Cogito ergo sum super lectum - Inside the Longdog Mind # 2

I love this photo of Mac trying very hard not to make eye contact with me.  In typical canine fashion he thinks that not looking at me means that  he won't have to get down from the bed he has just got comfy on.  Who can blame him?  When you weigh 45kgs and are as skinny as a rake, getting up on a big soft bed is the closest thing to heaven.  Mac plans his days around comfy bed opportunities.  I love his dedication.

Kizzy on the other hand, just wants to do this:

First snow!

Really, follow us - we smell something interesting!

Eat our snow two legs!

Just as I started my walk this morning it started to snow, a soft drowsy flurry that blew across the hill landing on the dogs cold ears.  Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me so I have put up a few pictures of Kizzy and Mac enjoying our last really snowy winter.  

A Winter's Day on the Beach with the Beautiful Longdogs

Really?  You expect me to get down?

I hope you enjoy this video of us playing on the beach.  You can see that winter is coming, as its about nine o'clock in the morning and the sun is still struggling up into the sky.  Gordon Macdonald is back to his wonderful self and full of a bit of extra perk at being allowed to run free again.  The Kizzy dog is like a little bit of black velvet with her new winter coat and Mac is growing in his shaggy winter cape to keep his shoulders warm.  I tried riding to this beach the other day but got caught out by the tide and a padlocked farmers gate and me and my trusty steed MacDuff had to paddle home!

The Glen, looking very pretty, just before winter arrived.

The Boys, chilling out after a hard day.

Kizzy and the inevitable Sticky Stick.

Never to old to get back in the saddle....

For about seven years of my life I went horse riding every weekend.  I learnt to ride at a stables where I started going from about the age of six and by the time of the above photo (I was about 10) I had progressed to hiring out horses and going for hacks on my own.  I loved the horse I am riding, her name was Carrie and she was a lovely gentle shire horse cross with lots of pep on a long canter.  But things change and I went off to university etc etc - you can guess the rest.  But here I am in the next  photo  - in my forties and back in the saddle!  I am riding a horse called Flame, who was as steady as a rock and good for a returner like me.   I am wearing my dog walking gear because my friend had surprised me with a ride on my birthday - I thought we were just going on a long dog walk so am dressed accordingly.  I have been riding as often as I can since.  The only problem is....I wish I could take my dogs with me - I would love to gallop along our favourite beach with Mac and Kizzy running at  my feet.  And as usual I have the same fantasies when I am riding as I did when I was ten - that I was crashing through the forest with my bow at my back and a quiver full of arrows and my big running dogs beside me. I should really have been born a medieval prince...still, it just goes to show that if you loved something once, its possible you will love it again, just like I do horse riding...

Mac is out of his final dressing and has been building up his time off the lead gently in order to give his poor leg a decent chance of healing.   If you think the bond between a person and their dog is special, have a look at this photo of my son and Mac...two lovely peas in a pod.

Kizzy is a Lone Star whilst Mac gets R'n'R

Here are some photo's of the beautiful Kizzy. 

As you can see, one ear up and one ear down seems to be Kizzy's look unless she sees something interesting and then its 'satellite ears' (photo no 2).  We have missed Mac a lot on our walks but I think he    has rather enjoyed making use of his time alone in the house by sneaking up on whatever bed has got most sunshine on it (see below).  In this picture he is down to a bandage (which fetchingly matches the duvet cover!).  Am glad to report that the bandage is now off and we are back to lead walks.  Its going to be a couple of weeks before he's off the lead again.  A running dog just needs to run.....we are all looking forward to that moment.....

The Big Man Gets a Stookie

 Its been a traumatic couple of days for Mac.  On Tuesday he ran through a rock pool, sank down to his shoulders and came out with his knuckle skinned raw.  He ran up to show it too me but I tried not to look to closely at the white of his bone or the massive pool of blood that was collecting in the flap of skin hanging off.  Its at times like this that I wish I could drive.  I had to phone Bob, who was just off a night shift and happily tucked up in bed, to come and collect us from the beach, whilst trying to get Mac back up to the road before shock set in and the pain got too much.  Luckily no bones broken otherwise Bob and I would have had to stretcher him up somehow (oh no....am trying not to think about that...).  Our local vets was shut so we had a half hour drive to the emergency vets (stressful in itself for Mac as he hates the car) and leave him for a general anaesthetic and a stitch up job (never look your dog in the eyes just as you are leaving him with strangers, not if you don't want to how utterly bereft he at at the thought of you going).  Poor Bob was, by this time, teetering on the brink of exhaustion and flaked out for a few hours until we got the call to pick Mac up.  Well, I wasn't expecting the HUGE green splint or the massive BRIGHT GREEN bandage.  Mac was up to his eyeballs on Metacalm and seemed to be taking it on the chin but I had a good cry in the car because there's nothing worse than seeing a running dog immobilised like that.
           
