Zena's Diary @ 15 weeks old

Sorry I haven't been able to be here for a while, but now that I'm getting so big and old I thought I'd better keep you up to date with how I've been getting on at my new home.

I went to my vet's puppy party. It was ok (ish), I was terrified to start with, one puppy kept eyeing me up and barking at every other dog there, so I thought I'd better keep a low profile under mummy's legs just in case it came over and hurt me. Everyone went into this other room where there was a table and stuff, but I wasn't going to budge until that noisy dog had gone in there and mummy tempted me to follow everyone in. We got to sit on this big table where mummy gave me some treats, then I went on this thing on the floor which moved but mummy said I had to do it so they knew how big I was getting, so I did. I try and do what mummy says, but it was so crowded in there and I had never been out anywhere like that before. There was another puppy just like me, but he was a different colour and he was a lot bigger than me and when we stayed behind in the playroom, he stayed with us coz mummy didn't want to go downstairs and look at all the other dogs coz they were very sick and she didn't want me to catch anything. I'm glad we stayed put, coz this other puppy that looked like me started barking at me and wanted to play, but he kept bashing me with his great big paws, and Georgie doesn't do that to me, he just lets me do that to him, so I was a bit wary at first. I let him carry on, I just sat there, but I'd soon had enough of him and afterall, I'm used to playing with big Georgie, so I know how to handle myself, so I went up to him and planted my big right foot right on his nose and he soon stopped waving his paws at me then! Hmmph! I decided I would play with him then, but mummy said we had to go home coz everyone else had, so I didn't play for long, but it was nice.

The next week, I think, I went on to another place where they had very big dogs all sitting down on the floor in this big room, but we had to sit and watch from above. I soon got fed up with that, and managed to find something to play with who was sitting nearby, but mummy kept stopping me and making me sit down in front of her to watch, but I was soooooo bored, so I fell asleep most of the time, when I wasn't playing that is. We went again last week, but this time it was much better, coz they let me and mummy go down with all the other dogs, and then, to my surprise, all these lovely people kept coming round to meet me, making me sit, and then giving me something to eat! Oh, they had nice food, not like mummy's food, this was really yummy, and I think I heard mummy say it was sosssijezz and I took them each time, but only if I sat, but I soon cottoned on to that bit coz I wanted those sossijezz they had in their hands. Mummy was very pleased with me coz I did everything she wanted me to do, I know I did, coz she gave me little treats and lots and lots of fuss so I kissed her lots too. When we came out of there it was pitch black and I couldn't see where I was going and we had to go all the way round the back of this big building, and mummy was scared too coz she couldn't see me, but she kept telling me to c'mon, so I sort of led the way coz I think maybe I could see better than her. We met this lovely big lady half way round who loved me lots and mummy asked her why it was so dark and she said they had forgotten to put the lights on! We made it to our car, and I couldn't wait to get in coz it was a bit scarey all dark like that, not even any street lights in this little place, and I couldn't wait to get home and tell Georgie all about those sossijez I'd had and he hadn't. I wonder why mummy doesn't give me nice food like that then, maybe she will one day, I just get these horrible brown balls and tripe in my dinner, it's not fair if other dogs get all that nice is it.

Mummy took me somewhere very strange a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't what I was used to being indoors, it was all out in the open like our garden but much, much bigger, I could have run for miles! I've met lots and lots of friends when she takes me to this big outdoor space, they all play with me. My very best friend is in training to be a guide dog, and although they did let her off the lead once so we could play, she was so rough with me she knocked me over, so we couldn't run around and play, she was far too rough with me, so mummy and the lady who owned her decided to leave her on the lead, but let me stay off mine, so I could play with her without any fear of her knocking me over like that, which I thought was nice of them. I love playing with her, but she's a lot older than me I think, but I'm as big as her already. I've grown lots and lots and mummy says I weigh 18 kgs now whatever that is.

