2013 is here

Well it's been a pretty good start to the new year for us. Us dogs had a Callout to help Cockermouth MRT at 0040 on New Years Day - me and Kaz didn't go coz we were all staying at Grandpa Ron's in Worcestershire. My big sis Ginny's went along and luckily the missing lady was found very quickly by team members. Then on 2nd Patterdale MRT called us out but our pagers didn't go off so only Andy and Cory and Mike and Moss went!

Yesterday me and Kaz did some training - here I am finding bodies Rosemary and Terry on the fell at Whinlatter in the driving rain.

Then Kaz did some work on scent discrimination with Angus dog in the woods. He was very good.

Dram dog came too and had a nice run round too.

Then today we went for a long walk - Dram and Angus dogs were right posers (I was more interested in running after tennis balls).

We are all just chilling out now in front of the log burner which is great!

Happy New Year And Some Resolutions!

Me,and the Dram and Angus dogs have decided that we need to have a new year resolution (or two) so here you are;


Try to understand that the cat is from Venus, and Dogs are from Mars.

We will no longer be beholden to the sound of the can opener.

Take time from busy schedule to stop and smell the behinds.

Grow opposable thumbs, break into cupboards decide for OURSELVES how much food is *too* much.

January 1st: Kill the Tennis Ball! Must kill the Tennis ball! January 2nd - December 31st: Re-live victory over the tennis ball!

We will NOT chase the damned ball unless we see it LEAVE HER HAND.


....and a one specially for the boys....

Circulate petition that Leg Humping be a skill required for Trailing dogs

Happy New Year Dot fans - if you're wondering what the humans are up to - they're playing with some silly game and making a terrible noise!

I'm in a load of trouble for not blogging

So, it's a New Year's resolution that I'm now supposed to be sorting out which means that I will be a really good dog and blog more regularly - that's because all of the people I know that read my blog have been contacting me lately to tell me off.  So I promise faithfully that I'll be much better in 2013.

 

In the meantime Kaz says that i have to give you a roundup of the news since I last blogged at the end of October.

 

As you know we now have 3 more searchdogs on the list - Bill with Ani, Chris with Beck and Andy with Cory.  They have all been out on their first ever searches (well - for Chris Beck is his 3rd searchdog so actually it hasnt been new for him).  I can remember the first ever search I did with Kaz on Gummers How nearly 6 years ago - Kaz was dead nervous and she wanted me to search every blade of grass which was a bit slow - but eventually she learnt to just 'Trust Me!' and now I run everything - she just really drives me around.  I bet Andy and Bill felt the same as Kaz but I'm pretty sure that Cory and Ani sorted them out pretty quickly.

 

There has been some sad news though, and that was that Kess (one of my relatives) who retired as a searchdog a while ago, has died.  She was always a real character and she put me in my place a few times when I was a puppy. 

 

 

 

Les and Julie really miss her as we all do.  She made quite a few finds and people often thought i was a younger version - if I continue to be as good as her then I'll be really happy.

 

So what else has been happening?  Angus Dog is coming along well with his training - Kaz is taking it really slowly because he is nearly 11 months old now and apparently that's when dogs get a bit awkward and not listening to their owners - I dont remember being like that!  So she has been training him on scents - inside and outside the house.  Here's a piccie of him indicating at the skirting board where Kaz had dropped a little bit of scent onto the corner and then got him to smell a gauze with that scent on and then sent him round the house to find it.  Kaz was dead pleased with him and he got a big fuss from her.

 

 

Angus is also learning some obedience and doing well - he is ok at being told to lay down from a distance and is very good with the sheep and even the fell ponies!!

 

 

 

Me and the Dram and Angus dogs helped Daryl put the Christmas Tree up this year - I was quite impressed that the Angus dog didnt manage to pull all the things off.....even when Daryl put Candy Canes onto the tree!

 

 

 

Angus dog got bitten by a badger one night when we were out on the fell - he was sniffing at a big hole and suddenly the badger ran out an grabbed him - poor thing didnt know what to do and his nose had a nasty bite on it (that'll teach him).

 

We have had a couple of callouts with the team and the dogs this last few weeks - me and Kaz went to help out Patterdale Team with a search for a missing man by Ullswater.  Me and Kaz joined up with my big sis Ginny and her handler Mick Guy and we searched a really steep area of woodland in the dark - at one point, Mick took a bit of a slip and some rocks came down the hill towards Kaz which was a bit scary.  Sadly we didnt find him that night and then the next day the search continued with a load more of the dogs (including some from SARDA England).  He still wasnt found that day.

 

Then me and Kaz went back on the Sunday to help out again and see if we could find him.  Sadly he still hasnt been found which must be really difficult for his family.

