Those of you who have a dog (or two) as part of your daily life, are probably wondering “Whatever happened to Nigel? You would think more Posts would be published by now about his progress (or lack of)!”
Life has presented me with a number of challenges recently which have resulted in neither the time nor the drive to be creative in the context of Blogging. Sadly I am not expecting much to change in the immediate future however, these challenges will eventually be resolved and I fully expect a return to publishing regular Posts.
In the meantime ……….. Nigel?
Nigel is the most loving dog that I have known, and we formally adopted him a few weeks ago. The best way we describe him to anybody who asks, is that he is like a big cuddly teddy bear … and he generates his own heat! As much as we love to cuddle up to him, he is just as likely to cuddle up to us. Is he perfect? Of course not but then … are any of us? Given that he was born with the intent to become a Guide Dog, but had some difficulties with the necessary training program, it was eventually determined that he needed a “career change” …. hence becoming available for adoption.
Nigel has been with us for around 6 weeks now and, apart from ensuring that his future is with us, he is making progress controlling some of his idiosyncrasies (I prefer to just call them the results of a poodle brain).
Pic below was taken a little over a week ago and, while we are discouraging him from reaching up to lick faces, “poodle brain” still rules at times!

Nigel is wonderful …love him!
As I said we have a lot of guide dogs …one who needed a ” change of career” Aya …
We don’t have standard Poodle as guide dogs here in the UK mostly Labs, Retrievers and Alsatians. Love them all šššš
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Hey kolaan, Iām sorry that you have not been feeling well and have not been able to blog for a while and Iām hoping you return to it when you are ready.š„°
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Nigel is sooo cute!
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Indeed he is! š
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What a fun dog, Collin!
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He really is Rae. What a blessing to have him in our lives! š
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He looks like such a sweetheart! Great pic.
I hope things can get back to normal for you soon, though I am still not sure if there really is a normal. Take Care, my friend.
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Aw. He’s a sweetheart. So glad he’s found his forever home with you. Maya has just turned two and we’ve noticed a few subtle changes…… for the better. Lead work still needs work, but we’re getting there. Hope things sort themselves out for you. Take care Colin.
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Thanks Di. š
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Iām so very happy for all of you that Nigel is a keeper. No surprises there though, right? You are fortunate to have been rescued once again Colin. Be well!
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Thank you Michael. Nigel’s timing was perfect. š
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Oh yes, I remember those early days with Sam who was a 4-legged pogo stick for years. Spoos are such love bugs and I miss those days where Sam brought such joy to me and all who met him. Elsa is sweet but she’s more of a “deep waters run deep” kind of dog, no doubt a result of her days in the puppy mill. Hope life takes a gentle turn and you’re back in the blog writing biz soon. We miss you and now of course, dear Nigel. Enjoy your sweet pupster.
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4-legged pogo stick is the perfect description! Thanks Monika
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They really are like that which makes them so endearing.
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He reminds me so much of a cat! Ray would chase down and grab a ball (or other mobile toy), while Nigel leaps up in the air (almost vertical take-off) and then pounces on it! Fascinating! š
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That ‘pounce’ has made me laugh more than once. So entertaining and so adorable, all at the same time.
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He is a beauty! Hope your issues resolve sooner rather than later.
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Thanks Kate.
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He looks brilliant bless so glad he was lucky enough to get you ššš
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Thanks Willow. We consider ourselves very lucky to have got him. š
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He is beautiful ššš
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What a big dog! Poodles have their own special way of thinking. They’re actually very smart, but in ways that can drive you crazy.
I hope that whatever challenges you’re facing, you’ll be able to meet them successfully. Take care.
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Thanks TG. We wanted a dog that was small (around 20lbs lighter) than Ray, and Nigel was perfect at around 55lbs. However, Nigel is a rather different structure resulting him being a longer dog when he chooses to show it. He can effortlessly put his front paws on my shoulders!
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