Today is Friday and Mac has had a dressing change today.  He now has a fetching red bandage and a very sorry look on his face.  This is going to go on for some time - another three dressing changes to go....In the meantime Kizzy and I are walking alone, and Mac is taking it easy on his pile of cushions.

Cute innocent puppy......

Look at how innocent Kizzy looks as a pup....it was all a front I'm telling you.... 

 I love having my dogs I really do, but sometimes I have moments with them when my whole world stops and I have to take a big breath and then hope for the best.  Take the other day.....off they flew after something interesting (real or imagined) straight up the side of a cliff and onto a local golf course and out of my line of sight.  I know there is a fairly fast road nearby but usually, because we are on the beach, I don't worry about the dogs too much.  Bob's with me and after a few minutes of blowing my whistle I can hear Mac crying and whimpering and in my (over-active) minds eye I see him on the road....under a car.......I am off up the cliff as fast as my welly boots can take me.  Its steep and my heart is going like a pneumatic drill.  Half way up we stop and try and breath and I blow my whistle a bit more.  Mac has stopped crying by now and

 I 'm thinking he's dead.  We reach the top of the cliff exhausted and then have to climb through some thick undergrowth in the woodland around the golf course which has me on my hands and knees crawling through the pine cones.  I've got bracken in my hair and possibly some dead hedgehog.  When we get to the golf course I head off to the road.  I'm almost crying by now, but am still blowing my whistle.  I hear a sound and look down and Kizzy has just appeared at my heels with a kind of 'Wassup?'look on her face and then I look behind and Mac is moping along after her feeling sorry for himself because he has a slight graze on his ankle.  He shows it to me because there is a lot of blood.  I let my whistle drop from my mouth and let out a massive string of swear words which Kizzy takes as praise and then get the big hairy sh*ts on the lead and all four of us walk home exhausted.  Here's a video of what happened later that day.   Unfortunately, some of us had work to do....

Three Beautiful Dogs and a Beautiful Beach

Thought you might like to see the dogs having fun with their pal Alfie.  I think this video speaks for itself.  :0)....and yes, I know there's a spelling mistake but when I was making the video Mac starting whinging like his life was going to end, came to get me from the study and showed me, with utter indignation, that the cat was on his cushion.  So I had to try and persuade the cat into her own bed so that Mac could do this:

Fun for Free

In this video Kizzy is stalking Mac with an intense level of concentration, whilst he is trying not to look at her.  The dogs often start their run off like this.  For about a minute Kizzy is motionless and then moves forward a step....Mac is looking off in another direction.  Normally they start the chase after Mac starts to move but it looks for a moment as if Mac is not going to play at all and they reach an impasse until I break the spell with a word to Kizzy and a call to Mac and then they are off.  Sorry about the noise on this video but it was a blustery September day despite the sunshine.  Dogs don't need anything to have fun, just a pal to run with and a big beach to run on.

What a Fantastic Summer.....

Gordon MacDonald Stretches his legs

Finn, finding is inner dog whisperer

Hope you guys all had a good summer.  We spent what sunny days there were on the beach or out in the fields.  Come to think of it we spent the wet days doing that as well.  My son Finn who is really a cat man, has found that there's nothing like running with your running dogs and so we did our own version of the 400 metres most days.  Needless to say the dogs usually won.

Now that Mac is four he has started to express an opinion about where he would like to stretch his legs and at the moment only the feel of sand between his toes will do.  If we're not heading to the beach he looks at me heart broken and spends a good ten minutes dragging his toes until we are away in the fields and there is something interesting to look at or sniff.  Kizzy, just happy to be out, would follow us anywhere.

Read some great books over the summer but if you love dogs and like Formula One, why not have a read of Garth Steins book The Art of Racing in the Rain?  I dare you not to cry!!

