Remember yesterday’s recalcitrant puppy? Well, this is he – Alfie. He’s the apple of Darren (builder) and Caitie (wife-to-be)’s eye. He’s six months old and a proper little character. He’s spent four days with me over the last couple of weeks and he’s a real sweetie even if he’s a bit pesky – but what puppy isn’t a bit pesky from time-to-time?

On his first day with me, he jumped over the garden wall, landing on his shoulder in the road below, a fall of about four feet, resulting in a limp for a few days. That was because another dog had the audacity to walk down the street! Well, I ask you – what right have they got? Even though Alfie had only been here for a few moments on another occasion, he decided that the road was his territory to defend and he did it with great panache!

Next time he came, his Dad was busy knocking a wall down so he spent most of the day asleep on the step, only to come to for a little adventure under the gate to see Ruby (German Shepherd) next door and then, with perfect comic timing, just as we sat down to our lunch, he stood in front of us on the lawn and did a really runny poo – it didn’t half put me off my food (some would say that’s a good thing)!

Yesterday, he saw Ruby come into her garden and launched himself over the wall into Ruby’s space whereupon they romped and romped until they were both exhausted and covered in slobber. It’s a good job for me (and Alfie) that Erica didn’t mind being invaded by a black lab puppy. Ruby and Alfie had a little rest and then romped and romped some more! I understand from both sets of dog parents that both spent the rest of the day happily snoozing once Alfie had left!

Apparently when Darren was getting ready to come out this morning, Alfie looked more than a little uninterested until he was told that he was going to see Ruby, when he jumped up and started furiously wagging his tail. BUT Ruby has been otherwise engaged today because she’s had other visitors so poor Alfie has been mooching about looking glum. I think in desperation he came to see me and plonked himself down in front of me. The only problem was, I was up to my eyeballs in yellow paint. So, as can be seen from the photo, this cutie little black lab puppy has a “go faster” stripe in Dulux Buttermilk! I’m going to miss Alfie’s little adventures.