Groucho the Wonder Westie

Back Home

2012-02-13T11:28:00.001Z

So, I'm back from Holiday Camp and finally catching up on my correspondence - thanks to all the newcomers who saw me on PBU and visited my blog! It was great to 'meet' you all! Anyway, the Two Legged Ones are back from their favourite Australian city - I've heard all about their adventures, including rather boring details of the coffee they drank (apparently they spent a lot of time drinking coffee) -

To celebrate us being together for the first time in a week, the Two Legged Ones took me to one of the universities where I read about this fellow (some guy called Socrates - very clever apparently) -

and I walked the hallowed halls of learning -

BUT, best of all, I saw this amazing art piece - it was so cool - this floating flower, which puffed up and down - well, I supposed 'puffed' isn't the right word - it open and closed, like a real flower would at certain times of the day - oh, it was really very clever and, if I say so myself, I think it rather sets off my white fur, doesn't it?

It was sooooo great to have the Two Legged Ones back and they told me, over and over again, how they missed me - I have been very much hugged, tummy rubbed and chin tickled since they came home and, so far, we haven't had TOO many power struggles although there was a bit of an issue this morning when the She Two Legged One expected me to go HER way on the walk and not my way (the older two legged ones let me go whichever direction I want, you see). But I'll learn her yet!

Woof for now.

Groucho

Off to Holiday Camp

2012-02-04T01:20:00.000Z

So, I thought the Two Legged Ones should see this photograph of me, every day while they are away as it shows me at, I think, my handsome-est - yes, they are taking off soon, without me. I suppose I cannot really complain as most holidays, I go along (Two Legged One here - most holidays, Groucho doesn't 'go along', most holidays revolve around him altogether!) and I know they miss me and when they come home, I am extra loved - loads of walks, tummy rubs, treats - and while they are away, I'm going to Holiday Camp - this is the older two legged ones' house - I call it holiday camp as, while I'm expected to remember my manners, I am completely and utterly spoilt - I rule the house, I have walks when I want them, I sleep wherever I want and wherever I go, I am made a complete fuss of. So, it's a holiday for me too really!!!

But, of course, when the Two Legged Ones return there's always a bit of an 'adjustment period' (as they call it) while I try to bring my holiday camp routine to the home - I never manage to convince the Two Legged Ones that it should be holiday camp rules every day ....... I mean, honestly, what exactly is wrong with getting everything I want, when I want and how I want?????

Woof for now.

Groucho

What is going on??

2012-01-30T04:31:00.001Z

Did you see a fly?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Not much to report from Down Under other than a complete whinge about the hot weathe - boy, has it been hot - we have had 7 days of 38-42 degrees (celcius!) and I'm over it. I have to wait until at least 8pm for my evening walk (it's usually 5pm) and even though I've managed three long walks to the river (and a lot of swims) over the weekend, it's not the same. I'm over it. I'm going to whinge about it, I don't care - the Two Legged Ones say 'oh, well, it could be worse' - yes, I know it could, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

And, on top of that, I've heard the Two Legged Ones are going to Melbourne for a short break soon - without me, AGAIN. Boy, am I grumpy today.

On a completely separate note, thank you for your kind comments on Lily. She will be greatly missed and all our thoughts are with Kay.

A very grumpy, fed up woof for now.

Groucho

A sad day

2012-01-24T03:37:00.001Z

There are no photographs today as we are all very sad. Lily, my first ever buddy, has gone to the big park in the sky. The Two Legged Ones are very sad and so am I - when I was a wee puppy, just new out of the pound, all bouncy and 'energetic' (some would say 'annoying' but I prefer energetic), Lily put up with me - she let me run around, being all 'energetic', she let me eat her food when I went to her house for a doggy date, she even stood by while I dug up her bones and ate them. Lily was a Westie, just like me, although a lot smaller so it was very good of her to let me be so 'annoying'.

When I first moved in with the Two Legged Ones, the She Two Legged One was working from home most of the time, so, every day,around lunch time, we went for a walk with Lily and Kay, Lily's two legged one. I loved those walks - Lily helped me learn to be around other four legged ones and she and I would run, run, bark, sniff, do Westie Rolls together and, I have to say, we looked very cute - two Westies, one big, one small, out and about together! And, often, after our walk, Kay would take me back to her house because she had a big garden, and I would stay with her and Lily all afternoon, eating treats, taking over Lily's bed (well, in fact, the whole house, what with me being the sort of Westie I am!) and Lily took it all with good grace.

I haven't seen Lily for a while, well, not since we moved Down Under, but I always thought she would be there, ready for our walks again, when we moved back to Ireland. We are all very sad and this post is in memory and honour of my wee friend, Lily, who we will miss so much. And it's for Kay as well, as we know she will miss her Lily so very, very much.

Until we meet in the Big Park in the Sky, Lily.

Woof for now.

Groucho

My after dinner ritual

2012-01-19T11:03:00.001Z

After we come back from a walk in the evening, I often do 'homework' (currently, my homework is learning 'turn' and 'back' - I know how to do them, I'm just pretending I don't so I can get more 'training treats') then, after I have my dinner, I go upstairs:

and I wait for my after dinner treat - apparently I wait impatiently although, in my humble opinion, I believe my expression indicates a very patient Westie:

BUT, if the treat is not thrown up to me in a timely manner (ie when I want it, not when the Two Legged Ones think it's appropriate), I am sometimes forced to become demanding:

Usually, when I adopt the demanding pose, the Two Legged Ones realise the error of their ways and the treat is thrown to me immediately. I let them off if they are a bit tardy - it's not their fault, after all, they are only Two Legged Ones .....

Woof for now.

Groucho

PS I don't have green eyes, don't worry, I haven't some strange disease, it's just the She Two Legged One again - she really ~~doesn't have any idea~~ does try hard to take decent photographs of me but ~~fails dismally~~ has a lot to learn. (edits by said She Two Legged One!)

It's a bit cooler ..... so ....

2012-01-17T13:12:00.000Z

Well, yesterday afternoon, didn't the sea breeze come howling in (thank goodness!) off the ocean. Oh, we love the sea breeze, the Two Legged Ones and I as it turns a horrible, sticky hot day into a lovely fresh, almost cold day - it's like a huge outdoor air conditioner, sitting right there, in your face. It's just the best thing - without it, summer where I live 'Down Under' would be like Summer back in Dubai! So, in celebration, the Two Legged Ones hurried home from work, collected me and off we went to - well, take a guess - my favourite river - and I had a swim (not at first though as, really, seriously, that sea breeze makes it rather chilly!) and I ran like crazy around the cricket oval. The Two Legged Ones kept saying that I was like a puppy again (in my mind, I still am - I may be 6 years old but I have the mental agility and attitude of a 6 month old!), I was running and doing circle work and I did so many Westie Rolls that I was dizzy. And I met loads of other four legged ones who, like me, said how wonderful it was to have that sea breeze in as we could go for long walks again!

