The stars of Blogging with Labradors are Toby and Joey and I thought it was time to introduce them in case anybody was wondering how my website and blog ended up being connected to labradors.
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As I write, sitting at my ancient and falling apart desk in front of a rather nice bay window, looking out onto a front garden which is a complete disgrace, the air is constantly filled with the gentle sounds of labradors snoring. My dogs have always snored but as they’ve got older it’s become worse. I actually enjoy the sound. It is part of feeling at home. I have one on each side of me, on cushions on the floor, and if I wheel my chair back from the desk to get up to find a book or get a drink, I have to be careful not to run either of them over.
Toby is thirteen now. My old fella is a bit of a greybeard and his arthritis in his back legs is so bad that sometimes he sits down without really meaning to. We don’t take him for proper walks now although he likes to potter about the garden and still forgets himself in order to chase birds. In all these years it still surprises him that they can fly. Toby’s dad was an Irish show dog and he clearly sacrificed brains in favour of good looks. He’s very deaf, we think, although I’m a bit suspicious because he still seems able to hear a food packet opening from two rooms away. He loves to be warm and to sleep and he loves to be as close to us as he can.
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Joey is eleven and seriously needs to lose weight. Intermittently we put him on a diet and it gets better, but he’s such a talented food thief that it’s hard work. He is the brains of the partnership and can open any door in the house if it’s not locked. He’s slowing down a bit now, but although he can’t race around as much as he used to, he is still convinced that he is a puppy.
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Writing with labradors just about sums up what I do. Dogs are the best company, and my two are never really happy unless they have a member of the family close by. They have been with me through a variety of difficult times and they seem instinctively to understand when I need love or sympathy or a furry shoulder to cry on.
When I set up this website and was trying to learn how to use wordpress, I typed in ‘Writing with Labradors’ as a joke. Somehow once it was there, it just felt right and blogging with labradors was the natural progression. I’m not sure how my lads feel about my writing career, but as long as I stay at my desk and keep them company, they don’t care. I would really recommend Labradors as a valuable asset to any aspiring writer.
Although that snoring really is extraordinarily loud…
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