Polish Lowland Sheepdogs explore the shopping bag

It was this time last year. I'd been out to the supermarket and bought a hot roast chicken, some fresh pasta and a fruit tart for dinner. Just as I got to the front door I heard the phone ringing so without thinking hastily put down the shopping bag on the step, got out my keys and rushed through the door to answer the call. Five minutes into the conversation I suddenly became aware of that total,all embracing 'silence' ,only dog owners can know. Rapidly finishing the call to my lawyer in London I went outside to find two guilty looking Polish Lowland Sheepdogs surrounded by torn wrappers,pieces of chicken skin, slivers of tagliatelli and the remnants of the fruit tart. While I had rushed to answer the phone the two little angels had managed to detect the roast chicken and other goodies, tip over the bag, extract the food from the wrappers and devour just about everything. All this within the space of a few minutes. Polish Lowland Sheepdog owners be warned - beyond that cute exterior lies an animal devoted to the pursuit of mischief and the devouring of food. Despite my worries about them eating cooked chicken bones they both turned out to have no side effects apart from a lack of appetite that evening at dinner time and a somewhat bloated look the next day. This breed is great fun,family centric and highly companionable, but also extremely intelligent and capable of irrepressible naughtiness if not monitored closely.

Digby patiently waiting for his morning saunter.

Crisp start to the morning with blue skies and visibility that goes for miles. We were all out of the house by ten to seven for our usual mad dash up the hill and then gentle amble back down. Digby's hip is not as strong as it should be and he gets tired quickly but we don't want to have him operated on. The papers here are leading with the worsening diplomatic row between Brazil and Italy over Brazil's refusal to deport a convicted murderer. Italy has now withdrawn its ambassador. The radio presenter also mentioned that the latest forecasts indicate that Italy's GDP will decline by 2.1% this year ( they wish ) and that David Beckham has never been happier than when playing for AC Milan. The Ryanair flight to Perugia is on time so the boyz and family should be reunited by noon.

Another day over - just time for a nap as the sun goes down.

Wilf gets on with life while the local murder trial dominates the press here.

Both boyz seem to be surviving the absence of the family surprisingly well . With the exception of an unsupervised bout of digging down by the pool in search of a mole (which necessitated a bath for both of them) they have been relatively well behaved and seem content to spend much of their time at the garden gate waiting stoically for the missing elements of the family to return. They are also clearly becoming bored with a diet of kibbles and rice ( as far as my canine culinary skills extend - in fact as far as my culinary skills extend ) and miss having hot vegetables cooked for them so a wild and emotional reunion with the culinary side of the family can be expected tomorrow.

Here in Umbria the local murder trial continues to dominate the headlines in the morning press with the court once again in session. Last year a young British student at Perugia university was found with her throat cut. Initially an illegal immigrant was held responsible, and subsequently charged, but then the investigation widened to include the murdered girls American housemate and her boyfriend. This morning the investigating judge has released a ruling showing that the American student was indeed at the house at the time of the murder despite her protestations to the contrary. The sad story hits all the buttons in the popular imagination - murder, sex, drugs, immigrants,satanic rites, violence etc. The trial and police investigation have been going on for more than a year and have attracted a huge amount of coverage. With the formal court sessions due to run for another 9 months I can't help but wonder how long a trial like this would take in the US or UK ?

PON owners guide Lesson 1:You know when it goes quiet there's mischief in the making.

Digby waiting for the family to return.

Glorious morning - the boyz were out for their morning walk as the sun was rising over the mountains. It was a typical expedition - a mad rush out and then a gentle saunter home investigating each rock, sniffing each flower and sploshing in every puddle. Digby has now noticed that he has been left alone with me and is patiently sitting by the gate waiting for the family to return.

30,000 troops on the streets ?

Fog rolling in tonight - Todi standing out on its own hill across the valley and still (just) visible. We'll be in the cloud here in about half an hour. Thankfully, it's getting to be much lighter with dark not falling until about six so the worst of the winter should be behind us. The boyz have decide to come in after a day outside and are now dozing in front of the door and trying to figure out where the family is.

