Wordless Wednesday : Christmas Fancy Dress Party

Christmas Fancy Dress Party 2012

I joined the Wordless Wednesday blog hop this week.
I have NOTHING to say about this one.

*embarassed dog*

The Big One

A few weeks ago I had my first experience being a herder when I found a big horse and man in Alfie’s common. I had a pawsome time barking, nipping and trying to make it move.

I was SO lucky. Do you know why?

I was lucky because I got another chance a few days later *wag wag wag*

I was in the park and someone had tied a horse to a tree. OH WOWEE! I was off lead at the time and I ran over as fast as my puppy legs would carry me. I had a big bark at this one too. The horse was kicking and dancing and I was dodging and barking. I was doing a pawsome job. A man walking past even said so!

I had to concentrate on the horses legs. I was trying to make it move and I also had to dodge one of my humans who was trying to put me back on the lead. He caught me eventually but only because I got bored and let him. I was feeling really proud and I couldn’t wait to tell all my friends how brave I’d been … AGAIN *wag wag wag*

A few days later my other human sat me down and explained something to me. She said she understands that I want to chase big animals, I’m an Entlebucher and that’s what Entlebucher’s do. She said because I’m a puppy I don’t understand all of the rules yet. Especially when it comes to big animals. She told me that it’s ok, everyone has to learn the rules someday and she could teach me. After all, that’s what humans are for. She said we have to go for a special walk and I needed to listen to everything that she says.

When we got there, all I could smell was horse. Soon I could see them. Lots of them. We were at a horse village! It was so exciting I couldn’t help having a whine and a yip. I was tied to a fence and watched as my human set out some cones.

I have to weave through cones all the time when I’m at school and it’s easy. My human walked me around the edge of what’s called the ‘Sand School’ so that I could get my focus and get used to some of the smells. It was really hard because there was lots of horse poo and it’s one of my favourite treats. And a horse from next door had come to watch us. Eventually, my human managed to get my attention and we started our weave.

I heard her shout that we were ready while we were weaving. I went in and out till I got to the end and we turned round. I was busy going in and out when all of a sudden, my nose picked up the smell of horse. It was really strong! I glanced behind me and I couldn’t believe my nose. My human was laughing saying … oh, she noticed then. Of course I noticed!

Look what had come into our area! While we were practising with walking.

I tried to concentrate on walking round the cones but it was all too much. I HAD to get to the horse. It was walking round and round and herding ME! THAT is not the way it’s supposed to be. I let my human know that she was concentrating on cones while an intruder was in the sand school … if she let me go, I’d take care of it and then we can get right back to the cones.

She said NO and carried on trying to get my attention. By this point I had totally lost it with her. She wouldn’t let me off and wanted me to walk round BORING cones while there was MUCH more fun to be had. So I did what any dog would do. I went into full alert, IGNORED the food and CONCENTRATED on the horse. I even tried to break the lead.

Do you know what. My human thought that would happen. She is one sneaky human, I’ll give her that. Do you know what she did? She put the chicken back in the treat bag and then I heard her run away. I could have ignored that, but you know what she had in her hand? A squeaky toy!

I LOVE squeaky toy’s. I’m not usually allowed to play with them. OH man. Before I could even think, I was running after my human and the squeak.

Soon, we were weaving nicely and the horse was going round and round nicely too.

Suddenly, I understood. Every time I tried to get near to the horse and wasn’t calm, my human was taking me further away. Every time I was calm, I got to go nearer. Ok, I can do this. I really wanted to say hello.

She asked for my attention and told her friend that it’s time to meet. I lunged a few times on the way there because I was super excited, but my human made me lay down and get into my wait position. Then the horse came over. It was actually much better, I got a chance to say hello. I’ve never actually spoken to a horse before.

He plodded over, bent down, looked me right in the eyes and said ‘well done girl, now we can be friends. I’m Paz, nice to meet’cha’

The human said she was very happy. It had taken us about 40 minutes to get to this point, so she said she thinks it should end here. On a good note, while everyone is calm. Paz and I were so calm, we decided to give eachother a kiss.

We all walked out of the sand school together. It was SO pawsome to walk with a horse.

Afterwards, Paz & I hung out while the humans played the moving mouth game. They said we should do it again some time, that it would be good for Bella.

I can’t wait to see Paz again. I wonder when we’ll be allowed to go in the field together *wag wag wag*

I also want to say a special Thank You. To Jo for letting me come to her horse village and for bringing Paz out to play and to Vanessa, for waking up early on a bright sunny day, with a hangover, to come and take pictures for us.

 

 

Horsing Around

Growing Up

 

It’s been a whole six months since I was given some humans of my own to train.

At first, I didn’t know what they would be like, so I decided to be really good and learn all about them. After that, we started training together and we’ve learnt A LOT.

One of the really important things that I’ve taught them is lead training.  Being an Entlebucher, I always like my humans close by so that I can keep an eye on them. It’s really important that they keep an eye on me too, in case I want to change direction or there’s something important to see or sniff.

