Good times and bad times...

"I don't know where to start really – so much has happened since April! I've landed on my feet for sure – how was I to know that the bald bloke, Si, was as much into spending time outdoors as I am! I've been running all over the local hills which are full of sheep – fantastic for me as I've still got working tendencies that Si is trying to train to his advantage. If I get any better at driving sheep and doing tricks, Si says he's going to flog me on something called eBay! I THINK he's joking...

Lizzie and Gyp

The lady's name is Lizzie and she loved me from the start. I get so much fuss now – sometimes it gets too much so I have to go hide in the small field they call the garden. But they feed me so well and I feel really safe and cared for. And the amount of exercise I get is awesome... Si goes around on this thing called a mountain bike – he can go even faster than me on full gas so he's great to chase and I can do three times the distance at least than when he walks – then he's really slow...

Every morning I go up on the hill – doesn't matter what the weather. Then I generally go to Si's shop where I chill out and mess around with people all day – really cool stuff! Then, after work, Si or Lizzie or both take me for a massive hoof round the hills on the mountain bikes or walking. Sometimes they do a funny walk they call running but it doesn't look much like running to me...

As well as getting to write this blog, Si has put photographs of me on the staff page of the Mountainfeet website – how cool is that for a collie dog fresh from a farm?

So everything was brilliant and I was so settled and then the bubble burst...

One morning I woke up ready for fun and frollicks but Si said it was time for my jab – what did he mean? He then took me to another shop in the next village but it wasn't like Mountainfeet and it smelled funny.

There were other dogs there who growled at me even though I was just minding my own business... Si handed me over to a lady who was really nice to me at first but then promptly stabbed me with a needly thing! What the *****????

That seemed to be it and thankfully we left but about a day later I was feeling rough and didn't want my tea which seemed to worry Si as he said it was unheard of! That was the start of a very bad time which I'll tell you about when I next write.

Don't worry by the way – I'm right as rain now...

The start of things...

Gyp Collie

Gyp's the new apprentice Mountainfeet hound – he's attempting to fill the paws left by Cap who we very sadly lost in 2010. Gyp previously lived on a sheep farm in the Lake District with lots of other collies, many of whom were accomplished trials and sheep herding dogs. Luckily for us, Gyp doesn't have much enthusiasm for sheep and is happy to give them a wide berth – perfect behaviour for a dog living here in the Pennines and spending a lot of time in proximity to them.

We'll try and chart Gyp's progress through his eyes via the Dog Blog and for those who might miss Cap's page, we've included a link to it here...

16th April 2012

Well, there I was just minding my own business and trying to fight my corner with my siblings and Derek, (Derek Scrimgeour of Lonscale Farm) evicts me from the kennel and shoves me in front of this bald bloke from somewhere called Marsden! Then Derek wraps a collar round my neck, clips something called a lead to it and hands the other end to the bald bloke who just walks off with me – where on earth am I going and what's happening?

How cute am I?

I've never really been out and about beyond the farm – that's where I felt safe as Derek, Helen and Rachel were kind to me and let me run around in the nearby fields to let off steam. The only complaint I had was about the feeding arrangements as my siblings always got way more scoff than me because they pushed me out of the way. I think this is what the two feets call 'the survival of the fittest' and boy was I getting skinny!

Anyway, me and the bald bloke started heading up the back of Latrigg above Keswick and I was happy to lope along behind him on the bit of string they call a lead. The bald bloke was talking ALL the time in a low, calm way that put me at my ease – he couldn't be too bad then? It was a beautiful day – fluffy white clouds in a blue sky which met the green springy grass of Latrigg and I was enjoying myself until I felt we were going too far from the farm. Time for me to flop down and dig the claws in – not happy with this any more...

Surprisingly, the bald bloke didn't drag me on the string but came and sat down with me. Below in the valley, we could see and hear my dad, Laddie, working with Derek to separate some dopey sheep into two groups. The bald bloke seemed pretty impressed with all this but I already knew Pops was something special in the sheep dog world as he travels a lot to take part in competitions. I don't think he really knows me much as from what I hear he's had loads of pups – he's been a bit a lad about town with the ladies I think!

Anyway, we toddled back to the farm and the bald bloke talked with Derek – about me I think. Then I was let off the piece of string thing and went rough and tumbling around the farm yard with the other dogs while the bald bloke and Derek disappeared into the farm kitchen. I eventually sneaked in too and watched them drinking tea and eating cake while Rachel (the farmers daughter) got the papers out with my details on – what was going on?

All the two feets seemed to be getting on like a house on fire but then the bald bloke got up to leave and I decided to follow him out. He had a van and strangely, a dog basket! Rachel came out too and lured me into the van with a bit of food. No problem, I'll do anything for a bit of food...

Fast forward an hour and we're whizzing at high speed down a super-wide, mega-fast farm track like I've never seen before – the bald bloke says it's called the M6. I'm curled up on the front seat in more luxury than I've ever known and am quite chilled so decide to go to sleep. When I wake up I'm on some strange hillside and being encouraged to vacate the van to go for a pee. Because I don't want to upset the bald bloke who seems nice, I comply and also decide to stick close to him which goes down well.

Back in the van for only five minutes and we pull up outside a really titchy farm house with hardly any land. There's an excited looking lady in the doorway but I'm a bit disorientated so stick with the bald bloke who feels really familiar now and a two feet I can trust. I wander into the house and start discovering a whole new way of life...