Meet The Dog Team

My two spaniels feature in many of the photos I take, so it seems sensible for you to get to know them. The other dog you might see in some photos, as I'm taking a look back at some walks done at earlier points in time,  is Bess my much loved  Border Collie who very sadly died at the age of 14 in 2012. 

Name: Molly

Breed: English Springer Spaniel

Colour: Liver and White

Age: 14

NB: We very sadly lost Molly at the end of March 2014 - very much missed! Now we just have Dewi and the lovely memories of Molly including some nice photos on Usk Chirps!!

I was born in a Keeper's cottage on the Glan Usk Estate near Crickhowell which belongs to the Legge Bourkes, so I think that makes me almost ‘Royal’. I’ve lived with Izzy since I was 8 weeks old. I am very friendly and enjoy being made a fuss of. I love eating and still really enjoy going for walks, but now I'm 14 (that's 98 in human years so I'm doing well), I can’t manage long distances, steep hills and rough terrain any more. My energy levels are not what they used to be and I suffer from arthritis which I take medication for. Most of the time I’m not able to walk very fast and I can’t jump into the car  like Dewi does, but sometimes I enjoy a little run and a roll in the grass. I like to tease Dewi by collecting up all the toys he wants to play with and putting them on my rug and guarding them. I was young and energetic like him once, but now I’m a lot quieter and calmer and I mostly just like to curl up and sleep in a nice warm place.

Name: Dewi

Breed: Working Spaniel

Colour: Black and White

Age:  3

I don’t know where I was born  but I came to live with Izzy and Jeremy when I was nearly 1 year old in Nov 2012. I like it here in Usk because there are lots of good places to walk. My previous owner couldn’t really cope with me. Izzy tells me this is because I am ‘extreme’ – i.e. extremely happy,  friendly,  strong, greedy,  naughty, excitable, eager, boisterous, fast,  energetic and enthusiastic. Some rude people go as far as to say I am ‘bonkers’, but I want them to know I can’t help it, it’s just how I am. Izzy has been teaching me to try and keep calm, to come back when I am called, not to jump on people because I want them to say hello and to walk nicely on a lead. She says I am slowly getting better at it and I try my best to be good, but sometimes I get so excited, my ‘good’ just gets left behind.  I am ready to go for a walk at any time in any weather, day or night. I like to run as fast as I can for as long as I can, whenever I can. If you say ‘ready’ I will go. I like running on beaches, up mountains and through fields, woods and forests.  I love the water and I spend most of the summer in the river and any day in the winter too, if the water is not actually frozen. I am very athletic and can jump over most gates and fences.  I like rolling in smelly things and eating bits of anything tasty and dead that I can find. Izzy says this is a disgusting habit. I like curling up next to Molly when she lets me, but sometimes she gets grumpy with me. I think she likes me, but often finds me a ‘bit much’!