My name is Martha. I am a nine-year-old Old English Sheepdog who lives in South Wales. This year I moved house for the first time; I no longer live my grandparents and I miss them quite a lot. I have a heart murmur and a crumbling spine so I have to take lots of tablets, which make me feel young again.

I have a Mummy who is a bit silly, an Auntie Ysabel who helps me make this site, a Cousin Sweepie who's a Pug, and, an Uncle Ray who I hope to marry one day.

I spend my days looking out of the front window watching people walk by, playing with plastic bottles, and teaching Sweepie about life. I love going down the beach and long walks when the weather's cool enough. I hate being brushed and I think I have my own unique style.

Click a picture to view it in larger form:

I started this blog in December 2004 but had a break from it at the end of 2006. This was because my life had changed a lot after Madge, my Pug cousin, had babies and I helped her to raise them. I didn't think I'd want to blog again but now I want to share my new grown-up life, in my new home.

December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
April 2006
September 2006
November 2006
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008

Thanks to my Auntie Ysabel who made me this website and who helps me to write in it. Blogger that helps manage the site. Photobucket that hosts any additional photos posted.

I spent Valentines Day in the vets. Mummy sent me off with Grandma and Sweepie in the morning. I had no idea where I was going. I didn't want to get in the car in case it was something bad, but Mummy made me go.

I was right to be scared.

At the vets, Grandma gave me an injection and I got really sleepy. The next thing I knew I was awake and had very sore ears and a stupid new hair-cut on my nose. Apparently Grandma had cut the matts out of my hair that the groomers hadn't done properly. And then I got some bad news.

I have DDD - a crumbling spine and a heart murmur. Obviously I was very upset by the news and had to eat every piece of food I could find to help to steady my nerves. I came home with a bag full of pills that I now have to take for the rest of my life. I have told Mummy it must be her fault, although I think Grandma might have had something to do with it too.

Sweepie has been ill, too, but I don't think she's as bad as I am. At least she'll feel better in a few days whereas I have to live with having diseases. I haven't been able to have a proper walk in days! And today I had to go to the groomers. I told them all about what's wrong with me. I think they blame Mummy too.

Labels: grandma, groomers, ill, mummy, sweepie

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I had to move out in the end. Mummy said I didn't have a choice: that wherever she goes I have to. I didn't think I'd like the new house at all but actually it can sometimes be fun. Like, when I went down the beach and played in the sea. I shouted and shouted for Uncle Ray to come in, too, but he wouldn't. He said it was because it was raining but I think it's because Auntie Ysabel wouldn't let him. I really like living with Uncle Ray. He's a lot of fun. He plays games with me and cuddles me. I think he likes me. When Auntie Ysabel went away for the night he sat on the sofa with me and cuddled me for ages.

I had an accident yesterday. When I was playing ball with Mummy I hurt my leg. It hurt a lot and really frightened me. And today Mummy hasn't taken me for a walk because she says I have to rest the leg. Boring. I might have to go to the vets on Monday with Grandma.

Labels: auntie ysabel, beach, grandma, moving, mummy, uncle ray, walks

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Mummy says we're moving so I have to tell everyone I won't be able to blog until she sets up a new internet connection. What she doesn't know is that I'm staying here with Grandma and Granddad. I'm not moving anywhere...oh no I'm not...

Labels: blog, granddad, grandma, moving, mummy

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Grandma and Granddad came home late Saturday night. I ran around the house excitedly, and went straight upstairs to get Auntie Ysabel out of bed. But she just shouted at me to go away.

Sunday morning I was able to bark loudly at Grandma to hurry up in the bathroom and come feed me already! without having a row - Mummy doesn't like me to bark in the mornings because she is boring and grumpy. But then it got boring for me because Grandma and Granddad took all the other dogs for a walk but not me because Grandma says I'm naughty and I hurt her back by pulling. I'm not naughty. I could have gone too if Mummy hadn't been in the shower!

