There's a New Pup on the Block...!

Who doesn't love a snuggle with a very wiggly puppy?

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of their slightly exhausting demeanour but my humans- along with the majority of the nation- are huge admirers of puppies. So, when a family friend revealed that they had taken on ownership of a tricoloured Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the humans immediately saved a day in the calendar to meet him.

Yesterday, that day arrived. 

Introducing eleven week-old Junior!

Oh, yes. This little pup definitely has a lot of energy for his tiny frame.

 He never, ever stopped running.

Well, apart from the few moments my humans managed to catch him for a snuggle, of course!

I'm not one for puppies (they're too hands on for us seventy year-olds) but even I have to admit that he has the most adorable face. Junior is the proud owner of puppy eyes even I would fall for...

As you can see from the pictures, Junior's supersonic speed meant that even sports mode on my human's camera could not keep up with him. Probably not the best of models at the moment, right Junior?

My humans are very much looking forward to watching Junior grow over the next few years. As I was in the hands of my old humans when I was a puppy, my humans missed the majority of that part of my life so are thrilled to be able to see another Spaniel go through those early stages.

Good luck, Junior's humans!

Talk soon, 

 Jasper x

DISCOVER DOGS 2015!

"What a lot of dogs," exclaims one of the thousands passing through the doors of ExCeL London. Well, there's only one reason to blame for those many dogs: Discover Dogs 2015 had arrived!

Although I did not attend the show myself this year, two of my humans were there to report back to me about London's biggest dog event and, from what I've heard, I missed out BIG TIME by not being there. Fortunately, they did take a few pictures (erm, 494...) of the scenes to share with me...

Where better to start your trip to the dog show than the "Discover Dogs" section itself? Over two hundred breeds had a stand at the show, just so we could take photos of them and have many a snuggle.

Discover Dogs aims to raise awareness of what it takes to make a dog happy and healthy so it is always sad to hear from the volunteers at charities such as English Springer Spaniel Welfare who have witnessed cases of animal cruelty. This young Spaniel did not have the best start to his life but has fortunately since been rehomed and is now lot, lot happier- yippee!

Agility. Oh, how I miss agility. My humans decided to reminisce about our agility days by watching it in the Main Ring- but with a twist. Instead of the standard, individual categories, there was a competition between major rescue homes, with relay teams made up of past rescue dogs at each centre. Some of the adorable dogs competing had even featured on Paul O'Grady's "For the Love of Dogs". And look at the smile on that proud human's face!

As readers have probably gathered from the past few years on this blog, my humans love the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team. So, of course, when they checked their programmes to see what was on and noticed that the Goldies were performing, they raced over to the Training & Display Ring to see the group. 

They were brilliant- so brilliant that I've included two pictures of the seventy taken from their display!

Following the displays and competitions, my humans returned to the Discover Dogs zone, where they snuggled with yet more dogs (I try not to feel too offended). This lovely Field Spaniel seemed pretty chilled modelling the stunning qualities of his breed. He never left that bed the whole time my humans were there.

Without doubt, the noisiest dog sport of them all, it was time to watch some Flyball. Man, those dogs were showing some speed- almost too quick for the camera!

Those competitors were certainly raring to go.

What is fantastic about dog shows is that there is always something new to see, whether that be a new sport, shop or display. A new demonstration for my humans today was once performed by the Royal Air Force, who demonstrated just how strong their canines have to be to work out on the field. This determined dog managed to jump from the ground to the very top of the blue axle. Incredible.

Another "Discover Dogs" treat: a meet and greet with a gigantic St. Bernard. It's not every day that you come across one of these huge dogs- look at the size of those paws!

Puppy alert! Yep, the Metropolitan Police treated visitors to Discover Dogs to a viewing of the police dogs of the future, these German Shepherds. These puppies certainly have very exciting prospects ahead of them.

Wherever there is a puppy, there is a crowd.

After a spree in the shopping area of the dog show, it was sadly time for my humans to bid Discover Dogs farewell. My humans can honestly say that this year was one of, if not, the best dog shows they have been to in London and cannot wait to find out what is in store for next year's show. 

