Very Serious Career Dog

Dear Diary,
I've been taking my new job at Penny Paws Petcare very seriously and helping Mum get some clients as much as I can. Of course I'm great at initiating play with potential clients and then it's up to mum to seal the deal with human who owns my new friend. But recently I took on a huge job. I had to be the spokes-model for Penny Paws at the great big Pet Expo we had in Christchurch! Luckily for me a special delivery arrived from my lovely friend Maria at Walk Me This Way so I looked fantastic with my gorgeous leads, collars and bandana!

This was quite a Big Deal. The expo had thousands and thousands of people come through and Mum couldn't be there because she had some sort of wedding thing to go to and was abandoning me (again!) Lucky for me that I was staying with my favorite aunty Aurora from Pet Care Services. She's part of a group of clever ladies who make up Pet Solutions and they have all sorts of great services.

Anyway Mum took me there and I helped set up stalls by being cute. Then I got Mum in trouble because I wanted to have a walk round and we went and looked at all the fun cats. The cat ladies didn't really like me being there even though I was super quiet and nice and most of the cats were bigger than me! So unfair.

Soon it was time to go to work and I started schmoozing all the people. I was super friendly to everyone and let all the children and adults hold me and gave them lots of snuggles. I had my photo taken about a million times and gave out lots of kisses. At one point I needed a wee break from all the snuggles so when the lovely ladies weren't paying attention I made a quick dash to see my lovely friends the Leonburgers who were just round the corner. I was so fast that I managed to get through the thick forest of legs and make in into the cage with two of the big bears and burrow into their lovely warm fur for a nap. I didn't burrow deep enough though and it was back to work with me.

I also was a good model for the groomers. They breed miniature sausages too, but they are lovely smooth reds. I liked them lots. This one looks so much like my lovely friend in the UK Lottie it is amazing! And I really like the big floppy bassett hound that was there. He was funny.

I did all this stuff for two days and when Mum arrived to pick me up I was so exhausted from all my hard work and so pleased to see her that I immediately fell asleep on her shoulder. She's so nice to sleep on. Thanks so much Aurora and Els and Chrissy and Annabel and Jo and Becky. I had a great time! You all should go and check their websites, they are all linked from Penny Paws!

Oh, by the way, Penny Paws has a special offer till the end of April - don't miss out!

*Walking with Pennys and Giants*

Dear Diary,

I've been doing a lot of playing with big dogs lately. Now it seems obvious to me and to Mum that I am in fact a very large dog myself. Just because my body is a bit on the little side doesn't mean I'm a small dog. And I work very hard to ensure that everyone I meet knows how big I am. So it is no surprise to Mum that I love meeting giants.

Last weekend I met three beautiful ladies - all bears. Mum says I mustn't call them that because they are Leonbergers and if I offend them they could sit on me and squash me flat. But these lovely ladies would never do that. I particularly loved playing with little gentle Poppy, she's a little younger than me but is gentle and fun to wrestle. Even better I saw them again today! 

And last night I met a beautiful big St Bernard, appropriately up on the hills. He wasn't carrying any delicious warming drinks around his neck, but he was gorgeous! He wasn't too keen to play though so I found a beautiful bearded collie who wanted to run with me.

Then I met another Penny! 

She was very fast and fun and Mum was particularly taken with her because she looked so much like Mum's dog growing up, Sage. I played with her for a bit before heading off to check for badgers in the forest.

Then today I met another Penny, but this one was small and black like me and ran really really really fast. I had to sit down and wait for her to tire out a bit before I could play!

Fast poodle Penny is fast!

Then this afternoon I got together with my sausagie (and wanna be sausagie) friends to celebrate another giant's successful battle against horrid cancer. My friend in the UK Lottie. 

She is a giant dog, who is doing so much good with her story and I really wished I could get on an aeroplane and fly over to London and celebrate and raise awareness for canine cancer. So instead I got my mates together and we said BUTT OUT CANCER! over here in NZ. Love you Lottie!

Lovely Ruby is a spritely old woman!

And now I'm curled up at home having quiet time with Mum because we both are sending all our love and healing vibes to the most giant dog I know - Winny Woo. Lovely Winny's Mummy Di had some bad news today which you can see on Winny's facebook page. Mum and I having been following Winny's life since she was born. She is an extraordinary girl whose spirit and determination have touched people across the world. She truly is a giant. Some of us are meant to be giants and fill up a much bigger place in the lives of those around us than our physical size would suggest. Winny fills up an enormous amount of space with love, she is a gift. 

