Time for a Bath - it Must be Crufts Again!

Hugo waiting to go in to Pets at Home

Hugo and Pip have had a very busy two days and are currently lying exhausted on the floor - I don't think they will be moving much for the rest of this evening!

Yesterday started bright and early because Hugo and Pip had a 9 o'clock appointment with their beautician to get them ready for their next grand appearance at Crufts. Before we made our way to Pets at Home where the Groom Room were going to perform their magic, Martin and I took Hugo and Pip up to Minchinhampton so they could have a good walk first. We arrived at the Gloucester store ten minutes before it opened so we waited outside in the sunshine. Hugo was very interested in that big, bad Akita just the other side of the shop door that, strangely, copied his exact movements. Miss Pip was in fine form, play bowing to Hugo, trying to make him chase her and woo-wooing in excitement. At last the doors were opened and we were straight in, hurriedly dragging Hugo and Pip past the lady cleaning out the rabbits, and down to the beauty parlour at the end. Hugo went in without hesitation, nosey dog that he is, but Miss

Miss Pip in mad-dog mode

Pip started to dig her feet into the ground just in case it was the V.E.T she was going in to. She soon gave in and went through the door, too, where the nice lady took them both through the counter door and into the room at the back. She told us she would be washing and grooming Hugo but another girl was coming in at 10.00am to do Pip. We were told to come back about 1.00pm unless we heard otherwise so off we went. After doing our weekly shop we were on the way home with it when my phone rang - the Groom Room were almost finished so we could come back at 11.30am. After offloading the shopping we set off again and walked through the store. As I opened the door to the cubicle at the end of the shop I leaned over the counter and there

Sparkling, clean & fluffy

was Miss Pip, just finished - she was thrilled to see me and dashed round to great me, howling and throwing herself at me. Martin took her outside the door as it was rather a confined space and there were a couple of other people in there and the girl went to get Hugo who greeted me with much wriggling and leaning himself against me - I think he was pleased to see me. All this time and while I paid Miss Pip was standing outside with Martin howling and generally letting the whole world that she was there. The ladies in the parlour said that she had been very vocal for the first hour or so - I suspect while Hugo was being pampered and she was left to wait. We certainly like to create an audience when we go out. Hugo and Pip looked fantastic when they came out, sparkling white and very fluffy and soft. The ladies had even cut their nails which is something they will not let us attempt to do so we were very pleased.

All of this grooming and preening was, of course, for today's main event - Hugo and Pip's fourth trip to Crufts to represent Akita Rescue & Welfare Trust on the breed rescue stand. This morning's start was exceptionally early with the alarm clock going off at 5.30am but Hugo and Pip decided to ignore that,

Early morning walk

lifting their heads briefly and then promptly going back to sleep. And there they would have stayed had Toby not arrived causing great excitement, especially when they saw we were all wearing our ARW uniforms. Toby and I first drove Hugo and Pip up to Minchinhampton Common for a walk before we set off - it was frosty and dry so perfect and yesterday's beauty treatments were not ruined by wet and mud. Even better we were the only people up there so it was a very pleasant walk. Back home we picked up Martin and off we set to the N.E.C. in Birmingham. We arrived at eight o'clock and made the long walk from the car park to the Hall 1 entrance which is the only door that dogs are allowed to enter through, even though we were in Hall 3. A quick trek through all the halls and we were finally at our destination and Hugo and Pip settled in to their pen for a day of being fussed and stroked and generally made the centre of attention. Some time later we were joined by Meg who stood outside the pen and wowed the crowds too - a gorgeous, laid back girl who is this year's cover girl for the Kennel Club calendar. 

Greeting the crowds

At first it was exceptionally noisy as the ring next to us was holding the Young Kennel Club owner's fly-ball competition and the load speakers and dogs barking was almost unbearable. Fortunately, after half an hour or so it died down and more sedate activities took place. Hugo, Pip and Meg were stroked and patted by hundreds of passers by and loved every minute. After several hours they began to flag and gradually sank into lying positions, although still allowing people to lean over to touch

Getting tired now

them. By three o'clock were were all exhausted so we decided to call it a day, leaving Meg to greet the crowds alone. 

