A small hiatus ...

We have been experiencing a small hiatus in posting lately. It is not a lack of material to post, nor is it a lack of desire to do so. It is a new addition to our family/pack/flock, whatever ...

His name is Kashmir Blue von Rheinhessen, a blue merle Sheltie pup we have taken into the family as a companion and playmate for Harry vom Goldbachmoor. Harry is delighted, but also determined to maintain his status as No. 1 dog in the pack. That said, to watch him playing gently with the pup and sharing affection, treats, toys and even inviting Blue to play, is pure enjoyment. Blue is now ten weeks old and still learning to sleep through the night, to ask to go out, and generally is pretty high maintenance at the moment.

He tackles everything with enthusiasm - even when it comes to (finally) sleeping.

Normal service will, we hope, resume soon!

First Birthday

Harry is one year old today. He's grown into a handsome, loyal and very active lad. He's become a wonderful companion and constantly demonstrates his intelligence. He is playful, funny and very, very loving.

Happy birthday little guy. It's been a wonderful year watching you grow and learn. May we have many more.

Living with the Sheltie ...

Harry has grown into a a very handsome Sheltie, now 11 months of age. He has learned fast, is obedient (mostly), playful and absolutely devoted to 'his' sheeple. He doesn't like to let us out of his sight, and if one of us is away for any reason, the other has to be guarded constantly.

So, if I am upstairs, I get the Sheltie stare when he thinks its been long enough and when that doesn't work, then it's time for a nudge or two with the nose. Always gentile and very polite about it, but very, very definite. Then, with your attention grabbed, it's time to produce the toy to be played with, and an invitation to do so.

Come out to play and put that camera thing away ...

Walks are fun, a time to explore the 'marker posts' and leave a few yourself, to chase the crows, the butterflies and sometimes the Red Kites if they are sat on fences along our route. Tiny movements in the grass must be pounced on and investigated with a great huffing and puffing and the slightest excuse is enough to engage in a little high spirited racing across the fields or any meadow. The sheer joy on the face of this little chap as he hurtles toward you, to swerve aside at the last minute and race away again, is pure pleasure to behold.

C'mon, put that thing down and play!

I'm besotted. Does it show?

Home - Without Hassle ...

We arrived home again on Wednesday night, tired, glad to be home, but having enjoyed our holiday. Despite the Monk anticipating problems with the return flight from London, there were none. In fact, it was ridiculously simple and straightforward. Harry's place was booked, as planned, his 'check-in' was smooth, friendly and entirely without hitch of any sort, and the handling staff at Terminal 1 fussed over him (and we suspect fed him the odd 'treat') and took great care to ensure his loading into the aircraft was without problems.

No one showed any interest in his "Pet Passport" at the Check-in, the only interest shown was by airport security who did a check to make sure we weren't smuggling drugs or explosives in his travel box. Likewise, at Frankfurt, he was delivered to the Baggage Reclaim Hall for our collection, and noone asked to see his "Pet Passport" - despite being told at Heathrow that we would have to produce it  in Frankfurt. Judging by the response at this end, the consensus seems to be that the UK DEFRA crew are just being awkward for the sake of trying to make it so difficult to take your pet anywhere, you won't, even though you are in compliance with the law. That doesn't surprise me at all.

I'd have some sympathy with what they claim to be trying to achieve if it were true - but it isn't. Britain has a number of animal health problems DEFRA claim it doesn't have, but, as with most of Whitehall, simply not collecting data on something means, in their minds, that it doesn't exist. So reports of rabid bats and foxes in Kent are figments of the Media. Unfortunately for DEFRA, one day, some of the Vets currently having to keep quiet about this will get fed up with it. In the meantime, if we visit the UK again with Harry, we will do so by a simpler and less expensive route.

In the meantime, judging by Harry's reaction to having the freedom of his own garden, and the walks in the forest around us, his toy box, and all his "own" things to muster, he's glad to be home again. The trip has given us a number of ideas about future holidays as well and the Monk is reluctantly considering acquiring a Grockle Pod at some future point ...

Getting Ready to Come Home ...

The Monk, Mausi and Harry are now just about ready to come home. Today we gave back the hired motor home and are spending the night in Reigate with the Monk's son. Tomorrow we must all face the perils of Heathrow, Terminal 1, and hope that the assurances we received when we checked with Lufthansa after our horror experience getting here, hold true.

We've had a good time, Harry has experienced a lot of new things, but is obviously missing 'his' garden and toys. IF all goes smoothly tomorrow we should be back in Frankfurt International by 20.30 and on our way home by 21.00. If it doesn't go to plan, the Monk is going to be very, very angry indeed. He does have a back-up plan, but hopes it will not be necessary.

