I didn’t get round to telling you about this week’s dog training. It was brilliant. Barney wasn’t there so I didn’t feel the need to compete with him. I almost behaved impeccably, give or take some barking and the odd bit of over-exuberance and what made it so fantastic was that this was the one week that my master had come to watch me. He actually came home with the mistaken notion that I’m learning something. As a result he spoilt me rotten for the evening. I haven’t got any training next week, which is a real shame. It was more of a shame when my Master said they could make me practice at home for half an hour instead.
My Mistress and I have been carefully studying the maps of the Norfolk Broads in a vain attempt to plan a trip that will work for everybody. We have reached two conclusions. The book she bought is not aimed at people going on holiday with either dogs or children and the map tells you lots of things you don’t need to know and very few of the things that you do. Nowhere does it mention where you can moor next to dry land. Nowhere does it show ‘good places to walk your dog’. I realise we probably do need to know the speed limits on different sections of the waterway. I also agree that for some members of the party it is probably good to know what the restrictions are on the age for steering the boat, but this is just another example of a dogist world. The extent of discrimination against my kind is profound and often quite insidious. We are just the hidden members of society. I think the Pet Dogs Democratic Party needs to make more of a stand on these issues.