Smells at the Beach

Well, the Two Legged Ones took me to the beach the other day - even though it's winter 'down under' (as they say here), it's still excellent beach weather. There had been a storm the night before and the beach was covered in seaweed - mint. There were dead fish, dead starfish (my favourite as they truly stink), driftwood, old rope - basically, lots of stuff to sniff and pee on. usual, the Two Legged Ones carried on about how cute I was and had to take photos but I played it cool and made excuses for their behaviour to my mates - us four legged ones find it difficult to understand the ways of the two legged ones but hey, they are ok most of the time. Of course, the Two Legged Ones had to be taken to my favourite cafe after the beach and I let them have some of my fruit toast and latte. Gotta go now, on cat patrol.

Well, it seems I'm not much better than the Two Legged Ones but, in fairness, it's been a busy 18 months or so.  After just 12 months in Ireland, we decided to take off to Australia so here I am, in the land of roos, koalas, BBQ and dogs and people with funny speaking patterns.  That's taken me a while to get used to but hey, I'm a super westie so it's grand now.  

I had to spend 30 days in quarantine when I first arrived which wasn't too awful but wasn't great either like.  But one of the Two Legged Ones visited me three times a week and that was great - I got to run around like crazy for 30 minutes.  And, well, you can imagine how much pampering and spoiling I got when I was busted out of quarantine can't you - geez, the Two Legged Ones (one of them in particular - and I'm sure you know which one) were overwhelmed to have me back in their lives and I was treated like the head honcho for quite a few days, I can tell you.  Oh, she hugged me and patted me and picked me up every opportunity - but sure, what can you do like but go along with it.

But the quarantine was worth it - it's a great experience being here - I'm looking on it as my gap year kinda thing.  The most amazing thing is that it hardly ever rains and after a summer in Ireland of 59 days straight of rain, this is just brilliant.  And, I can go nearly everywhere with the Two Legged Ones which is really really mint.  We live close to two Doggy Beaches and the most amazing river which has a 'Dog Exercise Area' (these Australians are very big on signs and defining 'Dog Friendly Areas' which is all a bit bizarre).  As you can tell from my photo, I'm well used to  splashing around in the water although not that fond of actually swimming (Westies are, after all, not water dogs).  I've become acquainted with the local magpies (same colours but different bird call than the ones in Ireland - but that didn't fool me, I knew they were still magpies and therefore, still my arch enemies and needing to be told who is the boss - I did that my first day here and boy, were they put in their place), I'm an expert at meeting the local two legged ones (Westies aren't really that common over here so they always make a fuss of me) and, frankly, life is pretty cool here.  I mean, I miss Ireland, in particular our holidays to the West, but hey, for a while, I can put up with this.  I mean, what's not to like - two days a week I go to the river with three buddies and one day a week I go the park with four of my other buddies, the other two days, I get spoilt rotten by one of the Two Legged One's parents (I call them the 'Older Two Legged Ones'), on weekends I go to the beach or river in the mornings and the evenings and, on Saturday and Sunday mornings, after a long run at the beach or river (where I meet loads of other Four Legged Ones  and we sniff and pee and run around and solve the problems of the world), I take the Two Legged Ones to a cafe where Four Legged Ones are catered for - generally, by just being my very cute self, I'm given bacon, toast etc - it's simple, I just sit there and look cute and well, I end up being given treats by the Two Legged Ones and any other two legged ones sitting near by - to mix it up, I sometimes take the Two Legged Ones to a local pub and hang out in the beer garden with them so they don't feel uncool.  I, of course, get loads of attention there as well.  Sure, it's an easy enough life like and I can't complain.  

It is coming into Autumn so the Two Legged Ones have told me to expect some cooler weather but I'll still be able to visit the river and/or beach on the weekends as it doesn't rain too much over here which is brilliant.  And, there's always town anyway - I often take the Two Legged Ones into town on the weekend - if they behave, we go to a cafe for a latte and I watch the world go by while they drink that addictive stuff and read newspapers.  

Anyway, better go now.  I've put some photos in for you all to take a look at.  There are more as, as usual, the Two Legged Ones are going a bit silly with the photos of me. I mean, all I want to do is run and sniff and get those rabbits which are constantly taunting me and the Two Legged Ones hold me back to take photos of me!!! But I'm off now to nudge them and stare at them beseechingly in such a manner that, eventually, they will give in and take me to the river. Stay tuned for more stories of the Australian Adventures of Groucho.  And a big woof to all of you back home (especially you, Lily!!) - hope the Big Park is still going strong and that, with Spring here, you are managing some great walkies and sniffs.

Groucho takes Over

Hi everyone, Groucho here:

As you can see, I’ve taken over the writing of this blog as the Two Legged Ones were not keeping it up to date. As you can see from the earlier blog, I’m already quite used to using all this modern technology so what the heck, I figured I might as well do the blog myself - I am, after all, the superstar here.

