We'll protect you!

Can't believe it's been a month since the last time we posted on here, where does the time go to?

Stalking the cows on Selsley Common

Hugo and Pip have been enjoying their late evening walks and it has been so refreshing going out when the weather is cooler and there are no people around - just the cows to contend with! Pip is getting braver and will stand and look at them without cowering (no pun intended) behind us but Hugo prances towards them, ears pricked and alert and his main aim seems to be to make them move off. One of  these days he is going to get a shock when he meets a braver cow and I wonder if he would be the same if there wasn't a lead attached which he knows will check him before he gets too close.

A couple of weeks ago the weather changed and we had a few thundery shows. They do not seem to bother Hugo or Pip at all which is great when so many other poor dogs are terrified. The other morning I was awoken by a crash of thunder and the lightening was crackling all around - Pip was still fast asleep but where was Hugo? Behind the curtain hanging out of the bedroom window watching it all!

Taking a breather at the show

At the end of July Toby and I took Hugo and Pip to Suki's Canine Rescue Crew Dog Show near Stratford on Avon. Rather than taking my small car we borrowed Martin's (my OH) so there was plenty of room in the back for them without them breathing down my neck. We met up with lots of other members of Akita Rescue and Welfare and had a great day with all the dogs being beautifully behaved. At one point a group photo was taken and I think I counted 25 Akitas all together - absolutely brilliant. We are looking forward to the next meet at Paws in the Park in Birmingham next weekend. Needless to say Hugo and Pip were exhausted by all the excitement and didn't even eat their tea that evening and certainly didn't want to go out for a walk!

Exhausted with all the walking

When we first had Hugo I had no problem taking him for a walk on my own but since Pip came in to our lives I did not feel confident enough to take the two of them together. This last

week, though, I decided to brave it and drove them up to Selsley Common where you can park the car right on the edge. There is plenty of space up there so you have time to get them under control when you see someone coming and there are no trees for them to wrap you round. It was brilliant and they behaved beautifully, even letting me stand still to take a couple of photos and I even managed to make Hugo sit when a couple of spaniels approached. I don't think I could quite manage on my own with them on a pavement alongside a road or along the canal where there are always cyclists and other dog walkers but it felt quite exhilarating to go solo with them so I can see this becoming a regular thing.

On Thursday night Martin was away from home and so was Daniel, my eldest lad, who was dog sitting for his friends while they were on holiday. (Their dog, Bret, is Hugo's arch enemy and you can read about when they met in the blog entitled 'A lover not a fighter' back in April). Toby slept in the shed (that is NOT as bad as it sounds!) so that left me in the house with Hugo and Pip for the night. They always sleep upstairs anyway and occasionally get on the bed although they don't tend to stay long. That night Hugo got up and lay down on Martin's side of the bed and was still there when I went to sleep. When I woke yesterday morning I felt the lump next to me and though he was still there but, no, Miss Pip was there instead - I think they must have changed guard during the night! Nice to be protected. We had to get up at 5.30am because Toby had to leave the house by 6am to go to work so, with no one else left at home, he took Hugo and Pip out for a quick morning walk at 5.45am - Hugo just got up, stretched and was ready for the off but Pip was not impressed. As soon as they were home she was straight back to bed.

Play with me Hugo!

They got their own back this morning though as both were away at 6am, huffing and jumping on and off the bed - yes, OK we ARE awake! I went and made tea and got Hugo and Pip some of their biscuits (for that's what they were wanting) and we went back to bed. I heard some birds making a commotion in the garden and Hugo and Pip flew downstairs and outside to investigate. I didn't think much more of it until I was in the kitchen later on and the same think happened - I was just in time to see them chasing off a sparrow hawk out of the Viburnum bush where the sparrows live. Although Hugo and Pip don't like the sparrows daring to come in to our garden they certainly weren't going to let anybody else have them!