Spook's Blog

Guess I had better explain.  My name is Spook, commonly called Sir Spook or Monkey Face.  My mum is special because she has no eyes so my job is to look where she is going.

My mums friend, Charlie, has kindly agreed to type this up for me if I dictate as my paws just won’t fit on these human keyboards.

Take a look at my web page if you get a chance www.pathfinderdogs.org

I’m a recent addition to the house, my mums old dog is still living with us, he sometimes tries to tell me how to do my job, I guess I can learn from the old guy as he has done it for a few years before I came along.

Because my mum is the founder of the charity I’ve known my mum since I was a puppy, although I was puppy raised by different people I knew I would be destined for the boss one day – well of course I would go to work for the boss, I’m so special you see no-one could do that job as well as me.

Me as a baby

Because of my job, I had to do some special training – well that is what the humans told me, if they had just given me the manual I could of worked it out.

Anyhow, this is really a bit of my day to day stuff because I think humans would like to know how I cope with you all and all the silly things you do.

Because my mum is the founder of the charity I get to travel about the country with my mum and dad so never a dull moment for me.  I’ve managed to travel the length of the UK already and I’ve only been in this job a couple of months.

There will be constant changes on here because I lead such a busy life so please keep watching.

I currently live in a small village called Douglas (not the Isle of Man) but the one in Lanarkshire in Scotland.  I love Scotland because its rainy and cool.  My job there is really easy, just village walks, which sometimes involve working on the road with no pavements – I have to be extra careful here to make sure the drivers of the cars see me and my mum.  Although my mum is clever at hearing cars it doesn’t make up for my super eyesight.  Of course when its windy and my mum can’t hear as well I have to work extra hard.  I do have a favourite place in my village – surprisingly not the park, its my local butcher, they look after me so well, I get bones for me and the retired dog along with the odd treat (don’t tell my mum!).  I’ve had to take my mum to the local Doctors but I get the feeling the lady behind that reception desk doesn’t like me or my mum very much because she never seems able to tell my mum if there is a spare seat in the waiting room.  My mum always leaves there mumbling about good manners.

Its a very rainy wet day today, so I’m not going out, no way am I going to ruin the crimping on my ears it takes me ages to get it just right in the morning!

I’ve had a busy week so far, I’ve been to Weatherby in Yorkshire where I had to sit in a room and wait for my mum to finish chatting.  Wasn’t too bad in that room because they had air conditioning so it kept it cool, I then had a ride in the car with ‘the old guy’ to come back home.  I tell you all the travelling I was so tired.  I have to work as well, the hotel staff were really good with me and just left me to do my job.  I’ve been shopping in Hamilton, helped my mum put out posters in Motherwell.  I’ve been out on the streets in Hamilton as well showing everyone how handsome I am and I’ve been hoping people would put some money in our bucket so I could have steak for dinner.  Then it was off to Glasgow for another chance to show off my good looks and to get more money for my steak dinners.  Lots of ladies liked me and I’ve asked a few of them for their bras – I must have something special because when I ask for their bra I get a smile if my dad does it he gets a slapped face.  Humans are a strange bunch eh!

So today is a pamper me day, I’ve had my nails cut, I’ve been brushed and combed mum cleaned my ears and gave me a big handful of dried tripe for being a good boy.  I’m off for a snooze now and to keep an eye on the weather to see when I can go out for a pee – to be honest who would want to go out there with those hailstones NOT ME!, think I’ll just hold it for now.

I’m going to find a couple more pictures you might want to see of me – well of course you do I’m so handsome, but feel free to answer me back and let me know what you think.

The man in the picture is called Alan Ross, he has run a few marathons to raise money for dogs like me.  A really nice man and his children aren’t bad either.  Of course not as good as me.  I like this picture of me when I was younger, for some reason my ear stood up then.  Think my jacket looks good too.

Spook at Henry Colbreck in Lanarkshire

This is me visiting Carol at work, she had won a trolley dash in Sainsburys, but she had to be blindfolded to do it.  Should of used me I would have helped her find the meat isle.  The company Carol works for support us in lots of ways too.  Thanks to them I get my jackets and harnesses when I need them.

Here I am back again, I seem to have the writing bug at the moment.  Well yesterday was eventful, we went and collected my brother Merlin, he is staying with us for the weekend whilst his dad is off somewhere too noisy for Merlins sensitive ears.  Also Merlin was at the poodle parlour today (don’t tell him I referred to him as a poodle!).  What a pretty boy he is.

We have had fresh tripe since he got here, apparently his dad says he won’t eat it, but he has eaten it all up here – shame really because I would have helped him out.

My Brother Merlin

My brother Merlin, well he always gets me into trouble, all I want to do is play but he keeps leaving mud and saliva all over me then my mum isn’t happy saying I have to be clean to go out in public.  Guess I’ll just have to play when she isn’t looking eh!

Well its been over a week since I last wrote to you, much has happened.  My mum wasn’t very well and we had to cancel our visit to a place called Dunfermline she said she would have to arrange that I guess it just means more public adoration for me!

We went to a hospital in Stonehouse and the people there were very nice to me, the doctor made a fuss of me and so did the nurses.  My mum has been told she will need some operation thing done – if she thinks I’m playing nurse she will have to think again I have a very busy social life to think about.

I’ve been on a wee trip to Manchester where I saw my Auntie Viv (see picture below).  Auntie Viv runs a group called the Ghostie Crew, they do ghost hunts every year to raise funds to help support a dog like me.  They actually paid for me and I’m pleased to be here showing them what a proper dog can do – don’t tell the old guy I said that!

Viv property hunting in Radcliffe

My Auntie Viv is a bit of a nut case, but I’m sure you can tell that by the picture.  She always makes a fuss of me when she shouldn’t and gets told off by my mum.  I just encourage her to do it, because it makes a change for her to get told off.

I also went to see Auntie Shona at Priory Lodge Kennels in Wishaw, I went to the beauty parlour (note its not a poodle parlour for me, because I’m special).  Its not that they can make me much better looking its just that the humans said I smelt bad and I needed a hair cut.  Flaming cheek if you ask me, humans smell bad too and as for hair cuts I’ll just say no more.  Needless to say I’m more handsome than ever now and the ladies just can’t resist me.

Sir Spook after his grooming

I think Auntie Shona did a really good job, not that much needed doing because of my natural good looks but she did well anyway – fanks Auntie Shona xx

Now I’m off for a trip to Glasgow then to Uddingston to meet Auntie Fiona for a coffee and a chat (she has such a tough life), then into Wishaw for a flying visit to Auntie Shona and then to Overtown.  See my life is never ending.  I do believe I’m allowed to put my paws up tomorrow so I’ll write a bit more then.

Speak soon guys.

Slobbery licks from me – Sir Spook

PS remind me to tell you about my up and coming ‘brother’ he is called Kambo and I understand he has been doing some the lessons I had to do.  I hope he is as smart as I am.