Monkey day 2

Another quiet night and out in the garden first thing for toilet. Monkey seems to like going out of a side door rather the patio doors. He had a slip in the dining room on his first night so maybe that has coloured his perception. He does want his lead on when he goes out and comes in. With the lead he will trot straight in but without he will stand his ground and no amount of cajoling will change his mind.

He also turns his nose up at treats at the moment so they are no use in reinforcing positive behaviour.

Breakfast today was also a no-go area although he has had some water – again, as his first drink last night, it had to be brought into the front room. It’s almost as if the front room is his run at the kennel and while he seems quite happy in here, he doesn’t like to leave it.

But, having said that, he goes off to bed in the kitchen at night without a fuss.

The news on the cat front appears promising as Monkey passed within two metres of a neighbour’s animal on our morning walk and never turned a hair.

We ventured down to the clay pits, on Bitham Lane, which can be a hit and miss affair as we have encountered loose dogs on there with Winnie but Monkey needs to nose out his surroundings and today there were no other dogs about.

He seems to be on alert all the time when out as traffic noise makes him turn his head all the time to watch. He can be skittish when other dogs are sighted but with the muzzle others are giving us a wide berth.

We are of course awaiting the revealing of Monkey’s true personality once the ‘honeymoon’ period is over and he begins to find his place in the ‘Pritchard pack’.

He is sticking to his ‘spot’ on the carpet rather than in front of the fireplace so we have put his daybed there and hopefully he will get used to the daybed and we can gradually move it.

Fruitless attempt at dinner time to convince him he must be hungry.

However, a bowl of pasta, cheese and chicken at 7pm finally broke his fast abd this was rapidly followed a couple of handfuls of dog biscuits and cheese. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring a proper breakfast meal – if not we’re gonna get through a lot of pasta.

It's Cat-urday on Winnie's Dog Blog

Got a few pieces of cat-related news so I thought I'd put them all together.

The first one is, I wanted to share this  lovely picture of a cat called Ernie, drawn by the Lady Of The House's talented friend Jane West.

Ernie was a much loved cat all the way over in California, but after he passed away his owners found the page on the LOTH's pet bereavement website where Jane offers to do drawings and they commissioned a sketch. They said it was a really good likeness and they will always treasure it. I'm so pleased it's helped them.

Staying with news from America, The Zoolatry Girls have made me aware that next Saturday it's Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for May 5) which is marked across the United States as a day to celebrate  Mexican heritage. Everyone is invited to celebrate on their blogs and cats AND dogs can connect up  and add their blogs to the Cat Blogosphere (very kind of them I think).

Thank you also, Zoolatry Girls, for sharing this lovely badge (left). Any ideas for how I can celebrate here in Burton-on-Trent will be welcomed from my friends overseas.

Do you remember my cousin Mickey cat? He's 21 now and feeling a bit fragile so I wondered if you could all send him your good wishes? He sleeps a lot now (like this picture shows) but he means the world to the LOTH's mum and although I am not allowed to be in the same room as him (because of my natural inclinations towards cats) I do love him really.

Finally, good wishes also go to MoMo - who I hear is also feeling under the weather. Although she doesn't get chance to blog very often these days, you can visit her blog called Mieow here.

Today I am again joining the Saturday Pet Blog Hop hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.

If you'd like to join in and make new pet blogger friends, please follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste this week's new Linky code into the html editor of your own blog. The list will automatically update on everyone's blogs as new sites add themselves over this weekend and we can all hop from blog to blog and find out everybody's news.

Thanks again to our three hosts for putting on the hop!

If you follow a new blog after finding them in the blog hop - please let them know that you found them on the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

Cat on a cold tiled roof

Looks like the cats in our village have reached new heights in their efforts to get away from me on my morning walk.

Yes, that's about right. You stay there, mate. Even I won't bark at you from this distance.

No offence, of course, to Confessions of the Plume who hosts the Saturday Pet Blog Hop with Life With Dogs and Two Little Cavaliers.

If you'd like to join in and make new pet blogger friends, please follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste this week's new Linky code into the html editor of your own blog. The list will automatically update on everyone's blogs as new sites add themselves over this weekend and we can all hop from blog to blog and find out everybody's news.

Thanks again to our three hosts for putting on the hop!

If you follow a new blog after finding them in the blog hop - please let them know that you found them on the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.

From Winnie to Winnie

Today I want to say a special hello to a beautiful girl with a beautiful name!

