We wish you a Muppety Christmas!

With love from me... and my Mum.

xxx

smelly socks and red rosettes

Apparently hiking socks are very expensive.

I bet they're worth a lot more once they have vent holes in them and they've been thoroughly aired in the garden.

It's ok though... I decided Mum had paid the price for giving too much attention this week to the SkInvader... (who I am still watching verrrry carefully for signs of mutiny)... and I thought I'd get back in the swing of this showing lark.

So, even though Mum was amazed I'd qualified this year for our Ringcraft club's Dog of the Year competition, we gave it a go on Friday night.

There was a lovely lady judge there who thought I was quite handsome. First, I won our Yearling Class. Then we waited around for all the other classes and then went up against all the other winners. The lady gave me a huge rosette and a nice trophy for Mum to polish for the next year. Apparently that means I'm Detling Ringcraft Club's Dog of the Year!!

So, I was on a roll. We were up for a 4.30 am drive to Stafford where there was the British Utility Breed Association's Championship Show. I was in the Junior class and the Yearling class. Junior class had ALL my old adversaries in it. The dogs I've been competing against since I started showing back in February. Two of those dogs win lots and lots and lots and one of them has a Challenge Certificate (which is a very very big prize). I beat them hands down!! Let's not mention Yearling class 'cos the judge obviously overlooked my handsomeness in that one - but never mind I beat the entire lot in Junior!!

I might just be in Mum's good books.

Indoor snow and a SkInvader.

Cassie and I have been to hydrotherapy tonight. I didn't get to swim like her, so I've been getting revenge for the lack of extra attention. Generally it involves barking a lot and attempting to get Mum to remember who I am, after she's reeled through all our names before remembering to yell "Muppeettttttttttttttttttt" and getting the right dog matching the right name.

Anyway, there I was barking in the garden (it's only 11pm, so no problem, eh). Cassie pretended to be asleep in the little basket resting her poorly leg but I was nowhere to be seen. After all i've also just been through the trauma of a grooming session after Mum failed to groom me after the romp through the muddy park yesterday.

I don't know why she found a lot of wierd foamy bits littering the floor by the fireplace, looking like a snowfall indoors.

Nor do i know why she found more by Cassie's bed.

I don't even know why Cassie has a hole in her bed that is Muppetnose sized.

And I really really don't know how indoor snow ended up on my nostrils whilst I was making a hasty exit for the lounge.

Now, we shall discuss the SkInvader. Thecatwithnofurthing seems to have been in collusion with greater powers and, three weeks ago, they came forth and multiplied. Well, Mum came home with the SkInvader who (sob sob) needed a new home. Usually when cats come to stay, they are banished to the spare room. SkInvader, however, seems to have the run of the house. She even sleeps under mum's duvet like thecatwithnofurthing. Something isn't right. Yesterday, she jumped from the stairs over the dog gate into the dining room - the home of the dogs... it seems like an attempt to take over and we must rise up and prevent this at all costs. Meg and I are trying the "screeeam it's a cat" attitude in Mum's presence but it doesn't seem to work on the SkInvader, who simply lies down and looks, quite frankly, pretty darn scary when she meiows and bares her teeth at us. Even when she climbed the net curtains up the lounge bay window in an attempt to see what was at the top, then followed that up by climbing the net over the front door (seemingly because she could), Mum laughed and told her what a Monkey she was. I need to work out what's going on. Quick.

Nine months on...

from the start of my show career, I am proud to say that with the 2nd places in AVNSC Utility (behind the dog that went on to win Best In Show - so that wasn't a bad 2nd place!!) and AV Utility then 1st in Any Variety, I have now filled up my first board of rosettes and cards!!

Rule No 1

Never get caught trying to repeat the previous day's shenanigans by leaving the bathroom with a trainer in your mouth whilst your Mum is standing making a cup of tea in front of you in the kitchen.

Hopping mad?

This morning Mum had to hop round the garden to clear up and moan about cold feet because she only had one trainer where she last left it it.

I don't know why it was found in the middle of Cassie's bed. I really don't.

Do you think they'd pay me to do this gardening lark?

This is a late growing Sweet Pea, apparently. Nestling just around the apple tree.

These are, too. Nestling around the patio, in an attractive shredded kind of manner. This is where they were, on the other side of the apple tree (note the delicately stripped, attractive, modern style stem, always a hit in modern homes).

Cassie was found with a similar looking leaf hanging out of the side of her mouth.

Snort.