Woof for now.

Groucho

The Jetty

2012-01-17T03:11:00.001Z

The Jetty, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

This is one of my new favourite jetties - now that my other one is supposedly 'No Entry', the Two Legged Ones take me here every once in a while. It's been soooooo hot here the past few days that even a swim hasn't managed to cool me off. The Two Legged Ones make sure I'm as cool as can be but I'm longing for some cold weather!!!

Woof for now.

Groucho

Erik

2012-01-10T05:34:00.001Z

Erik, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

This is my friend Erik. He came to visit last weekend. Unlike Erik, who is exceptionally good at allowing me to 'share' (the Two Legged Ones are snorting and saying that 'share' is hardly the word - 'steal' is more like it!) his treats when I go to his house, I'm afraid that I'm not quite as generous and do tend to sulk a bit when he comes over to play. Usually, I will play a little bit and we follow each other around but I much prefer to go to his house and invade his space! I don't mind him sharing my space, I'm just not as generous as he is! And, in my defence, I was quite pawly on the weekend - I've hurt my left paw and I was a bit out of sorts. But it's fine now so you can imagine the huge run I'm going for tonight!!!

Woof for now.

Groucho

Belle of the Beach

2012-01-04T04:51:00.001Z

Belle of the Beach, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

We visited another beach a few days ago - we go there only sometimes, it's not one of our 'regular' beaches but I love it when we do go as it's great fun, there are loads of new smells and new sculptures as well which the Two Legged Ones love. I usually don't pay much attention as, well, being a four legged one my main interest is the smells on the sculptures, not so much the craftmanship involved but I have to say, I was well impressed with this one. isn't she just lovely?

What I've been doing ....

2012-01-03T12:25:00.000Z

It's been a busy 10 days or so, what with Christmas and the holidays. I haven't really had much time to tell you all about it - other than the update on my presents, trip to the river etc. More photos below of me enjoying tat river! That's one of my favourite jetties that I'm walking on - there's a sign that says 'No Entry' but I've chosen to ignore it. The Two Legged Ones say it's safe enough for me as I 'only' weigh 12kg (and, again, apparently that's an issue - it isn't you know, I carry the extra 0.5kg very well) but they can't walk out on the jetty any more which is great - I can do what I want.

Well, the biggest thing, other than Christmas (and yes, there was baked ham and I was allowed a tiny bit - and I mean tiny - and it was delicious!) was my trip to the dog-tist on 28th to have my not-so-pearly whites cleaned (ref: My Pearly Whites post below). It went ok - the dog-ter knows all about my dog-ter phobia and cage phobia etc and everyone at the four legged one clinic was very very nice to me. I was a bit groggy afterwards (I didn't even ask to go for a walk!) and the Two Legged Ones were told I would be groggy for most of the next day - humph, they snorted, as if (they had heard this before and refused to be taken in by it again). They were right - I wasn't groggy at all - at 5am the next day, I was doing circle work on the living room carpet (in my defence, there was a crow outside, taunting me - he's been taunting me for weeks and seriously, he's just asking for it - I've about had enough) and I was ready for my walk by 5.30am. And the good news is that now, my gnashers really are pearly white and providing I behave sufficiently toallow the Two Legged Ones to brush my teeth (which is going to be a very, very interesting event - I've smelt the toothpaste - blah, 'beef flavour' my left paw), I won't have to visit the dog-tist again for a long, long time.

So, that took up a few days, then there were all the trips to the river to swim and then there was a bath - I wasn't happy about this, I never am, but apparently I 'stunk'. I'm not quite sure what this means - I don't think I 'stink' and no other four legged one thinks I do. And then, of course, there was all the talk about the colour of the bath water - the She Two Legged One kept going on and on about it being 'filthy'. But, afterwards, I have to (grudgingly) admit, I did feel better and as it was New Year's Eve, I suppose there was no harm in me being white and fluffy for all of, oh, one day. I was out the next day doing Westie Rolls and trying to get rid of the girly shampoo smell!

Well, I'm off to bed now - there are more tales to tell as the He Two Legged One is on holidays and I'm going everywhere with him - today, we collected the She Two Legged One from work so I got to walk around the city and made everyone smile which was great fun. I'll bring you up to speed on my other adventures later.

Woof for now.

Groucho

Truckin'

2012-01-02T23:56:00.002Z

Truckin', originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

So, we were out and about the other day, just taking in the sights when we saw this - a wee four legged one seeing Australia through the window of this very cool rig. I'm thinking well, I could do that for a while but I'm not sure I could persuade the Two Legged Ones to buy a purple rig!

Woof for now.

Groucho

More about my Christmas

2012-01-01T12:20:00.000Z

OK, so now it's on to the important stuff - what did Santa Paws bring me? Given that I have been a very well behaved Westie all year, I was expecting something quite special and special it was - the Two Legged Ones heard about Farfetched Doggie Delites - home baked, made to order treats and, because of my diet of no chicken, no wheat etc, this was great news. The She Two Legged One used to bake my treats but it's a bit harder now that I can't eat chicken, wheat (basically, anything that I used to love really) so she was really happy to find out about Farfetched. I told you in an earlier post that I had sneaked a peak of my present - well, it wasn't really my fault - the two lovely two legged ones, Nina and Liz, who run Farfetched were very kind and hand delivered my Xmas present - but I wasn't allowed to eat any of them until Christmas Day - I got two lollypaws (yum), Pooksies (especially made for four legged ones like me who can't eat wheat etc) and because apparently I need to lose weight (I still dispute this), some Waist Watchers. Delicious!!! Nina and Liz will have a 'live' website soon so you can order on line but in the meantime, if you want to try these amazingly delicious (and healthy - which, in my mind, means I can eat twice as many but well, in the Two Legged Ones' minds, this is not the case. Spoilsports) treats, you can contact them on farfetcheddoggiedelights@gmail.com.

But, really, much as I love presents,the best part of Christmas is being grateful for all the wonderful things I have.

There is a photo of my present below - unfortunately, it doesn't do the treats justice as the She Two Legged One really is quite ~~useless~~ inexperienced with the He Two Legged Ones' camera ......... but trust me, these are some awesome treats.

And by the way, a huge Happy New Year to you all. Here's to a happy, healthy and peaceful 2012.

Woof for now.

Groucho

My Christmas ........