 

Then Kaz and I were called out to help search for a missing lady in the Kendal area but got stood down when we were on the way.

 

Kaz went off to instruct on a training course for members of Mountain Rescue teams who want to be Party Leaders and she left me and the Dram and Angus dogs at home with Daryl.  Whilst she was there the local Swaledale Team had a callout for a missing person and she went on it all night - I was not impressed - she went on a callout without me!!! Huh - that will certainly not be happening again very soon!

 

Kaz and me got asked to go and help out with a search for a missing fisherman on the Eden - my big sis Ginny and her handler Mick also came along and we spent a very wet day looking for him with Kaz team, Penrith.  Here I am when me and Kaz stopped for a quick cup of tea and a biscuit for me.

 

 

 

Just as we finished the search we got another callout down to help Langdale/Ambleside team with a search for a man who had been out all night - just as we were arriving the man turned up - he did really well to look after himself on the fells over night in such bad weather.  As it was a work day for Kaz, she went back in to the office - and as I was soaking wet they let me come in and warm up under the desk - I got loads of fuss off the people in the office too which was really nice.

 

We went back again on the Saturday morning and did another search with Kaz's team but we still havent found him - sad.

 

I got a bit bored on Christmas Eve - cos Kaz was busy trying to wrap pressies (no excuse) so I just sat a stared at her to make her take us all out - it worked!!

 

 

We had a lovely Christmas Day - me and Angus and Dram dogs went up on the fell with Kaz and Grandma and then came back and we all opened our pressies - we all had really nice chews and balls and the humans had ridiculous things like Ice Axes and DVDs!

 

The humans went over to the pub for Christmas Day dinner which was apparently very nice while we stayed at home and took a sneaky peak at the TV....here;s Kaz and Grandpa and Grandma

 

 

 

 

Then on Boxing day me and Kaz and Daryl and the Angus and Dram dogs went down to ullswater for a quick swim - yes the humans came in too which was fun although they didnt stay in as long us us - I like the piccie of me and Kaz and the Angus dog!

 

 

 

Just as we got home from the swim Kaz and Daryl had a Boxing Day mountain rescue callout with their team and went down to the base to meet up with some of the others to go and help a mountain biker who'd fallen off his bike and hurt his face on a track near the Pennines.  Luckily the ambulance (which was being driven by Kaz'd friend Serena got there and the man was taken to hospital by the air ambulance so the Mountain rescue team weren't needed).

 

 

So finally here we are - today is Grandpa's 76th birthday so happy birthday for today!  Me and Kaz and the Angus and Dram dog and Daryl are in Kidderminster seeing Grandpa Ron and Grandma Jeanie and their dogs for a couple of days - we are having a great time running all over the fields together!

 

I really do promise to start being a better blogger in 2013 - so just make sure you tell me off it I'm not!

 

Take care and happy New Year xxx

 

 

 

Busy couple of weeks

Kaz and me have been continuing to help Kath and Mara train.  They are doing really well now and we had a lovely Sunday



We came back and Daryl made a gingerbread house - here it is - me and the other dogs supervised it! We didnt get any though...... :-(

Well - what a couple of weeks it's been - me and Kaz have been on an epic callout the other night in really bad weather - there were two men on Scafell trying to navigate with a Wainwright book, but no map or compass or torch - now, I know that Mr Wainwright wrote some pretty fine books with lovely pictures but the better best is a good old OS map and compass really!

Anyway - it was a long old night - me, Daryl, Kaz and the Dram and Angus dogs had been up at Kirkstone pass all day meeting all our friends who support us and some members of the public as well.  I did a demo as well as all the others and even though the rain was awful, it was a great day and we met loads of new people who made a fuss of us.  We went home and were just about to settle down on the rug (well, me and the other two dogs - Kaz and Daryl were going to sit on the sofa!).  Just as Kaz had started reading her book, the phone rang and it was Mick telling her to not go to bed yet cos there was a search on Scafell for 2 missing men.  Kaz and me looked out the window and it was rubbish weather and we didnt really want to go anywhere - but we did.

We arrived at Keswick base and met up with Laura and Jake dog (and her navigator Rob) and our navigator Chesh.  Elly and Chris with Meggy and Beck were already out on the fell somewhere and so was Mick and my big sis Ginny - me and Kaz and Laura and Jake were told to search up Taylor Ghyll and onto Styhead. Now - during the day and when it's not too bad its an ok scramble - but to be honest at night it is pretty crap - we climed the rock up the right side of the ghyll which was a bit slippy.



We searched for an awful long time and I even found Kaz a hat and bought it for her.  Eventually we heard on the raido that the Wasdale Team found the men - here is a piccy that Wasdale took and it shows just how bad it was.

