Clare and I went to Gallowflat twice today as a change from going to the forest. Unfortunately Jimmy wasn’t there on either occasion. It’s amazing the difference in the way that the dogs behave! When Jimmy’s there we can walk past the garden and they don’t bark at all, or if they do, he says one word and they’re quiet. However, when he’s not there they’re very scary indeed, even my friend Bethan! They jump up at the fence and run along after us and bark and bark and bark!

I’m a bit scared of them and Clare says it’s a nightmare trying to keep me under control. I pull at my lead and try to jump towards the fence, and it takes all her strength (and there’s quite a lot of it) to keep me away from them. Then as soon as we’re passed she lets me off the lead and I’m fine – I follow her and don’t even think about going back.

Tonight, Clare had thought Jimmy would be home, hence us chancing a second walk there. He wasn’t so we had our battle going past the fence, then went for a lovely long walk, all the way to the end of the woods where the path stops completely. I chased lots of bumble bees, had a run through the water in the ditch and ignored the tractor that was working in the field as it was going slowly and a good bit away from me.

Then going back, Clare decided not to put me on my lead as she figured it couldn’t be any worse. The dogs barked and barked and barked, as expected, and I jumped up on the fence at a safe distance away from them. Clare carried on walking and called me and I went back. Result! So much less traumatic than trying to haul me along and avoid being dragged face first across the gravel!

Very fine evening here, so Clare’s now going to pretend to be Tim by sitting in the garden with a beer. Unfortunately she’s reading one of Hilary’s girly books so I don’t think she’ll have anyone fooled.