Handbags   (The sad, the bad and the ugly. Non-productive stuff here.)

Each morning I am woken up about 5am with a loud bark in my face, my two English Springer Spaniels need to go out for toilet break. They don't stay out very long especially with winter freezing temperatures.
They get a little treat and straight back to bed until 7-7.30am,dogs are usually food driven and my two seem to have a built-in clock for meal time, 8am breakfast and 5pm teatime.

They are brother and sister from the same litter and devoted to each other, right now it's clean up time after breakfast,they lick each other's faces much the same as cats do, they usually end up with slicked back hair on top of their heads,it's an everyday ritual.

The female (Cookie) was the first one we got at 12weeks old,at that age she was very clever (and still is) already responding to simple commands, sit and stay.
All Springers are very active dogs, she always wanted to play, we had a home based business and she used to bring out her toys and surround us with them while we were at our desks.
She had never chewed anything as a pup but started to have anxiety problems at 9months old,taking her frustration out on with a window sill.

We concluded she needed a companion dog, so back to the breeding kennels were she was born to see if they had another Springer (the kennel bred show Springers and the lady owner was the secretary of the USA field Springer society).

To our big surprise they still had her brother there, he was picked out of the litter with four others to be a potential show dog but he didn't work out, show dogs have to be very alert and active, wanting to please and show.
He (Cracker) just wanted to lay on the sofa with the guys and watch football.
The two dogs were introduced and it was an instant success, they played constantly for four hours chasing around their big grass area.
Part of the original purchase deal was that they both had to be neutered to prevent inter family breeding, the kennel owners were very strict and only released their pedigree certs with proof of neutering from my vet.

Getting on in years now 13,the female has some arthritis and failing eyesight,the male a spinal problem and is totally deaf.

Cracker is a lover boy and still loves cuddling on the sofa,
Cookie is a little more independent and only does things on her terms, when she wants to cuddle she will.

They have been wonderful dogs and will be very much looked after in their later year having given us so much pleasure.

The fateful time will come in the not to distant future

They will be sorely missed.