A wedding and a few calloouts

Kaz had a day off on Friday to help Nicky her friend get prepared for her wedding – that meant we all got up early and went running and she left me and Angus in the kitchen with our chews and toys whilst she hung up decorations and stuff.  When she got home she was pretty tired as she's been up and down the stepladders as everyone else was scared of heights! 

 

The next day we had a visit from grandma and grandpa who came over to look after us while Kaz went to the wedding – grandma has just had her plaster off and so was able to play a bit more with us and we got loads of treats.  Kaz really enjoyed the day – Nicky looked lovely and so did Kaz (who is very proud of how fit she is getting).

 

 

The next day me and Kaz were going over to Kirkby Stephen for a search exercise and Angus dog was going to be staying at home as he wasn’t going to be able to work,  Kaz keft him with a load of toys to play with and we set off.  We arrived at base to get the vehicles ready and we got all the information from Kirkby team about what we’d be doing when we arrived.  We set off in the sunshine and literally 10 mins later Kaz received a callout from Cumbria Police asking us to help with a lady who’d fallen over and hurt herself somewhere north of Carlisle.  Kaz had to let Kirkby Stephen know that we were turning round and having to go on a callout which was a shame cos I was looking forward to a good day with Kaz all to myself.

We drove up to Carlisle and soon found the field where we could get onto the track to where the lady was.  I stayed in the vehicle as Kaz wasn’t sure what would be happening when we got there.  I could see Kaz and the team as they climbed up through the trees and they met the Penrith team leader who’d got there first.  The lady was in a fair bit of pain from an ankle injury so they put the leg in a splint and carried her down to the ambulance so she could get checked out.  While they were loading her one of Kaz’s team mates opened the door and I ran round the field chasing the flies for a while.  I was sat next to Karen on the way back and she got loads of kisses from me!!

After the lady was in the ambulance we followed it to the hospital so we could get some of the team equipment back.  You would be surprised how much stuff teams lose once the casualty goes off to the hospital.

We then drove back to Penrith, but because it was such a nice day they decided we’d all go and do some training at Knipe Scar. We had a lovely day learning ropey stuff – but Kaz did manage to drop the helmet bag at the top of the scar and it rolled off over the edge – which meant that the helmet she needed to climb down and get the helmets wasn’t there!

 

 

 

On Tuesday we went over to Whinlatter and Angus and Kaz did a short trail from the main path into the woods and by the time it was dark they’d found the body (Jim) and Angus was very pleased with himself.

 Angus indicates on the scent at the start

 On the move - trailing along the main path

Angus finds Jim and lays down in the dark

 

On Thursday Kaz went training with the Triathlon club in Penrith.  She’d just come back home at about 10pm when her pager went off for a missing man in Ousby – he had been out on his quad bike to move his sheep and hadn’t got back.  Kaz spoke to his friends on the phone and got some details.  She called the team out, put Angus to bed in the kitchen and me and her went down to the base.  On the way she spoke to Chris the dog callout co-ordinator and asked for some more dogs to help – he told her that him, Mick and Andy would be on their way and would meet us in Ousby.

We drove over to Ousby and were just sorting out the search routes with the team when we were told the man had been found.  Apparently the fog had become bad and he decided to just stay out – his neighbours who had been on quad bikes looking for him found him at Blackburn Bothy.  So we all turned round and got home just after 1am.  Angus was very pleased to see me and wanted to know all about it.

Then on Friday me and Angus and Kaz went for a nice early morning run on Helton and watched the sky grow brighter – Kaz doesn’t like running in the dark very much in case she trips over!

 

Yesterday we were off to Carlisle to run a charity abseil, but just as we got to base to set everything up there was a callout for a lady in Penrith who’d been missing from a care home.  Kaz and I met the police for a briefing and Penrith team were asked to check the open fields and woodlands – me and Kaz searched an area of woodland when we heard that the lady had been found safe and well in the back garden of a house nearby – she was safe and well which was really good news.

