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.