The reason why you can't have a garden AND a Tibetan Terrier

Once upon a time, there were two innocent dogs lurking in the garden whilst Mum was having a lay in. The third was seeking the cat who had dug up the border at the other end of the garden so she is excused. Look at those innocent faces.


Mum has been eagerly growing two hebe plants in pots. They're nearly ready to be nicely trimmed into a posh shape.

That shape isn't, apparently, anything like a green ring on the outside and a bald branchy bit in the middle.

It's my Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I woke up this morning Mum was squealing at me Happy Birthday!!! It's Monday!! That's my Birthday apparently - yes one whole year ago today I was born!

I got presents!!

I may have been a little smug about it all

When we got to the office, Tom and Erin visited - with presents!!!

And a card!

Then the humans had cake!! Me and Tom blew out the candles....

And I got TUNA!!!

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmm!!

I am a happy One year old Puppy :)

PS Happy birthday to my brothers and sisters too, especially Jazz and my friend Amy.

PPS At the open show at the weekend I won First place in Junior and Best Puppy - it was the last time I can be called a Puppy so Mum is very very very happy :)

It appears as though something is happening on Monday

I'm not quite sure what's going on but Mum keeps going on about being a big boy and Monday being a day for some fun.

I heard the word "cake" and the word "party".

I need to keep my wits about me to make sure I am best placed to be whereever this cake may be.

I shall make more investigations...

slight slip up

Today I am apparently being sent to the groomers.

How this punishment can be exacted upon me, I am not quite sure.

It could however have something to do with my running in the garden and finding a trainer or two. And it might have something to do with Mum yelling at the top of her voice "Muppet Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" and me running with the trainer (and the new hole in the tip of it) into the house to disguise any wrongdoing (I forgot the drop, run, hide rule) before running into Cassie's bed to pretend I was there all along.

Now I'm going to smell and look like a girl.

Boys will be boys.

Crikey it's been a whole month of me being good. Honest.

Anyway. You know that whole housetraining thing. It's cracked, it truly is, it has been for a very long time indeed. But there are things called hormones that apparently flow round a boy dog's body. Mum says I have them. I'm not sure.

What I am sure about is that having learned to cock my leg up a tree, it is important to keep on doing that, for that is what big dogs do. I don't want to wee like a girl dog like cousin Jimmy. Pah!

I'm not sure what's wrong with Mum though because since I've learned to do that (which is a good thing, she says so it still doesn't make any sense), she's started to complain about my yellow tummy. She says I don't aim straight. I bet she hasn't tried standing on three legs and weeing in the howling wind up at a tree, has she?

She also said weeing on the ironing board wasn't the thing to do.

Then, she said going to important championship shows in fields and not finding any handy trees when there are a huge amount of other dogs' smells to cover up doesn't mean that I can cock a leg up her trousers. Twice. In the heat so it dries quick. (i tried to find a tree but when I lifted my leg the only thing that was upright in the field was mum's leg - and when you gotta go you gotta go, right?).

It also isn't right to pee up a 15kg bag of dog food stored temporarily in the lounge until it was moved elsewhere.

Nor is it OK to wee up Auntie Daryl's brand new wallpaper upstairs on the landing of her house, apparently.

What is a boy dog to do?

Liver

Liver is this really really really smelly meat that Mum loves, but she cooks it for me and doesn't steal any herself.

I wondered what was going on when she was cooking it, but she'd just had a conversation with a really lovely dog training lady (always someone, I think, best avoided - you never know what they're up to) after my debacle at Ringcraft. Well, I say debacle, I still stole third place and that was pretty impressive - and the mean judge whispered to Mum that I could've taken first place if I'd walked nicely and not wanted to play with the sexxxy golden retriever, Maggie. Maggie's gorgeous, no-one can blame the Muppet.

So, there was the liver, and it was cooked and it was cut up into lots of little pieces and put into a container.

And then Mum started the "training". Apparently (I say apparently because she thinks I am a dog of little brain... oh how foolish), the new key word is "off" which means stop being naughty, come here and eat liver.

Two goes at eating the Sweet Peas in the garden established that liver is lovely. The sweet peas were only slightly damaged in the "training" process and then every time I even sniffed at the plant, Mum mentioned "off" and i went to get my liver.

Mum wrote an email to the dog training lady - asking if she really really really has to give liver every time I go near the sweet peas, even if I didn't chew it (chewing was getting pointless lets face it, a swift run past was enough for liver...) and the dog training lady (smart cookie, I guess... ) started saying no, I must have a brain. At least Mum knows that fact now.