We got home and Angus and me persuaded Kaz it would be nice to go visiting and so we all drove over to see our friend Kath at Kirkby Stephen – we all went for a nice walk through town over to the fields where we were running after the ball.  Just as we were going back towards Kath;s house so they could have a cup of tea, Kaz got another callout – this time for a missing man near Egremont and Wasdale team were asking for help.  Kaz drove me and Angus home, grabbed all her spare kit and gave Angus a nice chewy bone and we set off for Egremont.  When we got there we were brifed by the leader from Wasdale team and given a lift with Ian and searchdog Keppi into the Uldale Farm valley where we were going to be searching steep woodland.  I was a very bumpy ride and Kaz was feeling a bit rough!  We hadn’t been going very long when we heard on the radio that dog Laura had been told by a member of the public that theyd seen someone on Dent summit who could be the missing person.  So she and dog Mick went up to the summit where they located the man safe and well.  We all got told that we could go home – I was a bit disappointed as we were just getting into it.

Kaz and I got another bumpy lift back to the car and we drove back to Penrith, getting home for about 11pm.  Angus was pleased to see us and jumped about getting excited.

Today Kaz has decided to do some ‘admin’ and wants to get the laptop back from me so I’d better go.

 

See you soon Dot fans!

Holidays

Hi Dot fans and I hope you are enjoying the sun.  Me and Angus have been having loads of fun as Kaz decided to take some time off work and took us up to Scotland in the caravan thingy.  We stayed on the banks of Loch Lomond near Balmaha (which is on the West Highland Way - I walked this 3 years ago so I was pretty confident that I could show Angus all the best places to sniff!).

We went up to the campsite and Kaz took her kayak and her bike so she could have a bit of fun too (but only after me and Angus had been knackered out!).

She managed to park up on a spot right next to the Loch which meant a quick run to the water so we could swim. It was very hot on some of the days so we certainly spent loads of time swimming and chasing balls. There were some nice people staying at the site and they had dogs so we made friends which was great.  We were in the Cashel Forest park so we were able to go up into the forest and onto the hills every day for really long walks

 

- we usually started when it was misty then by the time we'd finished it was boiling hot and we all went straight into the water - even Kaz who swam with us - although I really am not used to having to take the ball back to Kaz when she is in the water - I kept taking it back and dropping it onto the beach and making Kaz get out for it.....although I got the hang of it eventually!

Here's me and Angus in the woods on one of our walks - Kaz thinks we'll end up tripping over our own tongues one day!

 Kaz really enjoyed herself and went off kayaking when we took a sleep - she even went out in the evening to watch the sunset whilst we stayed on the shore keeping an eye out for her. (she needs looking out for - I know she's our owner but she can be a bit of a berk at times!!).

 It was a really nice holiday and later in the year Kaz has promised we will travel up to Skye for a week and have some good walks with her - Kaz says it's really nice and cosy in the caravan thingy - not that we'd know as we have to sleep in the van but she says she likes watching the sun go down from the back door whilst all the midges fly about outside!

I've stuck a couple of more pictures of the holiday here - unfortunately Kaz has a rotten cold/cough thing so at least she got a present from the holiday - haha

Just before we went off to Scotland we went to the Kirkby Stephen Beer and Bangers festival with Kath and all the Kirkby Mountain Rescue people - they all seemed to have a really good time and enjoyed the bands a lot.  The double bass player was a bit adventurous and managed to stage dive whilst continuing to play his instrument!

Then the Penrith Team had a photo shoot as they are now on the new Penrith and Eden Monopoly Board and I was asked to sit on the team vehicle to look good (Ian the vehicles officer was looking a bit worried about the bonnet but I didn't scratch it).  The new game looks good and Kaz and the team are now busy selling copies for friends and families for Christmas (yep I know, I know).

Angus was a bit in the wars as well - he was playing with one of our team members when we were out on a training exercise and got a bit carried away with the chasing bit - he managed to graze off all his paw pads but the front one was really bad and he had to go to the vet to have it treated - he was pathetic (typical man).

 Yesterday Kaz made some Jam from the Plums on the tree - she had to pick some before Angus ate the entire crop - he seems to have developed a habit of waiting for a plum to fall then runs outside and eats it - hmmm not good for his tummy really but he doesn't seem to care.

We are off training tonight at Brandlehow woods which should be fun and then tomorrow we are off to have a run 1st thing with Kaz.  She's now regularly (every other day) running 3 miles and she wants to eventually get up to 6 miles every 2 or 3 days - she is having some problems with clothes as she has to keep buying smaller ones!