2011-12-28T06:22:00.001Z

Heading to the river, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Belated Christmas greetings to all! I have quite a few updates on my Christmas (yes, yes, I was spoilt, everyone told me so ..... and apparently very well behaved - whatever that means in two legged world as I would consider myself always well behaved) which I will send later but I wanted to share this - this is actually a few days after Christmas - we went to my favourite (Australian) river to enjoy the wonderful, amazing cool breeze that was coming in off the river and I did loads and loads of Westie Rolls, I ran and ran and ran and the Two Legged Ones lay down on the very green grass and stared up at the amazingly blue sky and we all thought, life is good.

Woof for now.

Groucho

Fly Season

2011-12-21T09:58:00.001Z

They actually call it Summer, but I call it 'Fly Season' - and boy are the flies bad 'Down Under'. This is me, down at the river, in 'fly patrol' mode. I can sit very, very still (yes, quite strange for a Westie, I know!) and then, WHAM, when a fly comes near me, I snap at it. My strike rate is quite high and the Two Legged Ones refer to me as their eco-friendly fly killer! Much as I dislike these pesky little things, it doesn't put me off going outside - after all, what sort of Westie would I be if I allowed a few (make that more than a few!!) tiny little things to dictate terms to me - and, really, it would take a lot to stop me from my swimming activities!

Hope your Christmas shopping is going ok and you are all gearing up for lots of treats. I keep hearing about a baked ham for Christmas lunch - and I can't wait for that, I can tell you! Oh, and I've seen my Christmas present (I sneaked a peak) but, well, I wasn't supposed to so I'll just act surprised when it's given to me on Christmas day!

I also thought I should add this - many of you who read this will know about it already but in case you don't, please take a look at Mayzie's blog (see Blogs I follow below). The Houston Pittie Pack has had a terrible, horrible time of it lately and I thought, well, the more of us who do what we can to help them out, the better.

Woof for now.

Groucho

An early Christmas Present

2011-12-12T12:32:00.000Z

So, the Two Legged Ones gave me an early Christmas present - a stuffed toy, a monkey, wearing a Bob Marley style hat.

I was very appreciative and took myself off, with the monkey, to figure out what to do with it.

So, for all of, oh, two seconds, I thought - should I take this with me to my bed and snuggle up to it, or should I rest my head on it, ........?

Then I thought, ah what the heck, who am I kidding, I'll just do what I always do with these toys - show him who is the boss. That'll teach him!!

Woof for now!

Groucho

PS It's Groucho's Two Legged Ones here - we just want to say that, contrary to the evidence, no one was injured in this stuffed toy massacre and Groucho is never, ever allowed to play with toys like this without a Two Legged One supervising!!

The Westie Roll Perspective

2011-12-08T06:26:00.000Z

When I do the 'Westie Roll' (you know the one - lie on your back and roll around and around) everything looks so different from the way I usually see it - I thought you might like to see how the trees look when I'm doing the Westie Roll. Give it a go one day - it's great fun and you will feel heaps better. I'm going to do a few Westie rolls tonight when I'm out for my walk - it will take my mind off being so homesick for Ireland, won't it??

woof for now.

Groucho

I'm dreaming ....

2011-12-07T07:35:00.001Z

Come On!, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

of a white Christmas! I've been reading my four legged friends' blogs, most of whom are in the US and are gearing up for a white Christmas. Well, the last time I had a cold, snowy Christmas was four years ago and I miss it, I really do. This photograph was taken just before my last cold, crisp, snowy Christmas - we were on holidays in the west of Ireland and I got up early to watch the sunrise. I miss making Snow Grouchos!

(A despondent, plaintiff) woof for now.

Groucho

More Exercise

2011-12-06T04:12:00.001Z

The Big Swim, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

well, I forgot to mention that when I was at the vet's the other day (I'm still getting over it - yes, yes, he's a nice two legged one, I know, but he's a vet - it's all well and good for the She Two Legged One to tell me all this, I mean, it's not like she ever says 'oh, yippee, I'm off to the dentist' is it??) that I had to be weighed and, well, I've put on weight - now, I'm a big Westie so I carry it well, but the Two Legged Ones have decided I need to exercise more (I have three very long walks every day and even more on the weekends but I'm not complaining - the more exercise the better, I say!) so I figure there will be a lot more of the Big Swims over the next few weeks! On the downside, my 'treats' daily count has gone down - I'm working on staging a protest over this, not sure what form it will take - I may withhold my exuberant 'welcome home' greetings, I may refuse to snuggle up next to them for my nightly tummy rub, I may not buy Xmas presents, I may refuse to be cute, I haven't decided yet. But there will be a protest about those treats, I can tell you.

Woof fow now.

Groucho

My pearly whites

2011-12-02T07:10:00.001Z

Taking a break, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, it turns out that my pearly whites aren't so pearly any more (although I think they look ok in this photo - don't they???). I had to visit the vet yesterday (he's a very nice two legged one, I'm sure, but I'm so not gone on the vet) for a vaccination and he told me I have to return in the New Year to have my gnashers cleaned. Dear me, is this old age creeping up on me already??? I'm not happy.

Woof for now.

Groucho

Me and my buddy

2011-11-28T10:13:00.000Z

The She Two Legged One and I had a few quiet times while we were on our holiday - she told me that some two legged one called Christopher Morley said that "No one appreciates the very special genius of ~~your~~ the She Two Legged One's conversation as ~~the dog~~ Groucho does" (edits by Groucho). It's a very witty quote, isn't it? And while I don't pretend to understand half of what two legged ones say to me, I very much enjoy sitting with my Two Legged Ones and nodding my head now and then to show I'm interested.

Woof for now.

Groucho

Quiet Time

2011-11-17T04:25:00.001Z

Loyal Friend, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Sometimes, it's good to stop and enjoy the sand and sun and the sound of the water. Sometimes, in all my running around, and doggy dates and kayaking and chasing ravens, I forget to stop and just breathe and enjoy the sun. Lucky the Two Legged Ones remind me every once in a while that, sometimes, it's enough to just be.

Woof for now.

G

The Philosopher

2011-11-15T05:31:00.002Z

Groucho, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Plato once said (or so I heard) "A dog has the soul of a philosopher".

I would like you to think that, based on my serious expression and wise gaze, I was being such a philosopher here - you know, reflecting on the meaning of life, whether the world would be a better place if Westies were in charge etc, but actually, I was really thinking about whether or not I would be allowed some ham with my dinner that night!

Woof for now.

G

PS I do really have the soul of a philosophiser, but I like to keep this arty side of me low key. But, one philosophy I will share with you - Life is not the same without a Westie (well, actually, let's not limit it to just Westies - any four legged critter).

