Picture that!

We have had some beautiful walks in the last few days so here are a selection of pictures to celebrate the glorious Gloucestershire countryside.

Hugo taking a breather

Pip posing

Pulling Toby down the hill!

Dogs approaching!

Cows - I see cows!

Ready or not here I come!

Umm, tasty!

The hills are alive with the sound of.........

Hugo had just conquered 'the monster' - he wee'd up the post!

More dogs approaching!

Not impressed!

We are not amused!

Over the last few weeks a combination of perpetual rain, clay soil and two wild Akitas racing round and round has resulting in the lawn becoming an absolute mud bath - a lot of this mud making it's way indoors on the feet of the said two wild Akitas.

Water, water, I need water!

Daniel has now made a temporary barrier for the worst part of the garden but, unfortunately for Hugo and Pip, this includes the pond so their preferred drinking source is no longer available.

Miss Pip was the quickest to spot there was a route up across the decking but was foiled in her attempt to get to the pond by another barrier. Hugo just looks longingly across at it. 

We are not amused!!

If you go down in the woods today...

You might not believe this but I have lived in Stroud for over 30 years and have never been to Randwick Woods before today!

Toby and I decided to go up today so loaded the car with two excited dogs and wound our way along twisty, narrow lanes. The woods are absolutely beautiful and made me feel quite homesick for the beech wood next to Mum and Dads house.


Hugo and Pip had a wonderful time - we have never taken them in to woods before - they were chasing up and down the banks and round the trees and you could almost see them laughing - honestly they had big grins on their faces. Only downside was they were on very long extender leads which followed them up the banks and round the trees with Toby and I attached to the other ends. You can imagine the tangled mess we got into - it was great fun though and we will definitely be going back.

There's a huge monster on Selsley Common!

Only one cook book destroyed today, and fortunately one I don't use. Going to load all the books up into boxes tonight so should solve that problem.

The big scary monster!

Toby and I have just taken Hugo and Pip up on Selsley Common - beautiful up there today, sun shining, although a bit cold where the wind blows up from the River Severn. We had already encountered a couple of dogs without too much fuss when Hugo suddenly stops dead and actually growls and woofs very deeply (he is not particularly vocal at the best of times) so prepared for something major to happen. Was another dog approaching? No, not a soul in sight. Was there a cow? No, they were on the other side of the hill. Was there a hang glider taking off? No, absolutely nothing. Then realised what it was - the Cotswold Way marker post!!! Stupid dog - I had to go and pat it and make fuss of it so he could see it was a friend! Just glad there was no one around to see it.

Fish, chips and destruction!



Sweetness & Light!


One disgusting thing that happened on Tuesday - we have a pond in our garden which is well established with various fish  - some quite big. I noticed the other day that one was floating on the surface but it was the far side of the pond where I could not reach, it was chucking it down with rain and then I forgot about it. Toby was in the living room and he suddenly noticed an awful smell. Yes, you've guessed, Hugo was sitting there eating a big, partially rotted fish - what a delicious tasty treat that was!!!


Pip's a bit of a madam and will destroy anything and everything she can get hold off - I changed our bed (again it was last Tuesday) and she managed to eat a hole in the duvet before I could get the clean cover on. Then when Toby came to pick me up from work they ripped to shreds a cardboard box complete with all its packing chips so you can imagine the mess that made. Amongst the mess was my pastry brush (one of those silicone ones which was totally denuded with bits of red strips all over the kitchen floor! The only good thing is that neither of them seems inclined to swallow any of the bits.




The lawn is no more!

Our once lush and green lawn is now like a mud bath where Hugo and Pip are constantly chasing each other and we are seriously thinking of sectioning off parts of the garden in rotation so it can recover. The water features, now empty for the winter, have been knocked flying and the remaining few plants in pots have been pulled out!

At 2.45am Saturday morning I was awoken by Pip howling very loadly for quite a long time – a proper wail. I shot out of bed, as did Hugo to see whatever the matter was. Miss Pip was still asleep and was surprised with all the fuss so she must have been sleep-howling! Good old Hugo lay down next to her as if to protect her. Quite funny really because when I put my head out the window on the way back to bed I could hear dogs all over the estate barking – she had set the whole lot off!