Angus goes nuts and Grandma is plastered

So, Dot fans how are you all then?

Me and Angus and Kaz have been busy again for the last couple of weeks since I last wrote.

Grandma had a fall on her patio and broke her arm really badly and has had to have an operation and a load of metal put in.  Me and Angus are being very careful now as she doesn't want to hurt herself anymore.

Kaz has been continuing the running in the mornings with us and sometimes she can even keep up with me and Angus (but only if we take pity on her and let her).  This morning we were running in Lowther Park and Angus was running flat out but was looking at me and forgot that Kaz was there and took her out completely! Kaz apparently needs to practice her hurdling technique.

Here we are enjoying the early morning smells just after Kaz picked herself up....

Yesterday we went over to Kirkby Stephen to see our friend Mara (and handler Kath).  We all went out on to the hills above the town and we also met up with Denise and Andy who were going to body for Mara.  Kaz was helping Kath teach Mara about going up and down hill on command.  I was there to show her how I do it - and Angus was there just be a pain as normal!

 

We got Kath and Mara to search this hill and had a body at the top and one at the bottom. Kath was puffing a bit when we finished though



 Here she is setting off

 And catching her breath. 

On Saturday me and Angus went to the team collection at Tebay Services and I was very helpful and got loads of fuss.  A nice lady bought me and Angus some dog treats which were yummy!
After that just as we got home we ended up being left there as Kaz got a team callout to a farm near Armathwaite for a lady who had broken her ankle on steep ground whilst looking for her cat - I don't know, why any human would risk their life for an evil cat!  Anyway the team gave her some entonox and helped the ambulance people carry her off - (she was still worrying about the cat though!)

On Thurdsay night Kaz's team had a curry night which we weren't invited to but apparently they had lots of fun and as you can see were very well behaved and didn't mess about at all.....not.

Oh and then on Wednesday Angus was a real idiot - he managed to eat a load of Macadamia nuts - what Kaz didn't know was that they are very toxic (more than normal) to us dogs and luckily just as she'd started out for her meeting in Manchester, she rang Clare the vet and asked her advice - Clare told her to take him to the vet in Penrith and get them to make him sick as he might have been very poorly if he'd ingested them.  Poor old Kaz was in a bit of a panic and took him straight down there.  They gave him some anaesthetic drops into his eye and then put some liquid in that forced him to be very sick very quickly.  He was then kept at the vets for the rest of the day - when he got home he was very quiet and not his usual bouncy self and Kaz now knows that she needs to be a bit careful about nuts in the future.

On Tuesday we went to Brandelhow in Keswick and Angus did a trail for Terry which was very good.  He set off down the path towards the lake from the road under Catbells - everyone else had gone down the path too - Terry was Angus's body and when Kaz and him got to the gate, instead of going through he took Kaz right down a tiny path to the lake shore where he then indicated left and went through another gate and round towards the jetty where the others were training.  Angus went past Laura and Jake playing in the water and took Kaz about 25ft away from all the others and he got really excited in a smell around a bench - (turns out Terry had been sat there for 20mins) - Kaz then worked him further out for the bench and suddenly he found the scent leading to a tree nearby and indicated on Terry by lying down next to him.  Kaz was really pleased.

Angus has also been doing well on the trailing - he went to the Haweswater weekend and did 2 trails.  The first one was for Will who walked up the Blea Water path and then went cross country over to the Small Water path and continued up to the lake.  Then he turned left and went up the hill about 100m and lay down.  Angus worked really hard all the way (which was bout 2.3km) and was very happy to find Will.  At the end of the day him and Kaz did a trail up onto the ridge going up to Rough Crag looking for Jim and found him - despite all the very deep bracken.  When they got home they were very tired - especially Angus.

Anyway Dot fans got to go as Kaz is cooking a meal for friends. 

Lots of sun, lots of rain and busy times

Since I blogged last it's been a bit mad - grandma fell over and broke her arm last week so has been in hospital - she is now at home and a bit fed up with a plaster on her had which means that opening the treat jar is a little bit awkward for her....Angus has been given strict instructions to not jump at her which he sometimes seems to forget.

