Marathon Dog

Harry did not run The Abingdon Marathon but he did get to watch some of it with some of his people friends.
He even saw the lady who won the ladies event Number 387 doing up her hair while she ran by. She ran the marathon in 02:45:38.

Honey! I Think I shrunk Harry

We are being careful with Harry at present - he seems to have shrunken.
And I am keeping an eye on him when we go on walks so that I don't loose him in the leaves.

Harry is Against ....

Harry has joined the 'Against' Campaign. He is not 100% sure what he is against or for yet but that does not matter to him.

For anybody who would like to know just visit the Against Breast Cancer Web Site
and for more pictures of Abingdon Turned Pink go to This Abingdon.

Harry Gets Blessed

The Church in Abingdon had a special 'St Francis' service today where animals were blessed. Here are some of the dogs, including Harry, waiting outside. Nobody was quite sure whether they were allowed in or whether the blessing would be outside on the grass. At this stage only two rabbits had dared to enter the church.But then we discovered we could all go in, and this is the moment when Father Taffe blessed Harry by flicking him with holy water... We are expecting much improved behaviour from Harry from now.

Harry Dog Log Blog

Rather than doing a Dog Blog today Harry has decided to do a Dog Log Blog. The Logs are mostly willow from near the River Ock.

Harry has Mites

Not a good week for Harry. We took him to the vet and found that he has mites - which means we have to use special shampoo every day. So for a treat today we took him up on White Horse Hill.
Harry has always ignored sheep up to now but today - maybe it was the mites or the effect of the shampoo - Harry barked and tried to run at this sheep. The sheep did stamp at him first so it was not all Harry's fault.
Then a bit later Harry ran up the hill barking to try to get at this Paraglider. He must have thought it was a big bird.

Thats better

Thats better! This is where you belong Harry and not on The Abingdon Blog.

Harry is a Pedigree - No Joke

When I told somebody recently that Harry was a pedigree they laughed as if to say 'you are having me on.'

No, I am not joking, Harry is a pedigree Border Terrier. And very proud of his ancient lineage - dating back beyond the fake building he is sitting in. It is a folly. Harry is not.

Harry on The Trail

Harry discovered a trail of dead grass across, what is normally, the immaculate grass at Albert Park. He chews on his stick and considers the possibilities: could it be a toxic trail of wee from a very large and incontinent animal, could a football line painter full of grass burner have be stollen and pushed this way...

Has anyone out there got any ideas to help Harry out? As you can guess he hasn't got a clue.

Horse and Hound

It has been said of the Border Terrier that he can run alongside horses without tiring for many miles. I don't think that is true of Harry because at nine years old - after a couple of ligament injuries - he would tire of running alongside the horse after the first hundred yards. He is very well behaved round horses - possibly because he came from a farm. But more likely it is because he only really has concerns for: people, some dogs, all cats, all squirrels and all rabbits.

Other species are off his little radar.

Ball Thrower - just 90p

On our way out for our afternoon walk we met Tiny, and he had just been bought a ball thrower from the 9TP shop for just 90p. Sounded good value to me so in I went and got one for Harry.
Looked fine at first. Harry was very keen, and went scampering across the field to get the ball..
Only problem was he didn't want to give it back. So he only got one throw.

A Boxer Dog

Harry is pictured here near the punt roller in the University Parks in Oxford. He looks OK but...

Last week Harry was involved in a rather nasty fight. It happened when my wife was walking him. There was a boxer dog coming his way on a narrow path. Being a terrier, Harry did not give ground when there was a confrontation, and ended up coming off worse with his head stuck in the boxer dog's mouth. My wife was screaming....

They were pulled apart, and except for a cut on his eyelid Harry was fine. But it was a salutary lesson... when it comes to boxer dogs Harry should not lead with the head.

Harry on Blewburton Hill

On this walk Harry seemed haunted by the different smells. There were mutton and rabbit up on Blewburton Hill.

(This weekend's pictures should have been Harry with a low microphone performing at Abingdon's Got talent, but then I went and lost the camera while playing chase the stick in the Abbey Meadows. So if anybody finds a Canon Powershot with a picture of Harry just drop it off at our house. £5 reward.)

Close up

Harry has just been in the water which is why he has a wet muzzle.