JUMP FOR JOY

I just wanted to put this lovely photo in of Kizzy when she was a pup. She was like a little tasmanian devil and it took us ages to train her - but look at that energy!

                            Queen of the Hill.  Kizzy surveys her lands and estates.

The Story of Gelert - Or Why Big Dogs are so Often Misunderstood.

Gelert was the favourite hound of Prince Llywelyn the Great of Wales.  He is referred to in the legends as a great grey hound with shaggy fur.  His wife ill, the Prince left his new born son in his cradle and charged Gelert with the task of guarding him whilst he was away hunting.  Gelert settled down next to the cradle in front of the fire and put his great gey head on his paws.  It had been a cold hard winter and Gelert knew the wolves were hungry.  He kept his eyes open as the baby slept on.  Into the great hall crept a huge male wolf.  He had smelt the sleeping baby and felt the warmth of the fire and had come in through the kitchen door which the cook had left ajar as she went outside with scraps for the pigs.  In an instant Gelert was on his feet and as the wolf lept at the cradle, Gelert threw his great shaggy grey body inbetween the wolf and the baby.  The two animals fought a vicious battle, one driven by hunger, the other by loyalty.  Gelerts ears were ripped and his sides torn as he wrestled the wolf to the ground.  The thrashing wolf crashed into the cradle and the Prince's infant son was knocked to the floor, the cradle covering him.  Gelert, thinking only of his need to protect the baby, ripped the wolfs throat open.  The dying animal crawled away behind the giant curtains that covered the huge windows of the castle, leaving a long trail of blood behind it.  Gelert, panting and exhausted, went near to the upturned cradle and listened carefully.  Inside he could hear the baby peacefully sleeping.  He settled down next to him and began to lick his wounds.



        The Prince returned from the hunt and strode into the hall in order to greet his favourite hound and his baby son and saw nothing but chaos - the upturned cradle, blood on Gelerts face and on the ground all around him.  The faithful dog struggled to his feet to meet his master and, thinking that Gelert had killed his baby, the Prince's heart filled with anger and he drew his sword and thrust it into Gelert's heart.  As the dog lay dying at his feet, Llywelyn heard a cry from under the cradle and turned it over to his son smiling up at him, happy and hearty.  It was then that Llywelyn noticed the trail of blood leading to the  curtains and scooping his son up in his arms he followed it to the body of the great wolf that Gelert had killed in order to protect his son.  The Prince ran to his faithful dog only to find the light fading from his eyes.  Gelert died and Prince Llywelyn let out a great howl of grief for the faithful dog who had saved his baby and who he, in his hasty judgement, had killed in a fit of anger.

BECAUSE ITS FUN TO SHARE

Kizzy, Alfie and Mac share a breakfast

After a long walk you really do work up an appetite, and if you happen to be at a mates house afterwards feel free to tuck in to their food. If there isn't a bowl big enough for you then just help yourself right from the bag. 

LIVING THE DREAM

 There was a time when I lived in London and thought that all I wanted to do was attend Gala Openings in the West End, spend all day reading in the British Library to complete my PhD and eat my way around China Town.  I have done these things, but now I discover that I would much rather be doing this - walking on the beach with my dogs.   Its great to find out that you just don't care about who is on at the Tate Modern, what's on at the pictures, or even what day it is.  I have discovered that my dream is a very simple one and I get to live it every day and every day I am grateful.

Longdog puppies - What we did the first year

Bob, Mac and Kizzy

 

Mac

I found these pictures of the dogs when they were puppies.  You can see that Mac was only just getting his ruff, so I guess he was still less than a year old.  Bob has got his binoculars on so that we can keep an eye on them when they run off.  When you first start some serious training with your sight hounds you have to go through some very scary moments so that you can build up trust with them.  We did this right out in the country miles from any roads, but that still doesn't stop you from feeling sick when you lose sight of them.  Mac was still on restricted exercise because of his size but he got a few good runs in on that day.

Kizzy



Me, Mac and Kizzy.

  During that first year with Kizzy she was both the worlds best and worst dog  You can see from her body language in these photos that she is trying her best.  When we let her off the lead within two seconds she was just a little black dot on the horizon.  She did come back though (much to every ones relief).  Kizzy likes to run for the sheer joy of it, dashing round in tight little circles whilst making her 'laughing' noise.  Mac, on the other hand, likes to fling himself around throwing things over his head.  His favourite fun activity is for you to hold a stick high above your head so that he can leap up and grab it.  He can get ten feet off the ground from a standing start - AMAZING!


