I should know better

It has been hot.  Very hot, and consistently hot.  Cue lots of dogs lolling in the shade.   Some tolerate it better than others.

So when Cupcake appeared with an ear down, I thought it was a reaction to the weather.  Nevertheless, I had a look at the ear, and discovered a tick.  Tick removed, I thought that was it.

But the ear stayed down.   And another day later the other ear came down in sympathy.  Cue trip to vet, who couldn`t find much wrong, but gave him eardrops anyway.

The ears stayed down.

"They just dropped!" - Cupcake

And I had to admit that this looked permanent.  Cupcake had decided to become a Phalene, the drop-eared version of the breed.

I think he was as puzzled as I was.  Suddenly ears were blocking his peripheral vision, and I suppose his hearing was affected too.   It made him look very solemn.  Belle his sister stared at him.   Was he really her brother?  What daft fashion had he adopted now?  Was  this a Goth thing?   Would he be getting skull earrings?   Was he even hoping to become a Chin?

And we had a show coming up.

Well, I took him in his new  identity, and he managed to be third in his class.  And he was admired.

So I suppose I just have to come to terms with it.  I have had a word with Solitaire, his mother, who looked very innocent and assured me that it was nothing to do with her, but I have my suspicions.

Thank you all again for your good wishes about Velvet.  Unfortunately she had a sudden and very bad relapse, just when I thought she was really well, and things went from bad to worse.   She had to make a last journey to the vet.   I have been really upset, and haven`t felt like blogging for a while.

Thanks to all of you who sent good wishes for Velvet.   She seems to be very much better, and eating like a horse.  But I know that there can be relapses.  I am very grateful to my really good vet, (who gave her all that excellent treatment, with frequent visits for about £100.)

Meanwhile there have been a few shows, and at one of them Cupcake was handed over to a friend who had cast some doubt on my handling ability, to see if she could do better.   I quietly disappeared.

Alas, Cupcake experienced a bit of a culture shock.  He had discovered that the world is bigger than he thought, and some parts of it don`t have your mum in them.   As the dogs went round, he discovered my empty chair at the side of the ring, and fixated on it desperately, sure I would reappear in it any minute.   He didn`t wimp out - his tail never went down - but I was a bit taken aback to find how strongly he had imprinted on me.   During the following day he kept close, and watched me carefully for any further sudden disappearances.

Angel  -  "I seem to have missed everything"

Other than that, life has been quite placid....apart from the other night, when I was out with the granny farm, giving the old ladies a last outing.   Suddenly chaos and uproar at the gate.  I ran up - and there was a balloon.   A big silver party balloon. It was a windy evening, and it must have escaped, to end its days bobbing up and down at my gate.

The old girls simply knew that the Martians had landed.  In the reflections on the silver surface they could see distorted alien Papillons.   They screamed.  Old Xena, who couldn`t see it at all, charged about roaring - "Point me at the enemy and I`ll finish it off!"  The chaos grew.

And then the balloon gave up.   It sagged to the ground and deflated.  Suddenly it was just a still silver puddle on the ground.   The old ladies were still suspicious, but I could see the general consensus was that they had managed to bark it to death (all Papillons believe firmly that they have this ability.)   At last I got the whole panting over-excited gang back to their beds.

Angel  immediately rushed out.   What had she missed?

"Everything," I told her, quickly disposing of the silver remains.