A South Parks Carnival Reject

The security men at the gates of South Parks, in Oxford, would not allow Dogs into The Carnival. This led to many arguments and protests by dog owners who expected it to be a doggy event. Not only were dogs not allowed in, but also some people dressed up like gollys got thrown out by security.

Harry was disappointed at first, but in the end he enjoyed a run round at Warneford Meadow.

Pre Season Rugby Training

It look like Harry is getting in some pre-season Rugby training . He is seen here practising the line out.

Harry and Froo Froo

I sometimes meet another dog who knows Harry's blog and try to get Harry to sit nicely next to the other dog for a photograph. In most cases this fails. This is about the closest these two got.

Abingdon dog

With Wet Paint

Caught in The Act

Harry does like his beer. He may well claim to be 63 in doggy years, but that is only 9 in human years. Doggy years won't get him an ID card. No wonder he is looking so guilty!

Looking for somewhere to Go

Harry is looking for some grass so that he can Go, but that grass was not for real.

Harry Likes Butter

He likes bread even more. He eats more of the bread thrown into the river than the ducks.

London Bus

We are having one of those giddy moments when we are no longer sure where we are and what year it is. We thought this was Abingdon in 2009, but we have just seen a 159 London Bus saying it his headed to Trafalgar Square, outside St Helen's Church.

Ready for a Skirmish

The blue plaque says that on this site there was a civil war skirmish in 1645. Harry is all ready for a skirmish with his stick.

15 minutes of fame over

Back in January the Harry Dog Blog was featured in the Oxford Mail. The Oxford Mail photographer was there taking pictures of the Euro Bands playing in the park. But this time when Harry got close, the photographer didn't want the dog in the picture.

Looks like Harry's 15 minutes of fame are over.

See the water fly

Harry needs a jolly good shake when he is back on dry land. Press the image to see a larger image, and watch the water fly.

Retriever

Harry doing another gun dog impression. The warm weather has arrived and Harry now goes further into the water.

Harry in a Hole

Harry has dropped his ball down the hole and is going after it. I only hope he does not meet Badger down there.

Easter Egg Hunt

The easter eggs are just too high up for Harry.

A Big Yawn

After yawning Harry got up and went to explore a plain patch of grass some way away, turning once or twice as he sniffed about. That done, he came back about the half the distance and lay in the sun again, but far enough away from the camera so it did not bother him again.

Harry - the little monkey

A lady, with a smart looking labrador, seemed to be looking down her nose at Harry. Not only was he very damp and very scruffy, he was also very sooty. First, he went for a swim...
and then, the little monkey, rolled in an old bonfire to get dry.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

As you can see Harry was full of the Joys of spring today - so much so that he looks like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang taking off at the end of the film. In Harry's case he circled over Gees Farm in Cumnor - before coming down in a cloud of dust. It gave the birds a scare.

Harry and the Red Nose

I could not get Harry to wear a red nose on red nose day so stuck it on the end of his stick The nose is not made for dogs.

Saint Helen's Woof

It is good if Harry can learn the right name for things. On the far bank can be seen St Helen's Wharf. For Harry's sake we generally say 'Saint Helen's Woof'

"No Dogs" sign gone

The "No Dogs" signs have been removed from both entrances of the Abbey Gardens, and so Harry could go in and have a sniff around. Up to now he has been barred. He thinks that if he, and other doggies, behave themselves then this privilege could continue.

He told himself 'No barking at the squirrels!" But that was easier said than done! Lets hope nobody noticed.

After Glow

It was a mistake to give Harry the left over Ready Brek.

After the snow the floods.

GOVERNMENT VETERINARY HEALTH WARNING: SMOKING CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH

King of the Castle

There are not that many hills in Abingdon. Harry is on a small mound called the Motte - once the site of a small Motte and Bailey castle and the property of of a medieaval knight.

Dogs in snow

Harry loves dashing about in the snow. Sometimes alone...
and sometimes with another dog. This one has a red bandanna and a lovely smile.
There were a lot of snow men, and so Harry is just checking whether this is a snow dog.
This big dog doesn't like the snow very much, but has got an interesting walk which Harry is trying to copy. Harry is far more interested in big dogs than in little dogs like himself.
Finally a scent-post on a snowy morning.