A Puppy's Life so far...........

Hello!

My name is Wilson Granville Wilberforce - or Wilson Bilbo for short. I was born on 19th December 2012 in a little village just north of Congleton in Cheshire, England. My real dad is a lovely graceful placid brindle Whippet, whilst my real mum is a working Border Collie from Flash near to Buxton in Derbyshire. As you can see, as a young puppy, I looked just like them :o)

Me when I was 8 weeks old

I have 9 brothers and sisters but I don't remember them as we got split up when I was just 8 weeks old. What I do remember is that nobody wanted me, and out of 10 puppies, I was the last one to go. If I hadn't gone that night, I would now be living in the same village in an outdoor kennel, with my real dad, 2 Jack Russells and a load of ferrets, and would have been made to hunt rabbits for my dinner!

Thankfully my adopted mum and dad found me, fell in love with my cute stumpy body and baby blue eyes, and they were hooked on me :o)

After mum and dad fell in love with me, I was collected in a cardboard box and moved to Stoke in February 2011. I ended up with a big brother named Sammy, a thing with big claws and a grumpy face (I think it was called a "cat" or something), and two funny looking things that had big ears and hopped around and they looked just like the rabbits that the ferrets used to bring back.

Me and the big eared things

Being a Young Pup!

Life as a very young pup was very exciting and I was always up to mischief and getting dirty, usually with Sammy. Sam was much older than me but that didn't stop me pouncing on him and tormenting him. He used to try and hide in the spare bedroom, but I always found him and made him play with me in the garden.

Me and Sammy playing in the garden

We usually ended up playing in a big pile of mud or in a murky river where we used to play fight for sticks and balls, and if it wasn't that, I would grab hold of his tail and swing from it with my teeth, or run under his belly to see if I could make him fall over. Sammy used to play hide and seek with me, and he'd go into the spare bedroom to try and get away but I always found him asleep on the bed, so I'd jump up and nip him on the cheek with my needle sharp puppy teeth and he would sigh and groan and run away from me so I could chase him some more. At least I think that's what he wanted.

Me as a mucky pup!

Sammy disappeared one day - one minute he was there, the next he was gone, and mum and dad told me that he had gone to a place for good boys up in the sky - a place called Doggy Heaven or something. I didn't understand and thought they were stupid, but I did miss Sammy as he was always trying to teach me to be a good patient little dog, and to teach me some manners, but I never listened to him and now I miss his wise barks and calming nature. I know he got poorly and I used to lick him alot as I'd heard that dogs have healing powers in their tongues, but it didn't work and he just went.

I did lots of other things as a young pup - I went wild camping in the Lake District and protected my mum against big woolly smelly things trying to get in the tent - a growl from me and they soon bolted - and I used to go to Hanchurch Woods chasing the squirrels and things. 

Camping in the Lake District in mum's sleeping bag :o)

My Dadda keeping me warm at Hanchurch

I loved living in Stoke and knew that I owned the neighbourhood and all the other dogs used to turn away in fear when I barked and shook my head at them whilst holding my toy bunny in my mouth. Boy were they scared! 

Then mum and dad started talking about a new big adventure and I got excited. Apparently I was going to a big place called Canada, where there were lots of big dogs and other animals, and I got really excited and couldn't wait. It took 3 attempts flying across the sea for me to finally get to Canada properly and I love it here now. There were some things that I didn't like - I wet myself when I had to go to Dr Vet to have big needles stuck in me, and then I had to sit in a kennel in the dark for what seemed like hours and I really needed to go peepee poopoos, but I managed to hold it in until I saw mum and dad and then I wet myself anyway through all the excitement. I was so happy to see them again and couldn't wait to start my new life as an English dog living in Canada.

Life as a Canadian

Ok, I'm not really Canadian, but having met Jakey, my new best friend over here, he's taught me how to speak with a Canadian drawl and to blend in. I'm quite skinny and bald compared to the other dogs over here, and I'm tiny in comparison, but I've now got a doggy Canadian accent. Mum and dad can't tell the difference, but all the dogs here seem to understand me, so I must be doing ok. Jakey has also taught me proper doggy etiquette and rather than panicking and running away when a dog sniffs my bum, I stand my ground and let them get to know me better. I also now know that a waggy tail with bum in the air means playtime, and I am starting to behave more like a dog.

Jakey trying to teach me Canadian - "Woof" means "hello"

The only sad thing about being here is that my friend Bunny had to join Sammy in doggy heaven - except I think he went to Bunny Heaven but mum and dad said it's the same place. Me, Bunny and Spud were really good friends, and I miss Bunny, but Spud still lets me play with him and he doesn't grunt and charge at me like Bunny did.

I've now been living here for ages and I know why there was all the excitement about moving here. I love it  and feel so happy and healthy that my nose is continuously running, and everybody comments on what a nice looking dog I am! I've been mistaken for so many different breeds - the best one was an Irish Wolfhound which clearly I am not ;o) But I am frequently told that I am a grand looking dog, and I can see the pride on mum and dad's face.

Me looking like the handsome boy I am

It's so wild over here, and I've already chased deer and loads of squirrels, I've been swimming in massive lakes and rivers that are freezing cold but so refreshing on a hot day, I've been to the doggy park and met loads of other dogs, and I've experienced really deep snow that I absolutely love, and was so proud to wear my booties and coat in the early spring. 

Me and Dadda in the snow at Bragg Creek

I love my coat and booties - it can get very cold over here!

I've already had a bit of drama over here - I got spiked by a stick in my chest and it was touch and go whether I would pull through and uncertain what damage had been done. But I was ok - I'm a fighter and know that my mum and dad love me to bits and I try to be strong and brave for them - I love them so much and just want to be with them all the time.

So, that's me so far in a nutshell, but there will be lots more adventures to tell you about for those of you that are interested. I'm only 2 years old in December and I've already had some amazing adventures both in the UK and over here. I secretly opened a shop in Lake Louise just to get my feet under the table, and I'm now training for my pilots license so I can add more Air Miles to my account - flying across the Atlantic 3 times is worth alot you know.

My shop ;o)

I've got so many things planned and I'm so excited, I can't stop wagging my tail at the moment. Hopefully I'll have lots of stories to tell, and hopefully you won't be disappointed.