I hope the walk never ends....

My daily walks with the dogs are my inspiration and I don't know what I would do if I couldn't spend time tramping the hills with them every day.  We have had so many adventures together that I am beginning to think that I don't have to use words at all with them any more.  They just look at me and I look at them and we all seem to know what we are thinking.  In this photo Mac is hoping that I will dish out another biscuits whilst Kizzy is hoping that a rabbit is going to pop up so she can chase it.    All of us are hoping that the walk will never end.

Everybody needs a hug sometimes.

Sometimes I am surprised by how cuddly dogs are.  Mac will climb right up on my lap if he feels the occasion demands it - he likes to tuck his head in and hide when the world gets too much for him or just when he is feeling really, really tired and doesn't want to be bothered.  Kizzy on the other hand likes to tuck up in a ball next to you and sigh heavily whilst looking at you with the big HALF MOONS.  Sometimes the two of them get in a pile and then the cat sits right on the top.  I'm still trying to take a photo of this when it happens but as soon as I move the dogs go on the alert - in case I am off to do something interesting like bake dog biscuits.

How to talk to your dog and how to listen when he talks back

Do I talk to my dogs?  Yes I do.  I tell them all kinds of stuff and they appear to listen intently whilst getting on with the day to day business of licking their feet or foraging through an empty crisp packet they found at the back of the sofa.  Do my dogs talk to me?  They sure do.  You can see in this photo that Gordon MacDonald is clearly saying to me 'keep stratching my back, oh please keep scratching my back, yeah, right there, oooh yeah, right there, don't stop, keep going up and down my back....puleaaase.'

Everybody needs a buddy

Everybody needs a friend in life and dogs are no expection.  Most dogs will get on given the chance, or at least get round to ignoring each other but some dogs are pals for life.  I thought you might like to see Mac with his old pal Alfie, sharing the sofa round at my friends house.  They look like two old men at a gentleman's club!

On The Mend

Poor old Gordon MacDonald has cut his foot and is on lead walks only until it heals.  He is looking forward to feeling the wind in his ears again soon! 

The Eyes have it...

Is it harder owning a dog these days?  Are we living in less dog friendly times?  Or is it just the kind of dogs that I own that attract such negative attention?  Mind you, there are times when I walk down the street with them and ten different people will stop to pet them and talk to me about them and I find myself talking like an ambassador 'they are perfect family members - they love kids and hanging out and being with people'.  All this whilst Mac is rubbing his massive head up and down the front of someones shirt and giving them what we think of as 'the Eyes'.  'The Eyes' are saying 'oh please love me, but most of all stratch my back, oh yeah, just there and then do it some more and if you've got anything other than lint in your pocket give it to me to eat, on seconds thoughts give me the lint too and I'll eat that...'.

Sticky Stick

 We have been taking advantage of the record breaking Scottish weather to spend some time on the beach.  We are lucky to have lots of beautiful beaches nearby and unlike the beaches in the southwest of Britain, we normally get to have them all to ourselves.  Although Kizzy is a saluki/greyhound longdog, I am convinced that somewhere alone the line there was a bit of collie in her ancestry because she is obsessed with sticks and objects in a way that Mac isn't.  If you shout 'STICKYSTICK' at Kizzy she will run off and find a stick and then spend all her time trying to get you to throw it.  Mac on the other hand has no idea why a stick might be fun (apart from using it to pick your teeth) so he just runs around chasing Kizzy who guards her stick with a level of concentration normally only seen when she has just spotted a pheasant in the next field.  I hope you enjoy these pictures of the dogs having fun with each other and my husband,Bob.

POUNCE

There's nothing like watching your dogs have fun together.  I like having two dogs, despite the extra work, because they play together like only longdogs can - lots of stalking and pouncing and pushing and shoving - very disconcerting for other dog owners looking on at a distance!  Big Mac is definately having a 'WOO-HOO!' moment in these photos.

Mad as a March Hare

The days are getting longer and the weather warmer and me and the dogs have taken to the fields. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for having the chance to walk my beautiful dogs.  This week - two fat hares in the back field as tall and still as trees and today, a noisy pheasant going at it like Roadrunner.  Afterwards much kipping on the sofa!