Over the last few days the midges at our normal park have treated my head like an all-you-can-eat buffet, so this morning I took Beanie to Bellahouston instead. We were a little late getting there so it was a pretty quiet, but Beanie still enjoyed herself: she rolled in a dead bird and a pile of fox poo (totally necessary, as we gave her a bath yesterday!) . To top it off, she completely exhausted a young German Shepherd in a brief but full-speed chase. If you’ve seen the gladiator scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you’ll get the picture (“I think I’m going to have a cardiac arrest.. aaarrgh”)

She was still full of beans when we got home, and it’s just as well, because Biggles was awake and ready for action. Despite his tender age and small size (though he’s growing at a terrific rate!) he gave Beanie the toughest tug of war she’s ever had:

It was more about determination than mass and strength. Who wanted that grimy, non-squeaking chicken the most? Biggles certainly gave it his all…

but when Beanie spotted the camera, she realized her reputation was at stake..

..and our little boy returned from the garden somewhat lacking in the chicken department.

For a while though I really thought he might manage it. As a young pup, Beanie was never that keen on tug’o’war games though she has learned to enjoy them subsequently. Biggles on the other hand is a natural tugger, and I’ve often been faced with the question of whether I should win my own games with him, or let him win.

Advocates of the “human as pack leader” approach would say that I should win every time, to show him who’s boss. On the other hand, the “natural” dog trainers would say let him win, to use his prey instinct to build a foundation for good recall in later life. I’ve always let Beanie win, and my feeling is that I should do the same with Biggles. He’s a very confident little pup, but pretty much every time I stroke him he ends up rolling onto his back for a tummy tickle. I somehow don’t see that as a sign that he wants to be dominant – at least not yet!