Bouncing Fly

 Mum is such a meanie, she hardly ever lets me on the computer. She tells me she is too busy to help me, and then whenever she does get time she helps Poppy first, because Poppy is the oldest doggy. But anyway I'm back now.
I went on a great walk today with mum and Poppy. I had amazing fun which you can see from all my Fly pictures. Mum took us to a new walk on the Quantocks. She was worried when we first got there because the car park was full and she thought that we would see lots of people and dogs. Lately we have been going on lots of walks where I keep seeing other dogs and I've found it very stressful. But I was such a happy bouncy Fly when we went out on to the hills and didn't see any other dogs. Mummy threw Poppy's ball for her so that Poppy could come off lead. That was good for me because it meant I could have a good herd and chase of Pop.
 And because Pop was enjoying herself so much she didn't tell me off for tugging at her ears, so it was a great result for both of us. When I wasn't herding Pop I ran through the bracken, bounced over long grass and rolled in some fantastic smells. Mum says I don't smell very pleasant right now, but I have to disagree, I think I smell amazing.
I did do a tiny bit bad on the way home, although I'm not sure it was all my fault. There were some cows being herded down the road, and we all know I get worrysome around cows. They got close to the car, and I

panicked a little bit. I pressed my face up to the window and growled and barked. Unfortunately the cows got scared and they broke through a small gap in the hedge in to a field they weren't supposed to go in, and ran very quickly to the other side of a very big field, with the farmer chasing after them and shouting. Whoops! Mum drove off very quickly at that point. She says why do bad things always happen when there's a Fly dog around? I feel that's very unfair, it isn't always my fault.

Rolling Fly

I'm still practising very hard for my Kennel Club Bronze Good Citizens Award. I'm going to be assessed before Christmas (I'm not sure what Christmas is, mum says she'll explain it soon). I really am trying but I'm finding it quite difficult. I do a beautiful sit and wait and can stay there for as long as mum wants me to. But I find it stressful being asked to wait so I always bite mum afterwards. Mum is really hoping that I won't be marked down for that, it's not like I bite her hard.

Taking a short break

My recall is very good, so I should do OK with that. But I'm still a bit worried about walking nicely on a lead especially with dogs around. And most worryingly I have to show that I'm not worried about being groomed. How on earth will I manage that. I'm worried about everything so of course I'll be worried about the grooming. And I don't think I'll pass if I look nervous. I'm hoping that if I can prove that I'm only as nervous being groomed as I am when I'm not being groomed, then I should be fine. So long as I don't wee myself I should be ok! And if I pass it proves I'm more obedient than Poppy. Clever me!

Running with my Pop sister

Poppy is feeling a little fragile. She's turning four next week and she's feeling old. She says she gets tired much more easily now, and it doesn't help that I keep chasing her and that she has a tiny kitten that keeps hanging off her ears and chasing her around. She keeps sighing and saying that it's really hard to keep up with us youngsters. Poppy is just being silly though, she's still bouncy and young. I hope we have a lovely day to celebrate her birthday.
Big cuddles
Fly Dog xxx

My exciting month

SHaking my Fly ears

At the beach with Dad

I am so sorry to all my Fly blog readers for not writing anything for a whole month. You see the problem is that my mum has been too busy to help me write. She says that she has to do something she calls work, and that she works to buy me dog food. So I suppose I will forgive her. October has been a lovely month so I shall tell you all about my best moments.
The beach
I have been to the beach three times! I love the beach. I wonder if the beach might possibly be my favouritist place ever. Also last time we went my Poppy sister wasn't given her ball, so she actually played around and chased me. Everything is so much nicer when Poppy plays with me instead of ignoring me.
My Mump

Digging on my mump

I got to play on my mump last weekend. Burrow Mump is a truly great mump. And I found a great smell in the ground which mum let me dig at to try and find the source of the smell. Digging is fun! Mum says I like digging so much that she wonders if I'm a terrier. I'm probably not though. I also like standing at the top of my mump and barking at anyone who comes up it, I pretend I own it.
Fly School
I'm doing well at Fly school. I'm going to be doing my kennel club good citizen bronze award before Christmas. Mum didn't think I would be ready but actually I'm doing well. I've learnt to do a wait, although I really don't know whether I can manage it for a whole minute. My recall is very nice, but it always has been. The bits I'm struggling with are walking nicely around other dogs. Some of the other dogs scare me a little so I can't help but bark and lunge at them. Mum is hoping that we are going to be paired with the little cocker spaniel puppy that doesn't scare me.