The Bears and me

2011-11-10T13:21:00.001Z

The She Two Legged One has an extensive collection of Russ Bears which live on the spared bed - usually, these are purchased on the Two Legged Ones' holidays and they have pretty cool names (Huckle Bear - from Houston, Mellon Bear - from Melbourne, Scrum Bear - the Irish Rugby Football Union mascot [he's the dude at the front left corner] Paw Bear, Faw Bear, Buddy Bear - they must all be related as they all have Bear as their second name!). I'm quite fond of them - although, I'm not sure what they are, really - I mean, they are fluffy and very cute (like me), but they don't do too much so I'm not sure what the point of them is other than I know they make the She Two Legged One smile so that's something. And, by some miracle, even when I was a wee puppy, I never ever chewed any of them (well, there was the Bunny Massacre but that's another story - and, strictly speaking, as Bunny was not a teddy bear, it doesn't count - I've been told to tell you that Bunny was not a real rabbit, he was a stuffed toy which the She Two Legged One was given for her first birthday - I tore his head off - in my defence, he had weird eyes and he was looking at me funny), in fact, I've always enjoyed snuggling up to them when the weather turns cold. And as it has been unseasonably cool the past few days I took myself off to the spare room this morning, jumped up on the spare bed, rearranged the bears to my liking (I am very thorough when it comes to rearranging - not just teddy bears, but cushions, blankets, pillows) and settled in for my pre-walk snooze - the Two Legged Ones find it very amusing, even though, really, I shouldn't be anywhere near the spare bed. I hear them muttering that they should send me back to my own four legged bed but I know that they find it too cute for words and let's face it, sometimes, there's no harm in letting me have my own way! It doesn't happen enough for my liking so when I do get my own way, I make the most of it!!!

Woof for now.

Who is on my beach?

2011-11-10T04:17:00.001Z

Who is on my beach?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Hmmm, well, I know I've finished telling you all about my holidays 'down south' but I had to share this - last time we stayed near my favourite beach, I only had to share it one day - every other day, I had miles (literally) of empty beach to myself - yes, well, as you can tell from my expression, I was not best pleased on this particular day to find I had to share it with two legged ones - four legged ones, well, that's a bonus but two legged ones without accompanying four legged ones - I have to ask, what is that about???

But, as you would have read in my earlier posts, I had a great time anyway, once I got over my Westie hissy fit!

Woof for now.

Another reason to love Sundays

2011-11-09T04:54:00.002Z

I can make it ..........., originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

I forgot to include this on my earlier post about Why I Love Sundays - sometimes, on an a Sunday, after the market, the Two Legged Ones take me to my favourite river (well, my favourite in Australia) - I like it more than the beach as there are no waves and I can do more paddling - and, best of all, there is a great little jetty (there are photos of it in an earlier post - it's a cool little jetty and, coincidentally, it was also the She Two Legged One's favourite jetty when she was a little two legged one - cool, isn't it?) that I enjoy walking along.

Here I am, attempting my dismount from the jetty - I'll tell you right now that it wasn't elegant, but who cares, I was in a hurry to say hello to another four legged one.

This is my summer haircut. Not too gone on it myself (I think I photograph better with the shaggy look happening!) but it is a lot cooler!

Woof for now.

A Westie hangover

2011-11-08T04:42:00.001Z

After the holiday, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, this is me, after the holiday - the Two Legged Ones call it my 'hangover' - the result of overindulging in holiday activities - running, swimming, paddling, staring at cows, barking at turkeys (silly creatures), charming people, sticking my head out the car window to sniff the country smells (much better than city smells). I slept for most of the week following our holiday - well, of course, I still went for my walks but in between, I slept like a young puppy. The Two Legged Ones thought I was broken but I bounced back!

Woof for now.

A real swim

2011-11-04T07:39:00.001Z

It's not too cold, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Another one of my adventures while on holidays - I saw this dog heading towards me and he looked like he would be good for a chat (he was) so I paddled and swam (yes, my paws actually got off the sand and I really, really swam!) very quickly back to shore. He was great fun - we had a bit of a run around and chat about the beach, the good smells etc and then I took off back into the water. So did he - and, much as I hate to say it, he was a bit better at swimming than me!!!

Woof for now.

What's down there?

2011-10-31T04:15:00.001Z

What's down there?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

When we were on our holiday, we stayed in a house that had a balcony that overlooked a big paddock - in that paddock, there were alpacas, ducks, turkeys (seriously, what is wrong with those creatuers - the noise out of them!!!!!), cows and a few sheep. I spent a considerable amount of time watching them - you can't tell it from this angle, but I'm actually have a staring competition with a cow. I won.

woof for now.

Look what I found on the beach

2011-10-24T08:18:00.001+01:00

Look what I found!!, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

So, one day, while we were on my favourite beach while on our holidays, I discovered this - a washed up apple. Well, I'm quite fond of a piece of apple now and then (I eat around the skin though, which the Two Legged Ones find very amusing - I've no idea why, but well, two legged ones, generally, can be a bit of a mystery to us four legged ones!) but this one looked a bit off - I suppose after a while in the ocean I too would look a bit off!!! More stories of my adventures later!

Woof for now!

If you go down to the woods today .....

2011-10-20T05:53:00.002+01:00

Into the light, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

There were so many adventures on my holiday down south, that I decided I should do separate posts, otherwise each post will be way toooo long and my paws will get tired, typing it all up ...... This was my daily afternoon adventure - a walk in the woods. It was great fun - the Two Legged Ones were more interested in the wildflowers (stunning, apparently) and the trees (awesome, apparently - to me, they are all the same!!) but well, you know me - I was more interested in the smells - and the woods were full of exciting smells - kangaroo smells, rabbit smells, frog smells, fox smells, other four legged ones smells. And, the most exciting thing - one afternoon, I saw a kangaroo. Surprisingly, I was very well behaved and didn't run after it - the Two Legged Ones thought it was because I was finally learning all my manners (instead of just some of them!) but it was really because, well, kangaroos are huge - I'm not scared of anything (other than baths) and honestly, I wasn't scared (but again, close up, kangaroos are HUUUUUGE!!!) but I decided that, to paraphrase William Shakespeare (I quite like his works, you see), discretion was the better part of valour!

Stay tuned for more holiday photos and stories!

Woof for now!!!!!!

On my holidays

2011-10-17T10:51:00.001+01:00

No limits, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, we are back from our holiday (yes, the Two Legged Ones took me to my favourite beach Down Under - refer to earlier post!). I'll update you more later but for now, here is an action shot of me - I didn't realise quite how steep the drop was but well, hey, who cares, I was in a hurry. I am still recovering from a week of running, running, running, swimming, paddling, visits to wineries and, best of all, a chocolate lounge where dogs were catered for (no chocolate for me of course, but everyone made a fuss of me!). More later.

