Ellie's family rocks!

And along came Harley. If you remember Mom and Dad set off to find me a puppy companion and came home with huge 8 year old Tuck who towers over me. We get along famously as I quickly realized just how easy going Tuck is and that he is quite happy to let me be boss. One day Dad came home and while we all sat on the porch he told us about his day at work.

All of our ears pricked up when he told us about a feral 'cane' puppy that had been following him around one of the villages he manages. Now a cane dog can be an abandoned dog dumped in the sugar cane fields to fend for itself in the wild or a dog that has been born and raised in the fields and is basically feral. To harvest the cane, however, the fields of cane is set on fire and burnt to the ground with the inevitable loss of life of many of its inhabitants.

At that time of the year packs of surviving dogs are often seen in villages scavenging for scraps of food yet too terrified to allow people to get near enough to help them. Some will sadly be hit by cars too as they run blindly across roads. Anyway back to this puppy... Dad had noticed him emerging from the neighbouring cane fields when he and his crew were working on residents homes, for about a week now and the pup was gradually getting bolder and coming up for a stroke then following them for the rest of the day before disappearing back into the fields.

Dad had asked residents if they knew anything about him but they said he was just a cane dog who they threw scraps to as he was so very thin his ribs and backbone were the first things you noticed about him followed by his now wagging tail. It was coming up to burning time for the pups field so Dad and Mom decided to try and save at least this dog. He was happy being stroked so we knew Dad would have a chance of catching him, it was just a case of picking the right moment. Imagine our surprise when the next morning Dad pulled up and came into our house with his arms full of a hairy yet calm puppy whose tail was wagging furiously when he saw us all!

He was so thin that for a moment I considered donating my dinner to him but then I pulled myself together!! And that is how Tuck, Spook and I became Auntie and Uncles to young Harley. I wont say fur brother as we have all had to teach him to respect his elders! Poor Spook in particular suffered being playfully donked by Harleys nose until he finally snapped and boxed his ears for him! Tuck used to patiently walk around with Harleys huge front paws draped around his neck in a bear hug. Harley did think he could do that to me too but I only had to bear my teeth once for him to realise that Uncle Tuck was his best bet for rides.

Harley is black, tan and white and looked to be a long haired shepherd x.....as he has grown he looks mainly Australian Shepherd but with an undocked tail which is ridiculously plumy and does not stop wagging! Mainly across my face! Dad made the mistake on day he brought him home of throwing a balled up pair of socks for him to fetch, which he caught on doing very quickly which impressed Dad no end.......... Mom however is not so impressed as from that moment on Harley thinks all socks are his and as she gathers up washing and sorts into the baskets a panic stricken Harley liberates his sock friends from the basket and hides them !!

Harley has filled out nicely now and has settled in as a family member but he still has the call of the wild in him and sniffs the air rolling across the cane fields. He loves to run and if see's a door open will barge thru it and run around our neighbours gardens and along our private road blissfully ignoring Dad;s calls to come back. Mom catches him by turning on the reversing horn of the golf cart and within seconds Harley has landed in the seat next to her eager for the expected walk this horn usually signals! Daft thing falls for this ploy every time!

Then he and Mom have to ride around the village to find Dad who is still searching for Harley! To the bystander it looks as if its Dad who has got lost and not Harley lol Mom has worked on recall down in the field and clipped Harleys lead to Tucks so that Tuck brought him back with him when called until Harley finally figured out the commands. Now however he runs free off the lead with Tuck searching for bunnies. Disgusting little oik sometimes dives into the undergrowth and returns proudly carrying a long dead shrivelled rabbit or toad which for some strange reason he thinks Mom wants to inspect! Urgh!

That's our Harley!

 Love and waggles

Ellie xx

Oops........ a blonde moment !

As I have probably mentioned before, when we go out for long walks down to the field, Mom uses a golf cart as she cannot walk far these days.

The boys and I trot down by her side and once on the field we can run free and go about our business, so to speak. The boys love to gallop about madly and look for bunnies while I prefer to amble along enjoying the scents of all wonderful things that appeal to us dogs, so our routine is Mom follows the boys in the golf cart and makes sure they keep out of trouble and the canal right at the end ( it's a boy thing !) then she comes back with them and meets me halfway as I trot along swishing my tail happily.

Well a couple of weeks ago, we stopped by the gardens and chatted with a retired sugar cane worker about what exotic fruits and vegetables he is growing ( she is English so lots of our things are literally foreign to her !) I stopped politely too but after a few minutes decided to go and check out my favourite tree so left Mom chatting and ambled off . A few minutes passed so I quickly checked to see if the golfcart was still in sight...Yep, it was so carried on with my inspection of every blade of grass around my tree.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I saw the golf cart whizzing across the field in a completely different direction heading towards the goats field!  Oh Nooo...surely it was not another case of the mutant bunnies!! I set off in hot pursuit with my legs pounding furiously as I tried to catch up. I could hear Mom calling me so knew she needed me with her.

"Mom!...wait for me, Mom!" I barked as I ran after the cart which then turned in another direction then back again zig-zagging across the field and then finally pulled up next to another golf cart.