The second part was cat related. Me and thecatwithnofurthing and Lucycat aren't really bestest mates at the moment, they keep running when I bound across the sofa, the daft wotsits. So out came the liver again. Tease thecatwithnofurthing, get liver... cool bananas, this is a fab game and Mum is pretty stupid.

So, by the end of the night, there was me and thecatwithnofurthing sitting in the lounge, I bash her on the head with my paw, she gets the almighty hump and attacks me round the head, then launches an attack on my legs and chews me deliberately hard. All I have to do is sit there and look innocent while she does it, and I get liver. I even managed to sit down while thecatwithnofurthing was attached by all four paws to my backside and still look innocent while the liver flowed freely.

It works too when you jump up at people. Go back and have another jump then run back to Mum and hey presto, liver.

I'm not sure what is quite going on at the moment 'cos i've done some pretty impressive jumps up at the staff in the office today and there isn't much liver coming my way. Come to think of it, perhaps thecatwithnofurthing had words with Mum because shortly after the biting-my-bum incident the liver seemed to stop flowing there too. I keep running back to mum but she seems to have forgotten the liver is in the box on her window sill. I need to work on this one a bit more.

Muppetters you all need to find yourself one of these dog trainer types, if they come up with liver ideas all the time, we're laughing. Muppet world domination is within my grasp.

Stop Press

Mum says Meg knows

a) how to swim
b) how deep the new koi pond is
c) how to not look guilty even when she walks in the house looking like a drowned rat.

Muppet ISN'T in trouble!!

The Bonio plan from a few months back has worked!!!!

This is where we aren't allowed to be: and where Meg IS... you see that very naughty guilty looking black and white collie peering from behind the Acer tree?? We aren't allowed in that bottom bit of the garden without Mum present and we aren't allowed to be there to dig out plants, and we certainly aren't allowed to eat fish food from the pond or leap over the new pond to get to the bottom garden. It's all new, you see. And it isn't quite finished and so the new pond has lots of obstacles to stop doggy leaps into the bottom garden until it is finished.

Mum had her suspicions due to random poo's found in the bottom garden... yet an ever invisible dog had been leaving them there.

The obstacles don't seem to have worked.

Yes, that IS Meg leaping over the brand new Box trees on the back of the pond (yes that fence she's next to is actually six feet tall and she's on the wall next to it... making her about five feet in the air....)

Yes that is a very very guilty looking collie trying to work out how she is going to get out of this one without being banished from all treats for a month.

PS. I was in the lounge, playing with the catwithnofur thing.

*snort*

Gosh I did it again!

Well... there was me on Saturday, not really feeling like doing much. So, I spent a lot of the day cat chasing (naturally) and generally being a sod, Mum said. I got a BATH. AGAIN. I didn't want to be dried so I ran round the garden avoiding Mum and the fur brush. For hours. It took forever for her to catch me and the words "you're going to a Championship show" really didn't wash much favour with me and Mum declared there was no point going, particularly as she'd found the scratch on my eyelid that thecatwithnofurthing inflicted during a particularly hard fought game of tag.

Anyway after she decided I was truly horrid (haha!) we went to bed at a really stupidly early time. Something about a 4am wake up call... what?!!

Mum was right - at 4.30am we were in the car and went went somewhere a long long way away called Stafford which we got to at 8 o'clock in the morning! Yawn!

We parked in the car park and went into a huuuuge showground. They had dog stalls with bones and chews and all kinds of things... but we'll come back to that.

Inside a really big hall were all the dogs and I met up with a few of my Tibetan Terrier chums. No time for games though, Mum hauled me on the grooming table and set to work trying to get my coat nice and straight. She looked at the show entries and declared that we really weren't going to have a good day looking at my competition.

So, we waited for the boy Minor Puppies to do their bit and then we went in the ring and I strutted my stuff. Boy did I strut.

Ta Da! I only won Third place in Puppy Dog again!! That's yet another Crufts qualifying place - not that I need it now - but hey how cool is the Muppet?? That was against six dogs, so I did really well, Mum says.

We went back to the dog bone stall and I got two huuuuge hedgehog shaped chews to feast on yum yum yum.

Since we've been back home, I have reverted to previous behaviour without getting the blame. It was Cassie who came in from the garden and wagged her tail at Mum, who then spotted the two Croc shoes on the patio (furry insides turned inside out and soggy) and the single trainer shoe. I was too busy looking innocent for anyone to think it was me. *snort*

Never never never never utter a single word about this

There are times when a young puppy needs some lovin'

And there are times when a young puppy's hormones get a bit sort of jumbled.

