London, January

The train journey to my new home was really uneventful. The flat is quite large and there are other dogs around to keep me company.

I have now been renamed Freddie, this I am told is because my adopted Mum, a standard poodle is called Lucy. According to my Master’s wife in days gone by Lucy was a very popular girls name in the era of Bertie Wooster, and many had partners named Freddie. This in time has been shortened to Fred.

London, March

Master has gone to Crufts, and we have been put into Kennels for a few days. Before he departed though one of my companions made his point about being left behind and negotiated without much problem a nine foot wire mesh fence. It was really quite easy he simply leapt the first three feet, then used the mesh as a ladder to reach the summit. I watched with great interest, and am sure I could do that one day.

London, June

This week was Royal Ascot. We were not allowed to go, but Master dressed in very appropriate fashion, including an interesting looking Hat.

Later he left it out on a chair ready to go to the dry cleaners, this was most unfortunate.

You see, I overheard a telephone conversation and got completely the wrong meaning.

Unknown to me Master was talking about replacing his Hat for a silk one ……. I thought he was talking about ME. Well, it was natural that I was both worried, concerned and determined to have my revenge ….. Master went out for a short while that afternoon during which time I remembered The Hat. I have not taken any notice of until now but thought the time was right for a little restyling around the brim.

Oh dear, or dear, I am not in my Masters good books, as this has cost him about two hundred pounds.

I have found a very interesting toy! Master has a habit of putting his telephone down by his feet (really silly thing to do in my opinion!) and it makes funny little beeping noises when I put my paw on it. Have managed to get through to the Master’s Mother a few times. She gets a little bewildered when my Master tries to explain it was me that phoned!

London, September

Master says I have to start to learn the value of things, I am not too sure what exactly this means - except he did get a little annoyed with me the other day when he caught me chewing the leather on a chair Napoleon is said to have used. Napoleon I guess must have been one of the Masters previous dogs, because there is not one here with that name now. Funny though, I really cannot see any dog sitting on that chair.

The chair, I have been told, is worth about eight thousand pounds, and if the Master now decides to sell it, will have to describe it as being distressed.

Cambridge, November

We have returned to the house in Cambridgeshire ….. where I am living with my rather mixed family including the Irish Wolfhound, Standard Poodle, Italian Greyhound and have recently discovered there are mares in the paddock. There is a lot of land here and we have purpose built kennels and runs to go in when the Master is away.

I am very good and do not wander, not like the others!

The dog warden has had to return them from frolicking on the slip road to the motorway, Master is having fits about how the insurers would react if there was an accident.

Cambridge, December

There has been more trouble, Lucy the standard poodle and my adopted mum, has distinguished herself by getting arrested twice in two months. She has bitten four people in total, and her appearance before the Bench the second time resulted in an order for her destruction. Obviously we appealed. Our master asked his first wife whom she would recommend and she suggested council from her own chambers.

The Master said he felt sorry for the poor lad - it is bad enough appearing at all, but to do so at the request of a senior member of Chambers for her ex husband on behalf of a favourite female standard poodle, puts a burden on one which is only removed by a "result" as they say. He got the result wanted and Lucy lives on.

I am rather sad, as Lucy has now returned to live with her breeder, I just hope she behaves herself from now on.

Cambridge, some months later

We have had a terrible time. During the past months the Master has lost a number of his dogs, two from heart attacks, another on the operating table when an intestinal hernia burst and poisoned his blood.

Then the Italian Greyhound. She died within forty eight hours of the onset of symptoms which was said to be parvo virus. The Master was not at all happy, because he had been told by the breeder that the Italian Greyhound had been vaccinated. It turned out this had been done with drugs brought in from Ireland, because it was considered to be cheaper, just goes to show you have to be very careful over such things. The Vet and the Master were very concerned in case we had been exposed, but our vaccinations are all up to date because there are occasions when we do have to go into boarding kennels.

To finish on a happier note I now have another new friend, an American Cocker Spaniel. She is a real joy to have around, quick to learn and at eight weeks is as clean as anyone could hope for. She is also supremely confident and I am told, reminiscent of a baby me …..

Puli People

(c) www.puli-information.com

All rights reserved