The journey back through the halls was quite traumatic as the aisles were chock-a-block with people all going in the opposite direction to us so we had to fight our way through. Martin and Hugo led the way with Pip and myself following. Hugo was getting quite stressed as he normally likes to weave as he walks but he was

Young Meg, our pin-up girl!

very confined and kept bumping into people and coming to dead ends so it was with great relief we reached the doors and got out in the fresh air. Hugo and Pip are definitely 'country' dogs and are not used to crowds or narrow pathways as we tend to walk them in wide open spaces but they behaved beautifully and we were very proud of them. The journey home was, fortunately, very quick and uneventful with two sleeping beauties in the back who hardly moved all the way back. Here's to a quiet day tomorrow, I think we all deserve it.

Homeward bound.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly!

The last couple of weeks have been very busy in the run up to Christmas and there have been lots of exciting parcels arriving at the house. Knowing that a couple of these contained something of interest to Hugo and Pip we put them up well out of reach so they were not tempted. 

Last Friday we made the two and a half hour journey up to Chesterfield in Derby to visit my in-laws (or Little Granny & Granddad as the boys call them). We do not get to see them very often and it is generally at other relatives houses when we do so Hugo and 
Pip have never actually met them before. This is a great shame as Ann and Eddie absolutely love dogs but, at 81 and 91, can't really consider having another one themselves. So, when we suggested we bring Hugo and Pip with us, they jumped at the chance to see them. We set off early and had a good journey, stopping at Tamworth services on the way (we did wonder if Hugo would remember that this is where we picked him up from when he came in to our lives but he didn't show any signs of recognising it). Taking it in turns to use the facilities so Hugo and Pip could spend time on the grass and out of the car, I returned across the car park to be greeted by Pip howling her greeting and then proceeded to jump up me - I always knew wearing anything with white in it was a mistake! We duly arrived in the small village of Clowne and let Hugo and Pip into Little Granny & Granddad's house - after five minutes frantically rushing round sussing out where everything was they soon settled down and were introduced properly. Pip totally surprised us by taking to Eddie straight away (she is normally very wary of men, especially the older generation) and was quickly accepting the fuss he was giving her. It was not long before she had crashed out in front of the fire (it was not on!) and Hugo took her place by the side of Granddad's chair where he spent the majority of the rest of time we were there with Eddie leaning over stroking him. I say the majority of the time because at one point Eddie went upstairs to fetch some presents down for us. After a few minutes we realised that Hugo was missing so Ann went to check and there he was lying on the bed upstairs with Eddie talking to him - nothing like making yourself at home, Hugo!


Last Sunday I was given a gift at church by a lady I give a lift to and, not thinking, I left it on a small table by the television. (I'm sure you can guess what's coming!) On Monday we went visiting again but Hugo and Pip stayed behind this time because the aunt and uncle we were visiting have a miniature Schnauzer and she would have killed them if they had come in to her house! When we got home the living room floor was covered in wrapping paper and chocolates! Hurriedly picking up the debris I was relieved to find that there were only 4 empty wrappers and the rest of the chocolates were still there, if a little soggy (no need to rush to the vets then). Hugo and Pip must have know I am dieting and were only trying to help by making them inedible.
Like most other pet owners do, Hugo and Pip are treated the same as the rest of the family and have Christmas presents. Knowing they would be far too interested in the contents while I was wrapping them Toby took them back to his house with Steph so they did not see what they were getting before the big day. Hugo and Pip love going there but they do miss having Toby at home, as I do. 

Last night was Christmas Eve which, unusually for us, was a very relaxed evening and Hugo and Pip were ready for bed at about 8pm after we told them not to bark at Santa Paws if they saw him. Daniel had gone out and had not come back by the time we all went to bed but we were shocked awake by Pip baying the house down at 1am when he got home. She must have thought Father Christmas had arrived and she wasn't having any strange men in HER house even if he was bringing her a present! I have a bit of a funny throat at the moment and made the mistake of trying, very quietly, to take a lozenge out of a packet at 6 o'clock this morning - Hugo was there in a flash, FOOD! I then had to stop him sticking his tongue in my glass of water - nothing worse than slimy water first thing in the morning!

