Life Lately

So over the past few weeks we've been super busy, which is my excuse for not posting much on here. We've had birthday parties, weddings and other social commitments, so blogging has had to take a back seat.

I thought I'd give you a little insight into what Del has been up to throughout all the busy..

Del has been having a wonderful time going on walkies with him house mates. They all LOVE to run round together and chase each other...

He's also been embarking on a personal challenge- find the biggest stick to carry throughout the whole walk. Here is some photographic evidence:

He's also been using me as a pillow looking after me when I've been poorly in bed this week (just a cold, nothing serious).

What have you guys been up to?

Hope you've been enjoying the start of summer as much as Del has!

Ewloe Castle

Today we had a small break from the rain so we decided to take Del to Ewloe Castle. We've been looking for a good place to take Del for a good long walk that is local, and we can't really get much more local than this! Ewloe Castle is about a ten minute walk away. It's a great walking location, with plenty of trees, streams and footpaths, and of course, there is the castle.

Looking handsome with his dad. 

Spot Del!

Looking for his dad at the top of the castle. 

Spotted a Border Collie down below. 

Having had a lot of rain over the past month, you can imagine how muddy it was, so it took us a little while longer to get to the castle. There were plenty of other dogs there though. If you haven't been I'd highly recommend it for a lovely Sunday afternoon stroll.

At the moment we're watching Arsenal v Liverpool in the FA cup (come on you Reds!) and waiting for some roast beef to cook.

How have you spent your Sunday?

To the Lady Who Ruined Our Walk...

Dear the Lady Who Ruined Our Walk,

During our walk tonight, something shocking happened. My dog was attacked by yours. Twice.

You may think that the expanse of land behind your house is a great place to exercise your dog is ideal. It is. You also may think it's acceptable to leave your garden gate open so your dog can roam that expanse of land- unsupervised- amongst other dog walkers, children and cars around the edge. It isn't.

I have found your dog roaming the streets near my house before, by himself. Remember? I brought him back to you after ringing the number on his collar. He was trotting down a road by himself in the middle of the day in an area which has quite a lot of traffic. You probably don't remember as you didn't seem that bothered to see him when I returned him.

So tonight, when I was walking Del in the dark, we got a shock. Del was on his lead. Your back gate had been left open, presumably so your dog can get exercise without you having to bother. Your dog spotted Del on his lead and sprinted over to him only to bite him twice on the neck. Del cowered behind my legs, crying. You only emerged when you heard the barking, growling and me shouting. Your response was a flippant, 'sorry love.' Then you disappeared back into your house.

Our walk was cut short as I had to bring Del home to check for blood where there was light. Thankfully, he's OK. However, we've worked hard to socialise Del to make sure he doesn't act around this around other dogs. I'd hate for an incident like this to be anxious around other dogs. But I'm sure you're not worrying about this.

So, Lady Who Ruined Our Walk, please lock your gate. Please exercise your dog properly, supervised. And please change your attitude.

Yours sincerely,

Rachael (& Del)



Has anyone had an experience like this? How did you react?

We HEART Autumn

Thought I'd share these pictures I took of Del on a morning walk on Saturday. We both really enjoyed wading through the leaves and taking in the lovely autumn colours that will pretty soon be gone.

What did you get up to this weekend?

A Day at the Beach

This Saturday, we decided to take Del and Kate to Talacre beach for a good run around and to take in some sea air. After a night of celebrating Kate's mum's Birthday, it was nice to dust of some cobwebs and do some walking with lovely views and a nice breeze.

The dogs had a great time running and playing fetch. We were on the beach for a good three hours so by the end they were suitably pooped.

After attempting to eat a rather large amount of sand.

Spot Kate!

Towards the end of our walk- in true British style-the heavens opened and we experienced some of the heaviest rain we've ever witnessed. All five of us got soaked right through- poor Del and Kate were like drowned rats! But we were prepared. Fluffy towels, a flask of tea and some toffee waffles were waiting for us in the car :)

We all went back to our house, got showered and then had the most amazing Indian takeaway and watched X-Factor.

How did you spend your weekend?

Walking Your Dog in Winter

It really hit me this morning. Not the fact that it was Monday morning and my alarm was a deafening reminder that I have another week of work to look forward to, but the fact that it was pitch black as I attempted to drag myself out of bed. In a few weeks time the clocks will go back, making it even darker in the mornings and the sun will take it's merry self away a lot earlier in the evenings too.

It's getting pretty hard to get up in the morning!

This inevitably means that most dog owners will be forced to walk their dogs when it's dark, something that I don't particularly enjoy the thought of. But needs must! I thought I'd put together a list of tips and essentials that could help brighten up your winter dog walking sessions.

Walk in Day Light

Sounds simple enough, right? But if you have a job, then it's more than likely you'll be leaving the house when it's dark and returning to the same darkness that you left behind. So apart from weekends, this simply isn't an option. It's time to wrap yourself up and face the night.

Pair Up

Where we live, there are dozens of households with dogs who regularly get walked, many of them at the same location we take Del. Sometimes, when I see a certain dog owner we go and say hello. If the dogs get on we have an impromptu play date. Why not arrange to walk your dogs together on the darker nights?