So, what's the latest? Well, not that long ago, it was my second birthday - actually, in dog years, that's my fourteenth birthday. Generally, us dogs don’t get too excited about birthdays but the Two Legged Ones really went to town and seemed to think it was a major deal – this probably was because the year before, I’d been on the plane from Dublin to Dubai on my birthday and they felt a bit bad about that. I was going to crèche the day of my birthday so, frankly, I was more interested in getting there and seeing my buddies than in all this hooha about a birthday, but I could see there was no getting out of the fuss and bother, so I went along with it all and even unwrapped one if the presents myself which, given the excited reaction from the Two Legged Ones, was obviously a big achievement. Of course, they took loads of photos – there’s one below for you to see. It’s a good thing I’m so photogenic what with all the photos they take of me!!!

Well, have to take off now – I can see some magpies on the patio and I can’t let them sit there – I have to bark very loudly at them to show them who’s boss. You can catch up on my news of my flight back to Ireland and what’s been happening since then in the not too distant future. Woof for now!!

Groucho the Executive

It seems that we didn't know all there was to know about Groucho's super canine powers - it seems that Groucho has mastered the art of using a computer and we arrived home to find him hard at work. It wasn't clear what exactly Groucho was working on but obviously it was important stuff as he was concentrating very hard! Groucho truly is a wonder Westie!!

Groucho's Middle East Adventure

So, after settling into his new home, we decided to test one of Groucho's other super canine powers - travelling. It was time for Groucho to get his own passport and come with us to the Middle East. Before he left, Groucho had to have a few injections (which didn't hurt at all, as, after all, Groucho is a Wonder Westie!) and, as a special treat, just before he left, he spent two weeks at his 'other home', just outside Dublin, with Louise.

Groucho loved staying at Louise's because he had a huge garden to run around in, he went on lots of walks which he loved, especially the walks in the Park. And, of course, Groucho got loads of attention from Louise and he thought that was great. About 5 miles from Louise's home, Groucho would work out where he was going and wow, would he get excited. Sometimes, we thought he was going to ring the bell at Louise's gate all by himself, he was so keen to get inside. Louise's garden was amazing and there were always at least two other dogs to play with. Going to Louise's was like going on the best holiday (well, apart from going to Kerry, that is!) ever. Saying bye to Louise and her dogs was really hard.

But, of course, Groucho's super powers kicked in and he was soon in his cubby, in the plane, on the way to his new home. Flying was no bother at all for Groucho, what with him being a Wonder Westie and all. He arrived at his new home at 4.30am, bright as a button and really exited to see us. And of course, we were so happy to have him home with us!!! After giving Groucho loads of hugs and taking him for a long walk, Groucho had to have a bath as, after all, he had been on a plane for over 24 hours. He was not very happy about this but soon, he was enjoying feeling clean and, of course, he went for a long walk after the bath to dry off and Groucho never complains about going for a walk!

Groucho settled in to his new home, no bother at all. In fact, in no time, he had found a few new favourite sleeping places (the sofa being his favourite place!) and settled in to watch some TV!

There were so many new places to visit, so many new smells to investigate and so many new friends to make!! The weather was really nice - no rain at all!!! And Groucho his own garden - it's not very big and there's no grass but it is all his own and he thinks its very cool. He even his own chair to sit on and watch the stars at night or just enjoy a bit of sunshine!

Very soon, Groucho made a lot of new friends - big dogs, small dogs, a few cats and lots of new people. Groucho was beside himself with excitement - so many new walks to go on, so many days without rain and so many cool and exciting things to do!!!

With so many new things to see and do, Groucho had to sleep a lot so he would be ready for the next day's fun and games!!

Groucho's Ramblings

As you know Groucho has many super canine powers but perhaps one of his most super powers is his walking - Groucho can walk for miles and miles and miles and then some. And he does. The fun Groucho had on his walks around his new home! The new smells, the new sights, the new sounds! Every morning, wind, rain or sunshine Groucho was ready at 6am for a walk. His little ears would be all perked up, his little nose twitching with anticipation and his little paws waving madly in the air as soon as he saw the lead come out! And if Groucho thought we were not ready he would come over and nudge us with his nose - this is Groucho's way of saying "Come on, hurry up and take me for a walk". Well, boy did Groucho have some fun on those walks! Groucho's favourite walk around his new home, was probably into the field on the far bank of the river where he would bound along, more like a rabbit than a dog! Groucho would leap across the thistles, roll around in the grass and race through the weeds, incredibly fast! Maybe he is a greyhound and not a Westie - no he is just a Wonder Westie.

