M.T. Sanders's Blog, page 9

Monty and the staff room....oops hooge dog alert

So today I had a lovely morning at Delph Primary school in Old Ham land which is in the middle of some mahoosive hills but it's very nice. We got over early and dad took me for a walk down by the river and I met a girlie retriever and a boxerer who wanted me to play wiv her tennis ball. As you know I don't do the playing stuff and even though she kept dropping it in front of me and wagging her body I was more keen on sniffing the trees and leaving messages for the local lads.....Monty was ere.....reach that short stuffsThen we was back at the school for signing books after we did the assembly and stuff last week. There was so many mini hoomans who wanted a book that I thought all my fur and tongue would get worn out. Now they put us outside the learning zoo warden room or the staff room as they call it. I don't care what it's called cos one fing I know is that's where the biscuits cakes and sammiches are kept and them teachereys never stop eating. Well I wasn't allowed in cos they was having a meeting...or an eating cos I could smell it from outside the door. I decided I'd go to sleep....or did I?Dad was busy signing books and talking loads and so he dropped me lead...haha schoolboy error dad....well what's a newfydoof to do? Suddenly I made a run for it and I'm pretty fast when food is about, well faster than dad, he's no sprinter either is he. By the time he caught me I had scattered the hoomans all over the room as they grabbed their lunch before the hooge doggie devoured it.....I did get a foo bits that had got dropped in their haste and I also managed to coat a couple with montylurvdribble....Whoopsie....who's a bad boy then?....face bovvered?....Nah

Monty Dogge my best friend....now

I was just sitting on the sofa next to Monty and, as I do having a chat about the school we're visiting tomorrow when I suddenly thought how strange this would have been to comprehend a few short years ago. After nearly 50 school visits, charity appearances, Crufts tours and the occasional nursing home it's very difficult to remember this very same newfydoof as an extremely naughty puppy and an even worse adolescent.But this was what he was and there were many, many days we questioned what possessed us to invite this massive hooligan to share our lives. It's strange now because when I'm in schools and asked what inspired me to start writing the 'Monty stories' it was this bad behaviour that was the catalyst.The children love to hear tales of chewed walls, destroyed cookers and sucked chickens but back then it wasn't something we ever conceived would take us to where we are now.So as we relax before reading stories and reliving puppy misdemeanours before a few hundred children tomorrow I can't help but marvel at this special breed and moreover this very special dog I call my best friend.Well done Monty Dogge....you've done good big fella....

The most popular dogs by google search....mmm

You may or may not be interested in a recent study of popular dog breeds by how many times they were searched in google. Ok I can hear you thinking 'what's great about that?' Well whether we like it or not we live in age where everything is online.....shopping....banking.....dating, so why not choosing a dog? Ok I'm sure a lot of these are simple searches for the biggest, fastest or cutest dog (BTW I have 2 out of 3 in that search) But many are people doing their research to find the ideal dog to suit their family or circumstances.Why am I interested? Well I think it's a great lesson for breed clubs, kennel clubs or rescue organisations to see how people access information and I really feel they need to buy into this and be the educators and leaders. I believe the alternative is that savvy puppy farms or unscrupulous breeders with good IT skills will be the folk that influence the next generation of dog owners and that has to be a negative thing.Anyway here's the geeky stuff.....There's lot of info. 'According to recent research, dogs were domesticated by humans almost 30,000 years ago! But it was around 20,000 years later that the modern bond we see today truly began, with our furry friends starting to appear in our artwork and even burial grounds. It’s a rich friendship literally built over thousands of years, so it’s no surprise that our love of dogs runs deep. There’s even scientific evidence to prove it! A study led by Nagasawa found that a hormone called oxytocin is released in both human and dog when they gaze into each other’s eyes. That’s the same hormone that’s released when two emotionally connected people look at each other. Basically proving that we love our dogs like family, and they love us back.Considering our long history and deep bond, it’s no surprise that dogs are one of the world’s favourite pets. However, whilst dogs as a whole have always been popular human companions, certain breeds have seen dips and peaks in popularity over the years. Whether it’s the working breeds of the late 1800’s or the smaller (and probably lazier!) fashionable dogs of today, it seems there’s always a breed in the lead, but which ones are currently ruling the web?Well, Protectivity wanted to find out! So, armed with a list of almost 200 different dog breeds, they analysed Google’s search volume data for countries across Europe, and some of the results may surprise you…The top dog, and most Googled breed across Europe, is the Cane Corso. This large Italian Mastiff can weigh over 7st and is known for being a highly intelligent and very family-orientated breed. Cane Corso roughly translates from Latin as “bodyguard dog”, which is no surprise considering the breed’s large frame! According to AKC, the Cane Corso has gained popularity over the last few years, rising 13 places in their Most Popular Dog Breed Ranking List since 2013. It’s the most searched for breed in 12 countries including the likes of France, Luxembourg and Latvia.Europe’s second most searched for breed, topping the list in 10 different countries, is the Rottweiler. This classic, well-known breed is believed to have descended from dogs used by the Romans as they marched through Europe. They are known for being intelligent, strong and loyal dogs which is probably why they’re so popular. The Rottweiler is an online favourite in countries like the Netherlands, Italy and SwitzerlandA less surprising entrant in third place is the Pug, which is the most searched for breed in eight different countries across Europe including Russia, Turkey and Portugal. You could say the Pug is currently at its peak in terms of popularity with Pug themed products available all over the place! You can get ‘Pug’ pretty much anything from pyjamas to handbags and even phone cases. We’re clearly obsessed with those little scrunched up faces!Talking of little scrunched up faces… the most Googled dog breed in the UK is the fashionable French Bulldog. This characterful breed fails to appear anywhere else across Europe, but is also the most search for breed in the US. The French Bulldog, despite its name, actually originated in England and only became known as the French Bulldog in the late 19th and 20th centuries after gaining popularly with Paris’ bohemian class. Today, the breed makes for a great city pet, known for needing little dog walking and having a quiet demeanour.So, overall all it's the mighty Cane Corso that takes the lead in Europe, but whether your favourite breed is a Labrador, a Collie or Pit Bull, we can certainly all agree that dogs as a whole are just great and we couldn’t live without them!our data set here

