Rocky the Otterhound: The cat rules and Rocky’s Nemesis!!

This week’s blog is a little shorter than usual I’m afraid …….. Next week Rocky and Rosie are going camping for the first time so there is a lot to get prepared. According to our list ….. By the time we fill the car with Rocky and Rosie’s things I should just about have room for a pair of socks!!! Oh joy!!

Still, we hope to tell you all about it next week.



Mij and our hounds get on like a house on fire as you know, she is however growing up and beginning to realise her power. Basically she can rule the roost as both Rocky and Rosie are fully aware of the fact that she thinks she is in control; and being Otterhounds find arguing the point a complete waste of sleeping time!!

Anyway, Mij is a gentle despot and adores snuggling with her hounds.

However, if she should wake first she has the same choices as all of us …… Should I slip away gently and avoid waking my sleeping partner????

…… No, she is a cat and if a cat is in the mood to play there is no thought for the needs of others …..

…… So she just turns around and proceeds

to chew chunks out of Rosie’s face until Rosie decides that giving her a game is the only way to eventually get any peace!!

See what I mean …… Cats rule!!

Rocky spent a happy evening at dog club again and met up with his friends

He seemed keen to give it his all this week, and ready for anything.

He waited when he was supposed to wait …..

…… He came when he was supposed to come!!

He even stayed when he was supposed to stay!

And he enjoyed all the praise and loves he got as his reward …….

……. However …….

……… He did let his concentration slip a little and began to look around and daydream ……..

…….. They say dogs get like their owners ……..!!!!!!

Our Otterhounds are spending more and more time in the great outdoors as the better weather gets going.

It’s not that we don’t want to take them out if the weather is bad ……

….. It’s just that you can’t get them out of the door!!!!

Anyway, Mij spreads her affection across both her Otterhound subjects ….. And they are cool with that too!!

In the evenings she is sleepier and less likely to chomp on a hound for fun!

However she doesn’t appear to be all that sharp …….

…… You’d think she would have learned by now that Otterhounds move about in their sleep and inevitably assume “the Otterhound” position!!!

“Dammit ……. Zeez houndz won’t ztay comfortable”!!!!!

Oh yes, and one more thing ……. I would like you to meet Rocky’s latest nemesis!!

Scary isn’t it???

As you can see ….. It’s not the biggest thing in the world. It was bought to entertain Mij. It has a ring pull on the back which, when pulled, allows it to buzz a little and complete a half turn to the left (rather pathetic we thought)!!!

It matters not ……. Rocky just has to see us reach for this monster and he dives for the safety and comfort of his beloved sofa!!!

Nice to know that as Otterhounds mature and get big enough for a small child to ride, they become fearless doggy warriors!!!

This is why he is often referred to as my biggest baby!!!!! Bless!!

So to finish …… On being told that they were going on a camping trip next week (close by, but still!) ……… Our two hounds are beside themselves with excitement??!!! Well, besides themselves anyway!!
Sigh!!
…… Night night, sleep well and dream of the great outdoors!

Rocky the Otterhound: Getting out there and enjoying the sunshine!

This weekend, being a Bank Holiday – and a sunny one at that, has seen us heading for the great outdoors. Therefore this weeks blog is a little shorter than usual as we all want to be out and about as much as possible

We are making progress with Rosie’s travel sickness, although slow, so decided to drive about 4 miles to an area where we could put up our new acquisition and see how it all goes together.

Breakfast started the day as usual and our two hounds are learning new tricks ….. How to wait patiently and quietly for their food. Good manners is important, and our lovelies are no exception …… there are always opportunities to learn something new!




For some reason breakfast made them tired so they took the opportunity to snooze, while us grown ups got things organised! Don’t ask me why Mij joined in the snooze fest? Sometimes I’m sure she thinks she is a third Otterhound …… Just look at her choice of bed!!!!







We arrived at our destination with our new toy in the trailer …..



Rocky and Rosie settled down to have their juicy bones in the great outdoors while we tried to fathom out how our holiday home went together.






We were still going when Rocky and Rosie finished their bones so they decided to occupy themselves with drinking ……






…… Watching other dog walkers in the distance …..

……. And snoozing in the sunshine ……

Eventually we had everything together …. If not pegged down! We had visitors who came to see how we were getting on, which pleased Rocky and Rosie as they indulged in a little petting session.

We were delighted with our holiday home, enough bedrooms to take the whole family away and loads of room for us all and our hounds!! We had just about everything we would need.

Yes, we even had the kitchen sink!!

It’s quite amazing what fitted into that little trailer.

By now Rocky and Rosie had moved closer to the tent ….. Curious to know what it was and what we had been doing …… But determined to continue to look cool about the whole thing!

Once in, instead of having a good old sniff around; as we had expected …… The dynamic duo headed straight to suss out the bedroom areas …… How Otterhound!!

They each picked which bedroom they wanted!!! …… Hey what about us??!!

Well, they both tried out the one “dad” preferred, but in the end ……

Rosie decided she and I would take this bedroom …..

…… While Rocky had already made his bed with his “dad”!

We then told them that the work wasn’t over as we had to put it all away again …… Did they stay and help? ……

….. Well I wouldn’t say this was much help to us!!!

But how could I disturb them ….. Aaahh!!

Well, more amazing to us than how much was in the little trailer …… Was the fact that it all fitted back in!!!

So to celebrate that fact we took our hounds for a lovely walk ….. Leads only (extendable up to 25ft), as this was “Watership Down” and Deer country.

Rocky took some time to enjoy the view ….

….. Then both hounds were off on the trail of interesting scents!

Boy, did their scenting bones get exercised!!!!!

There seemed to be enormous bunny warrens everywhere!

But then Rocky and Rosie wanted to scent just about everything in sight ….. And a bit more out of sight if truth be told!

They enjoyed themselves immensely and there was so much countryside to do it in.

There wasn’t a grass tuft left unsniffed, or so it seemed.

They sniffed them here …..

…… And they sniffed them there ….

…. And they enjoyed sharing their experiences on the way back to the car …..

What a day full of fresh air they had had ….. A sign of things to come!

BUT …… We have found out what so much fresh air does to an Otterhound …..

Immediately they got home they did the "Otterhound collapse and sleep" manouver.

….. So sleep well Rosie ….

….. And Night night Rocky …..

….. Sleep well and dream of happy holidays to come!!