Pictured below is ANOTHER Winnie the greyhound who came to live with her forever family in Tennessee one year ago today.

She is obviously a very kind and accommodating greyhound as she is seen here with one of her cats called Annabelle. She also lives with a black cat called Nori.

"Cats really are not all that bad," she says.

Takes all sorts.

Winnie from Tennessee follows me on Facebook

Her mum sent me a lovely surprise parcel yesterday. When we opened it look what was inside.

What a beautiful suncatcher. We are now working on finding just the perfect place in the house to show it off.

Tennessee Winnie's mum made one for her - and then realised it looked like me too! So she made me one!! I am so thrilled. Thank you so very, very much! We will always treasure it.

Everyone needs a hug - sometimes

I know that not all hounds like being hugged - and you need to respect their feelings. But I'm one of those hounds who LOVES a good hug.

So I was quite excited to find this lovely little company called HuggyHoundz and find out that as well as selling directly to the public they also also supply their lovely creations to charities and rescues across the UK and even abroad so that they can raise funds by selling the toys and gifts.

In case you wondered, I'm NOT on commission or getting a fee for promoting them - although they have very kindly added a link to my blog from their website - I just thought they were really great hounds to hug if you don't have a real flesh-and-blood hound like ME to hug.

I got lots of extra hugs round my big old shoulders last week when the Lady Of The House heard that a very special greyhound that lived near us had died at the age of 12. We know it's still very raw for his family - so we won't name them here. In a terrible twist of fate their cat had died just a few days earlier and that seemed to be the last straw for this brave old greyhound man who just sort of gave up. The two pets had lived together for ten years - and maybe he felt he needed to go and look after his cat pal. I'd like to think they are together somewhere -but my heart goes out to their family who I know miss them both very, very much.

I've got my eye on you

Yesterday was the Man Of The House's birthday. It was one that ended in a big round number. That's all I've been told to say on the subject.

Anyway, having shared that with you I thought I'd share with you some of the lovely pictures he's been taking on our walks recently. The Lady Of The House bought him a camera for Christmas which means he can take pictures that allow him to zoom in really close.

Here's one of me - well, a bit of me.

Do you want to gaze into my eye a little closer?

The MOTH loves the little bees and bugs he sees (maybe it's because of his name?)

I love this picture of a Poppy's centre.

I know people think Dandelions are weeds - but they are really just plants that grow where some people sometimes don't want them. I think they are beautiful and I love all the smells in the hedgerows where they grow.

I hope you liked the MOTH's pictures.

Now a bit of sad news. Our lovely friend Sonja - who knitted my beautiful patchwork blanket for me - has today said a last goodbye to her beautiful, very regal and graceful cat Chloe (known to all as Dame Chloe) who was close to her 20th birthday.

Dame Chloe had been seriously ill for a while but the vet was keeping an eye on her and said she wasn't suffering and she was eating and enjoying her time with Sonja in her quiet way. But in recent days she took a turn for the worse and Sonja knew regretfully that it was time to take that hardest of all decisions.

We know Sonja's heart is breaking tonight but we know she's done the right thing by Chloe as she always did. We send them both all our love and we know you will too.

Peeping Tom

I trotted out into my private little oasis of calm - the back garden - and became aware that I was being watched.

I looked up.

I need to get a bit closer to the fence to be sure....

The cheek of it! He's watching me in the privacy of my own back garden.

I ran at the fence, barking my head off and he turned his head away to pretend he wasn't looking at all.

I wasn't fooled.

"Come in, Winnie," said the LOTH.

If this was a staring contest I was going to win. After all, there's always a 'win' in Winnie.

Mickey time again

The Lady Of The House's parents are off to Scarborough for a week's holiday (lucky things), so the LOTH is looking after their cat, Mickey, who has now reached the grand old age of 20.

Sorry I didn't tell you about his birthday when he reached it....but he is a cat and although I love him virtually you should know by now that me and cats in the flesh don't mix.

In fact, on that subject, there was a bit of a cat-related incident yesterday afternoon on our second walk of the day. But it wasn't ALL my fault.

Me and the LOTH were nearly home when I saw a cat (she didn't) and I lunged on my lead in the feline's general direction. She said "no" (she always does but I usually ignore her) and held my lead tight and taut and the next thing we knew she had tumbled backwards off the pavement and into the road. I averted my eyes so she wasn't embarrassed. It is a very quiet road so there weren't any cars and she picked herself up and headed home. But when she took her coat off her elbow had taken a really bad knock and it swelled up into ever such a funny shape as the evening wore on.