Next stop: Crufts 2016!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Discover Dogs, visit www.discoverdogs,org.uk

So Which Breed is Most Popular Where You Live?

As I've mentioned just a couple of times already (I'm one excited dog, that's for sure), this weekend, Discover Dogs is taking place at ExCel London. A large part of the dog show is the meet and greet section, where visitors can snuggle over two hundred breeds of dog (try and get them all, I challenge you).

Recently, the Kennel Club has released figures that show Britain's most popular dog breeds, and the study has found that a number of "endangered" breeds have been making their way up the popularity scale. One of these breeds is the Queen's Pembroke Welsh Corgi, which saw a 54% increase in the number of dogs registered in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year. Similarly, the Miniature Smooth-haired Dachshund has seen a rise in numbers, with 34% more of the breed registered within the past five years. These increases have been largely thanks to social media, where animal accounts and canine-fan celebrities are showing just how wonderful these dogs are have encouraged users to take on the breeds (after thorough research, of course.)

Ever wondered which breed is the most popular in your area? Well, now you can find out. New for this year is the Kennel Club's interactive dog map, where you can see the most registered dogs in your local neighbourhoods. In my area, I was disappointed to see that apparently English Springer Spaniels aren't one of the top five most popular breeds- you crazy London dog owners...! Surprisingly, the adorable Pug makes up 4.1% of dogs living in my local neighbourhood- who would have guessed?!

I hope all you Discover Dogs-goers have a fantastic time at the show and be sure to send me your pictures!

Talk soon, Jasper x

 If you would like further information on Discover Dogs 2015, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here

Discover Dogs is Nearly Here...!

It's that time of year again when I get very, very excited because London's biggest dog show is back in town... It's finally time for Discover Dogs!

Discover Dogs 2015 is taking place THIS WEEKEND- on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October and it promises to be more exciting than ever before.

This year, things have slightly changed with the dog show. As you may remember, Discover Dogs has taken place every year since 1996 at Earls Court but it will now take place at ExCel London and I, for one, am extremely excited to check out its new look.

We met this very handsome Springer on
our last visit!

The purpose of dog shows like Crufts and Discover Dogs is to emphasise the importance of happy, healthy canines and how this can reflect positively back on you. No one likes to see a distressed animal, which is why it is critical that awareness is raised on how to keep us animals feeling fabulous.


It is extremely important to have knowledge of everything that comes with owning a dog. Oh yes, it's not all snuggles and kisses (though you certainly do get a lot of them, too). When choosing which breed of dog you want to take on, make sure you know what level of exercise they're likely to require as well as their possible health implications as knowing this information will make caring for your pet a WHOLE lot easier.

Richard Curtis and Mary Ray will be taking
their dancing shoes to Discover Dogs 2015!

At Discover Dogs, you will have the opportunity to meet and greet over 200 different breeds of dog so what better opportunity is there to find your perfect match?

Just to show you the wonders of  finding the perfect breed of dog for you, the Kennel Club has produced this very adorable video with some very adorable creatures in it... I recommend you have a watch:

So, if you're around this weekend, why not head to the best dog show in London? My humans certainly will be!

Talk soon, Jasper x

If you would like further information on Discover Dogs 2015, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Oh, yes- it's time for presents, hugs and (pup)cakes as I have  reached DOUBLE FIGURES. Some may say that reaching 70 dog-years of age is pretty daunting, but I disagree. Although I'm getting a little more achy than I used to be, I truly am looking forward to spending more time snuggling and snoozing on the sofa.

This morning, I was performing my best Springer leaps as I charged around the room looking for more gifts to open and eat. Coincidently, I share my birthday with one of my humans but no fear- my birthday is absolutely the most important event of 8th October. The perks of sharing your birthday are that everybody is in the party spirit and, of course, the fact that I have more opportunities to sink my teeth into layers of wrapping paper to shred to paper snowflakes.

When it was finally time to open my presents, I discarded of the unnecessary covering of my gifts (though, obviously, wrapping paper adds to the fun) and found myself the proud owner of a packet of Jumbones, a tennis ball toy and many other things. My humans gave me one Jumbone to eat earlier on and I can safely say that I broke the record for the shortest time required to destroy and diminish the whole thing: sixty seconds. Just another achievement to add to my ever-growing list.