And then Mummy was rude to me! She said - in front of Uncle Ray - that I smell! I told her she was embarrassing me but she wouldn't listen. She's always trying to make me look stupid. I'm trying to play a game with Uncle Ray. Every time he stands up I run away as if he's going to hit me. It's a fun game because then everyone asks me what I'm doing, and maybe one day Mummy or Auntie Ysabel will tell him off - even though he's done nothing wrong. Ha ha ha. I like playing silly games, especially when they get other people into trouble.

Labels: auntie ysabel, games, granddad, grandma, mummy, routine, uncle ray, walks

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Mummy is just getting worse and worse as the time goes by.

This weekend she tried to make Uncle Ray walk me when we went up the road. All because Mummy has to walk Fall Out Boy. I don't why she likes him so much at the moment. So I just acted up until Mummy had enough and put me on the lead and walked me herself, as my mother she should have been doing that already.

Then, to make up for going out all day Saturday, she bought me a guilt present. I knew she only got it for me because she was feeling bad about ignoring me so much, so I taught her a lesson and destroyed it. Sweepie had a new Nyla bone - I didn't - why not? And she got a present off her daddy. Auntie Ysabel won't let me play with them, too; she's almost as bad as my mother.

I can't wait for Grandma to come home so things can get back to normal again.

Labels: auntie ysabel, grandma, mummy, presents, routine, sweepie, uncle ray, walks

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Grandma isn't here - she's gone somewhere with Granddad, which I think is very selfish of her. She's left my Mummy in charge of all of us dogs... Well, I know how to handle Mummy but the Pugs don't.

She's changed all the routines, which I hate because I like my routine.

Fall Out Boy now goes for walks with me and Sweepie. He is strange on the walk. He's frightened of everything. And it's Mummy who has to walk him on his lead because Auntie Ysabel is walking Sweepie. But I think Auntie Ysabel should walk both Pugs because Mummy is mine.

Also what's different is that Mummy won't get up as early as Grandma does. So I have to wait another hour or two than normal to get my breakfast. And Mummy shouts a lot. I'm not allowed to be cheeky in the mornings and go outside barking with the Pugs - we all have a row if we do that.

It isn't fair! I miss Grandma.

Labels: auntie ysabel, falls, granddad, grandma, mummy, routine, sweepie, walks

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Mummy went for a walk without me today!

She disappeared this morning in Grandma's car and then returned a few hours later telling me she'd walked all the way home from wherever she'd been. She then told me that she'd hurt her feet and so couldn't take me for a walk today!

I'm not very impressed.

Labels: grandma, mummy, walks

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I'm very annoyed at the moment. Everyone's getting on my nerves.

It's raining all the time, which means I can't go for a walk; Mummy is always on the computer; Uncle Ray doesn't play games with me anymore; and Auntie Ysabel is always out. Now Madge has come into season, as well, which always confuses me because everything feels different and I don't really understand why. So I've been arguing with all the dogs and then having a row off Mummy or Grandma for being so grumpy and naughty.

I don't like this week at all.

Labels: auntie ysabel, grandma, madge, mummy, rain, uncle ray

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Sweepie was ill last night.

Early evening Sweepie was naughty and ate some of the cat food; Auntie Ysabel caught her and told her off. I don't think anyone should discipline the babies except me so I put Sweepie in my basket and stood in front of it so that Auntie Ysabel couldn't shout at Sweepie.

But then later in the night when Sweepie went outside to the back garden she ran around and around with her brother and then passed out. Grandma had to carry her back inside and then Sweepie spent the rest of the evening having cuddles of my Mummy. Because Auntie Ysabel had gone out with Uncle Ray.

I think Auntie Ysabel made Sweepie ill by shouting at her about the cat food. So I'm not friends with her.

Labels: auntie ysabel, grandma, mummy, sweepie, uncle ray

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I'm not frightened of cows. I don't know why Mummy and Auntie Ysabel tell people that I am. They even say that I told Sweepie to be frightened of them, which I didn't. Sweepie doesn't like cows all on her own. Just because I don't like cows doesn't mean I'm frightened of them. And I didn't tell Sweepie to bark at them, either.