She is fine though and padded it up (because she said it was very painful if anyone touched it) and even did two hours rattling a collecting tin for Marie Curie Cancer Care this afternoon before coming home to watch the FA Cup Final. She asked me to ask our UK followers is anyone else knows why Stacey Solomon sang the National Anthem in an American accent.

Tonight it's apparently something called the Eurovision Song Contest - which is also a cause for great excitement in our house despite the fact that NO-ONE in Europe ever votes for the UK entry. The Girl Of The House and her boyfriend are coming home for it and they are going to drink Sangria and cheer on Blue who are singing "I Can" for the UK. I hope they can too.


We are today taking part in the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop brought to you by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume!

Here's how you can join the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop celebration:
* Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below. You only need to add you link once to be seen on all the Pet Blogger Blog Hop Linky Tools for that week.
** Grab the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop button that our friends over on Life with Dogs made for us and include it in your Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop post so that your readers will know what is going on.
*** Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool and comment on their blogs to say hello!
**** Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like
***** Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop
****** Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

Now wash your hands

It's been a busy old few days here....and it doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon.

Now, on top of everything else, the Lady Of The House's mum and dad have nipped off on holiday for a few days and so the LOTH is dashing between our house and their house to keep an eye on their cat Mickey - who's nearly 20.

Mickey obviously wants to stay in his own home at his advanced age and that suits me too.

I love Mickey because he's family. But he's still a cat and I'm a greyhound with years of hunting instincts topped off with the genes of racing champions and several years of my own racing career under my belt.....it wouldn't end well if we had more than a virtual relationship.

Here's a picture the LOTH brought back of Mickey after her visit tonight. He's looking good for an oldster, don't you think?

But I was a bit disgusted by the LOTH's behaviour. She had clearly been fussing and stroking him and she didn't have the decency to wash her hands before she came home.

I gave her a look that would have curdled milk and she nipped off to wash them pretty darn fast after that.

You HAVE to let them know who's boss, you see.

Pet memories

It felt odd to have a weekend off. The Lady Of The House had a weekend off from the computer too (and is still catching up on emails as a result!).

Thank you for your good wishes for the Girl Of The House's 21st. The ACTUAL day is tomorrow but we seem to be having a four-day celebration.

Anyway, as my little early birthday gift to her (and because we have no baby pictures of me) I thought I'd post some pictures of the GOTH with other pets the family had before me.

Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day with those you love whether they have two legs or four legs.

The day the GOTH came home from hospital she got a cuddle from big brother Chris and a curious look from Fred the cat

Corky the cat thought it was odd that small humans had their own cages



Always good pals with her grandparents dog Jenna

Jenna and the little GOTH always liked to know what was going on

Growing up with Jenna

Dozing on the sofa wth Lucy rabbit

Playing with little Chloe in her outside run

Saturday blog hop - and a lovely rawhide bone

Hello! It's Saturday again which means there's a pet blog hop kindly hosted by Two Little Cavaliers, Life With Dogs and Confessions of the Plume.

If you are new to pet blog hopping (as I was a few weeks ago) you should know that a blog hop is a linky list that is shared on multiple blogs. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog and automatically updates everywhere when anyone adds a new blog to it on any of the sites hosting the list.

Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can then "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP! It's a great way to meet new friends and find some wonderful, funny, thought-provoking and interesting blogs to read.

I'll mention the rules you are asked to follow if you want to join in shortly. But first I want to tell you about my treat this week. Mickey the cat (he's 19 and belongs to the Lady Of The House's mum and dad) bought me a late Christmas present this week of this beautiful rawhide bone - which you can see me proudly showing off below - and a blue squeaky bone which says "JUMP" on it in big red letters.

I very quickly gnawed one end off the rawhide bone and carried it everywhere with me round the house for a long time. I wanted to make it last so I chewed at the big piece of bone sometimes and savoured the smaller piece.

For the first couple of days when it was walk time and the LOTH put on her boots and coat and fetched my collar and lead I ran up to her with the prize piece of rawhide bone in my mouth.

She pointed to my bed and said "Go and put that down". But I thought she was telling me to lie down and that I wasn't going for a walk. So I mooched off with the big piece of bone in my mouth and lay down.

Then she shook her head and said: "No. YOU come - but leave the bone there."

So I was happy again and ran towards her with the bone in my mouth still.

