What a fantastic week. I have been able to spend half the day charging round the garden, chasing shadows and barking at everyone that passes. I have spent the other half of the day doing the dog equivalent of ‘cat-napping’ to regain my strength for charging round the garden, chasing shadows and barking at everyone that passes. I did prefer the weekend when my mistress was able to sit outside with me, but I can live with her being indoors a bit more. I have totally got the hang of waiting for her to go up and down stairs before I start and no longer need to be bribed with a biscuit to do it. The only downside of that is that she is now desperately trying to decide what to teach me next. If nothing else, it has proved to my master that I am not the disobedient dog he thinks I am. My mistress is still trying to tech me how to play my new game. I have to conclude I may be as thick as I have been given credit for, as I just can’t get the hang of having to lift the bricks out. Of course, you might conclude that I am more intelligent as at the end of the game my mistress takes pity on me and gives me a treat anyway. So, I win whichever way round you look at it. It is just vaguely possible we are going to restart learning ‘fetch’ and more importantly ‘drop’. My mistress says it is this last point that has spoilt some of our games. From my perspective, it depends on how you look at the rules of the game. If you are being a traditionalist, I can see how you might reach that conclusion. However, in the modern version of the game, it is the role of the dog to collect the item thrown and chase round the garden with it so that you can’t catch him. On that basis, I would say I am pretty good at it.