Italian television news leading with the insight that the recession isn't just impacting the EU and the US. The economies of the African and Mediterranean countries to the south of Italy are all facing a period of real contraction. This economic malaise has led to a sharp upswing in the number of illegal immigrants trying to get into the EU with Spain and Italy by dint of their geography being the first target. The government is now talking about putting 30,000 troops onto the streets to combat a wave of violent crime and help out the sorely stretched carabinieri.

Digby on hearing that I shall be looking after him for the next three days

I shall be alone here in Italy for the next three days looking after the boyz,or vice versa as some would have it. My meals have been pre-cooked ( the kitchen is not my natural habitat ) and instructions posted for what needs to be done to keep the house functioning smoothly. I shall post as and when .

Feeling better.

The impact of the worming tablets seems to have worn off - Wilf has emerged from his 'sad and lonely' routine and is once again charging around full of vigour. After thirty minutes of ball throwing in the courtyard the boyz have just had a thirty minute walk up the hill from which they have returned happily shaggy and covered in mud - in short Polish Lowland Sheepdog heaven !

The red sky at dawn pressaged what in Scotland we would call a 'dreech' day - wet and windy. The barometer has fallen to its lowest level since we arrived here, so I guess we are slap bang in the centre of a huge low pressure system. The weather has now abruptly changed again and we have blue skies and an eerie stillness.

Senior dogs enjoy a quick nap after the morning walk

Stunning red sky this morning - probably a sign that more bad weather is coming down from the north. This has been a miserable winter - much wetter , windier and colder than usual. None of this has put off the boyz who seem to become more enthused about life the muddier it is outside.

We gave them their worming tablets last night.I hate doing it as the chemicals clearly are powerful and upset their stomachs but the alternative is even less appealing. If I could find a natural remedy for worming that really worked I would switch to it in an instant. Digby is as right as rain this morning but Wilfy is off his food and keen to have a long post walk rest. He's settled down in front of the door so that he can monitor all movements in and out of the house - a very hard wired sheepdog trait to herd his family.

Synchronized treat eating.

Boo !

The weather here is wonderful - not a cloud in the sky and air as clear as it comes. At dinner last night one of the guests, a vet, told me that porcupines can run more quickly backwards than forwards. They defend themselves by raising their quills and charging at full speed in reverse towards any adversary. That's how dogs manage to turn into pin cushions if they annoy a porcupine. The only way of dealing with them is to plant solar powered lamps around the garden - they will steer well clear of any light.

It's good to have a brother to snuggle up to on a cold winters afternoon.

Breakfast anyone ?

Polish Lowland Sheepdogs : The mature dog

The boyz hopefully have a fulfilled,happy life chasing the local wildlife to their hearts content and exploring the olive encircled boundaries of their new outdoor existence here in Italy. However, there is no escaping the fact that they will be 8 years old in May and their behaviour is slowly changing from that of the eternal puppy to that of the older dog. They now sleep much more than they used to,and the whizzing little bundles of fur that only recently were in perpetual motion are now quite content to lock in an hour or two of quality dozing in mid-morning and again in the late afternoon. Even the arrival of the post lady which once caused a near pandemonium of scratching at the door and howling is now greeted with rarely more than a warning bark .Joints and muscles that used to be supple and tireless are now prone to stiffness. One very useful supplement in dealing with the onset of older age has been the Dorwest Herbs glucosamine tablets - a half tablet at lunch and dinner has kept them both free of arthritis and kept Digby's early signs of hip dysplasia from developing.Dorwest also does a marvellous garlic tablet which defends against minor illnesses - neither of the boyz has ever picked up anything when in the kennels so it seems to act as an excellent prophylactic and keeps them secure as they segue into advanced age.

What a day!

Just finished watching the inauguration coverage on CNN. I wish I'd been there. The last inauguration I went to was Reagan's second term - that is a sad personal reflection of how quickly time passes. Striking how the language of an inauguration , whether the invocations or the speeches, are so rooted in the linguistic legacy of Bunyan and the King James'. Guess the linguistic legacy of the Pilgrim Fathers still echoes through the New Worlds sense of self. Thought the old pastor at the end of the ceremony was absolutely wonderful with his echoes of the civil rights movement- wasn't so sure about the Revd.Warren.

Boyz have been slightly neglected but have now had a well deserved 30 minutes of ball playing.