Hi Everyone, 

My name is Merlin and here is my report of what I have been up to over the past thirteen months. I’m learning a lot of things to do with my training, I am very good at walking on my lead, I also know a lot of the commands which I am supposed to know, like; Forward, Wait, Back, Sit, Down, straight and straight on, in and over. I have also learned to walk up and down stairs carefully, but I have a little bit of a problem with the word Stay, as I like to follow Mum and Dad every where they go, but I am getting there slowly but surely. 

It is nearly a year now that I have been living with my human Mum and Dad and their other pets i.e. Jade the cat and the rabbits and guinea pigs and what a time we have had, doing lots of different things, time seems to fly by as we have been very busy going to different places. I have been on Holiday to the Lake District and we had a lot of fun walking up the hills, going to different public places and of course the best place is the pubs. I have also visited the hospital in Norwich and I’ve been to Stanstead Airport as mum had to go to work in Northern Ireland. We have visited restaurants, shopping centres and many shops along the way, we have also been to the beach a few times and the forest in Thetford. I also go to Morrisons supermarket every week to visit my fan club as they all think I am so cute and a lovely boy. Their week would not be the same without me but Mum says that we go there to do the food shopping. I have been on various modes of transport including a bus, train and an old train which I believe it was called a steam train. Mum, Dad and I go for a lot of long walks through the fields at the back of our house every day. I really enjoy my walks but they can be very tiring after a day at work. 

The other day Anne and Pip came to see me - hope she was pleased with the way I am turning out and how I have grown up to be a lovely young man. Pip seemed to be a bit moody with me and did not want to play whilst we were indoors but he soon cheered up when we went out into my garden. They took a lot of photos of me. 

This weekend we are going to the East Anglia Game and Country Fair, not sure what it is yet but mum says it will be very busy with people, dogs, horses and other animals so I must be on my best behaviour at all times. What a bore! 

Anyway Mum has said I must sign off now as its time for bed. 

Take Care 

Merlin 

Hi Everyone, 

Merlin here again, in my last message I said that we was going to the East Anglia Game and Country Fair, but I wasn’t sure what is was well I must tell you that it was a nice sunny day and very busy with lots of people and their dogs. They were coming from every where I looked, in front, left, right and even behind me. There was these dogs going along a platform and jumping into a big swimming pool, it looked great fun, dad said that I could not have a go (Spoil sport), as I was there for a reason to get used to a lot of people and dogs around me without me barking at them. I must say that I thought I was very good, and did not show myself or mum and dad up. There were other animals their showing off and Working Gun Dogs, Police Dogs working etc. I had a very good day out, but it was also tiring, I just had to go to bed after my dinner. 

The other weekend I went to see my friends Mark and Karen, all the other dogs was there, but I did not understand why Clyde was not, mum told me that Clyde had gone away to big school with Bonnie, lucky devil being with Bonnie! 

Anne, Eddie, Viv, Peter and Pip came down to Norfolk the other Sunday, I meet them in Morrison’s, after a chat we went to Thetford Forest for some training session’s for mum and dad and I suppose me as well, this involved me being let of my lead and have fun running free with Pip and the being called back to mum, if I came back I got a treat of cheese. I really enjoyed this, as it was good fun have a run with my friend Pip. 

On the Monday I meet up with Anne and Co in Norwich, we went to Bella Italia for a meal, I was being a little bit naughty in the restaurant as I wanted to be near Pip, but eventually I settled down. After our meal we went to play in park off lead again, which was good fun. After a little while we went into a building which I understand from Pip that it was a theatre, he told me that I had to be good whilst we were there as we going to see a friend of Anne and Pips, called Derek Acorah. Many people made a fuss of Pip and I before the show and again afterwards up in the bar, some people took my photo, it was like being a star! I met Derek and had a photo session with him, he also made a fuss of me, and mum also had to get into the action and have a photo taken of her and Derek. It was lovely meeting all these people, but all I wanted to do was find my bed, after a long and tiring day and night of stardom. 

Mum and dad has been letting me run free of my lead over this last weekend, and I have been very good and coming back to them when called. I did not run off to far from them, as Mum had cheese with her and this is my all time favourite treat. I am off to training school on Thursday with mum, not sure if I am going to like it yet but I will give it ago. I will let you know what it is like next time I write to you all. 