Hugo and Pip have had a good day today, lots of presents, Toby home for the day, walk on Selsley Common in the rain, wind, cold and mud then a huge dinner. I always give Hugo and Pip exactly the same as us on Christmas Day, including the spouts which Toby cunningly mashed into the potatoes. The only things left were a few pieces of carrots and one parsnip. Then zzzzzzzzzzzzz for the rest of the afternoon! Very surprising is the fact that none of the presents have been destroyed yet (which must be something of a record) apart from, of course, the edible goodies which were devoured within minutes of opening. The firm favourites with both Hugo and Pip seem to be the Kong tennis balls but if Pip does not stop squeaking them they might rapidly go missing!

Hugo and Pip would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and look forward to keeping in touch with all their friends in the New Year.

All change!

Hugo in 'his spot' on the new settee

I know it has been a long time since I last wrote on here so rather than write too much I am going to go by the saying ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ and end this posting with lots of pictures from the last few months. 

Miss Pip has selected her chair

This week has been one of great change in that my younger son, Toby, last Saturday moved out of our house and in with his girlfriend, Steph. Along with him went our two settees which left us awaiting the arrival of our new three piece suite until Tuesday (for the chairs) and Thursday for the settee (couldn't get it in on Tuesday so had to come back and take the

glass out the living room window). We have a couple of nice comfortable chairs from our “shed” (home office) so we were OK for a few days without but Hugo and Pip have had to make do with the floor – well, when I said they made do with the floor, what I actually meant was they spent most of the time upstairs on our bed!

Hugo and Pip have been totally lost without Toby around and leap up whenever a car slows down outside in the hope it is him. 

Pip loves her brother Toby

They (or rather Miss Pip) still greet Daniel, my older son, very vocally, but it is not the       same, Toby is their brother.

The three amigos

On Tuesday, when the armchairs arrived, Miss Pip lost no time in claiming one of them as her own but Hugo was still relegated to the carpet, although he normally likes to lie there anyway so it was no great hardship. The chairs, being new, give off a strange scent and I think it is because of that Hugo is not too keen. The settee duly arrived (and glass replaced) and Miss Pip, again, took control and made herself comfortable on it – she does prefer the armchair though and this is where she prefers to sit. It has taken Hugo two days but he has, eventually, climbed up and found ‘his spot’ on the settee. This morning he has even squeezed himself into one of the armchairs but soon found it a bit too confining for his bulk and got down again.

Hugo loves his brother Toby

Yesterday, Toby called in here on the way back to his house and picked up Hugo and Pip to take them back with him so he could meet Steph from work and walk them before they all come back for a Chinese. This meant that Hugo and Pip visited Toby’s new house for the first time which they explored thoroughly, Hugo christening the garden. They then found their old friends, the leather settees and quickly re-established their acquaintance with them!

June - a shady spot

Following the visit to their ‘brother’, Hugo in particular seems quite depressed as if he realises now that he has seen all Toby’s things in another house that he won’t be coming back. He keeps making crying noises and sighing, especially if you talk to him in a sympathetic voice – this might just be a ploy to get our attention but it is very sad to hear him. On the other hand it might just be because he can’t go outside because the weather is appalling – only time will tell.

June - Pip

June - Pip posing

July - Brush time - Hugo is blowing his coat!

July - Paws in the Park Birmingham with Akita Rescue & Welfare

July - Paws in the Park - Pip greeting her foster Mum, Kim,
who she hasn't seen for 2 years

July - Paws in the Park - relaxing with friends

July - new harnesses

August - Paws in the Park Cheltenham with Akita Rescue & Welfare

August - Paws in the Park Cheltenham - taking a break
from their admiring public

August - Worcester Show with Akita Rescue & Welfare - rained off,
here are Hugo and Pip sheltering with Toby and Steph

October - pack walk with Akita Rescue & Welfare at Cannock Chase

October - ARW pack walk at Cannock Chase with 22 friends

October - Hugo suffered with 'frozen tail' which made his tail uncurl.
It is now back up and all is well.

October 25th - Hugo's 4th Birthday.

Night Time Manoeuvres!

