Duffy and Gonzo were labrador puppies; two of nine born to Molly and Spud. Others in the litter were Holly, Fleur, Kara, Bingo, Oscar, Murph and Puddles.
This big happy dog family lived in a seaside village in the North West of England and when they were eight weeks old the baby labrador puppies went off to their new homes.
Duffy and Gonzo were adopted together, as were Bingo and Fleur.
Murph went to live with a long distance lorry driver and had wonderful fun hanging his head out the cab window to see the sights. And that lorry driver took great pleasure out of training puppy to fetch. Murph could spend hours chasing after a stick or a ball!
Holly was adopted by a young family, Kara trained to be a guide dog. Puddles (later renamed Cuddles) took up residence in the shop of an upmarket tailor and Oscar stayed at home with his mother.
Six months on, all still lived within 50 miles of each other apart from Kara, whose blind partner had moved away from the district.
A cherry on his nose
When the puppies were a year old, Duffy and Gonzo’s family decided to invite them all round for a garden party to celebrate their birthday. Molly and Spud were invited too.
Molly accepted the invitation and was delighted at the prospect of catching up with her brood. She would, said her owners, be escorted by Oscar, now a fine figure of a dog, bigger than his mother.
Spud’s people had moved house and not left a forwarding address. So the patriarch was unable to be present.
Holly – the most beautiful puppy of all – had died of parvo-virus some months earlier and Puddles was in hospital having bounded over a gate and broken his leg.
On the day, Bingo, Fleur, and Murph turned up in style. Bingo and Fleur arrived in the back of a Porsche, while Murph leaped out from the cab of a huge, articulated lorry that blocked the entire suburban street. Happily, dog labrador puppies and female labrador puppies all got on splendidly.
Duffy and Gonzo were delighted to renew acquaintance with their mother and four siblings.
The party took place in a prettily decorated garden room and several children were there to share the fun. The hostess laid her table with little fairy cakes for the children, leather chewies for the dogs. There are no prizes for guessing what happened next.
Got it in one… six excited young labradors and their mother darted into the garden room, helped themselves to cakes and biscuits; neither of which is considered suitable food for labrador puppies.
They left only a tub of leather chews for the children. Bingo had a cherry on his nose, Fleur’s face was caked with cream and the local newspaper photographer was there to record it for posterity.
Labrador puppies photos graced the pages of the next day’s paper.
The children and their mothers came back the following day for a more conventional party and the Labrador puppies went their separate ways.
Gourmet canine menu
Fast forward ten years. All of these original doggie party-goers have moved on to pastures new, but the idea has taken a new twist.
Dogs Today magazine (October 2009, p.7) reports that businesswomen Maggie Morgan and Helen Wilkinson have launched what is described as a gourmet canine menu and VIP table at their teashop Metrodeco in Brighton, England
The idea, they say, is to persuade other bosses to be more pet-friendly.
‘We’ve had dogs queuing up to get in,’ they told the magazine. ‘The other day a lady’s pet went missing and we found him outside the shop, looking for a treat.’
Bertha, the thieving Guide Dog
Labradors are renowned for their love of food.
One visually-impaired man – whom we shall call John – was worried about the fact that his guide dog, Bertha, continued to gain weight, despite her strict diet.
And it wasn’t until John had a house guest that he learned the reason why.
The visitor watched enthralled as Bertha opened the fridge door, extracted several meaty goodies from inside then closed the fridge door, ever so quietly so that no-one would suspect what she was up to. Or so she thought.
Sporting the sort of self-satisfied grin that only Labradors can, Bertha then tucked into hearty meal before sauntering back to her master. All sweetness and light.
Labrador puppies. Aren’t they adoreable? When they give you that look, and nuzzle up so warmly, you can forgive them for anything.
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