Hot, Hot, Hot

I know this is very hard to believe but the sun actually came out yesterday in Wigwam. It's not something that visits very often but it was really hot all day. I love sunny days cos if it gets really warm we get let off a walk and so yesterday it seemed like a day of snoozing was on the cards.Little did I know that mum had decided to take the opportunity of a rest day to do some....grooming. Well after walking me least favvyreet fing is having a haircut and being brushed. The heffalump went first and I was hoping she was going to be really norty and mum would be fed up by the time she got to me and maybe just give up.No such luck though cos she was missy good girl and so mum was raring to go by the time she got to me and an hour later I had been brushed, trimmed, raked and brushed to within an inch of me skin. Even after this hair raising abuse I still wasn't allowed to rest cos dad then and went to get the pool out. Now you need to know that when water becomes involved the hairy hippo turns from bouncy brown destroyer to rocket fuelled spring legged low flying slobberbeast.....Her favvyreet thing is running at full speed and landing in the pool when I'm in there and then trying to dig me feet up wiv her mahoosive furry paddles. Then when I get out she comes and jumps on me until I play back. The only bit I really enjoyed is when she decided dad's shoe needed to be retrieved from underwater and then also decided that he was just too dry....mum by this point had disappeared....clever mum...

Busy, busy, busy

Such a busy week this week. On Monday we visited the under 5's nursery in Standish to help a birthday celebration and do a story time for the children. Monty was very popular as usual and very busy with newfydoof kisses and cuddles.On Tuesday we went back to St Andrews Primary school in Rochdale to sign books for the children after our visit last week. We had a very busy time and Monty had his picture taken with all those who bought a 'Pawtagraphed' copy.On Thursday we were in Warrington for a very enthusiastic welcome from the children and staff at St Margaret's C of E primary.I read I'm not a Pandacow in whole school assembly and the children seemed to have a really great time, joining in at the end of the verses which was great fun. Then we did some class visits where the children could ask questions about Monty or writing books and of course the chance for Newfydoof cuddles was very enthusiastically taken up.Now we have the bank holiday weekend and some leisurely walks and trips out for the dogs. For me though I'm busily working on the text for the Christmas book as Zoe is very close to finishing the illustrations for Monty and the Poppit Dragon. I also need to order another 200 Pandacow books because I keep running out which is a nice problem to have.It's a very exciting and hectic time but so much fun.Don't forget if you'd like a free school visit with either Monty and Cookie just email montynewf@googlemail.com and we'll sort it for you.

