Some special insights into Welshie logic, top tips and other stuff that just makes have a Welsh (or two, or three) extra special.
Merlin's Top Tip
Always offer to wash up after a Sunday roast, or in fact any meal on any day of the week. A tongue cleans plates, cutlery, and roasting tins far better than any leading brand of washing-up liquid. You just have to be quick about it so you don't get caught like I was recently!
Recipe tip
Always include a couple of cloves of garlic in your Liver Cake mix. Not only does it make the cake taste great, it makes it really smelly - much more fun at training class!
Merlin's Top Beach Tip
When playing with your human in the sea, be sure to have a good shake to get rid of excess water before continuing your walk along the beach .. they love getting wet as much as you do.
We have many trips to the beach - one very special one every year is to celebrate a host of birthdays all around the same time. The banner photo at the top of this page was taken a few years ago on one such occasion.
Mum always tries to bring along some home made biscuits for us on these special days, and here's a particular favourite:
Mix 200g of oats with 150g of low fat (one has to try!) cottage cheese, 100g liver sausage, one egg and about 5 tablespoons of sunflower oil. When thoroughly mixed (add a little water if too dry), take a teaspoon of the mixture, roll into a ball and flatten slightly before placing on a baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes at 180C for delicious biscuits.
Store in an airtight container for as long as you are allowed - ours usually last about a week!
Notes: Size of biscuit depends on mouth / dog size. As you can see from the group photo taken last year (2016) we have a mix of sizes and those Labs just don't taste small biscuits quite like we Welshies do!
'In the dog house' - December 2011
A letter to the Editor of the Times still strikes a familiar note:
'Sir, My morning walk in the park was accompanied by the irritatingly shrill blasts of a dog whistle. The only living thing seemingly unable to hear the call was the dog to which it was directed.'
Now, hands up who's not been on the end of such a whistle?
Picking up with Fergus - Autumn 2011
Fergus gave me this first hand account of being a working Welshie sometime ago. He is still working today although much to his disgust is sometimes rested for the odd drive to let the youngsters have a go. Apparently he can be heard vocalising his disgust for miles!
It’s the time of year when I have to earn my keep, but I don’t mind in the slightest. If a handsome chap like me could choose his dream job it would be ........ picking up birds ....... and that’s how I earn my biscuits!
My job is to find and retrieve birds that have been shot. This is called picking up. My priority is to find and retrieve birds that are still alive but have been wounded, but I also have to find and retrieve dead birds too. The birds could be in woods, ditches, dykes, out in the fields or in rivers, streams or lakes. The birds are mainly pheasants, but occasionally I have to find and retrieve partridges, ducks and woodcock too.
It’s not all work, we dogs get to have a good old tail-wag together, and we are chauffeured around the bigger shoots in 4 wheel drive vehicles/trailers. We normally meet up with everyone else at the shoot about 9am, but work doesn’t normally start for us dogs until nearer 10am. We get a break for lunch (usually a tripe stick or two or three) then it’s back to work until around 4.00 - 4.30pm.
If I am wet and dirty after work, then comes the only part of the day I don’t enjoy......... having to wear a jumper - it’s so UNCOOL!
