Beyond the blog...again.

A couple of months ago, here on the blog, we listed a couple of dog-related events which proved to be quite a success. We had a lovely day out when we took Archie to the Haughmond Hill Breast Cancer Awareness event (see previous posts for pics and updates), as well as a Charity Walk through the Quarry in aid of rescued greyhounds. Needless to say, I took my camera along to both events and thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by showing you some of the images AND how they have subsequently been used by this excellent organisation to encourage more good people to get involved with Greyhound fostering and adoption.
P.S. If you know of any dog-related events, happenings or good causes which could benefit from a bit of publicity on this far-reaching and widely-read blog(?!) feel free to add them or e-mail details to myself or Nick.

To watermark or not to watermark?

With Archie on lead-only exercise, there have hardly been any opportunities to take photos recently and I miss that. It's all I can do to keep him calm on the lead as he's so desperate to get involved with his mates and their games! Something's got to give, so I haven't bothered bringing my camera on walks since he got his injury. Fingers-crossed, however, things will be back to normal sooner rather than later. As I write he's going crazy at the flower show fireworks, so he's still his usual self in some ways at least.
It's great to know that the images are appreciated and the whole watermarking thing is just standard practice for a lot of pictures that go on an online journey of one sort or another. I do keep copies of all of the originals (without watermarks) and if you, like Allison, would like a copy of any photographs just let me know and I can e-mail you high resolution j-pegs. The files are quite big, but this means that the majority of them will easily print up to A3 or even larger. My e-mail is hudsonaj@yahoo.com or you can click on the contact link on the list of followers below. Failing that, just mention it next time I see you on the walk. Have a good weekend.

Great photo

I just want to thank Anth for the fantastic pictures he has taken of all the dogs. A special thanks for the one you gave me of Swiss. I have already confessed to him that I copy the pics and show them to people obviously when they see the water mark I am not able to get away with taken the credit for shooting them. Kobe is now 100% after being neuted (I suppose 98% with his missing bits) . I did say I would do a post about one of our conversation on the field which is "Cosmetic surgery for dogs? Thanks to fake testicles for animals, owners can neuter their pets but make sure they still look "intact." Fortunately for you lot I have not got around to doing it.

Beyond the blog...

Those of us involved in this blog obviously have a lot in common. Whether you read it, write on it or just look at the pictures on it, there is obviously something on here that you think is worth pointing your web browser at every now and again! With this in mind, I just thought I'd mention that one or two of our dogs are capturing the hearts of fellow dog lovers way, way, way beyond the fields of Castle Walk! Obviously, all of the images I take are available for anyone to see via Flickr, but what I have started to do recently is add some of my favourite images to other groups, or in several cases, other people have seen photos they like and have actually invited me to join their groups. Through doing this I am seeing a lot more great examples of dog photography, and if this is your thing, then next time you browse some of the blog photos, have a quick look at some of the groups they are part of and then you too can enjoy many more examples of wonderful shots of wonderful hounds! You can also comment on any of the shots or post your own pics for others to enjoy. P.S. Archie's carpal pad is granulating nicely and he should be 100% in about a week if he does as the vet told him... P.P.S. Kobe's picture is the one I've chosen to accompany this post as at the moment he is Top of the Pops as far as "the most viewed" is concerned! Gold disc to be presented shortly...

Life's a beach.

I haven't met a dog yet that doesn't love a good romp on the beach, although some are less enthusiastic about getting their paws wet! The first time we took Lily to the coast she could barely contain her excitement, and when we let her off it was explosive. She took off up the beach at such speed that she was a dot on the horizon within seconds, fortunately, she made a wide turn and pelted back towards us with equal pace. The feel of the sand between her toes must have sparked memories of her racing days and she was in dog heaven, grinning from ear to ear.
Sorry to hear that Archie got a bit too excited at the coast and injured himself in the process, get well soon mate, there's one eager Greyhound waiting to chase you around the Walk when you get back home.

Feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves...