Anyway I am going to be doing a lot of things over the next couple of months, so I will write again and tell you about my new adventures. 

Take care 

Merlin 

HI Fans 

Sorry for not writing for a while but mum, dad and I have been very busy over the last three months, it's very hard to find the best place to start telling you of my adventures. I think the best place to start would be to tell you all what a clever boy I am. Well on the 7th August I passed my Good Citizen Dog Scheme bronze test, for this test I had to do various things, like walk in a controlled manner on a lead without being distracted, walk though a gateway under control without pulling. I also have to walk in a controlled way amongst people and other dogs with out being distracted by them. I also had to stay in down or sit position for one minute without moving to mum or the other dogs (this I found to be the easy bit as I like to lay down and got to sleep when ever I can. Mum also took part in this test as she had to examine and groom me, to show that this could be done without me showing any signs of being distressed. She also had to answer some questions on responsibility and care, which I am pleased to say she did well! All this had to be done in front of a judge. Well I must say that I passed these will flying colours and received a lovely green rosette and a certificate. I really had to pass this test as the bosses where down from Scotland (I mean Pip and Odin). At the end of August mum, dad and I went to Hyde Hall in Greater Manchester to do a sponsored Ghost Hunt with Auntie Viv and the Ghostly crew, Anne, Eddie, Pip and Odin. Whilst I was there I met another dog and I soon recognized that it was my brother Spook, whom I had not seen since I was ten weeks old, as he went to live in Scotland and I went to live in Norfolk. It was great to see him again and we got on like a house on fire (I think that is the saying). As it turned out Spook was going to stay with me for the whole weekend, because he was moving to Norfolk to live to Karen and Mark (Clyde’s mum and dad), so he will be living about 10 minutes drive from me. So we will be able to see each other a lot more. 

My next adventure was me flying up to Scotland with Easyjet to see Anne, Eddie, and Pip and Odin for the weekend and of course I had to do some P.R. work whilst I was there. The flights to Scotland and back to Stansted I just took in my stride, not a problem for a clever young man like me. Mum said that it was the fastest time they had got though an airport. Whilst I was in Scotland we went to Sainsbury’s in Hamilton and out for a Chinese meal. We also went to an evening with Ricky Martin (no Viv not the singer) at the Flowers of Scotland garden centre; I was there to look good along with Pip and Odin. I had a lovely time in Scotland, but the weather was not kind to us. September has soon come round, so back to training school to do my silver good citizen award, which I understand that the test is sometime in December. I also found out that Spook has also been taken to the training school to do his bronze award, Good Luck Bro. 

We have been to a Steam Rally where I travelled on a 1957 built coach, which was a lot different from travelling in the car. There was a lot of people and dogs there, side stalls and arena shows with heavy horses. Lots of smelly tractor engines and tractors. But I had a good day out with Mum, Dad, Arron, Matthew and nanny and granddad. I am also very busy arranging a Charity collection day and tombola stall in Diss town centre near where I live (Saturday 24th October 2009 if you're nearby), I just do not know where the time goes as it seems that I am always going somewhere or doing something. There is just not enough time to sleep. Next week will be fun for me as my brother Spook is coming to live with me for a week as his mum and dad (Karen and mark) are going on holiday. I think the cat will leave home with two of us there!!!!!!!! 

Well I think this is all my news of my latest conquest and adventures. I will do the next instalments in due course. 

Take Care Woof Woof 

Merlin 

Hi Merlin fans 

Well another busy year has started with training school, Pathfinder work, and of course I am still teaching Isis the ropes of a Pathfinder Puppy, which is very hard going as she wants to play all the time but I am managing to keep her in line. 

Mum and Dad keep saying that when I go to big boys school I will be working all the time, learning new things which I have to know, even now mum and dad have started teaching me some new things which I will do in my advance training. 

Well the time has come, it is now the end of April and I am off to big boy’s school with my brother Spook. Anne, Eddie, Odin and Pip have come to collect me from home, so this is a sad day for us all, we all knew this day would come but they are looking forward to my graduation. I will miss Mum, Dad and Isis, I will even miss the Cat, hissing at me. 

I will keep you informed, how I get on with my advance training in due course, 

Take Care 

Woof Woof 

Merlin