One day, Groucho was very surprised to find a horse in what he now considered to be his field. This was a surprise to Groucho as, even though he had seen cows and sheep when on holiday in Kerry, he was not quite sure what this four legged noisey creature was and he was also a bit surprised that a horse was living in the city! But, very soon, Groucho and the horse were great friends and would greet each other every day by touching noses through the fence. Groucho was very upset when the horse had to leave! He would sit by the fence, looking for his friend but, fortunately, Groucho soon made another friend, Lilly, a Westie who lived just up the road from Groucho. Groucho loved visiting Lilly as Lilly's house had a big garden where Groucho could dig and run around and chase Lilly and take Lilly's bones and bury them. Poor Lilly! But, really, Lilly and Groucho were great friends and loved their lunch time walks together, through the park, off their leads, chasing each other, chasing birds, running around in circles, two white little bundles, having a wonderful time together. Groucho often ended up in the river and this would result in us having to climb down the banks, wading into the river to get him, as Groucho's super canine powers did not extend to working out how to get back up the banks! Lilly was very good to Groucho and often invited him up to her house for a run in the garden, treats from her bowl and to play with her toys and Groucho even stayed overnight sometimes and made himself very much at home, including taking over Lilly's basket! It's a good thing Lilly was so patient with him and so ladylike!

Groucho's other walks involved walking up to the local cafe and just chilling out while we had coffee and cheesecake. Groucho loved those walks as he was very spoilt by everyone at the cafe who all made a fuss of him and gave him little treats. That was a great walk as there were often leaves on the pavement and Groucho absolutely loved chasing them and trying to eat them! Every once in a while, Groucho also went into Dublin on Saturday mornings to the market and this was really great fun. One day, he walked through a very busy Grafton Street to St Stephen's Green and barked at the ducks. Poor Groucho was quite upset when they ignored him and just swam away, but he was soon very happy again as so many people stopped to say hello to him and tell him how cute he was. Of course, Groucho loved that attention. And he of course, loved the market - all the different smells, the different people, the walking through the streets. So many adventures!

But Groucho's favourite walk was out at Howth - oh wow, was that the best ever. And his super canine powers were really put to the test - chasing the birds, chasing the waves, finding blackberries, eating fish and, on special occasions, even a little bit of ice cream. Groucho loved those rambles - especially when it was along the cliffs and he could sniff all the interesting smells and he could say hello to all the other dogs that were out on their walks.

The pier was great fun as well as Groucho loves the wind in his face and he loved barking at the waves and the seals as they bobbed up and down in the water. And he loved visiting his friend in Howth because her house was right on the beach and boy, was that cool. Groucho was allowed off his lead and he would use his super canine sprinting power to chase all the birds, run around with the other dogs and have a chat to them about life and he would keep running even though his little legs were tired! But the best part was actually going out to Howth in the car - Groucho loved to stick his little head out the window and his whiskers and ears would flatten out and everyone would smile and wave at him. Groucho's greatest super canine power is his ability to make people happy! He really is an amazing dog.

Educating Groucho

A few months after The Rescue and after Groucho's take over of our home, we decided it was time that Groucho learnt some manners. Westies are very energetic terriers and, if allowed, will rule the lives of everyone around them! So, we decided that Groucho the Wonder Westie needed to use his super canine powers to learn some manners and some fun tricks as well! Fortunately, we had a very lovely person come to our home to teach us how to channel those super canine powers - Julie from tagnrye. Please visit Julie here.

At first, Groucho strongly resisted being told what to do by Julie - after all, with his cute little face and wonderful personality, Groucho was quite used to getting his own way all the time! But, after a period of extended sulking behind the couch (we never realised that one of Groucho's super canine powers was an ability to sulk, without let up, for over 30 minutes!), Groucho finally realised that if he learnt some manners and tricks, he would be rewarded with a treat and Groucho never says no to a treat! After a little while, Groucho caught on to this whole tricks and manners malarky and really started to enjoy himself!

'Sit' was a bit of a doddle but 'Deck', 'Paw', 'Up' and 'Settle' took longer! We had homework every day and after a few months, Groucho was really into his homework routine and learning more and more tricks. The next time Julie visited, Groucho was more than happy to show off his new skills and learn some more! We are very happy that Julie helped us out and Groucho still enjoys some homework now and then, learning some new tricks, brushing up on his old ones so many thanks to Julie for all her help and hard work (oh yes, and patience with both Groucho and us!). What we have to constantly remember is that, while Groucho is very clever, he doesn't really understand human talk so we had to teach Groucho what certain words mean and reward him when he did the right thing! And Groucho is just so proud of himself when he works it out!!

We were very proud of Groucho when he worked out that he had to sit down at the traffic signals and wait for the little green man to signal it was ok to cross the street! Of course, at the other side of the street, the first thing Groucho did was demand his treat for being such a clever dog! And Grouch, with is super canine powers, quickly worked out that if he did 'roll over' when he was told, not only did he receive a treat but also a big rub on the tummy which of course, Groucho thinks is just the best thing. Tummy rubs are Groucho's favourite!

Groucho is currently putting his super canine powers towards learning some new tricks - 'Wait', 'High Five', 'Stand' (now, this is not as simple as it sounds!) and 'Gentle' and, oh yes, 'Enough' which we use when we want Groucho to just stop being bold! All in all, educating Groucho is great fun - both for him and us and it certainly makes life easier for us all. It is better for everyone if Groucho can understand what we want him to do and it is very important for Groucho to know how to behave when he's out and about on his travels and when he's socialsing with all his friends! And being such a clever little Westie, teaching Groucho to channel his super canine powers into learning tricks and manners is something he enjoys!