Just returned from a lovely weekend in Aberdyffi and now off to the North East for more beach action! Got to take it easy though as Arch has managed to get himself a nasty cut just where his carpal pad meets the leg on his front left. Ouch! I haven't got a picture of this injury but thought I'd share this one of when he had his back dew claws removed - bandages are in a different place but the expression he is giving me right now is EXACTLY the same!

On a slightly lighter note, keep your eyes open for Jack the black Lurcher! Jack is a beautiful rescue who now finds himself with wonderful new owners who are so grateful for the care he received when he was sheltered, that they are doing a sponsored walk to raise funds to help other dogs who find themselves in a similar position. Maybe, if you read this, you could pop a couple of quid in your poo bag pocket, so that next time you see Jack and Tom (his new master), you could support their efforts! Good luck to all! OK, that's it from me for a while. This would be a great time to see a few contributions from any one of the 19(!) contributors listed below as for the next week I can read, but not write on the blog! See you next week everyone and belated blog birthday wishes to Lynds and Lyn who shared a birthday yesterday!

Please can I have my ball back...?

Molly took Archie's (as usual) this afternoon and would only give it up for food, wise old girl that she is. It doesn't really bother him much, as long as she keeps on the move with it and as she was in an energetic mood this afternoon, all was well on the field. Others, however, have not been so lucky and Kobe, Finn, Zak and Dylan have lost theirs forever, but it doesn't seem to be bothering them too much as they too continue to enjoy themselves amongst friends on the walk! There is a certain unwritten rule on Castle Walk, along the lines of, "You lose one, you find one," so the Christmas themed spherical plastic thing that Archie brought home tonight goes some way to making up for the tens of thousands we've lost over the past couple of years. (If anyone has lost a Santa ball by the way, please let me know as he's not too attached to it just yet!).

Changing the subject slightly, it appears that one or two photos are now finding their way out into the big wide web world and although Kobe as a pup is still the most popular, Ralphie and his ready-brek glow is going down very well in Hungary! As Lynn said tonight... "From small acorns..." I should go now if only to try to work out where the double entendre starts / ends as far as this post is concerned! Hope to see more of you soon - either on the field or on the blog!

Back on the blog and the walk...

It's good to be back on the afternoon walk after a few weeks of summer school and experimenting with different routines. As ever there are new faces and new photos and pictured right is Polly. A far more welcoming pose can be found in the portraits above, but she's a dog we haven't seen since she was a pup and it was lovely to see her again the other day - teeth and all! She's a lovely dog who enjoys running with the pack and is obviously a firm favourite with the younger dogs. Mr Mature (aka Archie), at the grand old age of three and a half, likes to let the youngsters get on with it these days and just lately prefers the company of the younger humans who are on the field at the moment as the school holidays are now with us. I still can't see the appeal of catching little bits of grass, but as I have mentioned in previous posts, Archie is not your conventional Border Collie, so I don't try too hard to figure him out anymore!

...and on the subject of cool but unconventional Border Collies, here's a story from last week's Telegraph. If you read this, it's worth noting that Archie cost the rather more modest sum of £100! Nice story though.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/7903305/Ron-the-border-collie-the-Rooney-of-the-sheep-dog-transfer-market.html

Didi remembered...

For us she was the grand old lady of the field and one of the originals. She made quite a partnership with Saatchi and the pair of them always had time for a bit of fuss whenever we met them. Didi was expecially affectionate and I will miss the way she always made the big effort to get over to see me for a bit of a tummy rub right up until her final days. At these sad times we can't help but analyse the unique relationships we are lucky enough to have with our own dogs and love Archie as I do, there'll always be a special place in my thoughts for dear Didi. You had a good one there Lynn. Gone but far from forgotten...

Into each blog some rain must fall...

..and as we headed out for an early walk tonight to try and dodge the gathering clouds, we saw the familiar face of Lynn 3 dogs, but she appeared to be one dog light, we didn't need to ask. Di Di's poor health had finally got the better of her and she had passed away over the weekend. What a terribly sad moment for Lynn,  as 14 years of companionship came to an end, and who's going to keep those Mitchell Brothers in check now hey Di Di? Rest in peace girl. 