So the big news since last time is that Kaz's great friend Elly and her dog Bracken and Dave and his dog Fern both finally got their green tags to say they are now an operational dog team - Kaz was very pleased for them both and so am I cos that means there are more of us search dogs to go out and look for people.

Here they are:-

 

We were all training in Coniston and me, Angus and Kaz went off up to Leverswater to help Roger train John Dunbavin and Cuillin and Kathy and Mara and Martin and Isla - they were all really good on the scree slopes and did very well.  Me and Kaz went off to find Terry later on in the day and then Kaz and Angus did a trail all the way round Leverswater for Terry.... and I made sure he got back safe -

 

 

 

Looking at the next pictures Angus started on the right hand side of the first picture where he was given the scent of the missing person (Terry) who had walked this way about 2 hours before hand.  He then had to decide which way to go (as there had been a lot of people up and down the path and also the baby dogs were working up the hill on the right).  Once he told Kaz which way to go they went round the back of the lake just above the shoreline and the path.  They had to go passed a family but Angus concentrated and carried on.

 Angus then worked to a path junction where lots of walkers had carried on (to the right of the picture below) and he indicated to Kaz that the missing person had carried on round.  Angus led Kaz above the path and over the small hillocks in the middle of the pic and then carried on round - even though John and Cuillin were working in the opposite direction.

 And as they came round the lake they dropped below the path and continued going to the left of the pic below dropping right down to the lake shore where Terry was hiding in a boulder.

 

Here's Ted supervising (don't tell him but he's a very handsome dog)

 

 

and here's Roger, Dave and Martin chilling out and me looking perfect

 

 

 

After the training weekend we had loads of sunshine which was great cos Kaz has been taking us out lots after work - we even got to swim with her in Blea Water one evening last week which was great fun and then we had our tea by the tarn until it got chilly and a bit midgy. This is Blea Water.

 

 



 And this is Angus on the way down from Small water a couple of nights later

Then it was training up at Whinlatter and Angus has been training hard - this time he had to select the right person from a line of people - which he was good at - and after that body Deb had made cake for us all for her birthday 

 

 

On the next day and Glenn from the rescue team did a session with Cumbria Fire and Rescue to show their apprentices all about Mountain Rescue.  They all seemed to enjoy themselves and they gave us lots of fuss.  It ended with a pretend search for a casualty and then they had to deal with the injury - they were very good although it took them a long time to find Glenn, so I showed them what I can do!

Kaz and me and Angus then spent a really nice day at something called PotFest in the park which was people who make sculptures and pots and things showing them to the public inside the big house and grounds at Hutton in the Forest.  We really enjoyed ourselves - and the gardens were lovely.

 

The following night just as Kaz got home we were going to go for a bit of a run, there was a callout for a possible missing man in the Mardale area - so she went down to meet the man's friend who had left him after he started saying he felt unwell.  Luckily Kaz found the man really quickly (I didn't even have to search as she could see him) and she treated him for dehydration before the rest of the team got there.  So afterwards me and Angus still got a run but just round the end of Mardale instead of up at Helton. 

Then there was another training session at Whinlatter and this time it was Rob's 40th birthday so guess what - more cake!  Kaz says she's been really enjoying training lately - I wonder why??

Angus has been continuing to train really hard every week as you can tell from this shot...

But for the last 3 days him and Kaz have been in Bowland for the trailing weekend - and I stayed at home to look after grandma and grandpa.  Kaz took the little caravan as well and so off they went.

Angus had to do 3 different trails in the country park, around an industrial estate and in the area round the Bowland Pennine Team base.  Apparently he did very well on all three and found the casualty each time!  Hopefully if he continues like this it wont be very long at all. But the best news is that Maria and Scarlet finished their assessments and have become a graded lowland Trailing Dog team.  Everyone else - Nick and Woody, Kathy and Tally, Jamie and Diesel, Doug and Jaffa, Benny and Brock, Tim and Damian all had a really good weekend.  Here is Angus finding Cliff the Mountain Rescue Bear

This was the view inside Kaz's caravan this morning - she was so cozy that she couldn't be bothered to get out of bed! Lazy girl

 

Anyway more news soon as Kaz wants to take us both out.............