Woof for now.

I am Groucho

2011-09-22T09:00:00.001+01:00

I am Groucho, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

It's a Two Legged One here - Groucho needed a break. But we had to share this wonderful quote we found and we thought it was just perfect for this photograph - God sat down for a moment when the dog was finished in order to watch it ... and to know that it was good, that nothing was lacking, that it could not have been made better. Credit Rainer Maria Rilke. Well, let's face it, it's quite right!

Wise One

2011-09-20T12:11:00.001+01:00

Wise One, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Hello! Yes, I've been slack again - Two Legged Ones have been busy again. This is, I have to say, a rather striking photograph of me, taken on the beach last Summer. I'm putting it up as it's Spring Down Under and it's becoming warmer and warmer every day so I'm gearing up for another Summer of moments such as these. Do I look wise? Yes, I think I do.

Woof for now

PS Count down to the Big Holiday is on - only a few more sleeps (in dog time that is) and I am very excited.

It's Mine

2011-08-31T09:29:00.001+01:00

It's Mine, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

So, I'm not that good at sharing my toys but who cares, it's mine.

What's Up?

2011-08-24T09:24:00.001+01:00

What's Up?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

I know, I've been a bit slack with the updates. The Two Legged Ones have been flat out with work so haven't had time to turn on the broadband etc for me. Nothing to report, we are just counting down the days until we are on our holiday - I'm going to run, run, run and run some more on those beaches. I can't wait!

Woof for now.

Via Flickr:
Groucho in the grandstand at his favourite oval.

Groucho is a rescue dog who was rescued from a dog pound in Ireland in 2006 thanks to the amazing work of Westie Rescue. Please support www.westierescue.ie/.

You can read more about Groucho's adventures at grouchothewonderwestie.blogspot.com/

Why I love Sundays

2011-08-15T14:01:00.001+01:00

Smelling the world!

1) Because I go in the car and stick my head out the window (sorry about the fact that the photograph of me is a bit dirty - the Two Legged Ones haven't cleaned the car for a while so the wing mirror was a bit grubby!) and smell everything. Of course, it's not just Sundays I go in the car - but Sundays are special days.
2) I am allowed to sit in the back seat of the car instead of the far back (refer below) as a special treat
3) We go to the market where I'm allowed, as an extra special treat, to eat a wee bit of the Two Legged Ones' food - in this case, a banjo burger - this is an Australian invention and comprises grilled organic bacon and an organic, free range egg (fried of course) on an organic sourdough roll.

Three very good reasons to love Sundays!

Woof for now.

Groucho

Ah, the back seat - it's great!

This is me, in the 'far back' of the car - it's my own special part of the car!

Homesick

2011-08-06T14:07:00.001+01:00

Well, today was a lovely day Down Under - blue, blue skies and a lovely fresh wind - not too hot, not too cold. The Two Legged Ones collected me from my 'holiday camp' (ie the older two legged ones' house) and we went for a long walk along the river before settling in to watch the All Blacks decimate the Wallabies. Now, I don't mind watching a bit of rugby now and then but today, I was a bit homesick for Ireland so I wasn't really in the mood. For what it's worth though, my money is on the All Blacks winning the World Cup in October 2011!

Anyway, given I was a tad homesick, I thought I'd put up this photo to cheer myself up - this is taken on my first ever visit to the West of Ireland - down to Sneem in County Kerry. And what a great week we had down there - I was only ickle (8 months old!) and I still really hadn't learnt to come back when called which was a tad exasperating for the Two Legged Ones but for me, it was a good excuse to run and run and run and run - which I did. The Two Legged Ones were very fit at the end of that week - they had to run very very fast to catch me!

Woof for now.

G

Trying to sleep

2011-08-05T15:03:00.000+01:00

It's been a quiet week - not much to report. I'm gearing up for my usual big weekend - it's been raining all week but today, those lovely blue skies appeared again - I'm a fan of the rain but blue skies mean beaches and the river and we all know I love both of those! It's very cold but I don't care - it's not half as cold as Ireland and anyway, I'm tough and can cope with zero degrees any day! I'm excited about a weekend of beaches, river and running off all my excess energy. This is a photo of me trying for some quiet time but of course, the camera came out and photos were taken of me. Sure, I'm photogenic but a Westie needs some downtime once in a while!

Happy weekend and woof for now!

G

Can I cross now?

2011-07-27T05:57:00.002+01:00

Can I cross now?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

So, on the trip 'down south' a while ago (refer to 'Going Places' below), the Two Legged Ones found this sign and oh dear me, wasn't there great excitement (from one Two Legged One in particular - you know who) - I had to get out of the car (never a hardship really) to investigate with them and while I'm sure they would like you to think that this was a 'natural moment' we all know that this is a staged photograph - but, who cares, staged or not, I still figure I look quite handsome. And I have to admit, it's quite a cool sign!

Woof for now!!!!

Holiday Time

2011-07-22T02:09:00.001+01:00

Sea Air, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, the Two Legged Ones are talking about an Autumn break. I am hearing a lot of talk about this place or that place and I am just putting this out there as a reminder to them of where I would like to go this year! This is my favourite beach in Australia and I had the best time, I mean, the best time I've had since I arrived Down Under, on this beach. Let's hope they read this and remember that any holiday which involves me must also involve a beach, sand dunes, rocks and birds to chase! I'll keep you posted on the final decision. Woof for now.

Close Up

2011-07-20T01:02:00.001+01:00

Close Up, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well hello again. Not much to report from Down Under. We have had some lovely, gorgeous, lashing rain (complete with thunder and lightning which I love), some of which made it inland to those poor farmers who have had year after year of drought, so that's great news! The Two Legged Ones went away a few weekends ago to 'farming country' and they said it was lovely - all green and lush. This photo was taken last weekend when there was a break in the wet weather and I visited one of the many beaches I love to visit - the sky was incredibly blue, I went for a swim, chased some seagulls, visited the sand dunes and did some rock climbing as well. I'm an all terrain dog for sure! Anyway, off to eat a Kong now. Woof for now!

The Beach

2011-07-17T13:52:00.000+01:00

Well, here I am again, at the beach. I'm truly a Down Under dog now - even in the cooler months, I'm swimming!

However, I am still very much into investigating the sand dunes - I started this habit during our visits to Galway, and have continued it over here - even though I'm a good swimmer these days, it's the sand dunes that have the best smells! I've included a photo for you of me racing down a sand dune - as usual, I completely ignored the Two Legged Ones when they were whistling for me (as I'd discovered a particularly interesting stick) so, when I decided that the stick had been sniffed enough, I had to race down the sand dune to catch up with the Two Legged Ones.

