Harry and The Bird Bath

We got a bird bath for the garden. My wife put a little water in the bowl, and some crumbs of bread around the rim to attract the first birds.

When Harry first went out into the garden his attention was not immediately grabbed by the new birdbath. But he did started sniffing around a lot. There was something he liked.

Warmer ... warmer... warmer... Harry likes bread.

Big Baby Harry

This is not the sort of grown up doggy behaviour we have come to expect from Harry. Normally he trots along on his walks, sniffing every now and then. Often lagging some way behind as he sniffs out things to eat. But today he was lagging a long way behind and got a carry. What a big baby he now looks. Harry!

Harry at the Street Party

On the way home from one of Harry's usual walks he discovered there was a Street Party going on in Exbourne Road. There were tables piled high with sandwhiches - but all out of reach.

Harry is going to see if he can organise a Street Party in our street where all the sandwhiches are at street level. That would be more yummy.

A nice kick about at Caldecott Rec

One of Harry's favourite games involves kicking a football. If I say "Stay!" he will wait patiently on the goal line and play at goal keeper.

The ball may look like it is going way over his head into the goal.

But if it is anywhere near, Harry will stop it. I can never dribble the ball past him he is just too good for me.

Harry meets a Tiger

The tiger was a not very scarey tiger admittedly, but a stuffed tiger being held by a stallholder at Jericho Street Fair. So no harm came of the meeting apart from the tiger getting a wet nose pushed into its face.

(For anybody who likes bubbles, like Harry does, there are pictures of bubbles at the Street Fair on the Not Abingdon Blog)

Harry on the steep bank

My wife is going away for three days and her biggest worry going away is that we will not notice if Harry's water bowl runs dry. If it did then just about every walk we do has access to a River. The bank on the picture may not look that steep but there was the risk Harry would fall in.

He had two or three goes then decided against and had to wait until there was an easier incline a little further on.

Gone are the days when he would have just tumbled in and scrambled out.

Harry Yawning

tired of waiting for his owner to come up with a decent caption for this picture. Can anybody help.

Harry Dog Keyrings

I took this picture of Harry waiting for his food and am wondering whether there are any manufacturers out there who might like to start making Harry Dog toys, or possibly even Harry Dog keyrings.

Cat on a Lead

Dogs on leads are ten a penny. Most good dogs can be found walking attached to a lead most days of the week. Some even spend most of their walking time on a lead. But a cat on a lead! Harry is confused. You may be too! When does that ever happen?

Harry and the special buns

Harry is trying to understand why he is not allowed to eat these two currant buns. They are part of a tradition that goes back over 250 years in Abingdon, and I will leave them to dry then varnish them as part of my bun collection. So I have given Harry a bit of bread to eat instead as he was very good for posing with and not eating the special buns - marked with the letters C & W for the Royal Wedding of Catherine and William. More about the special buns on the Abingdon Blog.

Grandma Arrives at the house

Harry makes us feel very welcome. This is a standard greeting for a family member arriving home.

Harry and the First Great Western

In the village of Steventon today our walk was blocked when some barriers came down unexpectedly in the middle of the road. After waiting for a bit there was a great roar and a flash of blue. It was all over in a couple of seconds. The barriers went up again, and we continued our walk. I then explained to Harry "That was a Railway Train."

Harry and Hero the Rocking Dragon

Harry does not know about this yet but I have paid for his name to be engraved on one of the scales of Hero the Dragon when it gets carved in the near future. Brian, the main carver wanted to know what initial or surname to put with Harry. I thought hard and then said 'Harry The Dog'.

Harry and the Buns

Here in Abingdon there will be a Bun Throwing to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate. 4000 buns will be thrown from the top of the County Hall, and people and dogs will crowd to catch them. Harry would love to catch a bun. It would be the best thing could ever happen to him.

Where dogs act like sheep and squirrels are too tame

Here is Harry and another Border Terrier eating grass. The other Border came from Thame and was out for a walk along the river bank in Abingdon. After having a quick sniff of each other they started grazing the grass together, and looked a bit like a couple of sheep.

Although a bit chubbier than Harry, the other Border has a good turn of speed, according to the owner, and has been known to catch squirrels. The squirrels must be tame in Thame.

It's a Dog!

Little children seem to look in amazement as Harry walks past, and then the parents will say something like "It's a dog!" as though up to that point the only dogs they have ever seen were in picture books. Anyway the hair is growing back and the wounds are healing. Harry does limp a little so the foot is probably still tender. But we will soon be throwing sticks for him to chase.

Harry on The Mend

For a few days after the operation Harry had not wanted to go out for walks, and would walk about outside as if confused and then want to go home. Last Tuesday that changed, and he did want to walk and was pulling on the lead to go to his old haunts. On Wednesday the bandage was taken off and the vet discharged him. He is still not quite as lively as usual and looking a bit like camel with parts of his coat pulled off but he is one the mend.