Yesterday we got up early, did the housework (well, dusted & hovered downstairs) and then went to town for a couple of hours – both boys were also out. When we were nearly home I had a phone call from Toby to warn us of what was about to greet us but it was far worse than we could have imagined. The whole of the kitchen floor was strewn with chewed up cookery books and magazines! We had thought the reason they had attached the books before was because they were on a corner unit and they had been knocked off as the dogs brushed by but, no, the books they had selected were from the middle of the top shelf and the remaining ones around it were untouched.  Unfortunately, this time they have destroyed two of my favourites so I was not amused and  I’m afraid I smacked them both as well as shouting loudly (actually it hurt my hand more than them but they ran off into the garden and didn’t come in for a while). Hugo then spent the next hour or so trying to creep round us telling us how sorry he was and generally trying to let us know ‘it wasn’t him’. Miss Pip on the other hand sat underneath a scaffolding ladder on the decking and stayed well away – pretty sure she was the main culprit and she was very subdued for the rest of the day. Only time will tell if she has learned a lesson.

Woke us this morning to find there had been quite a harsh frost – Hugo spent some time licking the ice crystals off the decking! Goodness knows what he would do with snow.

 

 

 

The Birds and the Bees (well flies actually!)

Don't know whether it was because there was a bit of a mist before the sun burned it off but both Hugo and Pip, but mostly Pip, went completely loopy this morning. Charging round the garden, on and off the decking, in through the house, back out again. Hugo quickly got tired and just stood in the middle of the garden with Pip whirling round him. He wasn't THAT innocent though because every time she started to calm down he would go down on his front legs and jump at her to wind her up again!! All before 9 o'clock too.

Hugo thinking of the tasty treat he had missed earlier!

A bit later Toby suddenly called me downstairs - there was a bird in the kitchen and the dogs were going mad again! I opened the kitchen window, managed to get the dogs behind the child (or rather, dog) gate and Toby caught the poor little robin and got it out the window, unharmed. Hugo and Pip were non too pleased - they'd missed out on a tasty treat! Martin did comment later that he had wiped dog paw prints off the work surfaces where they had been jumping up.

It wasn't us!

This afternoon Martin & I were out the front doing bits on the cars (OK, Martin was doing, I was watching) and Hugo and Pip were howling inside the house - they knew we were out there and wanted to come out too. So, I opened my car door and let them out - they jumped straight in the back and were safely shut in, window open. Bad move. They weren't the only ones in the car - a big black buzzy fly was in there too. I don't know if it's just my two or if it is an Akita thing (Sid used to be exactly the same) but they absolutely hate flies - actually I think scared may be more accurate - they have to know where the horrible little creature is and the only way to be absolutely sure of that is to eat it. The back seat of a Fiat Punto and two Akitas does not leave much room so there was a lot of slipping and shaking and jumping going on in there and I began to fear for the wiring going to the rear windscreen heater. In the end I opened up the boot and let the fly out. Right, we can have a bit of peace now. WRONG! Pip decided to put her feet up on the back passenger shelf which immediately gave way beneath her and she was out the car and running round it in a flash! We got her back in quite easily but when the time came to pack up and we opened the door to get her out she was off again - little monkey. Hugo, who is normally as good as gold and goes back into the house without any fuss didn't like the shouting and dashing around and set off round the opposite side of the car to investigate and see where Miss Pip had got to. Two or three mad minutes which must have looked like something out of a cartoon and I went in and got 'dog bait', i.e. a couple of prawn crackers left from last nights Chinese take-away. Worked like a dream - being food obsessed has its compensations sometimes!

Cooking lessons!

Think Hugo and Pip wanted a go at some Mediterranean cooking today - it's a step up from last time when it was Microwave cooking!!

Snooze, Snooze

Snooze, Snooze

Did someone mention walk - we're gone!!

Hugo has a Sister

Well, it's now official - Hugo has a new sister! We signed the forms and paid for Pip today so she is here to stay. A few pictures to celebrate the occasion - it's marvellous what a handful of dog treats can do when held by the photographer!!

Shows, cars and fish food!

Making friends!

Toby and I took Hugo and Pip to the Family Fun Day & Dog show at Worcester Woods Country Park on Saturday and they were beautifully behaved and loved all the dogs and people they met. They were both really gently with children and were a great advert for the Akita Rescue and Welfare Trust who we had gone to support. They slept all the way back in the car and most of Sunday and Monday too - more shows please!!

Asleep in the car - worn out!