 

Anyone for Pulled Pork?

 

Of course, I understand the difference between them walking nicely and being pulled, but there’s a time an a place for both.

I’m allowed off the lead a lot. My human said that she thought it was important from my very first walk. When they let me off the lead they say to me ”go play” or ”be a dog” and that means I can do whatever I want to do. She often calls me back and I always come, because she’s trained to give me a treat if she wants to walk with me.

Recently, the humans have been doing this thing called ‘phase out’. They’re trying to phase out my treats. So you know what I say?

 

I say it’s time to ”phase out” my good behaviour *wag wag wag*

 

Horsing Around

I live in Kent, in England.

Kent means Fields. Fields mean Mud. Mud mean Farms. And Farms mean Animals.

Being a working dog, farm animals are something I really like. They live in the best place. They smell good and EVEN their poo tastes good.

My human is always very careful to make sure that I’m on the lead while she’s walking through the farms … ”just in case”.

We’ve met lots of animals on our walks. I’m always chasing pheasants, squirrels, mice and birds through the woods and the long grass. But there are bigger animals too.

Kiss?

 

It was nice to get up close to a Pony and have a good sniff. But it’s the big ones that I really want to sniff.

 

Can’t get close enough

 

There’s always a fence in between and I’m always on the lead … Until yesterday.

I had SUCH a PAWSOME experience and now I feel like a proper Entlebucher Mountain Dog. My brother Alfie said he thought I was REALLY brave. He also said he thought that my human was a bit stupid, but I shouldn’t worry … you can’t chose your humans.

Alfie had invited me over to his common for a bit of chase and fetch. He said it was wet and muddy so we could get ourselves covered in dirt and stink while we were there.  He lives in London, so I wasn’t really expecting to see many animals.

We were running around, ”being a dog” when all of a sudden, Alfie’s human shouted …

ALFIE. COME.

And then she ran off into the bushes.

Alfie quickly sprung into Entlebucher action, always at the ready to protect the pack and, worried that  there was an emergency and she needed help, he ran over to her to make sure that she was ok.

My human just stood there thinking  … why did they both just run off?

I wasn’t confused. I saw it.

It was a giant horse and he was carrying a man too.

Then something happened inside me. I felt a big brave feeling in my belly. I felt my blood rush round and go to my feet and I felt the wind in my fur as I ran as fast as I could.

I don’t know what happened inside. All I know is that I HAD to make it move. I HAD to protect the pack. Alfie’s human saved my furry little life once. Now I had to save hers.

My hair went up all by itself and my legs started running. I ran as fast as I could and when I got as close as I could, I told it to move.

WOOF WOOF WOOF.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOF. WOOOOOOOOOOOF. WOOOOOOOOF.

Alfie said my human called ”OH SHIT”  and then called ”BELLA – LEAVE IT”. And she started running as fast as she could too. He said it was the funniest thing he’d seen for a long time. Humans are NOT fast.

But I couldn’t hear her. I was busy.

I got close to the horse, and the park ranger who was riding the horse – and I told them..

MOVE. MOOOOOOOOVE. MOOOOOOOVE. MOVE MOVE MOVE.

And guess what! The horse started moving. It started dancing and it’s feet were going up and down, up and down.

It was REALLY exciting *wag wag wag*

So I said again.

MOVE. MOVE MOVE MOVE. MOOOOOOVE. I got near it’s back feet and went closer. I decided to aim my mouth at its back feet …  MOVE MOVE MOVE.

Then I saw my human coming.

She didn’t look happy. She looked REALLY scared. Which made me bark even more, MOVE MOVE MOVE. YOU’RE SCARING MY HUMAN. MOVE.

She said that she was sorry to the ranger. At the same time as shouting ”Bella, come here … BELLA”

Do you know what the ranger told her? He told her ”GO AWAY and CALM DOWN”.

My human was making the horse dance even more! She could be an Entlebucher too! *wag wag wag*

My human knew that she needed to go in a different direction, but she didn’t want it too look like she was letting me bark at the horse.

She walked off and she let me carry on barking at the horse and making it dance about on the spot. I caught a whiff of her and she smelt VERY strange. I never smelt her like that before. Something was happening inside HER too.

After a little while, I realised that I couldn’t see my human. Or Alfie. Or Alfie’s human. So I legged it. The horse legged it too, in the other direction.

I legged it until I found them and I was very waggy, telling Alfie all about what I’d just done. He just stared at me, shook his head and said ‘Oh Bella! You are such a stupid puppy girl sometimes. You’ll learn one day’.

I think my human was pleased with me because she told me she loved me and that she never wanted anything to happen to me. And she mentioned something to Alfie’s human about recalls and disctractions.

But I wasn’t listening. I was looking for another horse to chase off.

Good job I was around to save everyone’s life, don’t you think?

I’m proud of being a herder. *wag wag wag*