St. Martin's and the season change

Past few weeks we have been very hardworking and interesting, we spent a lot of time in the nature and enjoyed loads of good food.
Many countries don't celebrate St. Martin's day, Slovenians do tho, it's the time when grape juice turns to wine and huge feasts are prepared to celebrate the day and reward the hardworking people, who worked the land. Meat such as baked geese and ducks with an apple fruit inside, red cabbage and other traditions slovenian foods are being prepared for (my) consumption hihi. With it comes the hectic preparations which are mostly hard on Maja, I try and be the best dog an owner can have, helping to clean the floors of anything that fell down, I sit nice, play with Emma and Tara or lay around and just enjoy the food and the company.
Overeating while diffirent sausage or meat plates are being prepared should really be considered a hobby, as it surely is one of mine hihi. Some dogs bark or squeel or nag to get some food from the table, I lean my head on their knees and make pretty eyes...trust me...noone can resist that, not even the true believer of never feeding the dog at the table hihi. Since begging is annoying, and I am not allowed it, I had to perfect a new tactic. We borrowed this picture from Maja's sister's blog, she took it, it's a clear proof of why I get what I want hihi. And this picture was taken while Maja was peeling garlic, imagine my eyes when it's something tasteful, like salami or boiled eggs! Boy oh boy do I love eggs...which my owners prepare for me twice a week to keep my fur shiny, lucky dog I am wouldn't you say? Hihi.

When a bad habit becomes adorable, true art! hihi

People who came to the grapepicking arrived after noon to the feast which was prepared for them as a thank you and for the wine tasting, many got to enjoy the food and wine while chatting, lots of wine tasting hehe, since it's the only time where one can get very tipsy without looking silly. Emma is known for her fondness of wine, she sometimes sneeks into the wine cellar and licks the pipes on the barrels, crazy girl. Me, I ran around with my doggy friends and ate what was given to me, I have managed to eat so much I slept for hours later. It was well worth it. There was so many people I got a bit unrelaxed at one point, and when people wanted to touch me I barked, but my owners always notice when it gets too much in crowds and they took all 4 of us for a walk, worked like a charm, after an hour or so many more people arrived and I never got stressed again, not even when the crowd was enormous.

The forest is breathtaking nowdays, it looks like a painting of a mastermind, such harmony of colors and smells, that one cannot comprehand it. With paths and ways covered with yellow leafs, which make it as if we are walking on cotton, we are almost forced to go out and enjoy the season. Even with temperatures so low lately, we put on gloves and run over the park or the forest as if it's a summer's day. We even doggysat Lyra, took her to the park, where the trees had some really weird tennisball look a like seeds, with which we played with...ofcourse hihi. Only downside is, she is a runner - she runs away if she is not on the leash, so we had to keep her on the flexi, but we ran with her. I got to show of my puppycut, and I have to be honest it was a very wise thing to cut my fur, I don't suffer from the knots and mud glued to my feet and legs anymore. I run around freely and combing is fast and a good nap now. And even though it is so cold outside, jumping into the river doesn't seem like a bad idea, I love to swim...even during winter. Owners try to stop me from swimming, but it's my passion, one I cannot resist hihi.

Lyra and I playing with the tree seeds/fruits

Check the empty area around my tail, I'm a happy tail wiggler

Mags play chasing me to get my toy

Such low temperatures and early sundown are not so good for me, I sleep a lot more and we cannot spend our entire days outside if we wanted, but I am looking forward to the snow. I love snow! The taste, the smell and the snowballs are one of the most fascinating things of nature. Hopefully it will be soon.
My ears are good now and we keep them clean, but I had to perfect my "i do not like ear cleaning" look, which I gladly show after we are done, and it looks like this:

Who ever thought of ear cleaning is not my friend hehe

 Although I am not really fond of being showered or bathed, don't even get me started on the ear cleaning buisness, I am very proud of how healthy, silky and soft my fur is and how even when getting groomed, bathed or ear/teeth cleaned I am behaved and patient, since it leads to being proud of the compliments random people give me on the streets. I enjoy being a beauty and I demand combing on a daily basis. I will even bark if needed! That is something worth begging for, I want my daily body masage and combing hehe. I use that time to have a proper power nap in my owners lap, it's way better then a cookie or a bone and no! it is not girly to enjoy when my fur is being combed, it is in fact very manly if you ask me. Hihi.
On a happy happy note, our babyfish are now grown and have been put into the big fishtank, they are swimming around as if they haven't been in the water before...loving life. Liza and Ed share that emotion, Liza is sleeping next to me at the moment, like every night, but I do wake up when she tries to clean my ears and tickles me. She and I bring the phrase "cats and dogs" onto a new level really, she loves me so much that she is tolerant to my attempts of playing (read that as me trying to paw her and laying on top of her hihi while barking into her ear to play or chase me), while Ed, he is more of a mister, who slaps me when I get annoying, he is such a dramaqueen. All three of us do share the bed tho, every night...the bed - our owners bed ofcourse, which we take over at night. But the more the marrier they say, and very very warm, the humans don't mind it, they actually love it this way, I guess the no blood circulation in their limbs is a small price to pay for the love we give them back everyday hihi. The only thing Maja and Liza dislike is that Mags and I snore in a perfectly synchronised symphony, loud, manly and due to the comfort of the pillows intensify it with time before they finally nunge us to stop hihi. Boy oh boy, girls will never understand how soothing it is to strech all fours in the air and sleep like a hibernating polarbear. Which brings me to the end of this post, I need to sleep and recharge for tomorrows exciting adventures. Nighty night.

