Yes I know I look a little like Molly, but I'm not....

Hi! My name is Winnie. I’ve come to live with the Wordsmith for the next few months while she brings me up to be something called a Support Dog. Oh my word, there is SO much to tell you, but before she’ll let me have a go, the Wordsmith wants me to say something about the eight legs that have come before me. So although I really just want to talk about ME and then me some more, I suppose I should pass on what she’s asked me to say; she does feed me, after all.

Apparently, you’ll already be familiar with Molly - or The Bobs as I think she was sometimes known - the first in this line of Assistance puppies to be raised in the Wordsmith’s house, and, I venture to say, the one with the special place in her heart (I’ll see about that; give me time). Well, Molly is now a working Guide Dog. She’s gone to live with and be the eyes for a lovely lady not so far from where the Wordsmith lives and has she fallen on her paws? I understand she lives with a cat and has a best mate who's also does Guide Dog work for a living, and that they go away on holidays to the seaside whenever they can, and Molly runs in the sand like a free dog. I say she’s very lucky and I suspect not all Guide Dogs get to live such a happy live and are so loved as Molly is. Here is a picture of her in her working gear; doesn't she just look the part? I think the Wordsmith has a tear every now and then when she sees how happy the Bobs is. I’ll get her crying over me like that, you wait and see!

You won’t be familiar with Peter because the Wordsmith came over all political and got involved in other things and stopped Peter fulfilling his literary potential and giving him the chance to express himself in his own blog. Frankly, if I was Peter I would complain to Support Dogs, but to be honest, Peter just seems to be in his own little world and I don’t think it’s scarred him at all. From what I can tell, he mainly cared about eating shoes (well, eating anything, really) and not coming back when he was called (not like me; I know my name already, and like to show I do). He’s going off to look after an autistic boy called Stanley soon, having nearly completed his training at Support Dogs. In fact, I met him last week – great big hulk of a thing, he was, completely overwhelmed me and had me running to hide behind my new human’s legs what with his galumphing about. I wish I could tell the Wordsmith what he said when it was ME on her lap now, but she’d be upset to think how he’s Moved On from her and is focusing on his future. From what I’ve picked up so far, my human got Peter only a fortnight after Molly went to Manchester to start her training because Support Dogs needed someone to have him and save him from emergency foster care. He was 12 weeks old when he came here to live, and left when he was 14 months, during which time he drove my human almost to a nervous breakdown then to the edges of doggie adoration. I’ve yet to hear all the stories, although I’ve already been told NOT to eat glittery tea lights, what with it being the run up to Christmas and all, which I understand Petey did last election day, scratching the piano in the process and producing glittery spends for days afterwards. I’m sure I’ll hear other things about Petey Poo (as I've heard him referred to. But I'm already Winnie Woo. It seems these humans have to have their pet names for us, even those of us destined to work for a living) over the next few months, but he is a handsome beast as you can see from these photos, I’ve got to admit and I can still smell his smells all over the house. I understand he liked to eviscerate stuffed toys; not something I'd ever DREAM of doing. All that fluffy yuk in your mouth. No thank you!

I’m going to try not to pull the Wordsmith over quite as much as Peter did 'cos I don’t think I’m going to be as big as him, but being half Labradoodle, nothing is guaranteed. My dad, Mr Darcy, and my mum, Miss Bennett, are pretty hefty beasts, so we’ll see, but look how much bigger Peter is than little old me; I met him the other day and he nearly bowled me over! I've learned to eat all my meals now but I've got a long way to go before I catch him up!

So, anyway, I’ll be back again soon to tell you all about my first two weeks with the Wordsmith and the places she’s taken me to. But for now, Molly sends her love to all her fans and will keep in touch!