Whatever next. Part 2

We've had all sorts of dog antics on the blog over the past few months, but this takes the biscuit, Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce, the rather cruelly named, Boniface, the Worlds first scuba diving dog! Yes, Russian professional diver Sergei Gorbunov has splashed out on a specially designed swimsuit for his pet Dachshund so they can go on deep-water adventures together. The pooch now has his own wet-suit and helmet. Although he was heard whining, Sergei is adamant the pup enjoys the experience. He said: "Underwater, I don't think he experiences any stress." If water sports for dogs catches on, pretty soon Pets At Home will launch its new designer pet wet-suite range, maybe Archie will do a spot of snorkeling and watch out for Lily blastsing down the Severn on her jet ski!

Damm, I forgot the poo bags!

Lily's day in the sun...

A great time was had by all at the Upton Magna Summer Fete and Dog Show this afternoon, but the day really belonged to the lovely looking lady pictured right! Yes, peeking out from behind all of those rosettes is lovely Lily who romped home in great style taking two third places and one second in the categories for, "Best Rescue Dog", "Best Pedigree Bitch" and "Best Greyhound, Lurcher or Whippet", (Is that right Katie?). Needless to say she took it all in her stride and remained totally unphased by all of the attention, but she totally deserved it with her relaxed and confident approach. Other dogs who turned out were Archie and Cadbury who came up against some very stiff opposition in the form of a very handsome Siberian Husky and a couple of incredible puppies (if you were there, you must have seen them!) and unfortunately the judge only had eyes for these... This said, Arch did win a rosette and the confused expression on his face in this picture is down to the fact that his second place (in a field of two!) for "Best Pastoral", was to a dog who, in this owner's wholly biased opinion, was nowhere near as good-looking (100% sour grapes!). Poor Cadbury left the event empty-handed, but once again, anyone who has spent any time in his company knows he's a smasher and that's what really matters! Well done the three of you!

A little Dog with a Big Bark

We must have missed everyone on Saturday for Leroy's first weekend out at the park but thankfully he got the chance to make some friends on Sunday and almost had an impromptu swimming lession to boot, very exciting. Since our return home he has been a very sleepy puppy and has been snoring away for the last few hours.

This weekend we spent a small fortune in the vets getting the 'wee man's' eyes checked over as he has a tendency to look like a blood hound when he's tired and ends up looking a bit like Deputy Dog. Vet's Answer: He has to grow into his eyes (total cost £24!).

Anyway, Molly and Leroy are getting on like a house on fire and are now spending most of their time plotting their mischief which equates to double trouble! I have finally stopped them jumping into my raised beds to eat the lettuce and courgette plants however that was just the beginning. I came downstairs on Saturday to find Molly holding the draft excluder in her mouth and paws whilst the little black monster was tearing all the stuffing out... great fun, a snow scene in my living room with Leroy as Santa Claws with a long white beard of kapok!!

Despite Molly's return to being the naughtiest puppy in school, it is lovely having the two crazy muts. The only nightmare (so far) comes at dinner time; Leroy is a greedy little boy so I have to stand between them to act as referee to stop him polishing off both bowls of food. I have tried putting them at opposite ends of the kitchen but they are both so nosey and concerned about the other getting better food that they keep running back and forth trying to eat each others food so I have to put them side by side which seems to be the best option.

The best bit is now, having them both curled up on the rug in the evening watching them chasing rabbits together and woofing in their sleep... so funny.

Leroy has a couple of weeks off from commuting to work in Warminster now and so he and Molly have two weeks of playing and causing havok in the parks of Shrewsbury.... I can't wait, Two crazy labrador pups, what is the worst they can do?! x

Hello everybody

hi everybody in CastleWalk Dog Blog,

At least, I managed to join your blog site.

Carrie-Lou the belgian shepperd and me wish you a very good time in the Severn water by those hot summer days.

In a little while, I will send you some photos from Archie and Carrie playing the ball in June.

We created here a workgroup for creating our Charenton Dog Blog during summer.

Some more news in september.

Regards to you all

"Sagesse, Force et Beauté"

Thierry GUIDON

Messing about on the river...

