. The problem I then have is that she does not want to go anywhere near the dogwalk. Picture this, two jumps, one to the left, the other to the right. The one to the right leads up to the tunnel and the dog walk. The one to the left no where in particular. We run up to it, I say right, she turns left and jumps. "I'm not going that way". Quite funny I think, she then runs off and I have to go and retrieve her. One day she'll get used to it. Just need a little patience.

And Life Goes On

2005-11-12T09:25:00.000Z

Kt is 2 years 8 months old now. She has improved a lot since she was a puppy. Always eager to play she was. I had to go to bed at 10 just to stop playing with her. I should have crate trained her! In the morning I used to fight her all the way to the door.

During the day I hoped in vain that my mother would tire KT out. Ha. Evening it happened all over again.

Since my mother is no longer with us, things seem to have changed. Poor KT stays at home all day sleeping. This I know because I keep an eye on her through a web cam. In the evenings we go for a nice long walk in the country. Then at home we eat, play a bit then settle down to watch the box.

Wether it is me that let's KT get on the sofa, or whether it is her way of manipulating me, we have enjoyable evenings relaxing together.

The weekends I try and do things a little different, we go for a real nice walk, usually along the river in Arlingham. She loves it there. Miles and miles of open fields. The rough terrain by the river bank, and the river itself - although she hasn't really managed to swim yet. I leave it up to her.

A couple of weeks ago, in Arlingham she chased a Hare for several hundred meters. Gave up and sprinted all the way back to me as if to say what a clever girl I am.

During the week, a couple of times we go to Agility. We have our ups and downs. Sometimes KT can be really good. Others really bad. Makes you feel like giving it all up. Why bother training an Irish Setter? They'll do their own thing anyway.

What KT has problems with is the dog walk. We kept her off it for ages. I practised walking her over a bench here at home, and eventually we did it again, and she did it. Although she fell off it again and now it looks as if we are back to square one. Doesn't worry me. But I won't give up on KT - no pressure - we have time - many happy years to come. One day she will mature and will be a lovely dog.

Last weekend I walked her through town to a field by the river the other side of town from here. It was the first time I did that since she was a puppy. A bit embarasing hearing all the people make comments as she goes by. Apparently she is "Lush". Some kids tend to say: I want one of those!

A young kid stopped me in the street when we were nearing home and asked if she could say hello to KT. KT wasn't paying attention, so I called her: KT. She looked up at me with an expression of what is it? I said someone wanted to say hello to her. KT is ever so good with children. I just have to be careful she doesn't jump up - but I'm sure that once she matures she will be lovely. It would be really nice if she was a real agility dog - we will continue to try.

Thursday she was limping on her front left paw, I could find anything wrong with it. We went for a walk in the evening - she still limped a bit, but didn't seem to be in pain. Friday she was back to normal - although not as enthusiastic as usual.

Today we had a shower. She hadn't had one since July. So now is looking really nice. I'll just have to brush her a little once she has completely dried.

Making Progress in Agility

2005-09-15T07:20:00.000Z

Good news. Yesterday, after a long time, we finally tried the dog walk. And KT was a real star. She did it really well. Won't be long now before she is a real star. As long as she doesn't fall off the dog walk again. I feel like she can get distracted - start paying attention to something else. Just have to be careful.

We're back

2005-06-12T07:42:00.000Z

We are now back from our holiday in Wales. Not too sure if I had that much fun this time. Our usual evening walk was on the lead - it was a real nice walk, about an hour and a half, the two problems were that on one side there were sheep and the other side were cliffs. It was around Dinas Head in Wales that we walked. It was quite a climb to reach the highest point, even more difficult with the sun shinning.

I wasn't allowed on most beaches so didn't really get a chance to play the way I like it on the beach.

On Wednesday we went for a really long car drive to Llanberis. There we had about an hour and a half to climb up Snowdon - the day was really hot and I had to stay on my lead the whole time. We didn't make it up that far, we came across a cafe that they put midway up the hill. If you want to climb a mountain I reckon Snowdon must be the easiest - you can choose to go up the easiest way by train, if you decide to walk you can stop for refreshments on the way up, as well as when you reach the top. Or you can do it the hard way!

We'll have to go back in the Autumn of Spring to climb to the top. It's a really nice walk although it does take more than an hour and a half!

We're on Holiday again

2005-06-03T19:40:00.000Z

Tomorrow we go back for a holiday in Wales. This should be fun. We'll be just off Dinas Head. So, more news when we get back.

Meeting my first baby

2005-05-29T09:43:00.000Z

Yesterday I came across my first human baby. We were at Gareth's grandparents when his aunt arrived with his cousin with her new 6 month old baby. Was I curious - who is this? Why are they carrying him? and how small he looks! I was immediately put on my lead, you can never really tell what a dog will do the first time it meets a human baby.

Thankfully they let me get closer and I sat down staring at this little stranger. He pulled at my lips, banged me on the head and I was as good as gold. My tail wagging. I did get concerned when Gareth's uncle started throwing the baby up and down (gently of course). My tail stopped wagging and I looked ever so concerned.

Just a start

2005-05-28T11:25:00.000Z

OK, here is my first post to my blogger. It's all about my irish setter KT.