We have been taking them for walks up on Selsley Common and they are getting used to travelling in the back of my Fiat Punto to get there - not a lot of room for two bears and it makes reversing a bit tricky when you have a furry face in the way but it's perfect for these jaunts (if you don't mind a bit of slobber down your neck that is)! Yesterday after our walk we stopped off at Sainsbury's to get a couple of things so Toby stayed in the car with them. Everytime anyone walked by Pip barked at them so think the car is now her possession and she is 'on guard'! 

Pleased to meet you!

We are starting to leave Hugo and Pip at home on there own a bit more now and our next door neighbour says she hasn't heard them at all so it looks like having two little monsters is working well and Hugo is much happier. They do make a lot of mess though with the usual toy debris scattered everywhere and Miss Pip likes a good dig in the garden - fortunately it's in a place that doesn't matter so letting her get on with it.

Toby had the car today so he bought them to pick me up from work - the last time they came was when we had only had Pip a couple of days and she didn't particularly show much interest in me when she saw me. Today she was all over me, jumping up and licking me - it was lovely that she was so pleased to see me. Hugo, of course, is always happy for a cuddle when you see him.

We took them up to Uley Bury where the views were fantastic today and Hugo was very interested in the para-gliders taking off from the side of the hill - perhaps he thought they were big birds. Fortunately, it took his attention away from the fact there were loads of sheep in the same field. They met lots of new doggy friends all of which were snack sized treats but they were more than happy to meet and greet them all - most rolled over on their backs in submission but a black pug was a bit braver and barked at them before running off.

When we got home my neighbours asked if Hugo and Pip had been playing with a bottle in the garden as they had spotted them playing with what looked like one. On investigation it turned out to be the container of fish food pellets - it had been more than half full but is now completely empty with only a few brightly coloured crumbs remaining on the lawn - mmmm, delicious, what a nice fishy treat!! We did think one of them had a bit of a wind problem in the car, now we know why!

Rolling Over!

Hugo has never been much of a one for rolling over on his back and has never yet done so willingly so I was amazed to see him doing so when he was playing with Pip and I managed to catch them on film doing this - you have to watch a little way in before he rolls over and, sorry, the pictures are rather dark. He was actually letting her pin him down - if he wanted he could have easily shaken her off bearing in mind he is very much bigger than her and can get his mouth right round her neck. It may look fierce but Hugo was being quite gentle!

6.30am this morning saw the pair of them charging up the stairs, chasing each other along the landing, into the bedroom then back down the stairs and round again  - sounded like a herd of elephants!

Toby painted the front door today and now both Hugo and Pip have got nice blue streaks in their coats - how do they manage to do that when you never saw them going anywhere near the wet paint?!

Just Good Friends!

 

We're not fighting really!

We're just good friends

Put Pip in her crate last night to go to bed and Hugo came upstairs as usual. Turned the lights out then the whining and barking started!

Martin went down and let Pip in to the garden in case she needed to go out and then struggled to get her back in the crate afterwards. He came back upstairs and we turned the lights out again. The whining and barking started again!



Honestly!

After about 10 minutes we gave in - Pip slept very happily, thank you very much, at the top of the stairs with Hugo on the landing. I know she didn't like being left downstairs on her own but her crate is lovely and comfortable with a big padded bed in there - Toby has been in it and says he could sleep in it! We suspect the day of the crate is coming to an end - sorry Kim it didn't take us long to undo your hard work!!




Walk on Selsley Common

Pip looking towards home

Hugo & Pip enjoying the Common























Hugo spotted some cows!

We have just got back from taking Hugo and Pip on a nice walk round Selsley Common. I haven't been up there since we lost Sid so was a bit choked as we went round, especially when we got to the bench where we always sat that looks over to our house -  but it's such a lovely view up there you can't be sad for long and it looks as if Hugo and Pip will enjoy it just as much as Sid did. In all the times I used to take Sid up there I don't think I ever saw another Akita so it was lovely to see, coming over the hill some distance from us, a beautiful large white dog - so three bears were a-hunting on the Common today.

As I was taking photos I managed to drop Pip's lead and she was off in a flash with the extender lead bouncing along behind her - Martin had to rush after her and stand on the lead to stop her but she seemed to think it was all a game. Hugo loved all the new smells and the freedom of being on the extender lead - another dog came right up to us and he and Pip just stood there as good as gold until their owner collected him. Pip, I think, is going to be a hunter - most of the walk she spent with her nose to the ground tracking the scent of something (there are lots of rabbits up there) and when a bird took off in front of her she was very keen to get going after it!