Me and Kaz got home at about 2.30 and she had to be in work for 7.30 so she was a bit tired.

Last night we went on the fell at Helton - ohhh Kaz got scared of the dark!!

Anyways - see you soon Dot fans and before I go have you heard that a sheep dog has just been sold for £8400 - frankly I dont get out of bed for less than £10k!

So many things to tell you about .........

So Kaz says I've got to give you all a big apology for not blogging for a while but there's loads going on that I haven't had time to get hold of Kaz's laptop or Daryl's iPad (managed to get my paws on the iPad today though!)

Anyway here we go .....

1st bit of brilliant news is about 2 trainee dogs who have just passed their last assessment and join me and the other search dogs on the callout list -and that is Ani (and her handler Bill from Kendal MRT) and Corrie (and her handler Andy from Patterdale MRT). Here they are - don't they look great!



The next bit of LDMRSDA news is that Chris Francis and his trainee Beck passed their last assessment last night, so they're on the callout list too!




There are 2 very sad bits of news though, that is that our Vice President Dave Riley has sadly died after an illness. Although me and Kaz didn't work on callous with Dave we were lucky enough to be trained and assessed by him. He had a great sense of humour and was very knowledgeable about dog training and he'll be really missed by us all.

The second bit of bad news is that Glen Hodges and his trainee Molly from Penrith MRT have decided to withdraw from training - Kaz is really sad as she was hoping they'd join me and her very soon

This last weekend me and Kaz and the new dog Angus and Daryl and the Dram dog have been training with the trailing dogs - they both did really well and I'm pretty proud of my little brothers they might even be as good as me soon!

Then last weekend we went to handler John Leadbetter's wedding to Clair our LDMRSDA Vet - it was great - all us dogs were allowed in the church.



Then we had a great walk up towards Loadpot Hill the other day - fantastic weather - it was brill and our doggy friends Darcy, Jack, Flint and Pip came along with aunty Serena and we had loads of fun.....



Finally we have had 2 callouts in the last week - the first wasnt really much as a couple of people got a bit lost in the dark between Howtown and Pooley Bridge - me and Kaz were on the way in the team Landrover when we had a call from Serena who lives near there to say she'd been up on the hill and brought them down.

Yesterday night we had a callout from the dogs and the Penrith Team to go to search for a missing man in Cargo (on the Solway flats).  He'd gone for a walk and didnt come back.  Me and Kaz, plus Elly/Meg, Nick/Sam, Ian/Kep, Mick/Ginny, Olly/Kitt and Laura/Jake met up and started searching the fields and the footpath by the Eden.  We were joined by the RAF helicopter, Coastguard and Inshore Lifeboat teams, but at 4am sadly the body of the man was found and we all went home for a sleep.



Now then I promise to blog better now as I'm not so busy at the moment!

Oh blimey I've got another bruvver!

For goodness sake - I've just about got used to the Dram dog being in the house when we all went out for a drive and CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER DOG - agggghhhhhh!

Actually we'd already met him on the trailing weekend at Patterdale and ok I did like him. Kaz explained that she wanted to start training another dog (not to be clever like me but as a trailing dog just like my clever friend Mij and what the Dram dog is currently training for).

Anyway - we bought him back from Toms in Scotland and he's been here for three weeks so far and is alright ( I s'pose) - here he is...Kaz still luvs me best tho'

Assessments go well and I go on a Callout on Bodmin Moor

Me and Kaz and Daryl and Deam dig went down to north Tawton in Devon for a trailing training course. We drove for a long time but eventually arrived and met the others. We were going to watch Daryl and the Dram dog do his trailing stuff, but Kaz got told there was a missing person on Bodmin Moor and me and her were going to help the other dogs search for him. It was great - lots of good wind and not too hot but I got a bit scared of the cows who were protecting their calves and the horses who kept chasing me. We worked for a long time but eventually heard that the missing person had been found.

When we got back Daryl told Kaz that him and Dram had done well. So the next day we worked at an old country house - I even got to search in the house and found someone in the cupboard in the library!

We watched Daryl and the Dram dog and they did really well and even did a small trail for a person.

The next day we all went to some fields and searched - it was great and I had loads of fun finding the bodies.

When we came home Daryl and Kaz had been busy until this weekend and on Saturday we all went over to Whinlatter so Kaz could help assess trailing dog Paddy and his handler Neil from Northern Ireland. They followed a 4 hour trail for over 2 km with lots of twists and turns.....and they passed - hooray!

The Dram dog and Daryl did a discrimination test on 3 different people and found the right one and was brilliant!

Then today we went to Haweswater and me and Kaz did some Assessing - Andy and trainee dog Corrie passed some more assessments and haven't got many more to go now- hooray! Everyone else seemed to be doing well too so that was great.