We go out early every morning, I can't wait for mummy to come downstairs at 6.00 am. coz I know she'll let me out and then later on she puts my harness on and Georgie's collar and off we go for a lovely play. I don't like getting in the car, I never went near it at first, but mummy just stands there by the open back door, she refuses to come and get me and lift me up now, but waits for me to come over and I have to put both my front feet on the little step and only then will she get her hand under my bum and lift the rest of me in. Oh, it's sooooo undignified, but mummy says I'm not allowed to jump in on my own yet. Same when we get to our playing field. She opens the door and says "wait" in this very sharp voice that she has, and that means I have to listen when she uses that voice (I don't like it mind, but I know it means listen!) Georgie always sits and waits, so I just do the same, and then mummy puts a lead on me and allows me out of the car along with Georgie. Georgie has his ball in his mouth and it's got this bit of rope at the bottom of it, so I grab that and pull hard, but he never lets me have the ball, he keeps it firmly in his mouth, so mummy gives me a ball of my own, which I love to fetch for her and she says I'm good at that now. On our 2nd walk this morning we went somewhere I'd never been before, and we didn't have our balls, mummy said we're not allowed them this time, so we were both put on our leads and we walked up this lovely soft, grassy pathway, with loads and loads of space either side, I've never seen so much space to run and play, but I thought it best if I stayed near to Georgie and mummy, coz she kept calling me when I went too far anyway, but I would never run off, I just couldn't help sniffing at all those lovely smells and I kind of got carried away in the direction they took me, so I'm glad mummy kept calling me back coz I might have got a bit lost if she hadn't. Georgie stayed on his lead, but I didn't, and I don't know why that was, but I think it's coz he's sooooo lazy he lags behind and mummy's always saying "come on George" and I think she gets a bit fed up with him being so slow, and we have to keep stopping or go back for him, so she made him keep up with us this morning. I hope we go there again tomorrow coz I really liked that and I was very tired when I got back, even though we weren't out for long, it did wear me out sniffing all those new smells all around me.

All in all, I'm having such a great time I haven't had time to write you see, the days are full for me here. I have a very strict routine, we do this, that and the other, and it's always the same time each day. I'm up at 6 have a little play with Georgie, although he's always so grumpy at that time of day, so I usually just lie down with him and paw his face and he moans and groans, or I lick mummy's feet if she gives me one. We're out by 7.15 and I meet all my friends and I am allowed my ball on that walk, but there's so much going on, I usually run round with my friends chasing theirs, so I don't really need mine. Georgie lays around and rolls, but he's usually close by in case I get into any trouble, I always keep my eye on him, but not as much as mummy, mummy is far more important to have closeby than Georgie is, except for at home, I play with him a lot in the garden and he lets me beat him up lots more than he did and he hasn't told me off for weeks and weeks now! Then we come home and I might have a play with Georgie coz I never play with him when we're out he doesn't seem to want to play but I have lots of friends for that anyways so I don't really care. Then I have a little sleep and then mummy makes me some breakfast when she's finished doing stuff. Then she has a little play with me and my toys, but I only like the new toys she buys me each week, and although she's put them all in a big plastic box on my rug in the lounge, I can always find what I want, even if I dig down to the bottom, it's usually there, although daddy told me off yesterday for eating my box, don't know why! Then mummy gets busy again and she has her lunch and gives us some more food, which sometimes I eat, sometimes I don't, and I have to play quietly with my toys whilst she has her lunch and keeps going upstairs and I miss her, but I lay down at the bottom and wait like she tells me coz I keep seeing her going across at the top, so I know she's still there and hasn't gone out, and I don't mind waiting coz I know we're going out again soon. Off we go again, and Georgie gets so excited, he makes all this noise and gets in our way when mummy wants me to sit nice and quietly in the middle of the kitchen, so she can put my harness on, but he never listens, he barges and pushes us, and then I get all excited again and mummy doesn't like that, so we have to stop and try again when Georgie sits down out of the way, he's much naughtier than me sometimes and mummy knows that I'm sure. By the time we get back from that other walk we do now without our toys, just sniffing around, I'm very tired and I know mummy likes to be quiet for an hour in the afternoon, so I go and lie in my bed underneath the stairs, (well, it was Georgie's bed actually, but he said he doesn't mind, and sometimes he comes in there with me anyway if I make myself all small up in the corner). If I do wake up and mummy's still upstairs, I just play quietly with my toys in the lounge or chew my bones until she comes downstairs again which I know she will and I'm sooooo pleased to see her, I wag my tail and slap it on the floor so it makes a thud but I never try and meet her half way, I know I have to wait until she's got to the bottom, coz then she gets on the floor with me and kisses me and rubs my belly and I just love that. Oh, yesterday, when she did that, I rolled over and I got stuck underneath the radiator, but I didn't panic, I knew mummy would know how to get me out without hurting me, but I yelped out as she pushed my front leg which had got stuck, and daddy told her I'd done that before and they're gonna have to put something underneath them now in case I do it again! I'm only little you see, and I just fit neatly in that gap underneath, well, not so neatly now coz I'm getting bigger and that's why I got a bit stuck!

