Raising Belle

Oops

There is apparently no more fun in the entire world than racing around a slippery tennis court, falling over and sliding through the mud. She loved it so much she did it twice.

 

 

Growth spurt

Top left, at two months old. Top right at three months. Below at four months.

It goes on like this for several more months.....

 

The face at the back of the car

Sentinel

There was just something about the first pose below that seemed to hint for the first time of the giant Belle will become. We were out in the woods and she spotted some joggers on the other side of the river. For a few moments she was still, surveying them regally, and it wasn't hard to imagine her on some Pyrenean crag, checking out potential threats to her sheep.

After that it was back to the mudbath.

Sliding dog

It's not quite clear to me why the otherwise mature, responsible and law-abiding woman I happen to be married to decided it was appropriate to travel down a children's playground slide with a large puppy sitting in her lap; the only explanation I can think of is that she is French, and as everyone knows, the French are different from ordinary humans.

The strangest thing of all is that Belle now seems to think that children's slides were invented for the amusement of dogs, and whenever she finds herself anywhere near a playground, she tramples our poor daughters into the dirt in her haste to go wheeee! Whoever invented the French has got a lot to answer for.

Car dogs

Belle has concluded that only good things happen when she gets in the car. She always seems to end up walking in the woods, playing with the kids, meeting other dogs, eating goose poop. Even when she goes to the vet she ends up being spoiled with lots of treats after only a couple of routine shots. In short, she can't get in the car fast enough, and when you get home again, she never wants to get out.

The other day I sent Zelie into action to try and coax her to leave. That's how I ended up with two puppies in the car, refusing to get out.

 

Avert your eyes

We interrupt this blog with shocking news. Daughter number three has been seen consorting with a cat. The fact that the cat lives with daughter number one in Boston is patently no excuse. The puppy is inconsolable. How could Anouk betray Belle so ?