What are those?!! 


I don't think Pip has ever met cows before and they came as something of a shock to her - she was very inclined to run off in the opposite direction but when Hugo, who is well used to them from his walks in the Meadows, started going towards them she barked her head off. It was as if she was telling him off for getting too close!











Making a hasty retreat back to the car
from the cows

They both behaved very well in the car on the way back home and Miss Pip lay down on the back seat, panting happily. They are now both flat out, having drunk a whole bowl of water between them. You would think they had walked a full scale marathon when, in actual fact, we probably only walked about half a mile but it's certainly worn them out!

Sharing

Hugo and Pip are actually sharing a bone together and aren't squabbling over it. Do you think they are beginning to like each other?


They are also eating out of the same bowl so we feel we are making some progress with the food issues.

They have started to play 'tug' together with toys too and walk around on either end of one, walking side by side. The chasing, chewing ear, sessions seem to be getting less too, although they still like a good game of chase.

Bedtime

My three babies together!

Last night Pip went into her crate as usual but when I went to shut the door I couldn't close the catches so just pushed it to as she was already lying down and ready for sleep. Hugo had already gone upstairs and when I got there he was lying on the bed with a chew in his mouth. Normally he will jump off after a few minutes but he seemed quite comfortable so we let him stay there and switched the light off. Then he started chewing - that horrible, graunchy, grinding, soggy noise of teeth scraping against leather that only another dog owner will understand. Fortunately, it didn't last too long but he then decided to try and bury it in the duvet! It was with much relief he jumped off the bed and lay in his usual position on the floor. Didn't realise until this morning that the chew was still on the bed - nasty, slimy thing!

Just before the alarm went off Hugo suddenly shot to the top of the stairs - yes, you have guessed it, Miss Pip had pushed open the door of her crate and was on her way up - the first time she has been upstairs! Unfortunately, the exitement was a bit too much for her and she had a little accident on the carpet!

Pip is really lovely first thing in the morning, really cuddly and wriggly and VERY vocal - reminds me of our old Collie-cross, Sam, who, thinking back also used to wee at the drop of a hat.

For a while Hugo has climbed up on the settee and will stay there for a few minutes before getting back off but Pip managed to get up tonight and cuddled up alongside me. Unfortunately, Hugo was not keen on this and tormented her until she got off - a bit of jealousy me thinks! He's back asleep again under my feet now and Pip has retired to her crate so pecking order resumed.

Getting to know each other.

Worn out chasing each other

Hugo & Pip have been getting to know each other over the last few days and have had some wild times chasing each other round the garden. Both end the day absolutely exhausted and we were beginning to worry they wouldn't calm down.

The last couple of day have been much better - still the same romping as usual but now they do their own thing as well - Hugo likes to come and lie down at my feet in the living room at night while Pip prefers to stay in the hall. She is a great guard dog and barks at the slightest movement even if it's us but she is getting to know who is coming in now so, hopefully, it will soon be just anyone new coming in. It's a bit of a pain having to creep around very quietly if you have to get up in the night otherwise the whole neighbourhood knows you've had a call of nature! Of course, as soon as Pip starts to bark Hugo is there like a flash and joins in with her - he never made a sound before!.

Team work!

It's funny when it gets to night time - Miss Pip takes herself off into her crate and is more than happy to stay the night there (night manoeuvres by us allowing) whilst Hugo comes upstairs and sleeps on the floor at the end of our bed still. We were quite surprised as we thought he would stay with her - perhaps he's not so much of a gentleman after all. She hasn't ventured up the stairs yet so it's still a safe zone for Hugo at the moment - and he does so love to look out the bedroom window at the world going by (cats, dogs and birds in particular!).

On Monday evening it suddenly went very quiet outside so I went out to investigate - it looked like a snow storm had taken place, there was white fluff everywhere. The pair of them had their noses buried deep in an old dog bed that Hugo sometimes used to lie on in the sun. They were ripping it to shreds and having a fine old time - only consultation was they were working very well together as a team!

Can't believe it's only four days since Pip arrived - it feels like she's been here for ages. Perhaps she's here to stay!

For better or for worse!