There's also a photo of me rolling around on the grass on my favourite cricket pitch - because I didn't have much grass in early life, what with the puppy farm, pet shop and then the pound, I still love rolling around and around and around on that lovely green stuff.

Well, I'm off to bed now. Had a big day today - went to the market this morning (I am well known there by now - and, of course, am very popular), then for a long walk at the river (went for a swim, of course), followed by a nap then another long walk to another part of the river - found a new jetty which was rather cool and the three of us sat on it, watching the water, the boats and enjoying the Winter sun and realising how very lucky we all are! The Two Legged Ones have been saying that I've started snoring in my old age but I beg to differ. I've never heard myself snore! Woof for now.

This is the life!

Wheeeeeeeee!!

Ooooh, I love green grass!!!

Westie on Red

2011-06-30T06:07:00.001+01:00

Westie on Red, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

a while back, on of the Two Legged Ones took me into the city to meet the other Two Legged One from work - and this is me, sitting on a bench - even from the shadow, you can tell I'm waiting somewhat impatiently for the Two Legged One to finish work - I was promised a walk to the beach as soon as she showed up! Woof for now!

Going places ................

2011-06-22T04:27:00.001+01:00

Going places ................, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, the Two Legged Ones took me 'down south' a few weekends ago and I had a great time. This is one of the beaches I visited - and I had a blast. Even thought it was cold, I was in the water quite a bit - huge waves which were mint fun. I have to say, the risk of sounding immodest (who, me??), this is a very cool photo of me. Woof for now!

Swim

2011-04-19T05:45:00.001+01:00

Swim, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, here I am again, taking a dip. This is a new beach I discovered (strictly speaking, it was the Two Legged Ones who found it for me but that is a minor point). It is the best beach I've been to here - at least a mile long and very clear water. Loads of other four legged ones as well. It was a bit cooler the day we visited but still warm enough for me to have a dip. Not much else to report - it's Autumn Down Under and we have had some chillier days which is great for me. I'll still be doing my kayaking and swimming though! Woof for now!

Over or Under?

2011-03-22T04:29:00.001Z

Over or Under?, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, here we are again, at the beach, playing a bit of hide and seek. The Summer has been sweltering 'Down Under' but the Two Legged Ones are diligent about ensuring I am a frequent beach goer (and seriously, I am quite the Iron Dog these days - I can swim, run and paddle - a force to be reckoned with in the next IronDog competition!). We are apparently into Autumn over here, but sure, like you'd know. On the plus side, I'm loving all the trips to the beach and river!! Woof for now!!!

Study Break!!

2011-02-22T05:50:00.001Z

Study Break!!, originally uploaded by Wonder Westie.

Well, as you can see, I've been busy, yet again. Here I am, taking a wee break from studying up on a few things. It's been a busy month or so - one of the Two Legged Ones had a holiday back home so I was busy, taking care of the other Two Legged One. It's quite tiring (as you can tell). I've been out in the kayak again which is going well. Recently, we managed a mid-river transfer from one kayak to the other (as the Two Legged One I was with was going sooooo slowly, I almost fell asleep so I had to go with the other Two Legged One which was far more exciting as he goes a lot faster). It has been roasting hot over here - no let up in sight either. It's not quite as hot as Dubai but it feels it ..... on the plus side, this means I have more trips to the beach and river and my swimming skills are quite amazing these days. Anyway, I better go. Gotta catch up on some reading and prepare for another adventure to the beach this afternoon. Hope you are all well. Woof for now.

Fun Times

2011-01-27T09:05:00.001Z

Fun Times
Originally uploaded by Wonder Westie

So, as promised, here I am, living it up in my kayak. It's grand. I sit here, watching birds ( seriously, one day I WILL catch one), catching the breeze, being made a huge fuss of (other paddlers wave to me and comment on how cool I am)and generally enjoying myself. It really is mint fun. The Two Legged Ones take me back to shore after a while but I just go straight back into the water until they come get me again. I'm a bit of an adventure hound these days!! Anyway, it's time for my walk so woof for now!

The GOR

2011-01-22T12:22:00.000Z

Sleepy Koala at the Cape Otway Centre

Two Legged Ones' addiction - amazing coffee in Melbourne

View from hotel room - Melbourne at night

The Apostles in the Morning

me - enough said

Airey's Inlet Lighthouse

I was tasked with telling you all about the Two Legged Ones adventure to the Great Ocean Road - well, that was four months ago so I'm a bit behind. What can I say, I'm a busy four legged one! Anyway, they had a blast. I didn't go - I could have, of course, but I figured it better to stay behind and hang out with the Older Two Legged Ones. It turns out the Great Ocean Road was quite amazing - the Two Legged Ones always like it when a place looks just like it should - and apparently the Twelve Apostles (actually, there aren't twelve at all but that's another story) looked just like the postcards and photos they had both seen for years. so, they loved it. They stayed at this very cool eco lodge http://www.greatoceanecolodge.com/ which was the highlight of the three days on the GOR - they saw koalas, woke up to a huge mob of roos only 100m from their bedroom door, had amazing food and the silence was total. They loved it. The Great Ocean Eco Lodge is associated with the Cape Otway Centre, an organisation that they found truly inspirational http://www.capeotwaycentre.org/ The Two Legged Ones said they would go back there tomorrow and live there if they could! Apparently I would love it! They went to see the Twelve Apostles early in the morning and told me it was stunning beyond words. They went over the Apostles in a helicopter and also went right down to the ocean to see them closer up (using the Gibson Steps - carved into the cliff by one very industrious man - with perhaps a tad too much time on his hands) - but of course, one of the Two Legged Ones wasn't paying attention and got swamped by a huge wave and almost got stranded ...... sometimes, the other Two Legged One and I think it's a full time job looking after her! They spent a few days in Melbourne on the way back and well, of course, I heard all about that, at length, when they got back - they love Melbourne, would take me to live there tomorrow, they love it so much - the food, the laneways, the art, the museums. They visited the MCG sports museum and the Australian Two Legged One was delighted as she got to see Phar Lap's training saddle. So, I've included some photos for you below. I'm doing my usual, enjoying life to the full, hanging out with my buddies, charming all I meet, renewing my vendatta with the magpies (I nearly caught one the other day but the Two Legged One stopped me from continuing the chase - complete kill joy that one) and trying to avoid the horrible, sweltering heat that is Summer here. Anyway, more later - I've taken up the kayaking as promised in my last blog so I'll be updating you all on that soon. I've become a bit of an adrenalin junkie you see. More soon. Woof for now. xxx The G Man

Update

2010-09-27T06:03:00.001+01:00

Well, here we are again. I'm not the best at keeping the blog up to date, I admit, but it's busy Down Under. Spring has arrived and while it's not quite as dramatic as Spring in Ireland, it's still quite an amazing time of the year. Crisp mornings, incredible golden wattle in bloom, lovely smells as all those quite boring Australian native trees just burst into amazing colour. Quite the poet aren't I? I'm still as busy as ever - out and about every morning, then for my midday walk with Helen and the gang and, with the longer evenings settling in, the Two Legged Ones are back to taking me to the river and beach in the evenings. We have taken to spending quite a bit of time out in the evenings, just wandering the streets - not quite like hobos, but almost! Weekends are our usual great fun - beach, river, breafkast out at some groovy cafe, visits to new parks, meeting up with friends - it's a hectic life we have!

