OCTOBER

I have been trained to “fetch my bowl” when it is feeding time.  The Mrs taught me this trick.  The trick is attached to another training session which started with the order to “stay”.  My bowl is filled with my favourite food, a pastime that is watched avidly by me and sometimes accompanied by a bit of dancing around on my part however once the bowl is full I then have to “sit” and “stay” in place while the Mrs walks around the garden deciding where to put my bowl.  I can’t say she exactly hides it but it is never in the same place twice……she makes it a game…..one which I am not always amused by!  Once she has placed the bowl to her satisfaction she returns to me – this can sometimes take up to five minutes if she is distracted by something else in the garden like a stray weed or a newly ripened raspberry.  She praises me for sitting and staying, even though she knows how much my stomach is desperate for food she makes sure I know she is pleased with me but I am not sure if she is aware of how impatient I am with her.  Once she is satisfied I have understood how good I am for staying she points to the bowl and says “find him” and I race around the garden following my nose until I come upon my food bowl full of yummy dinner. 

As her memory is nowhere near as good as mine she has now invented this new trick to “fetch my bowl” as she obviously can’t remember where she put it.  Hence I return carrying the bowl to be praised and patted which instigates the above feeding session.  I have however, been known to fetch my bowl on numerous odd occasions throughout the day in the hope of fooling her into doling out an interim feed.  This does not seem to work so her memory may not be as bad as I thought it was and there is no way I can fool the Boss as he is very strict with my feeding regime but I am a Labrador and always live in hope of receiving food……..