And even worse, there are times when thecatwithnofurthing thinks I'm a flippin' blanket and sneaks under my paws for a snuggle and someone's Mother appears out of nowhere with a camera, inferring that there might be something far more sinister going on.

I did not snog thecatwithnofurthing.
I am not cuddling thecatwithnofurthing.
There is no affection at all, in any way, under any circumstances between me and thecatwithnofurthing.
My head is not rested gently on her stomach (oh the smooth, peachy fleshy stomach) nor is my paw carefully placed around her hips in a gentle hold (what hips on a cat). Nothing. Zilch. Zero.

It wasn't me, I wasn't there, I didn't do it.

Never ever ever suggest anything differently, OK?

What's all the fuss about?

Well, dear Muppeteers, Mum says I have to post.

Today we went to something called a Championship show. It's like the ordinary Open shows but more important, apparently. I went to one last week too but Mum won't let me mention how bad it was. So let's just concentrate on today, shall we.

Mum was muttering about me wiggling lots on the table at practice at ringcraft and by the time we got to this place called Coventry (I thought people got sent there for being naughty - did they see me at ringcraft?), where they were holding the Tibetan Terrier Breeders & Owners Club Championship Show. So, there were only us Tibetan Terriers. Lots of us. And goooood ones, Mum said. Stiff competition huh.

Apparently the Champ shows are important because at Championships you can qualify for something called Crufts which is the biggest and bestest dog show EVER. But to qualify you need to win a first, second or third place in some of the classes, and there is no way round that.

Please don't fall over in a faint now will you - but you are now reading the blog of a puppy heading for Crufts. Yes, Muppeteers, I won THIRD place in the Puppy class!! I also got Reserve in the Novice class against some dogs much bigger and more experienced than me, but it was the Puppy class that was the important one.... and my Mum grinned. And then a bit more, and a bit more, and the lady Barbara that looked after me when I was born grinned a lot and gave Mum a hug and they had a drink to toast my third place. And they grinned a bit more still!! Mum says she's dreamed of showing a dog at this Crufts place since she was tiny...

I got given a bone. That's a sure sign that I did alright... wonder when Mum will stop grinning?

For the attention of Bran

Dear Bran



As you so kindly asked, the answer to your question is YES! Mummy bought me a pinboard for all my rosettes and prize cards, and it hangs at the bottom of the stairs between the lounge and the dining room. It shows the results of my three months of work in the show ring, and yes, Mum was obviously not feeling confident about my ability when she bought it because it's half full already and is bursting with firsts and best puppies and my one (so far) best of breed!!!



So, here is the photographic proof for you :) I'm clever, huh?




(PS I stole both mum's slippers and took them in the garden through the dog flap. You should've seen her looking for them!!)

I am NOT a girl!

Those meanies in Mum's office thought it was about time I had my fur out of my eyes so I could see things and they could see my handsome eyes.

But you'd think that they'd have found a clip that wasn't girlie pink, wouldn't you??? Oh, the shame, oh the humuliation, oh the rotters...

OK so I was grubby. And I had already had a shower...

So it's Friday. And Friday means it's a Jimmy Day. Couple that with a bit of rain, me and Jimmy in the garden and you get a bit of Muppetry mud. It happens, ok?

Auntie Daryl checked if I had ringcraft tonight and on hearing from Mum, shoved me in the shower. When Mum arrived to collect me, I was still damp and grubby. So I got a bit of a blowdry at home. And it was really raining when we got there, and I needed a wee so mooched about in the grass outside getting wet again, much to Mum's disgust.

And off we went to ringcraft. If you'd seen Mum's face when she got there and realised it was Match night a week early... and her going but but but he's filthy, you'd have laughed as hard as I did.

Just to compound things, we were last in the ring for the judging and by that time, I'd whinged, moaned, fidgeted and annoyed Mum so much she actually threatened to swop me for the rottweiler next to us or to take me home and send me to bed.

Doesn't she realise how special I really am?

First prize in my class then Best Puppy!

hahahaha! I got to eat her mini cheddar biscuits. Result!!

While the Dog's away, the Cats will play...

Isn't that what the saying says?

Well it must be something like that, for there has been a hostile takeover... I am busy playing at Jimmy's house today and what happens? Thecatwithnofurthing TAKES OVER!!!

Yes, that's MY Mum's office and I'M not there - and thecatwithnofurthing has moved in!!!

Mum is claiming that both she and Lucy cat have had poorly teeth operations today and so they had to come to work this afternoon whilst Mum finishes up there, but I think this could be the start of something very not good indeed. I am a worried Muppet.