The Two Legged Ones have bought kayaks which has generated quite a lot of excitement (and hilarity, apparently, as one of the Two Legged Ones is unable to get out of the kayak without falling over - two guesses which Two Legged One that is!) - they go out each Saturday morning while I stay with the Older Two Legged Ones. Kayaking is, according to the Two Legged Ones, brilliant fun - they come back full of stories about pelicans, shags and, yesterday, a dolphin, only a few metres away from them. I'm going to give it a go soon - come the Summer, I'm going to be in one of those kayaks with them, my CFD (canine floatation device, to those of you who don't know) on, head into the wind - it's going to be mint. Gotta go now - just had a bath and I'm off for a walk to dry off. some photos below of me chilling out and some snaps of our walking the streets adventures. woof for now.

New Zealand

2010-06-14T12:56:00.002+01:00

So, the Two Legged Ones went to New Zealand last month. They spent weeks planning it and then spent weeks talking about it when they got back. On and on they went - raving about how wonderful the food was, how amazing the scenery was, how brilliant everything was - I'm sure they would move there tomorrow if they could! I could have gone as Four Legged Ones are welcome in NZ but well, it would have meant another plane trip and, on top of that, the Two Legged Ones were going on an 'adventure holiday' so while I'm very fit and an all terrain dog, I figured that it wouldn't be much fun sitting inside while they went heli-hiking up Franz Josef or horse riding in Cardrona Valley (apparently they were both a tad saddle sore after that!) or tramping through the Siberian Valley (which apparently was completely awesome) or sitting in the car while they drove miles and miles off the beaten track to visit something they read about in the Lonely Planet (seriously, one of the Two Legged Ones cannot go anywhere without the relevant Lonely Planet - it's actually a bit of a worry). So, I said, sure, off with you, I'll hang out here with the older Two Legged Ones who, of course, will treat me like I am the best Four Legged One ever (they did of course). There was a huge hoo ha when the Two Legged Ones returned and I was given loads of hugs, attention and the walks to make up for the time they were away. It's starting to get cold here, now, although it's never really cold in this part of the world. But it did rain today, while I was out walking, for the first time in months so that was a bit ordinary. I thought I heard one of the Two Legged Ones mention something about buying me a jacket for the wet months - yes, well, we'll see what happens if she tries to make me wear one of those!!! There's a photo below showing what I did last time they tried that. Anyway, gotta dash. Toys to destroy, food to eat, crows to bark at, two legged ones to charm, more stories about NZ to avoid (they are already planning another holiday there next year!) .
Stay tuned for more stories of our adventures Down Under.

A long hot Summer

2010-03-29T03:56:00.006+01:00

So, it's been the hottest Summer on record where I'm now living. It has been really, really hot - and no rain for about 4 months. Can you believe that? Geez, for a Four Legged One from Ireland, this has been tough. But, as you can see below, I've taken up swimming to keep cool. The Two Legged Ones are very impressed by this (and yet again, I'm the main subject for their photos - sometimes being so cute and photogenic is actually a bit of a burden) - no more of the paddling for me, I'm straight into the river or ocean now. The one good thing about the hot summer has been loads and loads of visits to the beach and river for me!! I'm into jetties and boats now too.

The Two Legged Ones went to Melbourne earlier this year - and, just like Sydney, they went on and on about it. They got to catch up with some good friends of ours from Dubai, including Marcel, one of my great Four Legged buddies, who remembered them and there was a lot fun that day. I really wanted to go to Melbourne, especially as I knew Marcel would love to see me and I wanted to see him again,. I stayed with the Older Two Legged Ones again and had a blast - loads of treats and walks. But next time, I'm hoping the Two Legged Ones will take me to Melbourne!!!

The cooler weather is almost here but I'm still going to the beach - and still swimming. It's good for my 'Iron Dog' training!

A new beach

2010-03-29T03:13:00.011+01:00

Yes, it's been a while I know. But life in Australia is very busy. The Two Legged Ones have been busy too so it's been a bit hectic. Last year, the Two Legged Ones visited Sydney, a place which is apparently amazing - well, I'm guessing it is as they went on and on and on about it when they got back. I couldn't go - well, I could have but it would have meant another plane trip and I could well do without that for a while!

The Two Legged Ones have also done a few day trips to see some of the countryside around here.

I go stay with the Older Two Legged Ones and have a blast. I'm spoilt rotten when I go there, and I know how to look cute so I get even more spoilt!

So, a few months later, because I had missed out on the other holidays, we all went away for a long weekend 'down south' as they say over here. What a great weekend! We went to some great places and best of all, I ran and ran and ran like mad on some new beaches. We stayed on a great farm, with loads of new smells for me and some interesting looking sheep (don't look anything like Irish sheep) to stare at. I was very busy, sitting out on the verandah, checking out the livestock. I had a great four days - we visited woods, we were on the beach every day and even though it was wild and woolly I paddled and splashed and smelt, I ran, I scrambled and all in all, it was brilliant fun. The Two Legged ones took me everywhere with them and I slept the whole way home as I had been one busy dog for four whole days!!!

Smells at the Beach

2009-07-18T13:10:00.002+01:00

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.

2009-04-03T08:13:00.009+01:00

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

2008-01-11T17:24:00.000Z

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

2007-10-30T04:35:00.000Z

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

2007-08-13T16:56:00.000+01:00

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

2007-05-06T09:24:00.000+01:00

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

2007-03-29T11:45:00.000+01:00

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!

Groucho and Gypsy Dog

2007-03-26T18:35:00.000+01:00

Groucho has a friend called Gypsy Dog. Please visit Gypsy Dog here.

Please check back here soon for photos of Groucho and Gypsy Dog playing together.

