Just horsing around on my birthday

Today I'm four, so I was given my very first horse, some other toys, food treats, lots of pats and attention, strange noises either side of my name from my mum (she claimed she was singing to me), more food, a long walk, a car ride and the company of those who love me most.

I've now made at least one thousand and twenty nine squeaky noises with my horsey. Life is good, and I wish all my friends an equally good weekend.

Woofs,

Riley

My tongue and it's secret!

I've decided to enter Twinkie's Tongue Contest.for cats and dogs. You can find details at Twinkie Tiny Dog

To enter my mum has been looking through old photos of me for photos showing my tongue so that she could find one photo of me to email to Twinkie. This photo was taken the day they brought me home.

Look how pink it is!

My tongue about a week later.

I soon developed a fascination with the pink thing!

I realised that this puppy had a tongue exactly like mine,

and I found my tongue was useful for cleaning my nose,

and making silly faces at mum when she tried to take my photo.

So what is my secret...

Well before my human mum and dad picked me they had another Golden Retriever (who they got as a rescue dog when he was 2 1/2 years old). He had a big black spot on the end of his tongue that looked like he had chewed on a black pen or washed the black colour off the end of his nose! He was a happy dog, and most of the photos they have of him have his mouth open showing off his spot.

When people met him they often commented on his spot, and once when they were both at work, he got scared by lightening, jumped a high fence and ran away to a house 3km away (which he used to visit by car with them). The people there checked his mouth first to confirm it was him by the spot, instead of identifying him by checking the tags on his collar.

So when my mum and dad first met me (I was breed fifteen years later by the same breeder and share a few distant relations) one of the first things they did was look inside my mouth to see what my tongue was like, but it was all pink with no spots. That was OK, as they love me for who I am and as you can see (by the photo above of him and below of me) we are very different dogs anyway.

However when I was a year old they noticed that I'd finally got my spot! At the very back of my tongue (only visible if I'm panting) is a black spot (not the small bit of dirt also on my tongue also in this photo).

They only occasionally see it, but when they do it makes them smile. So that is the secret of my tongue.

Do any of you have spots? Some people have all sorts of theories about why dogs get spots on their tongues, like we are not pedigrees or we are part Chows but my tongue isn't totally black (like a Chows) and the marks are more like benign freckles, or patches of different coloured pigment which you can also find under the fur of some dogs.

I look forward to seeing your tongue photos in Twinkies contest. Dont' forget to enter.

Bye for now,

Riley

Wordless Wednesday - My tipping point

Spring, spring, sprung!

My hibernation is over. It is officially the start of spring in New Zealand, and there are signs of spring everywhere... 

There are clear blue skies, and fresh green leaves and flowers on the trees.

Daffodils and other bulbs are blooming around the neighbourhood. Mum has grown her tulips and daffodils in pots this year because she thought if she put the bulbs in the ground I might dig them up and eat them (many bulbs are poisonous).

We walk past more lambs each day.

My human mum likes to stop, watch their little tails wag and see them bounce across the field as they play. These sheep live nearby and I often hear their voices going "baa baa baa" when I'm outside in my garden.

Mum has also been "spring cleaning" and getting rid of clutter. She says that there is lots to do, and it will take a while but she seems happiest when she is crossing things off her very long list. I wonder if she is going to clean out my toy box and wash me too!

It's nice outside. Sometimes spring days are just meant to be spent in the sunshine doing nothing, but for me the best part of spring is these showers (which are also known as my dad playing with the hose).

Yes the dark days are over, spring is here and I've sprung into action again!

Woofs,

Riley