We've enjoyed ourselves, it has been fun, but we are all now ready to get home and get back to sorting out the garden, redecorating planning and all the usual things at home.

For now, we are just holding thumbs DEFRA and their officials at Heathrow haven't managed to find some new difficulty to throw at us.

More Travels with Harry

Travelling with Harry has been interesting, not least for what it has taught us about how dogs are received by different people. Ironically the welcome at the High Sung Mass in Tewkesbury Abbey yesterday included Harry's accompanying us to the Communion rail where he received a blessing as we received the Host. He behaved beautifully and seemed to be perfectly "at home" in this awe inspiring building.

He obviously enjoys being able to run off the leash in the park behind the Abbey and on the Hamm, the great water meadow sandwiched between the Old Avon, Mill Avon and the Severn. Surpirising is the number of people who haven't encountered a Sheltie before, or who are surprised by his gentleness. For us it is pure pleasure to watch his obvious enjoyment of each new experience. Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Mausi and Harry almost being blown away at Sennen Cove.

By contrast, the tranquil waters of Tintagel, The Haven, while above and out to sea, the wind was something else ...

Harry enjoying the cool tiles of the Quire floor in the Abbey this morning.

Travels with Harry

Mausi and the Monk have found travelling with Harry educational. For his part, he seems to take the travel arrangements philosophically, and enjoys the new experiences on the walks and pauses in between. His reaction to wavelets surging ashore in Lulworth Cove was pure amusement for us as he first recoiled, then approached cautiously and finally tried to play ith the water. He travels reasonably happily in his travel box, secured between our seats in the Mobile Home we've hired, but is eager to get out and explore the new 'pitch' whenever we stop.

Of course, in most places, he has to stay on a leash, but even so manages to find games to play. Yesterday we arrived at Sennen Cove, near Land's End in Cornwall and gave him a run on the beach in Whitesand Bay. He raced around, dug frantically, obviously puzzled by the water which filled the hole as he did so, and even tried a little wading - cautiously. Where he found fresh water trickling down the rocks in Lulworth Cove, at Looe he found only salt water and now at Whitesand Bay, the water in the ground is salt only. I will try to post a more pictures once we get somewhere I can get a decent 'upload speed' on an internet connection.

Today he had a good walk in the wind and occasional rain, along the coast path. His interest in all the new smells and sounds is fun to watch. We did wonder, as wewatched him 'air scenting' from a viewing point, what 'race memories' the smell of the sea and the sea vegetation is stirring in him. What a shame we can never really know.

No Dogs Allowed ...

Growing up in the 1950s and 60s in South Africa, I was used to seeing dogs accompanying their "families" everywhere. On the beach, on walks, in parks and on picnics. When I first moved to the UK in the 1980s, dogs were still popular, but one did notice an increasing number of restrictions being imposed. Partly this seemed to stem from hysteria over "dangerous dogs" who attacked or bit people and other dogs, but then there was a new assault - "fouling" - in which a number of "studies" found "dangerous infective agents" in dog faeces and campaigners began to run with the scare that contact could cause serious health risks for children. Then the allergy campaigners got into the act.

Now it seems that wherever one goes, if you have a dog with you, you are persona non grata. In part the over reaction is due to the legislators, councils and enforcement agencies always looking for the cheapest solution to a problem. Thus responsible pet owners who clean up after their dogs, take good care of them with regular health and parasite checks and so on, are treated as irresponsible, and banned from all manner of places and activities because - as one restuarant recently told me, "People with allergies might complain". Luckily the weather was fine and we were happy to sit outside with him anyway, but at another restuarant he wasn't even allowed to do that. Britain a nation of dog lovers? Only in folk legend it seems.

A number of dog owners we have met here tell us it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anywhere  a dog is welcomed, yet we have noticed that wherever we go, many shops place a bowl and water at the door. Restuarants that allow dogs into their terrace or other outdoor seating also happily provide bowls for the dog as well. In many places though, the only option is to leave your dog in the car or van - and in the current weather conditions, that is simply NOT an option.

Here is the funny thing, most resturants we visit in Germany welcome dogs with their owners, asking only that they be controlled at all times. They are welcome on beaches, unlike the UK where they are now banned from anywhere someone can swim. In the countryside a dog can be legitimately shot on sight by a farmer who thinks it is "worrying" his sheep so one is obliged to keep them on a leash, trained or untrained. At least the Caravan Club welcomes dogs on their sites and the firm we have hired our Mobile Home from welcomes dogs in their vehicles.

