Damn those pesky flies!

We had quite a relaxing day yesterday. A good long walk on the beach, then back home to our garden and a couple of loo rolls for some of this:

You can spend a small fortune on dog toys…

But some days…

All your really need…

Is a couple of toilet rolls!

Bog rolls don’t last very long with accomplished chewers like our two, so with cardboard scattered all over the lawn, it was time for a bit of “that”:

That look can mean only one thing…

It’s play fight time!

Biggles seemed to be getting the upper hand today

But Beanie’s pretty smart; I think she was just using a “sacrifice” technique

To get into perfect tail pulling position!

And after all that rolling around, it was kind of inevitable that there’d be a bit of the “other”:

The things poor Biggles has to put up with!

Things calmed down after that, and we all spent a bit of time watching the cows in the field at the end of our garden.

There are a couple of youngsters there now and they sometimes have chases just like Beanie and Biggles – not something I’d have expected from cows! Today however they were content just to chill out.

We figured Beanie & Biggles had already snacked on just about everything that the countryside has to offer, but this week they discovered a new delicacy: horse hoof trimmings. Apparently lots of dogs go nuts for it, and many owners regard it as a natural and harmless treat. The thing is most dogs probably chew it before swallowing, whereas Beanie just speed swallows it, especially when there are farm dogs around who might steal it from her. So the next morning after a long walk up the local farm road, we were awoken by the sound of Beanie vomiting.

It’s not a pleasant sound by any means, but it’s particularly scary for us given the misadventures our little girl had a while back. She managed to bring up a few strips of horse hoof trimmings and we hoped that was the end of it, but the next day she had another round of heaving, this time with nothing to show for it. Seeking reassurance we rang the help line that comes with our pet insurance, and they advised us to play it safe and get her to the vet. Sometimes it seems like that’s the only advice they ever give, but that’s not so; randy Beagle boys with a fifth leg are apparently exempt.

Anyway, the vet checked Beanie out and told us not to worry. She gave us a bit of medicine to soothe any irritation the hoof trimmings might have caused to Beanie’s stomach, and sent us on our way.  She was kind of subdued and a little reluctant to eat her regular food for a day or two, but that passed – presumably along with any remnants of the horse hooves. The funny thing is, Biggles started copying her and went off his food too. He was enthusiastic enough about receiving his bowl at meal times, but then he’d look across to see what Beanie was doing, and reluctantly abstain. This is the second time he’s copied her when she’s ill; it’s kind of sweet, and amusing in that he’s always a step or two behind. When Beanie’s regained her appetite and is wolfing down her food, he’s still fasting, apparently unaware that the rules have changed.

Today however, Beanie’s back on form and Biggles isn’t far behind. The flowers we’ve planted in the garden are in serious danger of being dug up and otherwise vandalized, any shopping brought in from the car is subject to thorough checks by Beagle Customs, and there’s no peace to be had if a food cupboard is open. All’s right with the world again!