Hugo

Pip

Evidence of the destroyed trellis!

Pip on Hedgehog watch!

Hugo, Pip and Toby

Hugo has been a bit of a nightmare lately, mainly because he is terrified of flies. He thinks it is safer out in the garden, not realising that this is where the dreaded pests come from. Unfortunately, this also includes night time and, after several nights of enticing him in, only to be kept awake until the early hours with him pacing, scratching at doors and huffing, we gave in and have been leaving the back door open. This has worked fine and he normally comes inside at some stage during the night but he knows he has his escape route. Miss Pip is quite content to take up her usual sleeping position on the duvet on the floor at the foot of our bed, occasionally sneaking up on to the bed in the small hours in the hope we won't notice. 

Leaving the door open was no problem until the other night when Martin was awoken at about 1.00am with both dogs scrabbling to get outside. He suddenly realise that neither of them had returned some time later so he went to investigate. He saw Hugo on the patio outside the back door standing over 'something' that he had obviously been sniffing around as he had created a wet patch all around it. Miss Pip was on the steps up on to the lawn, also taking keen interest in something on the ground in front of her. What were these strange creatures of the night - hedgehogs! Needless to say Martin made both Hugo and Pip come in the house and shut the door firmly behind them. Highly unusual for me, I slept through all of this but a very short time after this had happened I heard Pip do one of her low 'woofs', not the one she uses when someone is coming in the house that will make you leap of of your skin, but the one to get your attention if she wants to go up the garden. I heard Toby go and open the door for her as it had woken him too and thought no more about it until Martin told me in the morning what had happened the night before! 

Hedgehog spines!

Hugo and Pip among the buttercups

Ever since then Hugo and Pip have been obsessed with looking for their spiky friends and are dashing around, sniffing under every thing they can get to and generally being very hyper. The first thing I did when I heard what they had found was to check Hugo and Pip for any unwanted little visitors - I always remember a dog we had when I was growing up that had sniffed around a hedgehog and his head was literally crawling with fleas afterwards! Fortunately, there was no sign of anything and they seem to have been let off lightly. Not so the trellis that sits on the back of our decking just a few inches from the fence that divides us from our neighbours! When I got home from work that night I noticed on the decking several strips of broken wood. On further investigation I discovered where they had come from - yes the trellis! The little darlings have created rather a large hole in it which gives them easy access to the hedgehog highway which runs between the deck and the fence. We were not amused! Needless to say the hole is now blocked and, as Hugo and Pip seem to have calmed down a bit, we rather suspect the hedgehogs have gone to pastures new. They may be very good at eating slugs and snails in the garden but I, for one, am not upset they have departed.

The tale does not end there. This morning I was pottering round the garden and was picking up some leaves and pulling weeds that were on the steps leading up on to the lawn. I was wearing gloves but suddenly felt a sharp stab in my thumb. Still embedded in my flesh, through the glove, was a hedgehog spine and I found a couple more lying on the step. It is very surprising that Hugo and Pip did not suffer any injuries from their encounter with the hedgehogs as they obviously got close enough to cause some spines to fall out - let's hope they have learned a lesson but I somehow doubt it!

Furry Alarm Clocks and UFOs

Chilling on the decking

All this week I have had to get up at 5.45am to get Toby to work for 7am and Hugo and Pip have not been amused - they have remained lying down at the foot of the bed barely lifting an eye-lid as I climb over them and Martin has had to call them down at 7am to take them for a walk. So, why, oh why, when it is a Saturday and we can all have a lie in do that they decide 6am is a good time to get up and start jumping up and down on the bed?!! It is all very well trying to ignore them but they KNOW we are awake. They first start by charging up and down the stairs like a herd of elephants, dropping the occasional bone so it would bounce on every step. Hugo then lifts the curtain up so he can look out the window, letting in the light and Pip stands there woo wooing with a tissue in her mouth. Hugo then went and had a long drink out the toilet and came back to jump up on the bed trying to lick us while Pip came in with a wet face flannel she had found in the bathroom!! Think they were trying to tell us something. In the end Martin gave in and went and made a cup of tea and bought their biscuits back up to bed. As soon as they had had them they settled down and went back to sleep - we, of course, were wide awake. Thanks Hugo and Pip, you make great alarm clocks but not on a Saturday, please!