For a little while now I have thought Hugo could do with a sister and have been reading about all the bitches up for adoption on the Akita Rescue and Welfare Trust web site. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago we went up to Paws in the Park in Birmingham and were introduced to Pip. She and Hugo got on very well and it was suggested we have Pip on a trial basis for two weeks while her foster mum gets married and goes on honeymoon. So yesterday we went up to Stoke on Trent and collected Pip to find out if things might work out.

Pip was as good as gold in the car on the way back and actually lay down and went to sleep for the majority of the two hour journey. She did make us jump once when we were waiting to cross a roundabout and she suddenly barked – a man on a motorbike was right behind us and she didn’t like that one bit!

When we were nearly home I phoned Toby and he took Hugo out and onto one of the greens on our estate and I took Pip to meet him down there so they were on neutral territory. As her foster mum had warned us, Pip had a bit of a growl at Hugo when she saw him – she has been attacked by a bigger dog before so tends to get herself heard first now. They were fine together; in fact Hugo was more interested in the cat in a neighbouring garden.

Once in our house and garden there was a LOT of running around chasing each other with Pip doing most of the ear pulling and biting – Hugo quickly learnt to turn his bottom on her whenever she jumped up. They did have a couple of squabbles when Pip discovered Hugo’s chews and wouldn’t let him near them – she snapped at him showing her teeth which worried us a bit. I don’t think poor Hugo knew what had hit him, he is such a gentle giant with his food. Pip has come with a very large crate which is her safe place where she eats and sleeps so we now make sure that any food and chews for her are in there and Hugo has his when she is inside it. This seems to have solved the problem for the moment.

  

Toby and I took them for a walk off the estate, along the canal and through the park and they were great together. The chasing and tumbling around carried on all day and they were both worn out at bedtime. Every time either of them moved the other would be there, neither letting the other out of their sight. When we went to bed Pip went in her crate and Hugo came upstairs. After about half an hour she started whining and Hugo shot down the stairs to see what the matter was – think he’s getting a bit protective already. She soon settled down after popping into the garden but was woken again just after 1am when Toby came in – no-one will be able to sneak in late now Miss Pip is on duty as she barks her head off! What's more, she has taught Hugo to do the same and he rarely made a sound.

This morning things are a lot calmer, still with lots of chasing but all in good temper and they now lie down and sleep and do their own thing in the garden rather than being glued together. Martin has taken them round the block a couple of times on his own and he has found they are quite good and he can cope with the pair of them together – in fact Hugo isn’t pulling as much on the lead as he normally does (must be all the exercise he’s getting in the garden!).

If you make a fuss of one you have to make a fuss of the other too, at the same time but that’s no hardship. Pip walks around with a teddy bear in her mouth growling (she’s very vocal!) and Hugo looks at her as if to say ‘What are you going on about?’ She barks very loudly, and very deeply for such a small girl, whenever anyone comes in, goes out, brings a load of washing downstairs or she sees someone in the kitchen when she's in the garden - going to be a good guard dog I think, just needs to learn friends from foe!

If things stay as settled as today I can’t see why Pip can’t become part of the family. We are back at work tomorrow but Toby is at home for a week or two so they won’t have to be left on their own for a while.  We will have to wait and see how things develop over the next two weeks.

Play Date

Hugo went on a play-date with a chocolate Labrador called Bengie today. They spent an hour and a half chasing each other round and round the garden. My friend and I just sat and watched them - it was great to watch as this was the first time I had seen Hugo off the lead with another dog. Think they drank about 3 bowls of water between them and both were soaking wet by the time we left.

Makes me more certain that a little sister would be a good idea. He was absolutely shattered when we got home and slept for hours, his legs moving as if he was still running. 

This little clip was taken when they had calmed down so were actually much slower than when they first met. 

Paws in the Park

Hugo laying claim to Kiri, with Obi behind, Inca in front and Pip.

On Sunday we had a fantastic time at Paws in the Park in Birmingham and met up with lots of people from the Akita Rescue & Welfare Trust. The weather was pretty good apart from an odd shower so a good time was had by all. There were all sorts of doggy themed stands with lots of other rescue people there too.

Hugo met up with Obi, Kiri, Anouk, Tia, Inca and Pip and they all behaved themselves very well. It was very funny when Hugo wouldn't let Obi go near Kiri (who live together) as he wanted Kiri for himself. Think he might be a bit of a ladies man (don't think he knows what his operation was for the other week!).

A perfect match don't you think?

