I remember when Honey was still an adolescent and I had returned from a short evening out. She was so overcome with excitement that as I bent down to fuss her she nibbled my ear in her usual way, and I heard a huge gulp as my very large earring slipped down her throat! I wrote this next poem following this event:

I’ve been a silly doggy,                                                                                                                                                  
I did a silly thing,
I got a bit excited –
and swallowed Mum’s earring,                        

It went in to my tummy
and caused me much distress,
I started to feel poorly –
 and even made a mess.

Mum took me to see Sarah –
she’s very kind to me,
She said we’ll take some pictures
 to see what we can see…

There it was that earring
as clear as the day!
We’ll have to cut her open,
I thought I heard them say……….

……But now it is all over –
and I am on the mend,
And to the vets and all the staff
my love and thanks I send!

                                         HONEY x

Whilst sorting out some paperwork recently, I stumbled across a card our four original Goldies had sent Brian for Father’s Day. Inside it read:

To our very special Daddy,

We love you very much,

We know that you adore us –

You have that doggy touch.

Pebbles is the quiet one,

She’s  always being good,

Molly is the plank-head –

That’s clearly understood!

Maddie is the Rocket –

Racing round and round,

And Abbie is the stinker..

….. a very smelly hound!

Whatever though – we love you,

We hope you’ll always know,

And as the years go sailing by,

Our devotion we will show. x x

 What clever dogs they were!

 When Maddie was in the throws of her first ever labour, I was rather concerned as I felt something wasn’t right. I contacted my vet, Patrick, who had a good look at her at the surgery, and agreed that a caesarean would be the way forward. It turned out that all eight puppies were on one horn of the womb, and her womb could easily have twisted, which would have suffocated the puppies had I not taken her in when I did. After such a close call I wrote a poem for Patrick (and Hayley – the vet nurse) and here it is:

                                       Patrick saves the day

 It’s getting very close now 

My pups are on the way

It seems to be so very long

I’ve waited for this day.

Mum says I’m very clever

My labour’s by the book

I’m doing all my panting

And nearly off the hook!

It’s going on forever 

My pups are overdue

Mum is ringing Patrick 

To see what he can do

I need to go and see him

To help me if he can

Mum says that I can trust him

He’s a very clever man….

….My but I feel funny…

And my tummy’s gone all flat

My puppies have stopped kicking

And I’m no longer fat!

What is all that squeaking

It’s coming from that box

Can it be my babies 

I thought that I had lost?

You really have been wonderful

I heard Mum to him say

Now I have eight babies…

Patrick really saved the day!