Not really doggy related but....

I've decided to bite the bullet and give up two of my favourite things for Lent. It's just over a week and I've not touched a drop of alcohol or partaken of ANY chocolate. And do you know what? I feel FAB!!! Lost about five pounds so far, without even trying, and feel so much more entergized. Not only that, but walking into a supermarket or service station now gives me a kind of liberated feeling when I don't have to spend time mulling over which wine I'd like to try or which chocolate bar I should get. My hubby is joining me on this quest and he's given up chocolate and fizzy drinks (he's already been really good on the alcohol front and hasn't drunk beer etc for a long time) and we both feel great. I can highly recommend it. Dog-wise - not much to report, although I must admit we're coming up to that awful time with Ripley, the daughter of my beloved Poppy, as she's now very unsteady on her back legs and is seeming a bit fed up with life. Another of those terrible times when I really WISH she could tell me exactly what she'd like me to do! Has she had enough or do we wait a little longer? Lots of love to anyone who's reading this. I'm still working on my book and will definitely be letting people know when it's done. Planning to make it available via the Amazon Kindle and that way I can sell it for a silly low price, but hopefully get plenty of exposure. Take care everyone. xxx

Gorgeous portrait of my best babies...

Still haven't got around to posting any decent pics of Blossom, Poppy's grandaughter, but I thought you might like to see the attached picture I've had done of Poppy and Diesel, the dog who got me into canine psychology. It was done by a local artist in coloured pencils and it's a fantastic likeness of them both.

If ever you lose a dog I always feel it helps to kind of 'put them to rest' when you can have some kind of memoriam to them, whether it's a photograph, grave or whatever. I felt when this pic was done that I'd finally done my best 'babies' the justice they so rightly deserved.

By the way, I'm in the process of writing a book all about my Doggy Dilemmas and the perils/laughs I've encountered during my time as a canine psychologist. Only 60 pages done and a bit of a computer problem which is slowing me down, but once it's done I'll let you know and you should hopefully be able to buy it on the Amazon downloads. (No hard copies to begin with due to cost, but I'll keep you posted.)

Thanks for reading. It's a while since I visited this blog and I'm delighted to see that I've got some comments. Best wishes to you all and have a lovely Christmas. Jo. xx

We've got a new baby!!

Following the very sad loss of my girl, Poppy, I'm delighted to report that we recently acquired her gorgeous 'granddaughter' who I've named Blossom. She's very much a chip off the old block and is a cute and intelligent little lady. Hubby said he feels like her 'scratching post' as she's being a bit excitable around him and biting at every opportunity but I'm feeling like a real bond is growing between us and she's brilliant. No pics as yet, but I'm hoping to get some soon. (Not only do pups move very quickly, but dark coloured ones end up just looking like a big black blob!!) I'll keep you updated on her progress. x

About time too(but it's SAD news)...

Hi there Apologies for not posting for an absolute age. I've been having login problems and I've finally sorted it out so here I am. I'm extremely sad to say that the lovely Poppy, who's pic you can see on the blog, left this life earlier this year. She'd got to the very ripe old age of 11 which for a neo is almost unheard of and had become pretty unsteady on her back legs. I think a little dementia was also creeping in as she would often stand staring into space, barking, as though she had no idea where she was. My lovely friend Andie came with me to take her to the vets as I'd finally made the decision that she'd had enough and thankfully she went quickly and peacefully without a murmur. RIP Poppy, you were the best friend ever and a total credit to canines the world over. I miss you every day.xxx

Happy 2008 (Here's hoping...!)

Well hello there (if there's actually anyone out there!) I haven't been on here for ages but a friend of mine recently set up a new blog and it got me thinking that it was about time I updated mine. Life's still the usual hectic round of looking after my own dogs and visiting other people to help with theirs. We've got more puppies again (the previous litter mentioned are almost 8 months old now) and it's all go as usual. Had a scare the other night as my very best boy (Tucker) a neo cross and absolutely gorgeous dog, was acting strange and kept pulling funny faces. He kept doing a kind of 'yawn' and was very much out of sorts, but when I checked him out I couldn't find anything wrong. I gave him some metacam, which is an anti-inflammatory I had in stock and the next morning he seemed fine, but it certainly worried me for a bit. My business has been very quiet over Christmas, as is the norm, but thankfully it's picking up again now. I'm currently reading a book by John Grogan called 'Marley and Me' and it's brilliant. He tells the true story of his life with a lab retriever and it's very sweet - make sure you've got some tissues on hand if you read it. Making me wonder about writing my own book as I've got loads of stories to tell (see Poppy's Own Dilemma below) and think I'm going to start putting some on here. Anyway, best wishes for 2008 and feel free to drop me a line if you've any comments etc.

We have puppies!!!

Hi there I'm delighted to announce that we have some gorgeous american bulldog puppies and they're now five weeks old and full of life! Into everything and pooping piles everywhere, but they're great fun and a credit to their parents. Anyone interested in purchasing a puppy from us (£500) can call me on 07980 505563 for more info. I'll try to upload a pic later, but I can happily email some if necessary. They're gorgeous and each one will come with it's very own puppy pack and lifelong advice. Sadly though, they will only go to what we consider to be good homes and any young men looking for a status symbol might just as well waste the phone call on ringing the speaking clock cos they won't be available. Sorry to generalise and I realise not everyone under 25 is irresponsible, but I'm very particular about who my babies go to and experience has shown young men who repeatedly say 'innit' at the end of every line are NOT what I'm looking for for my puppies. Thanks for reading! Take care, Jo xxx