Monty and Cookie meet Isla smiler

Recently we had the privilege, and I don't use that word lightly, to visit the beautiful Isla smiler. We were contacted by a mutual friend who thought that a visit from Monty and Cookie would be something that would put an extra wide smile on Isla's face. To put the visit into context I have put a summary of what happened with Isla by her mum Katherine.'On the 12 the august 2017 Isla woke up and tried to get herself out of bed. She managed a few steps down and then fell to the floor. I came in as I heard her quietly crying and she said her legs were not working. After visiting the doctor and then to A&E and up to the CAU. She had the most horrible night ever and was then moved to ward 11 and she was given a possible diagnosis of longitudal transverse myelitis. Update 13/04/2018vAfter surgery and radiotherapy Isla smiler has been diagnosed as having a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma DIPG, the mutation of the tumour means that there are no other treatment options and the oncology team felt that the tumour is progressing. The news when we were told was devastating and continues to be so but we will never give up hope or doing our best to enjoy our precious time together. I just wanted to share this and raise awareness of childhood cancer as there is very little funding into this area of research. At some point we will do some awareness and fund raising.All the way through Isla has been beautiful and golden and her story of positivity and amazing support is here documented in Facebook. As a family we will take it day by day and face this together because that is what we do'.We really wanted to visit and thought a story time with Monty and Cookie would be something Isla would enjoy, and we took a little friend in the form of a cuddly Slobbernosserus. Our visit was a very humbling experience as we saw a family who have been dealt the cruellest of hands but are determined to fill Isla's world with laughter and positive experiences. The whole family are truly inspirational as is this amazingly brave and beautiful 7 year old who never stopped chatting and smiling throughout our visit.One of the things that the family have done is the #islastones Facebook page which has captured the imagination of around 5000 people and growing fast. It's all about painting a stone, whatever your ability and then hiding it. The description on the back asks people who find the stone to take a photo and post it to the page before re-hiding it. In this very busy world we all live in please take five minutes to have a look on the page and even if you can't take part you will already be helping raising awareness of this awful disease that is childhood cancer.https://www.facebook.com/groups/2127122047314808/

I love chickens....just couldn't eat a whole one

I was back in school again on Monday after the two weeks the mini hoomans had off to eat chocolate eggs. We did an assembly and I had a sleep until dad finished the story and they all clapped....me.....obviously. I stand up and take the applause cos it would be rood not to.At the end we went into nursery which is where the mini mini hoomans are kept. They talk through the story, poke each other stare into space most of the time but this also a good place to find food as they usually throw it everywhere.Pickings were a bit slim wiv some apple and a few crusts of toast but food is food.At the end dad was talking to them about when I was a pupster and he told the story of when I was bullied by the clucky devil birds until one day I grewed and picked one up and slobbered all over it and then walked into the house wiv it.Well the tiny hoomans all looked a bit scared at this point but I don't know why cos feathery face survived ok, just got a bit gooey. It was only when the teacher said they had spent the morning looking after the baby chicks they'd reared that I realised why they was looking at me like that.....oops....happy nightmares shorties....happy nightmares.....

Monty and Cookie try some new treats

We get a lot of companies contact us to do product reviews and endorse different dog food, treats and accessories. Although some of this is very useful we have a two rules. We will only review products that we feel are decent and we'll always be honest. Recently we were contacted by True leaf pet who are introducing their hemp based products to the UK and asked if we'd be interested in giving them a go. Well the question aimed at the dogs would always be a 'yes' but obviously we want anything to be good for them and hopefully beneficial. This week we received the treats and during April we'll be testing them out and seeing how they take to them. They certainly seem to be bringing something different to the market and it will be interesting to see how he dogs like them and also potential benefits. Probably the easiest thing for anyone wanting to know more is to visit https://trueleafpet.eu/ where there is a lot more information. Later this month we'll be running a competition where you can win some products so keep an eye out for that and in the mean time we'll keep you updated on how the dogs do with their new treats.

Monty at Crufts

We were recently asked to talk about our recent visit to Crufts for a feature that the guys at Vuelio were putting together. It's a nice feature and you can find the full article at the link below.http://www.vuelio.com/uk/blog/monty-dogge-at-crufts/

Meet the Poppit Dragon

Today we have the first glimpse of Dilys who will feature in our new book and third in the series Monty and the Poppit Dragon which is due out in June. The very talented Zoe Saunders (Whimsicolour Art) kindly let us have this Easter themed picture as an introduction to Dilys. I am absolutely sure that the finished book is going to be really lovely as I'm seeing the outline sketches as they're being done and they are looking amazing.You can reserve a limited edition numbered signed and dedicated copy of the book by simply clicking on the book reservation link tab.