Selsley Common is a beautiful open space that is perched on the top of a hill and when you get to the far side you are greeted by fantastic views over the Severn Valley with the Black Mountains in the distance. It is a very popular place for flying model aeroplanes and paragliding as the thermals are good. As I was walking Hugo and Pip up there the other afternoon we suddenly had to duck as a very large model aeroplane glided straight over our heads and crashed in to the grass behind us - Pip was ready to kill it as she saw it approaching and I think she would have pounced on it when it hit the ground if I had not made her walk quickly away. 

On another evening some youngsters were flying kites which both Hugo and Pip were very interested in and they were constantly looking back over their shoulders and up in to the sky to watch what was happening - a tasty treat perhaps! As we rounded the mound right on the edge of the common where the hill drops away Hugo and Pip stopped dead in their tracks as this giant 'bird' took off with a whoosh and both of them darted towards it as it floated off over the edge. Fortunately the extender leads came in to their own and stopped them before they flew over the edge after this giant creature.- yes, you've guessed what it was, a paraglider with a man strapped in to his 'sleeping bag' hanging underneath. Think he was quite glad when the air currents swept him upwards otherwise he might have had a couple of passengers hanging on to him!

Hugo gets a bit jealous when Pip is getting a fuss!

On Thursday there was a bit of excitement up on the Common, which only allows cars to park on the very edge. As we reached the crest of the hill we spotted a gazebo with two vans and loads of people messing with a camera As they were right on the path we normally take we decided to go in the opposite direction and we saw a young girl in a high vis. jacket who was obviously part of the group. Hugo and Pip liked her as she made a great fuss of them and I asked her what was happening. She told us they were filming a commercial for Freeview, taking advantage of the beautiful scenery in to the valley. As we walked away there was a sudden whirring noise and a model helicopter took off with a camera attached underneath - it went right over the top of us, causing Hugo and Pip to spin round trying to watch it's progress and getting very excited in general. So, if you see an advert on Freeview where you can see a fat lady in a blue and white striped top with two bears prancing around and a herd of cows close by - its us!!

Early Morning Wake Up Calls

Well, it's been almost a month since I last wrote on here for one reason and another so thought I ought to do a bit of catching up. So, in no particular order..................

This morning I was woken up at 6.15am by Hugo wondering round the bedroom, violently shaking his head every few steps, because he had SOMETHING in his ear! Funny thing was though, as soon as he knew I was awake and leaned over to give him a cuddle whatever it was seemed to disappear - hummmmmm!

The other morning we were, again, awoken earlier than necessary, this time with the sound of   crunch, crunch, crunch. Miss Pip had been down the bin in the bathroom and fished out the empty toothpaste tube. She and Hugo spent many happy hours crunching the plastic and licking out those left over remains in the bottom - at least they both had lovely minty fresh breath for a day or two which I suppose is better than when Madam insists on drinking out the toilet!

Everyone who has every had anything to do with Akitas will know that one of their traits is to have a hight prey drive - cats, small dogs, birds, in fact anything fury that moves is fair game to them. It is one of the reason's we always keep them on a lead when we walk them, one of their other characteristics being notoriously stubborn with the ability to turn a deaf ear to their owners frantic shouts if they have their mind set on catching something. However, at home in the garden they are free to wander and you regularly hear a scurry and scrabbling over the fence as some lucky cat, squirrel or bird makes their escape leaving two very frustrated, panting dogs behind. One poor blackbird was not so lucky the other week as we found Hugo and Pip playing with a rather limp specimen - we are still not so sure if they actually caught it themselves or if it flew in to the window as it did not have any marks on it but it seems to have intensified their desire to chase anything that flies and they spend hours sitting in the middle of the garden watching next door's racing pigeons fly round and round. They are certainly not amused when anything feathered lands on the roof, Pip in particular going rigid with tension as she goes in to stalk mode.