Mummy lets us go out in the garden for a play in the afternoons she doesn't take us out again, but she said she will soon when the weather's a bit lighter in the evenings and she's done daddy's dinner, she said we can go out again coz there's so many places to go around here, and when I get bigger we'll be out so much I'm going to be quite cream crackered I think with mummy! Then daddy comes home and I get sooooo excited coz he's been gone since 7 o'clock in the morning and he loves me lots too just like mummy does. He doesn't like it when I jump up at him, and sometimes I just can't help myself and I scratch him, but mummy told him to say "off" and sit and I do, and then he cuddles me lots. I've stopped nipping him he says coz mummy's taught me not to bite anymore, only to kiss with my tongue and he likes that, so I do lots of that too. He has his dinner and I just sit watching him sometimes, or sometimes I play with Georgie or my toys, or sometimes mummy comes in and plays with me with my toys, oh, it's all so lovely here, and I'm so glad I came.

I'm off to my training class tomorrow night, just to watch all the other dogs, but I'll be starting on my own soon with lots of other puppies coz mummy says she wants me to do as I'm told, which I do anyway, but she says we've got to learn things properly so that I will always know what she wants and then she won't have to use that loud voice at me coz I'll know what she wants just in a normal type voice if you know what I mean! I'm going to be good coz I'm so smart and anyways, I don't want to upset mummy coz I love her so very much and I just want to please her always, and I will, well I'll try my best and I think she knows that by now.

I'm sure I'll have lots more to tell you soon!

Zena, I think you've found doggy heaven on earth in that place, be good now, and I'm sure you'll grow up to be the perfect dog and Georgie will love you even more, and Mummy, and even Daddy and Grandma !!

Great to hear from you Zena, and so glad you seem to be having so much fun and learning lots of new things. You be good for mum dad and Georgie and can't wait for next installment. Hugs from me and snuffles from Ben x

my goodness 15 weeks? where did that go? lol
your having a ball by the sounds of it. Looks like I am going to have to knuckle down with Zeita and get her as well trained as you are xxxxor you could come here and show her what to do if your Mummy letes you he he but I doubt it xxx

Thankyou H, Lynne and Mel, and I'm having another lovely day today, we've already had two lovely walks and I'm going to sleep again now after my lunch, and I ate it all up today, just like my breakfast coz I'm hungry today.

Sorry Mel, mummy says I can't come and show Zeita how to behave nicely, not just yet anyway, and I'm sure you're being like mummy now and showing her exactly what to do anyways, and then I might come and visit one day or you can always pop in if you're walking near my house ok!xxxxx

You are growing up so quickly bet your mum can't keep up with you You are obviously having so much fun with all our friends and trips!

Sounds like you are very clever too - those sossijezz will come if you keep up all this clever good girl behaviour xxx

Thanks Rachel. I got more sossijezz tonight but that was because I was naughty though, I barked at a man who came onto the stage, so the trainer made him give me them, so I barked some more and I got some more sossijezz until I stopped! See, I told you I was clever didn't I!!!!xxx

That's my girl - you show 'em how clever you are

Ha ha Love to read Zena's adventures!