When it's dark it doesn't feel as safe, and restricted visibility can make you feel vulnerable. So pair up with another dog owner and walk together. It's a great way to make friends, too.

Make Yourself Visible

It's important that you make you and your dog visible to others, especially cars. When you're walking in the dark shy away from wearing dark colours. In fact, when you're choosing your winter dog walking coat go for the brightest colour you can so you're visible to motorists, other pedestrians and also other dog owners. Even better, buy yourself something to wear that is fluorescent at night, giving you the most visibility possible.


And Your Dog...

You can buy a range of high-visibility collars and coats for dogs too. It's just as important to make your dog visible to motorists too. Drivers may be able to see you buy they may miss your dog.

If you let your dog off the lead it's also important that you can locate them.

Amazon do a good range of high visibilty dog wear so you can rest assured your pooch will be spotted at night, like...

This high-vis dog jacket.

Or...

This high-vis collar.

Take Suitable Accessories

Every dog owner has their own little 'kit' of dog walking accessories that accompany them on every walk. Your kit will probably include treats and poo bags. But on winter nights it's important to think practically. 

Try and invest in a small and durable torch that you can keep in your pocket/bag. In case you find yourself somewhere with limited lighting, it's important to carry one just in case. A torch is also useful for helping your find your dog's 'mess' when you can't see that well!

Also, ALWAYS carry a mobile phone with you, just in case. You never know what's round the corner, so it's important to make sure you can stay connected in case you need assistance.

Stay in Public Areas

Not wanting to sound like your mother, but always stay in public areas. Many summer dog walking routes take us through the woods, down by the river, over meadows or onto remote fields. As much as it's great to give your dog some freedom and let them have a good run around, it's not the safest option when it's dark. Keep these places for when you can walk your dog in daylight, for the safety of yourself and your dog.

Your turn-what do you take on your winter walks? Is there anything I've missed?

Autumn is Here!

On tonight's evening walk, we noticed just how quickly autumn has crept upon us. It's my favourite time of year; the reds, oranges and yellows really let you know that Christmas is coming. And who doesn't like stomping on a heap of crispy leaves?

Leaves!

Leaves starting to go yellow.

Del taking a peak over the bridge.

Are you looking forward to the colder weather? What is your favourite season?

Del's New Friend

We've recently been taking Del to a field right by our house which is pretty quiet, so we let him off and play ball there in the early evening.

The other day we were joined by the most beautiful Dalmatian, Archie. We didn't know if they would  get on at first, but they ended up getting on like a house on fire!

Here they are having a good old play...

Del has always been quite submissive with other dogs and he's no different with Archie. Archie definitely showed Del who is boss!

The field we use is full of British wildlife, inlcuding gorgeous blackberry trees which are full of ripe fruit at the moment.

And here is one of Del mid-run which really made me chuckle...

...Not his finest moment!

Has your dog got any playmates on their favourite walking places?

Our New Friend George and Farm Fun

This Bank Holiday Sunday we decided to go on a long walk with Del and a new friend called George.

George is a Pug/Airedale Terrier mix and is gorgeous. Our friends were looking after him for the weekend so we decided to see if they would get on and take them out for a walk in the sun.

I was really pleased as they got on like a house on fire. Unfortunately for Del, it was clear that little George was the boss!

The on Monday we left Del at home and went to visit the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm, where there are plenty of cute animals to coo over...

And of course, we did a good job at sampling the ice cream too!

Then at lunch we sat next to this little beaut- love a good sausage!

What did you get up to this weekend?

One Week Today...

In one week today, it will be time.

Del is getting his nuts off.

Del is just over 18 months old, and I've been putting it off as long as I can, but know it's for the best. The only problem is, my partner really doesn't want him to have to go through it. But that's probably because he's a man and can have REAL empathy :)

I'm really nervous about the whole process. Not about the vets- the vet we use is fantastic and does these operations everyday. I'm just worried about how Del will view the vets afterwards. He's always been pretty excited to visit in the past, and I just know he'll dread going after this experience.

So next week, at 9:30am, I'll be forced to leave him for a few hours in the hands of someone else. But I know it's for the best.

I gather most fellow bloggers with male dogs will have gone through this multiple times.

How did it go for you and your pooch?

Would love to hear your stories.

Making New Friends

The other night we went to watch two of our friends do an open water swimming challenge in the River Dee. Chester's Triathalon Club put on the even which saw 400 people doing a 2000m swimming race in the river.

It was a great excuse to show our support, take a walk along the river and give Del a good walk at the same time.

Spot the swimmers!

Not only did we get to watch our friends do the swim, but we also met some lovely dogs along the way.

Our best friend Kate's Cuddles obviously came along with us.

We met our friend's dog, Loki, who is adorable. She's only 18 months old, and Kate really took a liking to her.

One of the highlights of the night was meeting Madison, a 12 week old Bernese Mountain Dog.

Look how cute she is! I've always had a soft spot for this breed, and meeting one in real life really made me put them on the list as a breed I'd like to own some day.

Also, amongst the hundreds of people and dogs, there were some cows sitting patiently on the hill.

It was a great night, fab weather and even better dogs.