Rusty's Journal 1

I think we must be going on holiday, the bags are out and the keys have gone to next doors. My humans have said something about a short break, I’m not quite sure what that means but I hope I am included.

Sure enough I am in the car along with my “Posh” bed and a box of food, perhaps this break is not going to be short after all. Mind you they don’t look to have brought much luggage and they haven’t packed any wine, funny sort of holiday if you ask me.

The journey is not a bad one less than two hours and we are in somewhere called the Lake District. A pub to be precise and I am reliably informed it is “dog friendly”. There is a lovely river just down the road and I go for several swims, they will insist on throwing the stick in AGAIN. Every time I run out with it, I think they will take the hint, but no in it goes again. Dogs are not supposed to have webbed feet!! Then the indignity of being rubbed all over with a PINK towel, anyone would think I was a poodle.

Dinner is a very quiet affair and I am on my best behaviour lying under the table and even at one point closing my eyes, I am secretly on guard though in case any other dogs want to get friendly with my humans, they are strictly off limits I don’t want anyone else muscling in.

Sure enough after dinner a big black Labrador comes into the pub, actually he is not “that” big but he is black and I think he is a Labrador. I have seen one or two of these at home, they have lollopy hanging out tongues and their humans often give me biscuits so they can’t be all bad. I bark just to let him know that I am okay for a biscuit or two but not to get too close to my humans, and would you know it the next thing I am bundled out the door and a man (who I later find out is the owner of the pub) is telling my humans that I am an intelligent but challenging dog with some behavioural issues!!! I ask you, if you had been asked to lie under a table for two hours with food passing just over your head you’d have behavioural issues!!!!

Anyway I like to humour people so I let this man tell my humans how they could get to me to be a bit more responsive to commands and I even mingled with his dogs for a while to show willing, then just when he thought he had got the measure of me I let him know who was boss with a fair old display of barking and boy can I bark!!!!!

We are off for a hike, somewhere hilly, their boots are on and we have the camera, that must mean photo opportunities for me. Haweswater, a Lake in which dogs are not allowed to swim, hoorah. Today is about walking up hill for a long way. The path is very stony so for humans it is hard work, at least I assume that’s what the stops are for. The male human has a blister on his foot (from golf!!) so when we reach the top of the hill my female human suggests it might be nice to take their boots and socks off and put their feet in the “tarn”. The male human does this and then is surprised when my female human (they are definitely more intelligent) keeps her boot on!!!!

On the way down we come across a group of very woolly sheep, I am glad I am on the lead they are devils for leading an enthusiastic dog astray. When we were on Skye one persuaded me to chase after it then tried to get me to jump off a cliff edge on to the beach!!!. Luckily I have good brakes so the sheep got a bit of a shock when I stopped at the edge and for a while there was a stand off with the sheep on a rock ledge waiting for me to go back and tell my humans what had happened. I must admit they did shout a bit, I think they must have been a bit annoyed at the sheep.

We only stayed for two nights I don’t think we had booked for anymore?? and everyone was very friendly.

After my humans had packed all their things back in the car we went to a place with a big lake and got on a boat. This time I did not have to stay in the car but sat on the deck looking out to sea, I think that’s what they call the water. There were lots of people on the boat some of who had funny voices and kept taking photographs of everything and everyone, including small children. My humans said they were from somewhere called Japan?? I wonder if they don’t have children in Japan??

The boat trip was followed by a walk and some more swimming, my humans are “obsessed” with throwing things. There is going to come a point where I refuse to fetch anymore of what they throw, unless it’s biscuits of course. Then it was back on the boat for something called the return journey. This time I get to sit at the very front right behind the Captains cabin, he seems a very nice man and even comes out to stroke me. I felt obliged to bark at him though, while he is out here who’s steering!!!!

Then after a fun packed two days we are home. My “Posh” bed is back in the kitchen and my humans are having to cook for themselves again. That must be what they mean by a short break. If it is up to me then next time I want to stay for a bit longer and have the place all to myself, no dog should have to share with strangers it just ain’t right.!!!!