 I am a giant too, I came and saved my Mum when she was very sad because she can't have children. She got me instead and is now happier than she's ever been. I'm too modest to talk about it much, but I know that I am a very special dog and that makes me a giant like Lottie and a bit like Winny. Love to you both my special English roses!

Friday *Date Morning*

Dear Diary,

What an awesmazing day it has been today! This morning I went on a date with my gorgeous boyfriend Louie Lord von Houndlinghausen. Being aristocratic and of slightly more years than me (only 56 dog ones!) he appreciates a gentle stroll rather than a full on romp. 

I still love him though and of course greeted him with kisses.

I suspect the other dogs are whispering behind my back that I'm actually a gold digger because of the age difference, but people need to remember that I too am aristocracy and a lady and the only digging I do is when I'm on the hunt for nefarious badgers.

Anyway, Lord Louie really knows how to look after a lady and watches out for me and very discretely leads me into the bushes when there is opportunity. I like that in a man. 

And best of all Louie (as I call him) understands my loving friendly nature and is happy to keep our relationship open so he isn't at all jealous when I go racing around with Cooper or tussling with Mav.

The only issue I had on our walk was my mother! Really she is becoming quite intolerable. Yes it was a hot day. Yes all the big dogs were swimming. Yes I was hot BUT it is NOT necessary to dump me in the spa pool! I don't like swimming. yes I did feel better after, but that is not the point. 

Then even worst we had to go to work! What what what? I haven't had to be in my Penny pen for aaagggeesss. It was so boring! Lucky she made up for it later. We went back out to my favourite park and Mum and I met our first client. His name is Monty and he's 17 weeks old and stupendously cute! 

He's a bit of a shy boy initially, but he's great fun to play with once he gets going! And he's really fast. Mum ended up taking lots of photo's of grass because he's so quick. I'm so looking forward to going walking with him! 

When I got home there was a parcel for me in the mailbox from my wonderful Aunty Donna in Oztraila. She's so awesome! She sent me this super cute pink hoodie. 

I have to admit I'm really a bit of a nudist and don't even like wearing my collar, so I did kinda of put up a fight getting it on. And I did kind of try and get it off me for a while. But I do look amazing in it and Mum says when it's a bit colder I'll really appreciate the extra warmth. Plus it's from an amazing shop called Peter Alexander and he makes the bestest eva Penny things (and has very good taste in both dogs and names). You should all go check out http://www.peteralexander.com.au/shop/en/peteralexander and you too can look as gorgeous and stylish as me! 

I guess we all have to make sacrifices to look good. I wonder if Lord Louie will like me in my new top?

Thursday *Schooling Ole Baby Face*

Dear Diary,

Remember how I said that Baby Face Frank was a big gentle honey to play with? Well that's all changing and he's become a big stompy monster (still stupidly cute though). He's also turned into a cunning play fighter as you can see in this photo of him chewing my leg off!

So I'm having to school him in some manners! Being a big lump of a thing I have use fairly strict methods with Frank. Firstly I need him to understand that being on top all of the time (and munching on young ladies necks) is not good manners.

To do this I employ the ever successful ear chomp. Those big black velvety ears are perfect for a gentle nibble or a strong reprimanding bite if the play gets out of hand.

Sometimes a two on one ear chomp is necessary and Cooper is often on hand to help me with this.

If the ear chomp doesn't quite get through to Frank that I am in fact in change then it can be necessary to bring out the muzzle gnaw.

This only works on dogs that have a nose to chew on, like my mate Hunter, but my dear little friend Milly is immune (and she knows it).

Once the muzzle chew has been deployed I find there is a much friendlier and more submissive Frank for me to play with. Over time he has learned that when I say enough it is my turn to be on top and I of course take full advantage of the situation.

While Frank is beginning to learn good manners with me, he still has some way to go with the other distinguished sausages in our gang. Only I'm allowed to use Kaiser as a step stool or launching ramp, Frank is far to big!

The only time I don't like playing with Frank is when he's been galumphing around in the spa pool. He loves the water, which I don't really understand. He clambers in and out of the pool with the big dogs and even likes having it poured on him. What a weirdo.

The worst thing is when he's wet he soaks me! That is really not manners at all. I guess there's not really much I can do about that though, unless I employ a towel boy to dry Frank off before he plays with me? Hmmmm, something to think about there.