Even funnier was when Hugo was suddenly spotted relieving himself - against Martin's leg! Fortunately he only got the shoe (better luck next time Hugo!). It was the middle of the park with no trees or posts close by so what else could the poor boy do!

Could this be Hugo's new sister?

We also got to see Pip and we were thrilled to find that Hugo took to her very well - could this be his new little sister?!! Only time will tell.

When we travel in the car Hugo normally likes to stand up and look through the windows to see where he is going. Not today! He lay down on the back seat and slept all the way home. He slept all evening and all night and pretty much all of Monday too! Think a little playmate would be quite a good idea - would the destruction be better or worse?

'Reading' a Good Book

We left Hugo for much longer than normal today as Toby and I went up to visit my parents in the Midlands and left the house at 7am. Martin didn't get in until 6pm so it was hardly surprising that Hugo had got a bit bored while we were all out.

He did his usual of pulling cushions off the settee, finding Martin's slippers and emptying his toy box all round the house but Martin was not pleased to find that a brand new book he had not yet read had been destroyed - the cover was off and all the pages chewed. He had also ripped the local paper to shreds so you can imagine the mess! Hugo has also chewed the corner of a folder which does not even belong to us. 

Perhaps he was trying to relieve the boredom by having a good read! The good news was that the neighbour said she didn't hear a peep out of him all day - too engrossed in the book I suspect!

First Day at School

As I can't get Hugo into the dog training classes that I want to go to until late September I took him along to the local class this evening. I spoke to the leader on the phone before we went and he said to use an ordinary collar and lead (no harness) and to take cut up bits of sausage as treats. This is the exact opposite method of training I want to use as I don't think dogs should be bribed with treats - a 'good boy' in a happy voice should be all the reward they need. Just my opinion but I'm open to other ideas.

Anyway, we went along and Hugo was really exited to see all the other dogs - mostly small puppies or Jack Russell size dogs - and winged and pulled to go see them all. 'The Man' (for that is what he shall be referred to from now on) straight away grabbed hold of him and made him sit for a treat - the fact he can already sit quite nicely, thank you very much, and lie down and give a paw all without bribery wasn't even asked about. Needless to say Hugo sat - he is so food obsessed I knew he would. He also sat every time The Man walked by or looked at him simply because he thought he would get a treat.

Had to stand at the side of the room for ages with each dog taking it in turn to walk up the room, getting the dog to sit at various points - when it was Hugo's turn he wasn't too bad but The Man said not to put my hand through the loop of the lead as a dog could take you across the road and dislocate your shoulder if you did. Believe me I have always had far more control this way in the past and never ended up with blisters like I have tonight because of having to hold the lead through my hands. Remember I have had twelve years experience with an eleven stone Akita  - if they want to 'go' you have to have the lead secured to something and I would rather have a dislocated shoulder than a run-over dog!

As you might be able to tell I am not keen on The Man. He first said that Hugo had a touch of conjunctivitis because his eyes were red - this is actually caused by him pulling so hard on his collar and lead and why we use a harness which doesn't cut the air supply off to his lungs. Then he said Hugo's ears weren't right for an Akita as they were too close together.  I could feel my hackles rising - just like when someone criticises your child. Anyone who knows Akitas will know how pricked their ears get when exited and then go all 'Gizmo' when they are tired or in trouble. What finally turned me against him, and I must warn my fellow Akita-lovers they too might be upset by this, was when he said no dogs should be allowed upstairs as that is man's domain and the dog should stay downstairs.

The lesson continued with various weaving in and out and walking head-on to other dogs and their owners - as long as Hugo has his nose glued to a piece of sausage he was fine. Then came a sit and stay exercise where The Man held onto your dog and you walked away and then called them to you. He made Hugo do it attached to a long lead and wouldn't even give him a chance to do it on his own - he actually did it very well so the lead wasn't needed - he was actually more interested in a bowl of water behind The Man and had to have a drink before he continued - hah, you try and control an Akita when he has other things on his mind!

All in all, it was probably quite a good exercise in socialising Hugo with other dogs so I will continue for a couple of weeks and see how he does. The problem came as we were leaving and the next group of dog were coming in. Everything learnt over the last hour was immediately forgotten and he dragged me hither and thither round the car park trying to get to go and say hello to every dog in sight.

One good thing though, Hugo is completely exhausted - he is lying flat out on the carpet snoring away -with about a pound of sausages inside him he should be rather content!