So, with Harry in our company, we will continue to explore the 'wilder' places and find alternatives. You do wonder, however, what will eventually happen to dogs as pets. Increasingly they are neutered to prevent uncontrolled breeding, in some places their vocal cords are severed to silence barking. Is this 'humane'? Advocates argue that it is, I would put it on a par with child abuse. If you are taking responsibility for a pet of any sort, you have to adapt your life to accomodate certain aspects of animal behaviour. At least learn how to 'read' your dog's signals and teach him yours.

Above all learn to accept the fact that a dog, or a cat for that matter, is NOT "just an animal". They have feelings, emotions and insecurities as well. They aren't children, but they aren't stupid either. They trust us and ask very little in return, give them the respect they deserve.

It was Pythagoras who said that "humans and animals have and share souls." If you live with animals you very swiftly learn that he was right. Perhaps it is time to stop responding to the prejudices of small minorities and feeding their desire to control the lives of everyone and everything around them.

Harry's Unhappy Adventure...

It is annoying when one has taken the trouble to check, recheck, research, make further enquiries and finally go in person to make the necessary bookings, to have everything go bad right at the last moment. But, that is exactly what happened to us as we tried to board our flight to London for the wedding of Alli and Jim. The problem? Harry was suddenly NOT allowed to accompany us, he must instead be carried on a cargo flight, booked and processed by the only DEFRA "approved" agent - and, of course, this could not be done in less than 48 hours.

That left us standing at the check-in desk, just hours away from Alli's wedding, with an already distressed pup. all the "correct" paperwork notwithstanding, and DEFRA's little bombshell - which is NOT on their website and which was NOT communicated to us by any of the "experts" we took the trouble to check with - and unable to take our flight to the UK. To put it politely, the Monk went spare. Not only had he and Mausi taken considerable trouble to find out everything we could before booking our flights and then planning our holiday, but we were going to the UK for the very important purpose of attending Alli's wedding.  Now it appeared that everything was in ruins. You can't just dump a dog at an airport, and you certainly can't just walk into an animal centre and dump one for three weeks. As we'd used a taxi to get to the airport, our car was in our garage 60 km away, and returning home, and then driving 800km wasn't going to work either. After all, we were expected to dinner at 18:30 in Orpington with other members of the family.

The Lufthansa staff set to work to find a solution, and there appeared, after considerable internet searching, to be one. Fly to Paris or Brussells and take the Eurostar through the Chunnel to St Pancras. According to the Lufthansa staff - after several telephone calls to various authorities - the DEFRA rule concerning dogs accompanying passengers applied only to flights. (I have in front of me the list of "authorised carriers" allowed to bring animlas to the UK - the Heathrow only - and Lufthansa is on it). These rules did not, we were informed, apply to the trains. Harry could go by train and they very helpfully switched our tickets to take us to Brussells and a connection with the Eurostar.

The flight to Brussells was bumpy to say the least, and Harry didn't enjoy being carried in the baggage hold. At Brussells he was dumped in the Excess Baggage collection point while we went in search of the counter we had been instructed to find him at. By the time we found him he was terrified and in shock. But worse was to follow. We were now in Brussells, and went to collect our tickets for the Eurostar. Ah, mais non. Le chien cannot travel to London. New rule!

What are our options now then? We are now stranded in Brussells. We have no car available, we cannot travel by Eurostar as we had been advised, and we still cannot reach London. The Monk set off to try and hire a car. You've guessed. No car hire available for cross-channel hires. The car must be left in a Belgian depot. This left us with the option to go to Ostend (no ferries available from there) or Zeebrugge, but the car would have to be left in Ghent or in Brugge. Even the companies I have regularly used in the past could not help. The car may not leave the continent. By now desperate the Monk phoned his son and explained the dilemma (No internet access now so the Monk was unable to access the Ferry operators and find ways to get a ferry passage) and Nick was magnificent. He found the ferry company, ascertained that we could travel with a car and the dog, but not as foot passengers with a dog. Right, back to square one, we can't hire a car to go across the channel (One company offered a hire to Calais, and then a new hire from Dover, but the car must be handed in in France and a new one collected in Dover), so the "travel with car" is not going to work either.