On 19th May Toby and I got up early so we could take Hugo and Pip for a walk on Selsley Common before setting off on a two-hour drive up to Stoke on Trent to meet with a group of other Akita owners for a pack walk around Wesport Lake. Two Akitas in the back of a Panda is a bit of a tight squeeze and we had to keep getting Hugo to lie down as he totally blocked the view out the rear window. Fortunately, after we had been on the motorway for a while he settled down and it was plain sailing. We had a lovely time and there were about 15 dogs there in total, including the honorary Akita, Marvin the Staffy (aka the Orange Dog). All of them were exceptionally well behaved and a credit to the breed. The walk was organised through the Akita Rescue and Welfare UK and was one of three taking place on the same day, the others being in Epping Forest and Blackpool. The weather was beautiful and the dogs enjoyed dipping in and out of the water, some even having ice creams to cool them down. Pip was more than excited to meet up again with her old foster parents Kim and Mike, and threw herself at them as soon as she saw them - a great tribute to the people who had shown her the first bit of kindness and love she had ever had when they took her in as a 12 week old puppy. We broke the journey on the way back home and called in at my parents in Stourbridge - Hugo and Pip were exhausted and so very well behaved, especially as Mum had got them some tasty bones as a treat. We didn't have to keep telling Hugo to lie down on the way home, he was flat out in the back of the car all the way back. Two very happy dogs.

Hugo likes the shade but Pip prefers the sun!

The holes in the lawn are getting bigger, despite us brushing the soil back in the holes every day! I watched Hugo the other day - he wondered over to one of the holes with a tennis ball in his mouth, looked around to see if anyone was looking, drop the ball in the hole and then proceeded to scrape it out with his feet - oh dear, the soil comes out too, but I was only getting my ball.

The garden is now very dry and dusty and, as Hugo and Pip spend much of their day rolling over and over play fighting, every time you pat one of them a huge cloud of dust rises off them. What with that and the fact Pip has been 'blowing' (moulting) for the last couple of weeks I give up with the housework (that's my excuse anyway!).

The great outdoors!

Enjoying the sunshine

Miss Pip has discovered a new game! She has found she can get under the decking and run around underneath, tormenting poor Hugo who doesn't stand a chance of getting his body under there. Funny thing is she has chosen the lowest point to get under which can't be more than about 6" high and she has to scrabble on her tummy to get in. Wonder if she's found any furry friends under there to keep her amused!

The guilty culprits!

Somebody has been helping with the garden and we now have several large holes in the lawn-that-was - the largest one we frequently refill only to go back a few minutes later to find it freshly dug again, usually with something like a rugby ball or the remains of a teddy bear sticking out of it. Unfortunately, it is right behind where I hang the washing on the line and on several occasions I have almost stepped back in it. Hugo and Pip look so innocent too but I have managed to take photographic evidence of work in hand.

Pip waiting for butterflies!

Hugo eyeing up the distant cows!

Hugo just loves to be able to lean out of our bedroom window watching the world go by - he really is the most nosey dog going. As soon as we wake up in the morning I have to draw the curtains and throw the window open for him to have a look - never mind there is a gale blowing in. I'm always a bit worried that our neighbours opposite might get a bit paranoid about being watched but all the children call up to him when they pass by and everyone seems very amused by him. He is particularly interested in the dustbin men who normally start on our road at 6.30am. This week, however, they were late and so Martin was out walking Hugo and Pip when they came round. The bin men made a huge fuss of them because they had always seen Hugo watching them and recognised him straight away so Hugo

Paddling in the river

was very pleased with himself when he came back in.

Had to laugh this afternoon when a fly dared come in to the house. Pip and Hugo were
so different in how they reacted - Miss Pip was after it, leaping and crashing in to the front door trying to catch it whereas Hugo came quivering in to the front room hiding himself as close to us as he could get - what a big brave bear he is!

It has been a beautiful weekend here and, this afternoon, Toby and I took Hugo and Pip out for a lovely walk. For the first time this year the ground was dry enough to go through the meadows by the River Frome and, surprisingly, there was hardly a soul in sight. Hugo and Pip thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine, dipping their toes and drinking out the river. Pip was captivated by butterflies and was leaping in the air trying to catch them as they fluttered past her. Hugo, on the other hand, had his sights set on the herd of cows that were behaving a very frisky fashion - think he wanted to join them.