Grandma and Granddad have built a new shed in the garden. I think it's a shed for me really. It's nice and spacious and lets in just the right amount of air to keep me cool. I really like it. I think once Granddad has painted it I might move in. I think it's only fair been as the chicken is allowed to go in there whenever she wants. I'm older than the chicken and am much nicer than her. It'll be somewhere quiet for me to have some peace and quiet from everyone here.

Labels: auntie ysabel, chicken, cows, granddad, grandma, mummy, shed, sweepie

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Thanks so much for the comments on my first blog entry :) And to those who read but didn't comment - Uncle Ray - I will be biting your bottoms off when I next see you!

It was really, really hot yesterday. I'm not sure why Mummy does this. For weeks on end she makes it rain when she knows how I hate to walk in the rain; then, she has to be very silly and make it too hot when she knows I can't stand too much heat because of my hair! Sometimes I think she does it because she can't be bothered to take me for a walk. But yesterday her plan backfired because when Grandma came home from work, she, Auntie Ysabel, and all us dogs went up the road. Mummy had to come with us then. She said I was "showing off" in front of the other dogs - which I wasn't - and wouldn't let me run around like usual - I had to go on the lead like a baby! Like Sweepie! Sometimes Mummy embarrasses me so much in front of my friends. And Mister Gullfud went past in his car and she knows how much I love Mister Gullfud.

I did get my own back on her, though. She knocked rabbit food onto the floor in the shed and did a very bad job of cleaning it away (she just hid it under a plantpot), so I went in after her to clean in up properly. All night my farts smelt of rabbit food. Mummy always tells me off when I fart but I just found the whole thing really, really funny.

Labels: auntie ysabel, comments, farts, grandma, mister gullfud, mummy, rabbit food, sweepie, uncle ray

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Welcome back to my blog. If you're new you can read about what happened to the old blog and why I've started again by reading the blurb in the column on the right >>>

I wanted to start my new blog by saying that it's taken me a very long time to realise that I am not the only Old English Sheepdog. For a long time I thought I was because all I ever saw was dogs that looked nothing like me. I remember my mother and my brothers and sisters but since I came to live with Mummy I didn't see another dog that looked like me. I started to believe I was the only one left in the entire world.

But, while I went to live in another house with Mummy, Auntie Ysabel, Uncle Ray and Sweepie, I met another Old English Sheepdog while we were out walking. She was smaller than me and had lots more hair than me but at least I knew I wasn't alone. Then, Mummy showed me a new website and I found eight other OES who live in Britain. So I am not the only one.

In a way that makes me a bit sad.

On Saturday I went for a walk down the pub with Mummy, Auntie Ysabel, Uncle Ray and Sweepie. Sweepie made such a fuss when walking along the main road, because she doesn't like cars very much. I'm not sure why; probably because she's a Pug and a baby. Once we got to the pub I was allowed to have a drink of water and then Mummy tied me to table and I smiled at all the cars that went by.

Of course, Mummy had to get silly and stuck silly things to my head that Uncle Ray gave to her from a book Auntie Ysabel was playing with. I let her do it because she's silly and you have to humour her sometimes other wise she gets naughty because she wants attention. Sweepie and I were then allowed to have some Cheesy Biscuits and - best of all - Uncle Ray let me eat some of his peanuts and because Sweepie didn't like them I got even more than her! I love peanuts so much.

Here are some pictures:



After a while we walked home, and Sweepie made just as much of a fuss as she did on the way down. Then, when we were almost home, Grandma pooped the car behind us. So because it was raining Mummy put me into the cage in the back of Grandma's car (which I don't like) with Sweepie and we rode home the rest of the way in the car.

Now I hope it stays sunny so that I can have a walk today. I hate walking in the rain.

Labels: auntie ysabel, car, grandma, mummy, old english sheepdogs, peanuts, photos, pub, sweepie, uncle ray, walks

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