Smile - It's Groucho

2007-03-25T17:43:00.000+01:00

Groucho is such a clever little dog. Groucho likes to work things out for himself, he loves learning new things to keep his mind occupied. We put some of his home-made treats into his toy and Groucho has worked out that if he shakes it around and throws the toy into the air, the food will fall out. When Groucho grows tired of doing this he rolls the toy under the couch and pretends he cannot get it back out. Groucho waits for someone to get it for him and to throw it - hoping that more food will fall out.

Groucho has made lots of new friends since he moved to Dubai. Groucho loves meeting his friends while he is out on one of his walks around the lake near where he lives. Groucho the Wonder Westie of the Western World seems to make just about everyone he meets smile. This is probably Groucho's most important super canine power - the ability to make people smile.

Back to the City

2007-03-13T14:26:00.000Z

So, after a wonderful week in the country, Groucho returned to his city dog life and back to his home which he loved - it was much better than where he lived before The Rescue and our home was definitely being taken over by Groucho the Wonder Westie.

From our patio, Groucho could look out over a river (which he jumped into many times!), two bridges, a large field (more on that later!), a public walkway and the back of the largest cemetry in Ireland (which sounds a bit spooky but it wasn't at all !), so Groucho had a great time, sitting out on the patio, little black nose pressed to the glass, watching the world go by. Sometimes, he would chase the magpies because they always tried to take his food! Unfortunately, Groucho's super canine powers did not extend to flying after them so he had to be happy with just barking very loudly!

Because there was no grass on the patio, Groucho had his own sand pit in which he buried his treats. We didn't realise one of Groucho's super canine powers was an ability to dig at very fast speeds and the first day, more sand ended up on the patio than in the actual sand pit! Groucho was also given one corner of the patio for his own - and we dumped potting soil there so he could dig, bury and all that doggy stuff and it was always very funny when he buried something there, as his little white face would be covered with black sand!

Groucho took over the living room, taking up one cushion of the couch for himself and also a fair amount of floor space! Because Groucho, like most terriers, is very energetic, he needed quite a bit of sleep to prepare for all his adventures and was often found fast asleep on the couch. Groucho also liked to snuggle and would often sit next to us and roll over on his back for a scratch on his tummy. Every night, after his dinner, Groucho wanted his 'play attack' and we would have to chase him around the living room, the patio or take him out on to the grass and chase him around the trees.

Groucho had a lot of friends in Dublin and was very well known. Groucho was particularly popular with the kids who would come up to the patio to visit him. One of Groucho's other super canine powers was an ability to be very friendly to everyone and most dogs although he was a bit scared of cats!

Groucho's Holiday in Kerry

2007-03-12T15:56:00.000Z

In addition to visiting the Skellig Islands Groucho had many other adventures in County Kerry. Most mornings Groucho went down to the beach because the weather was very warm - Groucho wasn't really that fond of the ocean but he did love the wind in his face. Groucho investigated the many ruins that were in the area. There are lots of ruined cottages in the area as a result of emigration during and after the Great Famine (1845 - 1849).

Groucho's super canine powers were tested during his explorations because he met animals that he had never seen before (which is understandable as Groucho was not even a year old at the time). One day his super canine powers almost failed him when he was overly curious about a ewe with her two lambs and he ventured too close - the ewe chased him down and Groucho only narrowly missed being head butted.

Each evening, Groucho went for a long walk with us down to the front gate of the farm and this was probably his most favourite time of the day. Groucho was often let off his lead and would disappear for 20 minutes or so, chasing hares, sniffing all the new smells and generally having a great time, barking at the cows and being quite disappointed when they would not play with him. Every afternoon, Groucho sat out the front of the cottage, looking out at the incredibly beautiful view to the Atlantic Ocean. And every day, Groucho came with us into Sneem where he became quite well known with many people stopping to talk to him. Groucho thought it was great and he was particularly fond of the butcher shop (which produced the best garlic and herb sausages we had every tasted).

And one day, Groucho went on a history tour, to check out an iron age fort near Sneem. Groucho's super canine powers were really tested that day as Groucho had to scramble up some fairly tall walls to check out the view but he thought it entirely worthwhile.

Unfortunately, the week came to an end all too soon. All in all, it was a wonderful week for Groucho and us - it only rained one day, we all had a great week of resting, relaxing, eating some excellent food and, even better, seeing some of the most amazing and awesome scenery in the West of Ireland. Groucho became a farm dog for a week and thought he was quite cool at it, although we are not so sure - even with his super canine powers and being the Wonder Westie of the Western World, it seemed that Groucho was still very confused about the purpose of cows and sheep!

Groucho and the Puffins

2007-03-07T17:14:00.000Z

Groucho went on holidays to Co. Kerry in Ireland last summer. One beautiful summer's day Groucho went on a boat trip. There were six puppies on the boat and Groucho quickly made friends with them. Groucho was on his way to the Skellig Islands to check out a puffin colony.

There were lots of steps to climb to get to the top of the island, but Groucho quickly climbed them (he is a super canine after all). Groucho stopped along the way to the top to stare at the puffins as the returned from their fishing trips. Seeing the puffins eating made Groucho feel hungry and he stopped for a picnic close to the top of the island.
All to soon it was time to return to the base of the island to climb aboard the boat to take us back to the mainland. Our skipper had caught some fish while we were on the island and he treated us to some grilled fish. Groucho thought that this was great -- the perfect end to a perfect day. A tired and weary Groucho returned from his adventure on the Skelligs happy in the knowledge that he had seen a real puffin for himself.

The Rescue of Groucho

2007-03-06T16:20:00.000Z

It was the 12th of April 2006 when the phone call came. A mad dash up the motorway on the 13th of April and Groucho was busted out of the pound. The rescue was completed by 2.30 pm and the Adventures of Groucho the Wonder Westie of the Western World were about to begin.

His previous owners were not aware of his super canine powers -- but we soon discovered them when Groucho took over the responsibilities for navigation from Dundalk to Dublin. On arrival in Dublin, Groucho displayed his next super canine power -- escapology. Groucho soon freed himself from his new spacious home in search of his next adventure.

2007-03-06T16:16:00.000Z

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend...Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.- Groucho Marx

Day One - Groucho enters our Lives!

2007-03-05T16:32:00.003Z

This is Groucho, the day we brought him home from the pound. We did not know what had hit us - a furry, white fluff ball of energy, mischief and an amazing ability to charm! Poor Groucho was a bit of a mess, his first 6 months of life had been horrible - so, we brought him home, made our home 'Groucho proof' and quickly learnt that owning a Westie is incredibly rewarding. We decided this amazing four legged being needed a new name, a fresh start so, he became Groucho, named after the Groucho (Marx, of course!) - same wacky sense of humour and whiskers! And we are truly grateful to Westie Rescue for finding Groucho for us - he is an amazing dog and as we always say, life is not the same without a Westie!