With options now exhausted and the Monk's patience stretched beyond all limits, Nick came to the rescue and volunteered to drive to Dover, take the ferry, collect us, and then get the ferry back to the UK. We, in the meantime, had managed to catch a train to Lille where we would change to a train to Calais, with the final thought that if all else failed, the Monk would take the ferry while Mausi and Harry remained in a hotel in Calais to await his return on Saturday or Sunday. That plan could now be shelved. Nick collected us in the Foch Place at the War Memorial at 23:50, loaded us and took us straight back aboard the ferry. Harry's documents were checked at the Terminal and passed "in order" as we knew they were (Remember? We'd planned and prepared for this!) and the crossing went smoothly. Despite our labels at Dover, there were no further checks to our plans, so we attended the wedding after a brief rest at the superb Selsdon Park Hotel.

It has take us and Harry three days to recover, though, as you may imagine, the "adventure" had repercussions. Not only was the pre-wedding dinner we were supposed to attend disrupted, but the Monk's family and their plans, preparations and comfort have been disrupted as well. Nick had even less sleep than we did, because, having delivered us (at 03:30) to the hotel, he had to drive to his flat 40 minutes away to snatch a few hours rest. After all the careful planning and the preparations this major family event was almost totally ruined by the totally pointless, stupidly obstructive and frankly, profiteering, regulations DEFRA impose on animals arriving by air into the UK. The very fact that the airline and their sources failed to spot the key "rule" concerning "inward bound" animals, speaks loudly of how DEFRA have managed to slip this in cunningly. One can only wonder which lobbyist and which civil servant are reaping the rewards. This rule applies ONLY to the airports, the train companies apply a ban which is alongside that of the ferry companies and "foot passengers", but none of this is explained on the DEFRA website!

Harry has the full "Pet Passport" and the full set of innoculations DEFRA require. He has been tested, wormed, tested again, and finally, 48 hours before the entire debacle, dosed against tape worm even though the vet can provide proof he does not have one. All to be told we have to ship him as "freight" on a separate flight, through a single agent in London. Oh, and that must be arranged at least 48 hours in advance. To add insult to injury, the cost of this "privilege" is €1,500 as opposed to the normal fee for a pet accompanying a passenger of €100. Nice one DEFRA, but which of the Civil Servants responsible for it is getting a fat commission from it? That is something I'd like to know. THis is yet another example of UK Bureaucrats "gold plating" regulations for their own benefit. No wonder that all over Europe the authorities, the transport companies and the professionals are getting more and more exasperated with us.

Harry has had an adventure of the most unpleasant kind, but it has taught us an important lesson. If there is a "next time" we will not travel by air with him. Thankfully he has also recovered rather well, though we are now looking forward to getting down to Dorset and starting our planned holiday. Perhaps a few days of running on beaches, some treats and lots of "playtime" will make up for it. Oh, and just to show how stupid these "rules" are, taking him home again, is, we are assured by Heathrow, "no problem". There are NO restrictions on animals going from the UK to Frankfurt am Main.

Isn't it nice to have some sense?

Final Preparations

The last few days have been exceptionally busy for the Monk and Mausi. We fly to London tomorrow, with Harry vom Goldbachmoor, our Sheltie. We will be spending almost three weeks there doing a little touring in a hired Motor Home (RV to my US readers), but first we are attending my youngest daughters wedding on Friday.

As you may imagine, there have been a number of things to prepare, not least the making sure Harry has all the innoculations, worm treatments and all the other things Defra seems to think essential for any dog accompanying his family. We are now in the final stages of packing and I have a worried looking Sheltie watching every move just in case we plan to leave him 'home alone'.

Where is Dr Doolittle when you need him?

Sheltie Walking

Sheltie walking is the Monk's latest 'hobby', though it helps keep him in shape as well. Harry is an active little fellow and enjoys his garden and the toys he has to play with. He loves company as well, so we regularly meet with other Sheltie owners and take walks in scenic areas. It allows all the Shelties to socialise and to play as well. So, last Saturday, we took a walk in Woerrstadt-Neuborn with ten other people and seventeen Shelties.

Harry, Artus, Finja and Larry, waiting patiently for their humans to get going.

Two blue merles waiting in the shade.

Plenty of interesting things to be investigated while we wait ...

Herding their people and exploring the fields.

Refreshment stop. Portable water dishes and water dispensing at the half-way. They're all terribly polite and wait a turn at the water.

Human refreshment break. Oh well, wait in the 'fall-out' zone in case anything snackable drops.

Harry, Artus and friend taking a break from more entertaining games.

They had fun, we had an enjoyable walk in the warm shunshine, and a little amusement when the Shelties found the stream, some lovely pools, some lovely cool water to splash in, share with each other and their owners. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of them in that game. If you have never seen Shelties racing each other and the sheer exuberance they show for enjoying themselves, you've missed something.