Oto safe and puppy cut

Yesterday, we went to the vetenarian's office for a control examination of my ears, too see if I will need surgery or if the medication worked. But before I tell you that, I need to brag about how unbelievably good I have become when my ears are being handled. First two days, I had to be forced into cleaning and getting the drops, but then Magnus and Maja said no more of this and spoke to me, silently explaining to me how it will be quick and how it is good for me and what do you know...I changed my attitude, at first I did complain a bit but after it was just "okay, do it" and it was done. So we cleaned the ears every two days and gave me drops twice per day and yesterday it all seemed worth it!
Dr. Victoria told us to go to the exam room one and Maja and I went in alone...I went into major panic, actually pulled a David Copperfield on the harness and wanted to run away hihi. But Maja pulled me in and ensured me it will be fast and painless. And so we went in and I showed my ears (oh yes, can you believe it, I sat there and let them stick the otoscope into my ears without going beserk).

My ears were looking a lot better and I don't need anything else but cleaning the ears with the special cleaner for a while and to use these drops till they are gone. How lovely is that!
We also bought new food and went home, where I slept for hours after, hard nervous day was finally over. We don't need to go to the vet anymore unless we are buying new food. That makes me happy hihi.

Today was a very disciplined day though, after the walk, we decided...well they decided to make me look like a shaved sheep hehe. I was being groomed for 6 hours to get a "puppy cut", all my curls are gone boooo, but it had to be done, this way I will not walk like a sumo wrestler when it's snow outside and I will enjoy running around in the snow like I should. I don't really enjoy wearing dog jackets, so this way I can avoid it, if not, my owners want to get me the dog jumpsuit, but I don't think it will be needed hihi. We have learnt from last year that it is not the smartest to be hairy in the winter. My butt looks so tiny now and my paws are like cuddly clouds, I am still pretty...just less hairy.

It is fascinating how I have this unlimited energy and am always running around or jumping or wanting to play, but yet manage to sit, lay and stand still for 6 hours to have my fur shortened...reason why it takes so long is because we don't shave me, if we did, my fur would get all wooly and ugly when it grew out. I am being groomed like a dogshow puppy and I prefer it to the buzzing of the shaving machine.

So all is good in the kingdom of pupster and all I want to see now is the snow again.

Rabies and ears

Today was a very stressful day for me, we went to the vet to get the yearly rabies shot, but that is not all.
When we arrived, I saw where we were going and started shaking, I did not want to enter the office. Maja jokes I am like Magnus when it comes to going to the doctors office hihi. With my entire body shaking of fear, I stood on the scale and we realised I am 19,5 kilos...only hihi. If I was a normal sized cocker, I'd be fat but since I am so oversized, I look elegantly athletic. The first thing the vetenarian said was how beautifuly groomed my haircut is. We entered the exam room, where I literally wanted to jump out the window just to get away. I did not want to be there or touched. Dr. Rok listened to my heart and measured my temperature, which I HATE! Every dog does! My cute little butt is my buisness and for smelling only!

Now the awful part! My ears... I do not like when people touch my ears, Mags and Maja are the only ones who are allowed to even brush them, yes I am a sensitive boy! So the nice doctor took a look into them, and oh yes, it started...Major panic. He eventually stopped and a nice lady came in with a Otoscop to shine into my ears and look at them closely...then I went into a panic state and had to be pinned down so I wouldnt fall of the table or hurt myself...massive hysteria...such as never before seen by me.

Reason why I had to get my ears examined is because I have a bad ear infection, yeast bacteria, which swell my left ear quite badly. Maja felt really bad, since she combs my ears everyday and cleans them regulary that she missed it, but when she petted them I always made cute noises of enjoyment. And now, I have to have them disinfected and rubbed antibiotic drops in them...soooo not my thing. Boooo. The lady vetenarian Victoria, who is the girlfriend of Rok said my ears are as soft as a plush toy, that she could cuddle them all day. Hellll nooo! My ears are sacred! Such a lousy vet visit, that panic took out a lot of energy and the silly part is, when I got the shot, I didn't even feel it, honestly I didn't even notice anything being done to me, since all I wanted was to hide and go home.

