One year ago today... (ones or two pics...)

[Spudlet]

... I was on my way to Dogs Trust Snetterton to pick up a certain spaniel, then known as Samson (what kind of a name is that for a spangle

)

I warn you now - here come the PICS! You might want to get a cup of tea now

When I first met him, he was.... what's the word I'm looking for? Well upholstered

He also pulled so hard on the lead that I had a shoulder ache for two days

It didn't take him long to settle in

He proved to be nocturnal - I slept about three hours on the first night thanks to his midnight drum solo and vocals

Of course he caught up on his sleep the next day...

Wasn't long before I could start letting him off the lead - fortunately he was too fat to cause much trouble at first!

His fitness programme began (cue Rocky music)

He also started coming to work - where he made his presence felt....

In May he had an unauthorised snack.... leading to surgery.... and a ban on climbing the stairs

Once he'd bounced back, we were off again

He had a haircut as it got warmer - no more woolly mammoths!

Then it was holiday time!

He became an enthusiastic spectator at Badminton, Blenheim and Burghley

And thanks to his snacking habits got used to life behind bars

By autumn he was fit as a fiddle

Which led to its own problems with sudden onset deafness

So now it's gundog training for Henry!

......

That's the story so far - I have more pics but have to extract them from my sister....

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Yey for Henry!!!

Here are some piccies of him on the beach

- was have a lovely time playing with all the others and rustling picnics.....

Well done hopalong for giving him a home and letting him be a spangle

(with a proper spangle name - Samson?

! Whats that about??

)

PS Looking forward to our next hoon around

- The Moo x

 

[Patches]

Fabulous post!!!! Happy Anniversary for you and Henry. (I prefer it to Samson too.)

Great pics. I had no idea he'd had surgery. Silly Spangle. Are you definitely coming to the meet up in June? I soooo want to meet Henry and St Sweep. I hope they'll both be there.

Here's to many more years together.

 

[Cliqmo]

He is so gorgeous and you've done him proud turning him around- well done to you both x x x

 

[Spudlet]

Some of what Henry does at work:
Gives the babies a good introduction to dogs:

Rearranges his bedding

Makes sure we have a good supply of chewed up old lead ropes

And a few more out and about

And....
The dreaded Death Stare

 

[Spudlet]

Thank you everybody - especially for those pics Slinky! They had a great time that day

I definitely plan to make it to the meet-up

I still have more pics I'd like to post but they aren't on my computer, or my phone, so not sure quite how I'm going to achieve this....

 

[Zoobie]

awww you can tell he his a very well loved boy xx

 

[Charmaine18]

Hooray for Henry! He looks so good now, it's lovely to see a spaniel that isn't morbidly obese (

). Also, what is your job? It looks ideal - ponies on tap but no freezing cold mornings mucking out, and a hairy little Henry nesting under your desk!

 

[Galupy]

He looks fantastic and what a life! Happy anniversary to you and Henry.

 

[FestiveSpirit]

Awwwww lovely pictures, happy owniversary

(mine was 14th December for Flick and I completely forgot it

)

He looks so much better now - why does your groomer leave a plume on the end of his tail like that BTW?

 

[MurphysMinder]

Some great pics, he looks like a different dog in the later pics, well down on getting him so fit. Didn't realise you had only had him for a year, obviously I haven't been paying attention

 

[prosefullstop]

Henry is a dude. His death stare is quite formidable, I have to say.

 

[CAYLA]

WHt lovely pics even if he is a spangle

I admire the fact your rescues him and work hard to make him a descent member of spangle society....if there is such a thing

and his weight is fab, not seen or heard of in this area they either come in XL or XXL

Good on u, and lucky for henry u found him that day and chose to take him home............even if you did question why....later

 

[Spudlet]

Just made it home!

Thank you for all your lovely comments

GH - don't know why the groomer leaves his tail like that, although under all that hair it is a very skinny tail so he'd look a bit odd with it all shaved

It doesn't give him too much trouble as regards getting stuff caught in it - if we ever do any working I'll wrap it up as a precaution though

Charmaine - I work for an animal charity doing campaignsy and political stuff (sure you'll understand why I don't say which one!). It's a pretty cool job even though I have loved having a break from it over Christmas

And Cayla - O. M. G. **picks self up off the floor** was that a compliment for a spangle...?

He's done me proud today, we went for a walk with the whole extended step-family (grandparents, cousins, the lot!) including the lovely Billy, a rescue Collie belonging to my step-dad's sister's family, and he was really well behaved

 

[CorvusCorax]

Here's to many more happy years with Henry xxxxx


You are an awesome, awesome mummy

 

[Spudlet]

Hope so CC - and thank you! He is my first dog (Barney was the Family Mutt

) so he has put up with all my mistakes with a remarkabley good grace I must say

Although if he pulls me over on the ice tomorrow, I'm still going to make him into a hearth rug

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yes, I had a wee mishap myself today involving a very big dog attached to a very broad collar attached to a very thin tracking line attached to me, on sheet ice. Fun times