Yesterday we looked at our coach potato Loki, napping in his armchair in the lounge .... noticed that we could not see his ribs anymore .... and decided it was a day for a new adventure. Packed up the car & did a half hour drive over to the Ashurst Domain & Native Bush Reserve, which none of us have been to before, so a treat for us all. Loki rewarded us by puking up biscuits from his lunch two hours earlier. So pleased I had put a blanket over the back seat before putting on his car harness! He is a great traveller usually, but the whole thirty minutes consists of winding roads weaving across country, so I am not really surprised. Changing harnesses, we headed off on foot through the domain & did a spot of exploring, nose stuck firmly to the ground ...his, not ours . Then we headed into the native bush reserve, where dogs are allowed Off Leash ....No Way!! Neither of us could ever imagine letting Loki off leash in that rugged bush terrain, with steep falls on one side & heavy bush, where a dog could spot a rabbit & just disappear. But walking down the bush valley, Loki was perfectly happy to explore with his long leash attached. Although the leash is 50 foot long, we only allowed him freedom for around eight feet, & kept 'reeling' him in at spots we approached that we thought were not appropriate for a five & a half month old puppy to have access to. After about half an hour of shady walking on this hot day, we got our first glimpse of the Manawatu River, where Loki enjoyed a lovely paddle & met up with a new friend ...a sedate, swimming one year old Basset Hound belonging to a young lady who works in the pet shop we often visit. The meeting between these two went very well, & the young lady was polite enough to ask us if we minded if we let her pup off leash. We didn't mind at all & so nice to be asked. We did not let Loki off leash, though in hindsight, I think we could have done so in perfect safety, as he was just hanging around the basset. Loki went into play mode, bum up in the air, & the two of them had a lovely romp at the riverside, before we headed back through the bush for our half hour walk back to the domain. After drying him off, Loki laid down on the back seat & snoozed all the way home Photos below.

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What a great day!!!!

I wanna go next time!!! *Hand in air*

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Looks like a beautiful place. Loki looks happy!!

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LOL Joyce. It was a great couple of hours & the icing on the cake was meeting up with the young lady from the pet shop, her father & brother & her lovely Basset Hound baby. I asked her how she had taught him to swim so well. She replied that her dad had just thrown him in a safe spot in the river when he was eight weeks old. Hmmm ...not sure about that. Hoping to steer Loki towards some deeper water to get him swimming, but am guessing we will have to take the plunge with him, to encourage him in. He will certainly need a deeper spot than where the Basset Hound was swimming lol. And yes, we would love to have you & Bentley & Ky join us next time.

Beautiful pictures How is your new rescue doing?

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