Man, birthdays are just good for everything.

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

Puppies are Crazy.

Yesterday, I learnt that puppies are unruly, irrational, manic balls of enthusiasm.

For a while now, my humans have been yearning for another doggie. Obviously, this is a completely insane idea as, er, I am- and will always be- the only canine in this household, thank ya very much. Fortunately, this worry has faded as a result of a recent event. Six weeks ago, one of my humans' relatives took on ownership (or, so they think) of a Hungarian Vizsla puppy, who they named Rocco. So, when my humans were offered the opportunity to meet their now fourteen-weeks-old puppy, they sprung at the chance ( whilst I tried not to take offence). 

Hungarian Vizslas are infamous for their athletic build, their intelligence and their overwhelming trainability.
Well, that may be so but it evidently is not obvious when a Vizsla is still a puppy... Obedience? Is there such a thing? Rocco was consistently on the go, his legs sprawling behind him as he ran mercilessly after the innocent parakeets in the garden. I am not exaggerating when I say that he was chewing everything: shoes, bags, cushions, table legs and even the stairs. You name it, he had it.  As a dog who's going on seventy years of age, I can fully appreciate it when someone wants a quick nap. Rocco, we learnt, is exactly the same- except, prior to twenty minutes of rest, one must appreciate three hours of complete and utter mayhem. I certainly don't do mayhem.


However, even I must admit that he was very, very cute, and my humans took hundreds of photos from their visit.

 Introducing... Rocco!

Just dealing with my latest victim

Swim?! I wouldn't dream of it...

Poor duck.

Chewing is tough work, what can I say?

Peace at last.

On a more serious note-

Today marks the final day of Puppy Awareness Week, which aims to make puppies the happiest and healthiest they can possibly be. If you are considering taking on a puppy, or know someone that is, please: fully research the breed and its requirements; find out as much as possible about the breeder of the potential puppy; visit the home you are getting the puppy from to check the environment he has been brought up and aim to meet at least one of the parents. Puppies are hard work and the commitment that comes with them is substantial. Puppy farms are all too common and usually result in ill dogs and hefty vet bills. To find out more about Puppy Awareness Week, click here. 

Life as a Sailor

The sun was out and the sky was clear- the perfect weather for a trip on board a boat, don't ya think? My humans have always been avid fans of those plastic things powered by motors that float along the river so, whenever the opportunity arises (i.e when it isn't raining), my humans abandon me at home for a trip down the Thames.
However, on this special occasion, I was once again permitted on to the humans' treasured raft. As some of you may know, as a water addict, I can sometimes find boats a little... restricting. More often than not, the humans have spent the entire duration of the trip preventing me from diving off the back of the boat into that murky channel of loveliness. Such killjoys, those humans.
Having had a break from the boat for a while, the humans finally thought that it was time to allow me to enjoy/stress myself again, so on the boat we jumped.
Admittedly, the first twenty minutes or so were slightly, er, frantic, as those humans just kept getting in the way. I'd slyly nudge my way over to the side, discretely put my paws on the edge of the boat and then, WHAM, a human would intervene and knock me off from making my break into the Thames.

After a while, when I had tired those humans out (always works, trust me), I decided that perhaps I wasn't in the mood for the water that day, and made myself at home on one of the humans deckchairs whilst she was helping sort out the ropes at a lock- warming up seats is my speciality. As a dog of higher status than my humans, obviously the only solution was to then pick me up and lay me down on her lap for the rest of the journey. Snuggles, up and down the Thames... Bliss.
Unfortunately, there were two things wrong with my day as a sailor:

1. I had to wear a fluorescent-orange lifejacket, which was simply humiliating (but, of course, safety first!)

2. The humans decided to stop to have a barbecue halfway through the journey and yet they didn't give me a single sausage. Not ONE. Just cruel...

On the whole, I had a pretty fantastic day as a sailor, and the humans have said that they will definitely be more willing to take me out on it again (and I should hope so!).

Talk soon, Jasper x