My kitten friend

My new friend
I have a kitten friend. She is three weeks old and mum is hand rearing her because she is the only surviving kitten in the litter, and her mum is ill as well. She is a very sweet little kitten and me and Poppy help mum out by washing her and playing with her. I really hope she gets big and strong and does ok because I really like her.

So as you can see October was a lovely Fly month. I really hope November is as nice.
Big cuddles
Fly Dog xxx

I love Fly school

I'm so enjoying my time at doggy school these days. We go to an indoor riding school now that it gets dark at night. It is such a great place to go. It smells of all different horsey and doggy smells. Mum says my spaniel brain has kicked in, as I spend the whole lesson wagging my tail and sniffing things while I ignore her. She doesn't really mind though as the main aim is for me to be able to be nice when I see other dogs, and as I'm so busy sniffing I keep forgetting to growl at the other dogs. I even have a little friend there, she's called Treacle and because she is a spaniel she reminds me of Poppy. She helps me find the best smells and then we bounce around together.

A calm chilled out Fly

Mum learnt something else interesting while she was at school with me. Apparently in my diet I should only have 20-25% protein. And it turns out that silly mummy has been feeding loads more protein than she realised so I've been getting about 45% protein! And protein makes me full of energy and a little bit hyperactive and snappy, so mum says no wonder I'm a pain sometimes. Unfortunately it means that me and Poppy don't get any tinned food now, we just have fish and rice flavoured biscuits. But I suppose it will be worth it if we feel calmer and happier.
Mum brought us both a present last week.We have matching purple coats now for when it gets cold. I promise I will post pictures soon, but I refused to keep it on for more than a couple of minutes as no self respecting sprollie should have to put a coat on when its 30 degrees outside.
Big cuddles
Fly xxx

Mum says I'm naughty

In my cosy snuggy nest

Firstly I'd like to report the good news that I am a slightly happier sprollie than I was. In the end the pheromones made me a little bit odd so I have had the collar taken off and I'm off the drugs and now I feel slightly more happy. The nesting has all been down to a bizarre phantom pregnancy, it turns out they run in our doggy family, Poppy used to have them badly. Mum says that when she is paid I will be taking a trip to the vets for neutering. I don't know what neutering is, and haven't been to the vets since I had my vaccinations when mum adopted me. I hope it's nothing to worry about.

However despite the fact that I am a little happier, mum says she is very cross with me. I did bad today. You see I didn't get a walk until 4pm today as it has rained a lot and also because Poppy has hurt her foot and can't walk (honestly, that dog's always injured). And not getting a walk displeases me. I know that I don't like rain but it would be nice to be asked. So this morning when mum popped in to town I ate dad's walking boot and shredded the remains all over their bed. That was a protest against mum for not walking me sooner, and dad for going out to work.

Mum, I'm bored, walk me

Then when mum went to pick dad up from work i felt a sudden bowel movement needing to happen. In all honesty I could have held on, but how was I to know I was only going to be left for half an hour, they could have been staying out for ages for all I knew. So I considered that if I were to poo anywhere I should do it in the spare room mum uses as an office to make a protest. I think my protest was heard, she said bad words!

But it worked! I have just got back from an enjoyably muddy walk with mum. Who I'm sure will think twice before making me wait all day for a walk again!

Aren't Sprollies loveable!

Big cuddles

Fly xxx

Slightly happier Sprollie

Happy, rolling Fly

The funny things that my mum said are called pheromones are working now and I feel all funny and calm most of the time. It has had one strange side effect, I keep wanting to build nests. I have nests all over the house that I've made out of cushions and beds, and I've even dug a couple of nice holes in the garden that I can nest in. Mum keeps shrugging her shoulders and sighing when she sees the nests but says it's a small price to pay really for a calm Fly.

I went back to school on Monday and it was nice, if a little worrying at first. There are some new dogs, and most of the old dogs have stopped coming, and I found that ever so slightly worrysome. There is a cocker spaniel that I have met before, and there was a springer spaniel that looked a bit like Poppy and I liked her, but there was also a black labradoodle. I think everyone knows how scared I am of black dogs so you can guess how that went! I'm not proud of this but I lunged at her and tried to bite her. She was ok though and I'm hoping that with time we can make friends.

Happy Fly again

I've been having a lot of fun with Poppy this week. Mum and dad have being training her to come back so that she can be let off lead out on walks like she used to be. She still has a little bit to learn but manages to concentrate if there are squeaky tennis balls.We have had fantastic walks across fields on the levels, and we have even been to the beach. I had to be put on lead at the beach a couple of times because I like to chase the steam train that goes past, but even being on lead couldn't stop me enjoying myself.