All of this hot weather has unsurprisingly led to some fun and games down by the river and it seems that Archie's rather unorthodox swimming technique has caused alarm on more than one occasion. Now those of you familiar with his, 'style' know that although he is quite a good swimmer and thoroughly enjoys his time in the water, he does get carried away sometimes and to the untrained eye, can often appear to be in quite a bit of trouble... Do not be alarmed is all I can say, and do as I do and let him get on with it. Down by the water's edge is a great place to be lately and if you have a look at some of the new photos I've just added you can see a little more of what's been going on, not to mention one or two additions to the cast of characters. I have at last managed to catch up with several dogs who have been on the Walk for a while and they feature, along with one or two new characters and one incredibly fluffy German Shepherd! Hope you're all well and look forward to one or two more posts on the blog, now that we're out of the World Cup! I know I will try a bit harder over the next few weeks and maybe see one or two of you on the morning shift now that the end of term has arrived.

What to call a chocolate coloured cocker pup?

We got Cadbury in November, just 9 weeks old, and what a cutie, so tiny, the quiet one of the litter. We thought we would let our girls choose his name as he was their present and a total surprise for them, but they just couldn't think of anything, so I suggested the said name Cadbury.... you know...chocolate brown what else? the only thing was it was just at the time of the Kraft take over...If I had £1 for every time someone asked his name, then suggested "you should have called him Kraft" I would have one big pile of coins.

The Perils of naming your Dog

Firstly I'd like to say thanks to Anth for telling about this blog and asking me to join. I moved to Reabrook last Christmas so our visits down to the walk are limited to the weekends however there's always a friendly face whenever me and Rafa (more of him later) take up our weekly sojourn there. Today we met big head Ned.

Many of you will recognise Rafa as the Liver & White Springer Spaniel that can carry two balls in his mouth (see picture proof) and barks even when carrying said balls. Although I won't be troubling Simon Cowell with this feat of canine multi-tasking, it does draw curious glances or smutty smirks depending on how close you are to the inner adolescent

This takes me to the subject of my blog, naming your dog. Since the manager of Liverpool left last week I have been forced to answer two questions almost verbatim; Yes: he was named after Rafa Benitez and No: we're not planning to change his name. I was warned of this first peril when we chose his name however I persisted with the current sporting hero peril. I used to laugh at ManU fans taking Beckham for a walk, my best man living in Bolton constantly has to avoid the mess left by pooches called Sam and I hear the Kings Road still resounds to the barks of Jose.

Yet I wouldn't listen, Shankley didn't seem right for a Springer, Laura hated Kenny (the name not the man) and I couldn't see myself shouting Paisley across the field. Which leads me to the second peril of naming your dog; what does a dog's name sound like when you are desperately trying to call him/her back?

The name Rafa seemed to fit that bill perfectly, a good dog name has two syllables, Ra-Fa, everyone agrees that it is a good idea. However it has hasn't worked out that way. Rafa has become abbreviated to Raf, what's the problem with that? Try shouting Raf-Raf-Raf-Raf very quickly; that's right it sounds you're barking. As I try in vain to stop my dog chasing after a threatening cyclist, I start yapping at my own dog.

So next time you see a man barking at his dog, don't run away come over and say hello, neither of us bite

Inca the bandit

I have just returned from a walk on the castle walk field with Coco, Sophie, Dylan and Sandy, we went out to enjoy the sunshine and play with a new toy, a whistling foam rocket. We met Inca on the field and much fun was had in and out of the water with a ball and the slow but sure destruction of the new toy which now resembles a half chewed rugby ball.

We were about to go home when Inca, egged on by the others, charged to the top field into some teenagers sat around enjoying the sunshine and a sneaky fag. Inca charged back down into the lower field with something in her mouth, hotly followed by the other dogs and lots of shouting teenage boys. Inca carried on down to the water, now hotly followed by myself, Sarah, Hannah my daugher, her friend Faye and about 3 teenage lads. Inca had stolen their cigarettes and decided to hide them in the river.. after destroying them with a few chews..