A Visit to the Vet ...

Today Harry has to go to the V-E-T to have his baby canines extracted. This is, apparently, a common problem for Shelties, and his needle sharp infant canines are still firmly fixed and crowding his adult canines. It is a procedure that requires full anesthesia, which obviously worries me, and I am currently being watched accusingly because I have failed to provide his normal morning treat and bowl of food. Our appointment is at 11.00 and I'm just hoping it will be quick and problem free.

In the meantime, here is the latest picture of the handsome little aristocrat.

His favourite activity at present is a good 'kick-about' with his football. Hopefully he'll feel up to it this evening. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Manheim for a 'reunion' with his siblings and the rest of the Goldbachmoor 'family', but may have to forgo that if the vet advises against it. 

Growing Up Fast ...

Harry, now six months and growing up fast.

Keeping up with Harry ...

Harry has now reached his almost adult size, certainly his coat is now getting a more adult appearance, and his interest in everything we encounter on our walks can be tricky. Like this morning's meeting a just out of hibernation snake. Not being an expert on European snakes I gave it a wide berth - then had to get a lead on Harry and keep him clear as well. It was a small snake, copper in colour, very lethargic, with a small head and eyes. I suspect not poisonous, but I wasn't going to push my luck. Coming from Africa, I tend to think of all snakes as poisonous until proved otherwise ...

We've now got a temporary fence rigged and Harry is enjoying the garden, the flowers, the brds, the sunshine ...

Plus, of course, we live in the Taunus Nature Park - natural and 'managed' forest. So walks tend to be sorties into a world of other smells, animals, birds, the occasional dog and walker, cyclists and even horses, not to mention deer, the odd fox and a host of other denizens ...

What more could we want?

My Minder ...

Almost six months old and getting his adult coat, Harry has become my shadow. If I'm at my desk, he's perched where he can see what I'm doing.

This is the "what're you doing, Boss?" check. Approach, examine and take position ...

OK, you're going to work on that thing. 

Right, I'll just watch from here then ...

Out for a walk ...

Saturday Harry went for a walk with the other Shelties from the Rhein-Main-Sheltie group. We walked in Ober-Ramstadt in a 'nature trail' area of the forest and the dogs loved it. Some scenes to show the fun -

Gathering the pack ...

Checking their people ...

Harry, Artus and friend ...

Group shot at the half-way point ...

Pure fun to watch these dogs race one another, play tag, chase and just enjoy themselves as a group. We had a very tired, but very happy pup when we eventually got home ...

What a difference a a day makes ...

This week has certainly seen some changes in the weather. Earlier in the week we had a thaw and, though a lot of the snow and ice vanished, it still left some cover.  Harry found it disappointing, since it had a frozen crust.

Then, on Tuesday, it snowed again. We got, the Harry's delight, a new covering of the nice, white, fluffy stuff he enjoys and loves to play in. Yesterday we got a little more, but we also got a cold wind, which turned a mild minus 2 degreees C into something a whole lot colder.

And this morning we got up to minus 7*C which even Harry feels is a little on the cool side. It's snowing again, but it could be worse, we aren't expecting the sort of avalanche of the stuff they're predicting for New England this weekend.

It'll be cold at Puppy School tomorrow though ...

Just to prove me wrong ...

Harry agreed to pose perfectly this morning when I produced the camera, and the results are some great shots of him. He is now almost 4 months (born 9th October 2012) and now too big to curl up on my arm if I have to carry him up or down the stairs. We are advised that it is bad for their hips to allow pups to tackle stairs, so we've now got 'kiddie' gates on our staircases.

Anyway, here's the boy himself.

As I wrote yesterday, he's a handsome little chap, and going to be a real heartbreaker once he hits his teens and adulthood ...

Living with Harry the Hound ...

Harry is growing in size and confidence, still very much a young 'lad' who loves to play, the only problem really being that anything with four legs is obviously a 'friend' to play with. The horses round here aren't quite sure what to make of it ... Getting pictures of him is a challenge, my camera simply doesn't have the shutter response, plus, as soon as he spots it, he has his nose in the lens.

He's a great little lad, and he's certainly going to be a beautiful example of his breed. I can see all the little girl Shelties queueing up when he matures ...

Harry at School ...

Harry is getting bolder as he grows, and now there are other Shelties to play with, he's joining in a bit more of the rough and tumble. Today saw him joining in the chase and catch games this breed love to play, though he's still unsure about the racing through tunnels ...

And if things get a little too rough, you can always dodge between someone's feet. Sure fire way to slow the bigger guys down ...