"That was too fast Mommy!" I puffed as I drew level and came face to face with a very bemused sugar cane worker !

"What the!..." I turned and did a double take when I met Moms amused face as she sat in the other golf cart...... The penny dropped as I realised I had been following the wrong one and Mom's voice had been trying to call me back! And the zig-zagging had been Mr.Jessie trying to shake me off before deciding he better lead me back to Mom.... I pulled my comical grin face as I sheepishly glanced from one laughing face to the other!

We collected the boys who were completely unaware of my faux pas, though Tuck was surprised when I insisted in riding in the golf cart all the way home as by then my legs felt very tired lol

Mommy said she was not surprised I was so worn out as Mr. Jessie's golf cart was gas powered and can go a lot faster than ours !  ....... No Kidding !!

To this day I have never told them about my little mistake, nor has Mom though she did tell Daddy who found it highly amusing. Hey I am blonde so am allowed occasional blonde moments !

You can be sure that on every walk since I have kept a careful watch of MY golf cart lol

Love and huggles

Ellie xx

Mutant Bunnies!

Well we have just returned from our walk and saw lots of bunnies which excited the boys and then went to have a chat with the goats in the neighbouring field, which excites me!

My mind returned to a walk Tuck and I went on not so long ago, which I would love to share with you all.....

As soon as Tuck is off his lead he rushes off nose to the ground trying to pick up a scent for a bunnie trail and soon disappears in and out of the bushes. He picks up the scent quickly enough but once he flushes them out he cannot make up his mind which one to chase and loses every bunnie in the area!

Being a lady I like to take my time over my ablutions and using the bathroom, so I tend to catch  up with Mom and Tuck later on.

Well there I was strolling along , nose in the air enjoying the scented breeze rolling across the cane fields, tail swishing from side to side,, when I heard Mom shout "Tuck! That is not a bunnie!" and just as I rounded the corner I was bowled off my feet -literally- by a fleeing beast with long ears and horns which was being closely followed by a triumphant Tuck!

Mom says my expression was "What The Heck!!??" followed by 'Hang on..That is NOT a Bunnie!!'

I changed direction and glanced over at Mom as I volunteered to go get Tuck and then trotted off after him and gave him a few sharp barks as he and the monster stood gazing at each other.

" I have found a Mutant Bunnie!" puffed Tuck proudly

" No Tuck..you have found a goat!! How the heck you flushed a goat out of a rabbit warren I have no idea but that is definitely a goat! I replied knowingly.

'It is?" Tuck was despondent and his bottom lip quivered ( mainly cos he has no teeth but he uses it to good effect to those who do not know this fact ) " But I am not allowed to chase goats!"

I gave him a consoling nudge " don't worry " we will leave it here and go back to Mom"

Mom decided to put Tuck back on his lead for the rest of the walk and told us that we were going to have to find the goats owner and let him know one of his goats had got out of its field.

The only dodgy part of this plan was that we forgot that Mr.Goatman uses his golf cart to bring the goats their feed each day so when we passed the escaped goat we suddenly heard a clip clopping on the road behind us and as one we all turned to find the goat trotting along behind us with its long ears flopping up and down.

"Are you sure it is not a Mutant Bunnie?" whispered Tuck fearfully : It has awfully long ears and it sounds hungry enough to eat us!"

"Of course I am sure! Now hurry up its gaining on us!" I hissed back

Luckily Mr.Goatman was in and soon captured his goat allowing us to finish our walk in peace although I refused to let Tuck look in any bushes just in case!

Hmmmmph...Brothers !!

I'm back!

Hello everyone,

There has been quite a lapse since my last post for which I apologise deeply.

Life has been very hectic and stressful recently with my beloved Daddy falling ill and having

to be hospitalized.

Mom was travelling 100 miles round trip everyday to see him so would get home exhausted.

I helped out as much as I could by babysitting Tuck, Spook and young Harley and keeping them

out of trouble, rubbish bins and dog food containers!!  Honestly boys can be so naughty!  Every time

 they got the lid off I had to rush in and clear up the bits they dropped ( yum ) then stand guard until

 Mom got home and re fixed the lid... phew.

Every night after dinner and a stroll around the village the boys would flop down into their beds

and Mom and I would cuddle up and she would tell me all the latest news about Daddy. I would

 try and comfort her as best I could .... I did suggest ice-cream ... but Mom said no cos the boys

 would wake up..I did say I could sort them but she said no nipping after 6pm rule applies grrr

Anyway Daddy is home now and Mom had to pop over to the UK so I looked after Daddy for her.

I was going to spend time writing my blog with him but oh my goodness, the amount of tea

breaks he  called for made me lose my train of thought..I am an ARTISTE I cannot have my

creative juices interrupted by a yell of 'TEA BREAK' followed by a dash to the fridge ! ( he  is not

 allow beer at the moment so I guess drinking more tea is his way of coping )

 Incidently I never knew Budweiser made tea but Daddy swears they do and it tastes

lovely..hmmmm  

Luckily Mom is back and so i can resume sharing my doggy tales with you  . Mind you she just

read about Daddys tea breaks and has text two words to him YOU'RE RUMBLED!!'    

