Joe's Weekly Plog (Pet Log)

George 2011
Pet log week – 26

Tuesday 4th Jan – Thursday 6th Jan - Total walk time 1.5 hours
Hard to believe it’s the start of another year! Poor George pacing up and down from 10 am onwards waiting for me to arrive at 12pm he must drive you mad….I think it’s fair to say my visits are the highlight of his day and he always showers me with kisses and nibbles my nose while I sit on the spinny chair. I bet there aren’t many people who turn up for work on a Monday morning and get that kind of welcome!! I can’t really say I brought the best of weather for our first week after the holidays in fact it has stayed pretty miserable all week. Still, we didn’t let the weather put us off and made three trips to the canal side where George enjoyed some freedom off lead. The canal has stayed frozen and George did venture on it a couple of times although it has to be said the ducks are much better at ice skating than he is! The canal side is still littered with rubbish and George didn’t waste any time routing out some plastic bottles to chew and once he has them it’s not easy to get them off him. I found a tennis ball and tried to throw that for him but he was more interested in the old bottles he kept picking up. A lady came along with two really bonny whippets they were so cute but both seemed nervous of George so I held his collar until they passed by. The lady was smiling at George as he was making mincemeat of a plastic coke bottle. On Wednesday George went to pick up a glass bottle and I had to shout to get him to leave it - poor George he was so upset that I had raised my voice but I couldn’t risk him biting it. On Tuesday I had to smile to myself when we saw a guy who was probably about 25 with a little lad who could only have been about 13. The older guy was admiring George saying what a handsome dog he is while the little lad was lighting up his cigarette! I also had a chat with a guy under the bridge who was also admiring George; he looked comical as he didn’t have any front teeth. George took quite a shine to him and was rubbing his head on him managing to muddy his trousers in the process. I was telling the guy how George never usually bothers with people. He told me he used to work in kennels that’s why George was being friendly towards him. He said “dogs just know!” All in all the canine company was bit thin on the ground this week but as a rule George doesn’t really tend to interact with the other dogs anyway. However, on Thursday he was enjoying the sound of his own voice as he barked his head off at a bull mastiff and the hungarian vizsla that we have seen before. George managed to find a bit of the canal that had defrosted and had a little paddle on Thursday just before it was time to head home. After leaving the canal we always make our way slowly back to the shop with George walking really well to heel. After drying him off in the shop he has helped himself to a tripe stick before going back under the counter for his afternoon nap. A great start to the week but let’s hope the weather improves next week………………….