Harry House of Hammer Dog

Harry had an operation on Tuesday to remove some lumps. None were malignant. The one on his foot is quite benign (and could reoccur), and the other 3 benign (and won't come back). They also removed some things from his gums which in time would have made it difficult for him to eat. So Harry has been a bit sad and sorry and sore since. He went back to the vet yesterday to get the foot dressing replaced. He has a bit of a temperature and has gone off walks but not off food. The vet also gave us a lampshade Harry can wear when unsupervised to stop him scratching wounds. We got the little jacket for Harry because he looks a bit like something out of the House of Hammer Horror films with the stitches up his side.

Harry under a tree

Harry went to the vet last week because of a swelling on his foot that sometimes makes him limp. He will be having an operation on Tuesday to remove it, and possibly the toe. The vet says lots of dogs loose a toe and it is not a big deal. At the same time, while Harry is under the anaesthetic, the vet will remove four other lumps. So Harry is going to look a bit patched up afterwards. Hopefully none of them are anything serious, but that will be checked out too.

Harry's Valentine's Day Greeting

The scent mark outside the front door this morning, the one that kept Harry sniffing for ages at the start of the  walk, may have been a Valentine's Day greeting - who knows! And those may have been Valentine's Days greetings that Harry left along the walk this morning.

Harry and the ultra clean bowl

We got back from our walk this morning, and I said "Harry! Come and get breakfast!"

But there was a problem. His bowl was nowhere to be seen in the kitchen. It was not in the hall. Not even outside. Harry was starting to take on a hang dog look.

Then I had an idea and looked in the dish washer. Life is full of suprises. That is probably the first time it has  been there for a wash. So Harry got his breakfast this morning in an ultra clean bowl.

Harry and the Green Gym cake

Harry and I joined the Green Gym this morning. We started by doing some litter picking. Harry cleared sticks as the rest of us filled bags with discarded drink cans and bottles.

After an hour of that we went back to base where the Green Gym members were drinking coffee and eating lunch.

Unfortuneately, somebody had left their lunch box open on the ground and before I knew what had happened, there was a cry, and Harry ran off with a cake in his mouth.

So after all that exercise Harry still put on weight.

Harry and The Dog Flap

The dog flap allows Harry to go out into the graden whenever he wants, but on this occassion he is just checking what is happening. Undecided. He only decides to come all the way when I say 'Football Harry!'

Harry is always up for a game of football.

Harry and OJ

Harry met my sister's cat, OJ, who is visiting these parts for a few days. OJ is used to dogs, having spent kittenhood with a Doberman, and recent years with a Staffie. OJ is short for Orange Juice.

Harry and the Books

Surrounded by books, Harry lies on the back of a chair, with half an eye on the world outside, looking down on West St Helen Street from a first floor window. He is not the sort of dog who gets excited and barks at things going by or the postman. He is waiting for one of the pack to return, and when they are all safely back, he will get down and look for a game to play, or lie down near the radiator, or in his basket.

Little Harry ... Big Shadow

Sometimes it is Big Harry ... Small Shadow. Today it is Small Harry ... Big Shadow.

Harry's shadow is part of him. You cannot always see his shadow but when visible, it can vary from a tiny pooch, to a great dane of a dog.

All of these dogs are Harry in some inexplicable way but it is best not to think about it too much. Just let the shadows come and go as they will.

Into 2011 with a bang

Harry didn't enjoy coming through into the new year.

As a puppy, Harry didn't worry about fireworks. But now he has got to a more mature age, they worry him a lot. At midnight, Harry just stood their trembling. They also worried Pushkin, the cat, who started going round the house on his elbows to avoid being hit by the enemy fire.

Anyway, that did not last long, and apart from that 2011 has been OK.

Boxing Day Rest

It has been a busy time over Christmas. There have been so very many things for Harry to do. For one thing, he has to make sure all the poor doggies out on the doggy walks around Abingdon were given a doggy treat for Christmas.

But now Boxing Day is here, Harry can hang up his red hat until next year.

We saw no boats came sailing in

We saw no boats came sailing in on Christmas Day on Christmas Day because the boats were frozen in on Christmas Day in the morning. Merry Christmas all the same from a land locked Harry at Abingdon Marina.

Snow Dog Harry

Harry had a nice walk in the snow and scampered around in the strange white stuff. It was falling so fast that if he had stayed in the same place too long he might well have turned into a snow dog. So we kept moving and every now and then Harry gave himself a good shake. Harry could even lick the snow off the tip of his nose.