The lads were fine about it.. even though it was a full pack.. they were over 16 so I felt I should cough up some dosh to reimburse their loss.. I did point out the dangers of smoking but they said "yeah but its the world cup".. they were nice lads and all ended well, although it was an expensive walk.. one toy and a packet of fags down!

Ah, never a dull moment.. keeps you young!

Pickles a world cup hero!

World cup fever is currently gripping (most) of the nation and whether you love it or loath you cannot avoid it. Tonight our brave boys will be going once more into the breach for queen and country against the USA, but before this evenings kick off I think we should take time to reflect on a true English world cup hero. My tale harks back to the halcyon days of jumpers for gold posts, the Beatles, pipe smoking and when everything was in black and white.

If you are sitting comfortably I will begin

On a Sunday evening in March 40 years ago, David Corbett left his ground-floor flat in Norwood, south London, to make a telephone call from the kiosk across the road. With the Thames lighterman was Pickles, the four-year-old mongrel he had taken off his brother John's hands, when he was a puppy, because he chewed furniture.

'I put the lead on Pickles and he went over to the neighbour's car,' recalls Corbett, now 66. 'Pickles drew my attention to a package, tightly bound in newspaper, lying by the front wheel. I picked it up and tore some paper and saw a woman holding a dish over her head, and disks with the words Germany, Uruguay, Brazil. I rushed inside to my wife. She was one of those anti-sport wives. But I said, "I've found the World Cup! I've found the World Cup!"' Corbett, or more precisely, Pickles, had indeed discovered the missing Jules Rimet trophy.

Now Pickles began the life of a celebrity. He starred in a feature film, The Spy with the Cold Nose, and appeared on Magpie, Blue Peter and many other TV shows. He was made Dog of the Year, awarded a year's free supply of food from Spillers and there were offers to visit Chile, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

'But I would've had to put Pickles into quarantine for six months and he was only a pet, so I didn't think I could do that,' says Corbett. How did he find the constant attention? 'I got myself an agent. The same as Spike Milligan's. He made me £60 a day, bloody brilliant! He would call and my [ex] wife and I would meet him and his girlfriend and go drinking Champagne.'

Corbett's agent arranged entrance to the party on the evening of England's 4-2 victory over West Germany in the World Cup final. 'The streets were full of people. The players were out on a large balcony [of their hotel in Kensington]. I went in with Pickles under my arm and Bobby Charlton, all of them, picked him up.

So, I hope our overpaid superstars will take heed of our humble canine here, £60! not sure how much that is in todays money but its not £120,000 per week Mr Lampard. Typical though, we get to host the world cup and somebody pinches the cup! Bobby Moore kept up the good work in Mexico a few years later...

All together now "3 Lions on a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming!" (thanks to Pickles)

Hi Furry friends & Owners!
Well,mom is beside herself! why you ask? It was whilst out walking this morning,over the Castlewalk Bridge & down the bank for my favorite,a mooch along the riverbank,as I skipped at speed around the corner i have to admit i did feel "alittle" something under my paw! So mom's behind me eyes peeled & then STOP,no movement from her(i thought here we go,she's left something on,the door wide open,whatever -HORMONES- came to mind) but no she had stooped to pick up a somewhat stunned "DOORMOUSE" yes it really was, & Helen with Ben in tow came to join us & confirm her finding,Helen has even taken a photo or two for all those doubting Thomases out there!! Also Helen just happened to have a tape measure on her(as all dog walkers do of course)& the little dear was duly photographed & measured 2 inchs nose to end of long tail.I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know he/her/cutie(mom's words) recovered & was replaced in the undergrowth to rejoin it's little family! On checking later today the said Doormouse had moved on.
So "Springwatch" -Castlefields,Keep your eyes open & report back to us all,lets face it furry friends we're close enough to the ground & have fantastic hearing(when we want ha! ha!) but dear owners do please join in,also Mom just wants to say it was to see the "boys" on weds in the Dog & Pheasent & Anthony you looked much better.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend,woof,woof,slurps,Sophie & Mom (Lynn)