Every day I get opportunities to explore the back garden. It is full of interesting twigs and leaves and hiding places. I have great fun chasing around there, but I know when Máire walks on the path that I must follow her and stop when she stops. However she lets me wheel and whirl around the grass and in the wintry flower beds. I have more fun with the Boss ; he brings a ball with him and I’m very good at playing dog soccer up and down the passageway at the side of the house. I usually come in exhausted from these excursions and am quite happy to flop in my comfortable bed for a while.
Today I had my first walk in the park near the house. Máire put a funny harness contraption on me, and then attached a lead to it. I wasn’t too happy having my freedom restricted, because when I strayed from the route she had taken I felt a little tug on the lead. Gradually I learned that life is more comfortable with a slack lead, so I relaxed and stopped pulling. The ground was very wet and when we got home I heard Máire say that I looked like a drowned rat!