Oh dear ..something I said? :P    

Much love and waggles,

Ellie xx  

Thank you!

For all of the amazing people who rescue dogs every day!

The Reason (to you from all your rescue dogs)

I would've died that day if not for you.
I would've given up on life if not for your kind eyes.
I would've used my teeth in fear if not for your gentle hands.
I would have left this life believing that all humans don't care
Believing there is no such thing as fur that isn't matted
skin that isn't flea bitten
good food and enough of it
beds to sleep on
someone to love me
to show me I deserve love just because I exist.
Your kind eyes, your loving smile, your gentle hands
Your big heart saved me...

You saved me from the terror of the pound,
Soothing away the memories of my old life.
You have taught me what it means to be loved.
I have seen you do the same for other dogs like me.
I have heard you ask yourself in times of despair
Why you do it
When there is no more money, no more room, no more homes
You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a little tighter
Make just a little more room...to save one more like me.
I tell you with the gratitude and love that shines in my eyes
In the best way I know how
Reminding you why you go on trying.

I am the reason
The dogs before me are the reason
As are the ones who come after.
Our lives would've been wasted, our love never given
We would die if not for your huge hearts.

With love, gratitude and waggles,

Ellie & Tuck xx
Harley , Spook and Simba (Their stories to follow)
Bear dog who is now with the Angels

Thank you for being you. xx

Love Chinese food!

Yesterday was a fantastic day !!

Dad brought home a Chinese Meal in those little boxes and some chopsticks.

The aroma was mouthwateringly good......................hey I am a girl who loves her food (and everyone elses muttered Mom under her breath!)

Mom has Parkinsons....well she is awesome with rice using a fork but with choptsticks.... well I worked out how this was going to go and readied myself for clean up duty....Poor Tuck is new to this and a bit slow in the catching department...He was so surprised to find himself pebble-dashed with rice!!

I am very helpful and help tidy up the mess....I did attempt preventative measures but Mom snatched the egg roll and insisted she could manage that - thank you very much lol Lo Mein...I adore lo mein.............Tuck and I re enacted the scene from Lady and the Tramp using dropped noodles instead of spaghetti...I can suck up noodles quicker than him ! What a fab meal.....

OMG...Jello for pudding !! She will never manage that without my help !!! (Dad can be cruel eh lol - I love your slip ups Dad !!)

 Love and waggles from a very full Ellie xx

Tuck is settling in just fine.

Well Tuck is settling in nicely though he does have some funny ways which I suppose are legacies of his past life experiences.

I was worried that he would try to muscle in and be a Daddy's Boy and push me out but in fact the opposite has happened.

He has latched onto Mom and become her shadow...she cannot even get up and go to the bathroom without him escorting her there and back!

Although he seems to trust Dad any other men seem to terrify him and he keeps well away from them.

At first we were all greatly amused by his habit of walking into a room but then reversing out, carefully looking over his shoulder.. All that was missing was the 'beep-beep-beep' warning hooter!

However it is probable he was kept in a crate too narrow for him to turn round in so he does not know that he can here.. Mom and Dad walk him in circles - decreasing the size gradually to train his muscles to bend and then get him to turn around in our living room, though he still reverses out of bedroom..even from the other side of the bed as well as the kitchen and bathroom so will take some time to teach him I suppose. In the meantime Spook sits on the dresser watching this strange dog reverse past lol

We have also found that all of Tucks teeth other than his canines and very back teeth have been pulled out.. one of the cane workers says this is an old trick used on fighting dogs so when in a fight they dig in with those canines easier.

Tuck is a lab x.... the cross bit looks like a Cane Corso which is an Italian Mastiff... he certainly has a head the size and shape of a mastiff..However he is as soft as better in temperament so whatever his previous owners did to him he does not hold against folk other than be wary of men.

That's the thing about RESCUE DOGS...WE ARE VERY FORGIVING though have our hang ups and scars.

Also if anyone shouts he hits the deck cowering... even though it is only a neighbour calling across to someone else.

I have taken him under my wing even though he towers over me.. I feel sorry for this great lump who obviously has seen things that have frightened him, yet is so eager for love and obviously adores Mom....If he loves Mom then he is alright with me ! I even let Dad cuddle him so he learns that not all men are bad and scary. No dog should be made to feel that fear.

Tuck loves Spook and everyday goes to check he is okay and if not in on dresser searches in the wardrobe for him as he snoozes there too ! Spook is not a people friendly cat.. he prefers to observe from a distance... He is nearly 18 now and set in his ways so will never be a lap cat much to Mom's disappointment! Anyway Tuck and Spook are friends and greet each other with a nose rub. Yuck ! the only contact I have with Spook is when I kick him while Mom is not looking !! ( ahem.....SSsshhhhhhhhhh this is our little secret..right?)

Right it is time for our walk.. yippee !

Much love and waggles

Ellie xx