This continued for some time. I think all the chewing maybe affected my hearing temporarily. LOL!! And the LOTH can confuse me at the best of times with her words and gestures. I'm still training her.

It took quite a while to get  me out of the door and the bone inside waiting for my return. But we managed it eventually.

There's not much of either piece left now - but I have enjoyed it.

Hope you get a treat this weekend.

Also, can I quickly recommend to you today's post byTwo Little Cavaliers regarding the sale of live animals on Ebay.

Here's the rules to follow if you want to join the blog hop, and the list is at the bottom of the page for you to find new friends.

1. Link up your blog name and its URL using the Linky Tool below.
2. Grab the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop button that our friends over on Life with Dogs made for us and include it in your Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop post so that your readers will know what is going on.
3. Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool and comment on their blogs to say hello!
4. Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like.
5. Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop.
6. Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop.

Letting them know we are here...and there

This week the Lady Of The House says it's all about PR.

I thought she said "purr" first and I was a bit worried that she'd gone mad and was thinking of getting a cat.

But apparently PR is about letting people know you are here, or there, or wherever.

She asked me to think of some ways I could let more people know about my blog and find out through it what GREAT pets greyhounds are (and why every home should have one!). Some greyhounds are even cat-friendly you know.

Personally I like my cats at a distance...or in pictures. The LOTH has some lovely pictures of the cats she used to own in years gone by. I like looking at their pictures and reading about them on the LOTH's online pet memorials website. The LOTH's most special cats were Fred and Corky.

Anyway, this is me...thinking hard about my blog

So, I have got my blog listed with the nice people at Pets Blogroll and Pet Blogs United.

The LOTH was quite impressed with my efforts. She got a piece about her Lost & Fond website on Petpupz.

It's not a competition ...... but I think I'm winning.

Seeing in 2011 with cake and noise

Hello - and Happy New Year.

We've had a lovely couple of days of quality family time at home and I hope your new year celebrations were happy too.

We greyhounds are known for being placid and easy-going - and I certainly proved that on New Year's Eve.

The Girl Of The House made it a very special day for the Lady of the House. She made her a giant cupcake birthday cake (nothing in it was suitable for dogs to eat so I just crashed out on my bed and ignored it - as you can see).

But they did save me a nice piece of steak from dinner that I got chopped up nicely in my dinner on New Year's Day, Yummy!!

Then the GOTH and her boyfriend set up something called 'rock band' which involved plugging lots of cables and things in to the TV. Then the GOTH played the drums, her boyfriend was on guitar and the LOTH was on vocals and they played their way through lots of songs by someone called the Beetles - or something like that.

I was quite happy to listen, but it didn't bother me or get me excited. Not much to get excited about really but not QUITE bad enough to howl at.....

So, now it's all over and we're ready for a busy 2011.

I hope it involves lots of cuddles and fuss for me and the occasional trip out in the car and a couple of nice little walks a day, barking at cats and chasing squirrels in the garden....I think I'm in with a good chance, don't you?

I also resolve to try and remember the Saturday blog hops! Bit late with this one I'm afraid!

This Pet Blog Hop, is hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you'd like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor. 

Oh Mickey! You're so fine! (for a cat)

You know I'm not much of a cat fan...but I do have to give an honorary mention today to 19-year-old Mickey, who belongs to the Lady Of The House's parents (well, her mum really).

You remember me telling you the L O T H's dad broke his arm? Well, he went into hospital yesterday to wait for an operation.

Now, the L O T H's mum tends to nod off in the evening while she's watching TV and she relies on her husband to wake her up around 11.30pm when it's time for bed (I know...I don't understand humans most of the time either...wake up to go to bed?).

Anyway, he always startles her awake her by calling her name even though she always tells him to wake her more gently by just stroking her arm.

So, last night she settles down to watch television with Mickey curled up in a chair. The next thing she knows there's a really soft stroking on her arm. She opens her eyes to see Mickey sitting on the settee beside her. He's pulled his claws in and is stroking her arm with his paw. She looked at the clock and it was 11.30pm.

Smart-Alec cat, eh? Next thing you know he'll be using the telephone........

Did I speak too soon?

Clamp's cat?

Before I launch in to today's blog post proper, here's a picture of me frolicking in the snow in the garden this morning. I wanted to build my own snowman and so I started digging.

But then I decided it was more fun to taz around and do some zoomies. Also, because I run fast my paws are only in contact with the snow for milli-seconds so they don't get so cold as when I'm digging.