My ear canal is apperently quite infected, so they prescribed Otodine ear disinfecter 3 times per week...Oh joy!

And these drops twice per day...I don't think I have ever hated anything as much as I hate ear drops and ear cleaning solutions. This will not be my best 10 days thats for sure. And to top it off, when the 10 days is over we go back to the vet for an examination. Booooo.
When any cocker owner thinks about cocker ears, they think troubles, we are very prone to infections and I consider myself lucky being only now when I got my first. There was a moment of laughter when we were in the examination room, the Vet Victoria asked if I ever get any forest seeds or grass parts stuck in my ears and fur to see if it can be an allergy...hahaha...Everytime I am outside, I bring half the forest back with me, making it quite the job for my owners to make me look "groomed" again...I am a little piglet and that's why I am so loved, cuddled and groomed...last part is not by my owners choice I guarantee you that. Maja calls me her little Barbie doll and I have already heard her say that I am getting a "puppy cut" hairdo after this vet stuff is over to avoid snowballs on my fur during winter...

But to end the post with a positive note, I got my favorite snacks at the vets and enjoyed the ride home in my fashionable seat-belt harness.

Even dipping my ears into waterbowl after is less fun :(

Chestnuts and vines

Grapepicking on the second vineyard

Time has come where all the nature fruits of the fall begin to ripe, including late grape sorts like Rizling.
So off we went to the vineyards by car to help, picking the drygrapes out and eating the ones on the floor...us doggies that is, humans were busy working as usual hihi.
The whole bunch of us met up there again, Lyra, Tara, Emma, Spot and me were playing, chasing and ofcourse getting as dirty as possible. It shows that the winter is getting closer, the temperatures were very low today, cold brrrr, but with a little sun it heated up nicely and yesterdays rain dissapeared and left just enough mud for me to enjoy it like a little piglet hihi.
It's nice and very cozy, and an abundance of food, with people very willing to give it to us beggers around the table. Not a habbit dog owners like, but it's a special occasion so we are tolerated hihi.
Klemen, Magnus and Maja decided to gather some chestnuts from the forest, which they eat roasted or cooked, me, I am more of a meat eating dog, but I helped gather. Emma, Lyra and Tara stayed bit away from us, since they dont like the poking feeling of their pads...pff such girly girls hehe. Me, I had no problem running up and down those spikey shells, with my fur I even carried some.

Leaves are staring to change color

We picked the smallest terrase to play on, ofcourse

I might have dug a hole or two

Hole digging? Noo waayyyy

I don't understand why one would eat this and not meat

Please no kisses, my picture is being taken!

Wait with love, lemme pose pretty!

Fine, you kiss me, I'll look cute in front of you then!

Tara the guard dog hihi, avoiding getting her paws hurt

Emma finding a spot where there is no chestnut seeds

Looking pretty in the sunrays

Dirty, fed, sitting on a chair getting an ear rub...What a life!

I am aware I'm uber spoiled, yet disciplined well, very nicely groomed yet always manage to get dirty, but one does have to admit, I look best in the fall season, so many colors matching my fur. I would ask if it's noticable my fur has been plucked and groomed, but I am aware, that being sooo dirty one cannot even notice the color of my natural feet fur hihi. My owners joke I often look like Bajadera chocolade haha:

Very exciting day, but now, I am laying on the bed on my back, feet up in the air, oh yes all four of them, sleeping like there is no tomorrow, toooo muuuchhh food and play hehe.

Dogsitting Sophie

Yesterday we got up and Sophie, the parsson jack russel 6 months old puppy visited our home at 10:30 am. Her owners had a funeral, so we decided to help them out by dogsitting little Sophie and going for a long walk, so the girl isn't stressed too much. We all know we dogs feel pain others are in.

Sophie, being herself, was full of energy, so we had to calm her down when she arrived, but after a few minutes I started kissing her and wanted to play. Off we went to a long long walk. She was such a good girl, walked nicely on a leash, playfully running with us and trying to nip my ears for some attention.

We walked to the hanging bridge, where we posed like the cool pups we are hihi

Since I am older, I needed to teach the little lady how to get completely dirty and get away with it, so I showed her the dirtiest ponds and mud baths, she liked them hihi.

And tails up we went thru the woods, sniffing, exploring, running and enjoying the fresh air.

Not to be shakespearian but to be cute or not to be, isn't even the question for us. It just comes easy to pups like us hihi.

We ended our trip in the big park, playing with tennis balls for half an hour before her owner came to get her, we snacked, ran, chased and we were totally tired. What a good day it turned out to be for us dogs, we came home at around 3 pm, and I just went to bed. I was woken for dinner and the walk after, but fastly returned back to bed after hihi.