Herding my sister Poppy dog

I would quite like to have a play with the squeaky ball myself but I know how much Poppy loves a squeaky ball and it wouldn't be fair to her to take it. So I have to be content with doing what Fly dogs do best and just chase and herd Poppy while she runs after the ball. I'm not sure Poppy enjoys that so much but I had a chat with her and told her that it was either that or taking the ball, and she agreed that my herding was possibly the best option.

I do love having Poppy back as a running and chasing friend outside. I may beat her up and chase her sometimes but I really love my sister.

Big Cuddles
A less worried Fly xxx

A tough Sprollie time



I had a bath. That worried me lots!

I'm sorry for not writing for a while, but unfortunately my confidence has taken a bit of a dent. I have been a really scaredy Fly and just haven't been happy. In fact I've been a bit scared of life in general. I'm so lucky that mum and dad have been really lovely and have helped me a lot.

Firstly I got scared of going in cars. I got all trembly when I went near a car, then I got all shouty and angry when I got in a car.

Then I got bad about going in to kennels at work, and I got quite aggressive with mum and with Poppy. So she took me in to the office but I started being aggressive with the office dogs.

Then all sorts of things became scary. Walks were scary, the back garden was scary and passing cars became things to lunge and growl at again. Things finally got very bad when I bit a Saluki on a walk. I'm not proud of this but I did it because I was so scared.

Stalking Jiggy during happier times

Mum has given me weird things she calls pheromones. I am wearing another collar which makes me feel calm and relaxed. Then mum plugged something in which smells funny but relaxes me. And she has been putting a powder on my food. She says all of these things are supposed to relax me and make me calmer while she does a lot more training. And I think it might be working.

I was kept away from the car for a week, and now mum is making sure I have had a nice walk and am tired before I get in the car, and it's working. I still get scared but nowhere near as bad as I did, and mum gives me sausage which makes me enjoy the car ride a lot more. Dad has been taking me and Poppy over the field with a ball and throws it for her. She chases the ball and I chase her so everyone's a winner, and we're so tired out that I forget about the fact that the world is so worrysome.



Rolling still makes me happy

I really don't know quite how I got so scared about life again. I think I got a little bit worried about things after Jiggy went home because whilst I hate to admit it I miss the little Shi tzu. But the pheromones are starting to work now so hopefully life will be much happier from now on.

Big cuddles

The worried Fly Dog xxx

Yay, the Fly Dog is back

Yay,I'm happy to be back

At last I'm back on the computer. As I'm sure my sister has told you mum has been very busy lately with an open day raising lots of money. Then when she finally finished that, Poppy got first go on the computer as she is the oldest.But it is finally my turn.

I have been up to so much in the last month. I have finished school for a few weeks over the summer, but before we finished I did some rally obedience. It is where you do lots of different obedience things in a course. Mum was so proud of me, we had never done this before and I got 9 out of 15 things right. I was as good as some of the dogs that had done this lots before. We have a fun day coming up soon where the agility people get to compete against the obedience people. I am so looking forwards to it, it is my chance to prove that I am so much better than Poppy, as mum is taking us both.

Waiting for Pop to come out of the sea

I have been on a few nice outings with mum, dad and Poppy. We went back to the beach and I found out that I am still scared of the water. Poppy goes in it, but I have found I can have as much fun standing on the edge and barking at Poppy when she gets out. I did have a couple of cheeky ear tugs as she came out but then mum spotted me and told me off.

Our fluffy house guest Jiggy

Poppy has probably told you already but we have a house guest called Jiggy. He is a fluffy old shi tzu who needs a new home. I was feeling very sorry for him as he doesn't have anywhere to call his own, but today he has annoyed me. I think he thinks he is staying with us permanently, which mum has said can't hapen, and he has got rather confident. He told me off today for going near his bed, and he barked at Poppy for walking past him. Mum has told him off and put his bed in the corner of the room. She says being old and needy is no excuse for being grumpy. I love mum for sticking up for me, I pretend to be brave but I'm a scaredy Fly really.

Mum is making me sad though as she says I need a bath. I hate baths and I will not be pleased if she forces me to have one. I spend so much time selecting the right horse or cow poo to roll in, and then making sure I have the perfect amount of coverage. But mum says I am disgusting and smelly and the shampoo alone is not good enough, I need to get in to the bath.

I feel now might be a good time to run off and hide.She will never find me under the kitchen table!

Big cuddles

Fly dog xxx