The Andrex Puppy invaded.

Or so everyone thought *snigger*

Cindy - tell your Mum that the ripped tissue paper trail leading from the gent's toilet has nothing to do with me.

Toilets are useful.

It's hot in the office. And mum's office particularly gets very hot. And the air doesn't flow very much through the main bit of the offices so I have to find somewhere to sleep and cool myself down when I'm not eating, drinking or pestering someone for food.

So, the nicest most comfortable place to sleep is on nice, cool tiles, in the shadiest part of the office.

It's not my fault that it happens to be the Ladies toilet, or that the Ladies have to step over me to use the facilities (or use the Gents *snort*). It's comfy when I lay in the Ladies, and sleeping here is now my most favouritest place to be ever. It's perhaps better to be named a Muppoilet.

What's wrong with dirt anyway?

Firstly, I'm not going to discuss with you the crate episode. That one where I thought it would be sensible to explore Meg's crate rather than mine, and when either Cassie or Meg shut the door on me, leaving me trapped. I didn't know the door wasn't locked so the whinging to help me get back out was justified, and I'm not going to say any more about it. We aren't talking about it, are we?

So, there I was playing nicely in the garden. I've built up a good two day's worth of mud on my legs, due to a nice long walk in the woods with Mum's brownie pack and a great Jimmy day yesterday.

As it's Saturday you'd think that I would have a nice day doing similar things. But ooooh no. Mum gets up and has a shower, then wierdly runs a bath too. I got plonked in it.

She said we had another show to go to tomorrow and I had to look white again. Pah. I'm now a straggly wet, skinny looking hound. Mum made me go in the garden to dry off.

I tried to get my sisters to play with me but they're both in right grumpy old moods today. They even put their noses up in the air and pretended I wasn't there when I was Tiggering around trying to get them to join in!!

So, I did a big more boinging until one of them went to find a ball.

Eventually Meg gave in and yaaaaay we started a great game of tag.

Ha ha!!! I won!!!! Muppets are great at Tiggering and ball fetching.
Mum says Cassie and Meg are beautiful even when they're grumpy. She took photos to prove it. But wet, soggy (and clean) Muppets are better, I reckon.

PS There's a place called Rainbow Bridge where Mum's other pets have gone to. She says that today, her friend called Emma is up there looking after them. Emma wanted to meet me but didn't get the chance, and Mum says she would've loved me. So this post is for Emma. Be happy with all the animals at Rainbow Bridge, Emma - you brought a smile to my Mummy's face and now you bring a few tears too. I wish I'd met you but as I can't Mum says please look after Tanzi, Buster, Smirnoff and Dougal for her, until you can go sneaking off to find the Pimms tent again when you're meant to be doing important stuff. Love you, Emma... my next win will be for you xxx

My Mummy is sorry

she hasn't been updating for a while.



You see she's been sulking a bit. We've (I've) been going to shows over the last month and I've been a really good boy and strutted my stuff, pretty well if you ask me. But I only got two Reserves for the efforts and Mum's been whining that everyone knows who the Muppet is and everyone but everyone is talking about the Muppet but no-one wants to recognise that Muppetry is working its Magic and giving those all important prizes in Tibetan Terrier classes.



Something had to change though. We went to Ringcraft this week and it was Match night. At Match night I compete against all the other dogs there to see who is nicest. No-one's recognised the Muppet is up till now, and I came home with a nice yellow rosette for 3rd place in Puppy class. Mum started smiling again.



Then we went to an Open show today. I had to enter Junior class because there weren't any puppy classes but the other two dogs competing against me were similar age to me anyway, so that was OK.



And guess what? Muppetry Magic is working. I won First in Junior, then went on to a stonking great victory at the end with Best of Breed AND Best Puppy. Sadly the magic got tired by the time the two group classes came round and we didn't get any further. It was ok though apparently because I got a point for my first win, which Mum says counts a lot.



On the way home, I got a flapjack. Mum's flapjack. Then we stopped at the pet shop. And I got a sausage. Then we got home to tell Cassie & Meg how clever their brother is. And I got a chewy bone. And cuddles. Something tells me Mum might have stopped sulking.



Oh oh oh oh!! I almost forgot!!!! I can wee up trees!! Apparently "cocking" my leg is something that Mum has been waiting for for a while now - dunno what she was on about, the nice big oak tree smelt nice and I wee'd up it. Mum kept embarrassing me by telling me what a good boy I was. This must be a good thing, right?