Dog in a Manger

A 'dog in a manger' is a phrase referring to a dog who does not want to eat the hay but wants to prevent other animals from so doing. It is a term for a spiteful, mean spirited creature.

Harry is not being a 'dog in a manger' in that sense. He is a a dog who would rather not be in the manger. But I am holding a treat to get him to sit there for his photo - which is why he is begging with paw up. Something our children taught him when he was a puppy.

Schrodinger's dog

Schrodinger's cat is a way of picturing the principle of superposition in quantum physics as described by Erwin Schrodinger.

Schrodinger's dog is Harry's first go at quantum physics.

Harry says "I want to be home"

It looked very nice to us. There were some newly landscaped parts with lakes and a huge sundial with seats, some grassland, a cemetery, some lovely old houses,  and a cut through woods. But Harry was not enjoying the walk. Every step was made with a heavy paw as if to say "I want to go home, and be curled up on the sofa"

Sticks are ten a penny

Sticks are ten a penny this time a year but that does not stop Harry thinking that the stick he has is the most wonderful object in the world.

Your Dog Harry

On Thursday Harry was interviewed for an article about dog blogs to go in the January edition of Your Dog magazine .  Harry has been on Radio Oxford and in the Oxford Mail before, but this is the first time he has been approached by a national dog publication - and so is understandably excited.

Harry on an obstacle walk

Another new walk today through some fields to a farm then back again on higher ground.

For Harry every style presented a new challenge. He climbed over one, squirmed under another, but he got stuck on the one in the picture and needed lifting over.


A bit further on, as we approached the farm, a big dog started barking.

Come on Harry' I said ' Its OK.' and it was OK. No sign of a watchdog.

The return route was much easier. Even the sun came out to shine.

Harry takes a break from the computer

Now Harry has started to do more computer work himself (namely the silly twitter thing) he is to be found often resting by the computer trying to compose another tweet. The strain is beginning to tell as you can see from this picture. He does not seem to realise that is what people like about him is his innocence. Hopefully he will realise before it is too late.

Harry in a Field

I have finally found Harry's tweet. It is called Harry Dog Tweet. Last weekend Harry had a walk in a completely new field he had never been to before. There was an extra spring in his step and an extra alertness to his nose because it was so new. The field can be found by driving to the Village of Appleford and taking the footpath to Long Wittenham.

Harry's starting to tweet

Harry has opened up a twitter account somewhere but I have not yet been able to find it to tell you where it is yet. He has already done his first tweet about a squeaky ball he found. But as with much that goes on in Harry's life I am the last one to know. For all I know he may have a facebook account as well. If any one does find his twitter can you please let me know so I can link to it. 

Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs for the Blind were in town today collecting for their good cause. I went along to ask whether Harry could become a Guide Dog. But at age 10 they thought he was possibly too old to train.  

Harry Found some apples and a sausage roll

Harry found a lot of apples on the ground today. Some looked a bit mushy and he was not tempted by them. But a bit later he found a sausage roll and wolfed that down before I could stop him.

Come and play with me!

Harry has just been let out into the garden. He looks back and says "Come and play with me!" He wants to play ball, but Grandma who let him out does not want to play ball. She thinks Harry should play by himself. Photo by Grandma.

Harry and Frou Frou wait outside the Coop

The owners have gone inside and so the doggies have to wait outside tied up to a post.

Frou Frou has a matching pink harness and lead. Harry has a mismatching green collar and black lead. Harry is hoping he does not have to wait long. So probably is Frou Frou.

Harry happy to be back

Harry was left with his Grandma for a week while we went away. First thing that struck us on the return was how white he was looking. Perhaps old age is creeping up on us all - Harry not excepted. After a week apart we start remembering younger days and as a puppy Harry had quite a dark face.

On his first walk Harry was often absorbed - checking scent marks.

He slept happily after the walk and a meal remembering familar smells in a dream.

Harry's going on a Summer Holiday

Harry is off on his summer holiday and will be taking a well earned break from doing this blog next weekend. He hopes to come back refreshed and with lots of fresh ideas about how to take this blog to the next doggy level.

Harry and The Deputy PM

Harry nearly met Nick Clegg, the Deputy Primeminister today. Nearly but not quite. The chemistry was not quite right. Harry was more interested in sniffing something on the pavement. Nick Clegg was being quickly ushered between the Guildhall and a waiting car.

Lots and lots of sticks

It has been quite windy and there were lots and lots of sticks falling from the trees. This one has trapped Harry's front paws.

Cooling Down

Harry often goes in for a paddle and a drink of water at this shady spot near the weir pools. It was another hot day.

July Haircut

After some dry sunny weather the grass is no longer looking quite so green. Harry has had his annual strip and is no looking quite such a shaggy dog either.