Look!! I was SOOOOO fast the Lady Of The House couldn't capture all of me on camera!!

Anyway, this morning wasn't all fun and games. I also had a bit of a disappointment.

Me and the L O T H put our coats on and got ready for our walk. It turned out that the L O T H wanted something out of the car....but when she unlocked the passenger side I thought we were going out in it and I got my feet on the seat and was wiggling my bum like crazy to get in. The L O T H was saying something but I wasn't taking any notice.

It turned out of course that when she'd got what she needed out of the glove compartment I had to get out because the car wasn't going anywhere.

I tried to convince her that we should still go out in the car because I LOOOOOVE it....but she said the roads were too risky at the moment. But I still stood there hopefully and it took a while to persuade me to reverse. Then, when she shut the car door, snow fell off the car roof and on to my head. Bah!

I didn't mind REALLY though because we had a nice walk after that. The sun came out and the sky was clear of clouds and there was a lovely blue tinge to all the snow. (Some bits also had a yellow tinge when I'd finished....if you know what I mean).

Anyway, the L O T H - Derbyshire born and bred - is full of daft sayings from years ago in her family....and she told me that I looked like "Clamp's Cat" when we didn't get inside the car.

You know how I feel about cats....so I wasn't best pleased.

Apparently, it's a saying they use in Derbyshire when someone thinks something nice is going to happen and then they are disappointed.

I'll never understand humans.

Who put that there?

It's funny how you can live with something for months and then suddenly see it through new eyes.

This morning I made the family laugh by suddenly pricking up my ears and staring intently at this strange, fake cat-thing lying motionless on the hearth next to my 'day bed' in the living room.

I stretched out a tentative paw to give him/her a nudge and got a warning from the Lady Of The House that he/she was not one of my toys and I should leave him/her alone.

The 'model' Mrs Chippy

This cat-thing has been there ever since I arrived here at my new forever home in August and I've never paid it any attention before. Well, it doesn't SMELL like a cat - so it can't be a cat, can it?

The L O T H explained to me that it's supposed to be a model of Mrs Chippy who was the cat that travelled with Ernest Shackleton and his crew on board the Endurance on their expedition to the Antarctic expedition early in the 20th century.

Apparently, Mrs Chippy came to a sticky end - but as 'she' was really a 'he' with a silly name (and a cat to boot) I'm not going to get too upset.

Dogs with an inner-kitty? Really?

Thanks to another blog I often cast my eye over - Life with Dogs - the Lady Of The House and I saw this video.

The L O T H thinks it's lovely.....I'm not so sure. I don't think I have an inner-kitty. Not after the way I reacted to that little black cat the other weekend....but then again......


The Dog Who Was A Cat Inside from trunk animation on Vimeo.

Raining cats and dogs

I didn't have my usual spring in my step this morning.

At least, not once I saw the weather outside.

Out there? In this? Really?

When the Man Of The House came downstairs first thing - and after I'd done my usual greeting of standing on my hind legs and putting my front paws on his chest - we trotted to the back door together and he opened it for me.......and then I just stopped.

You can't really see it on this picture, but trust me, it was raining cats and dogs. (Silly phrase that. If it HAD literally been raining CATS and dogs I would have been out there in a flash.)

But as it was - I couldn't be encouraged outside.

I padded back to my bed in the kitchen and said "I'll cross my legs for a bit longer, thanks all the same".

So, the M O T H went off to work and the Lady and the Boy appeared and there was another attempt to offer me the opportunity to trot out into the back garden to relieve myself.

"Non, merci" I would have said, if I could speak French (I have picked up a few words - a soupcon, if you will - from the Boy's homework.)

But, it couldn't be put off forever. After breakfast, and when the B O T H had gone to school, my big red raincoat came over my head, clipped under my tummy, and out we trudged. It was miserable with the wind and the rain. The L O T H found a route where the wind was at least behind us so it didn't keep blowing her hood off her head.

No, I'm not auditoning for the nativity play.

I kept shaking myself - like I always do when I have my raincoat on. I stop in my tracks and shake my heads and ears first and then the shake travels all down my body like a Mexican wave that finishes with my tail doing a big circular spin.

The L O T H said: "The sooner you do what you've got to do, Winnie, we can go home where it's dry and warm".

So I did. And we did.

Then it just remained for the L O T H to get out my towel and dry my heads and ears.

As you can see - I did my best Drama Queen face.

I miss the summer.