Number58

Today we paid a visit to our local supermarket. Halfway down the first aisle and we heard the first shriek… ‘Look mum, it’s the Andrex Puppy Dog’.

Adoring crowds gathered round and Harry sat beautifully, turning on his big puppy dog eyes. Nothing like a crowd to make him turn up his level of cuteness. The staff made us promise to visit at least once a week so they can watch him grow up and Harry added another 25 members to his fan club. Soon he’ll have the paparazzi following him around.

Being a celebrity can be hard work though, so its time for another nap.

Over the weekend we took Harry the place known as Doggy Dreamland, Puppy Paradise, or as we know it – the pet shop. The purpose of the visit was to buy Harry a bone. Every puppy should have their own bone, although it’s much more fun to steal someone else’s.

However, all treats have to be earned, so before the pet shop we had a brief visit to our local M&S food hall. Harry didn’t have a fan club when he went in, but he did have 50 fully paid up members when he left. If he’d been able to sign autographs we would have been there till midnight.

Finally we made it to the pet shop, and after going up and down the aisles at least fifty times, Harry settled on a smoked bone which was twice as big as him. While he was distracted by all the other goodies we bought him a much smaller version. Its not that we’re mean, but the noise a bone makes when it’s repeatedly dropped on a hardwood floor, over and over and over again is awful. We figured if Harry had the smaller version then there was less chance he’d drop it.

This is the smaller version.

It’s huge.

And he can’t carry it around.

So he keeps dropping it.

And the noise it makes is awesome.

Due to a pressing family matter we had to take a trip northwards today. This meant a round trip of 140 miles and as Harry still objects loudly to travelling in the car, we thought he might prefer to stay behind. Our eardrums agreed.

So Harry was packed off, together with his favourite toy, to spend the day with another Guide Dog puppy walker. What he actually did all day he’s not telling, but we do know he went to meet some children coming home from school and had a fine time in the school playground.

By the time he got home all he wanted to do was crash out in his kennel with Fred.

Yesterday Harry went to his first Pilates class. This involves a lot of strengthening and stretching key muscles and can be quite hard work for a pup, especially when you have to watch a room full of humans wave their arms and legs around for a whole hour.

Harry was so tired when he got home that all he wanted to do was crash out with his best buddy Fred.

Fred is a wannabe Guide Dog pup but somehow I don’t think he’ll make the grade.

The life of a Guide Dog Puppy is privileged indeed. Today Harry went out for lunch to a restaurant. Actually, the real story is that Harry had his lunch in the car park before we had lunch inside. After his grand entrance into the restaurant where, of course, he was mobbed by all the diners, he promptly fell asleep under the table.

Talking of food, it didn’t take Harry long to figure out where the goodies were kept at home!

Harry likes to fall asleep on top of something, and sometimes we wonder how he can possibly find it comfortable. He’ll fall asleep on top of anything. Literally.

As he’s doing so well we decided to take him on his first big adventure – to Guide Dog Puppy Class. He met most of the other local Guide Dog puppies but all the commands to sit, down and stay were a bit too much for such a little chap, so he slept through most of it.

On the way there, travelling in the car, he was all, if I make enough noise maybe they’ll let me out. So he squawked indignantly, whimpered pitifully and when that didn’t work he tried to bark. Only he hasn’t quite mastered that yet and the resulting noise was kind of rrrr-yaaak. If it hadn’t been so LOUD it would have been funny.

Next time we’re taking earplugs.

As today was World Book Day Harry thought he’d take a trip to the library – an absolute must for such a cultured little pup. Having browsed the shelves, and rejected such titles as “Cooking with Delia” and “The Doctor Who TV Scripts”, Harry finally settled on this one. He thought it might be of some use to the humans.

Apparently we need to learn that this look means “I’m hungry – is it dinner time yet”?