Mummy’s goddog Wylie (meanwhile a year old) came to visit again. His family fell in love with me at the pet fair Mein Tier in Oldenburg (Sounds familiar? I have sold 6 Wheatens, 5 to families with allergies.) and Mummy knew where there was a quality litter expected. The mother of the family is allergic to dogs, like my Daddy, so Mummy asked them to come and spend a day at our house, where I live constantly and took them up to the room for two hours where she combs and brushes me and gives me haircuts. Sandra decided she could live with a Wheaten and the rest is history, including the lovely friendship. I had seen Wylie (“Wheaten Goblins Just a Dream”) at our Wheaten Meetin’ here as a puppy and this June at my half-sister Lilly’s house in Oldenburg, but 7 Wheatens were there and I didn’t have much time alone with him.

That changed 12 days ago. Wiley and his family arrived with his night crate, daytime cuddle bed, food, bowls, and toys. After coffee and cake, while Mummy kept us busy in the backyard, his family sneaked out the front door. Wiley was a bit homesick the first day but then he got to know Mummy’s human goddaughters from next door, my babysitters, Mona and Lisa. They went on both of our long walks every day, took both of us to their house when Mummy and Daddy weren’t at home, showered our feet and brushed and combed both of us. Wylie felt at home by the second day and was used to our routine. And we to his, though Mona and Lisa were the only ones able to put his harness on for a walk. Everybody else had to catch him first, the dummy.

Mummy had had a knee operation so we drove into the fields and she sauntered while Wiley and I had our forays off-leash, sometimes into the patch of Magic Woods or into a field of grain or asparagus, hoping for a rabbit. Lisa and Mona gave us water, took us out of the car and put us back in. For that short drive of 3 minutes to/from our house Mummy made me share my crate with Wylie. Wylie got zapped by an electric fence around the cows. From then on the coward wasn’t going that route again, a pity because Mona and Lisa enjoyed throwing mown grass from the path over the fence for the cows and the latter found it delicious. I was zapped once, too, a few years ago and I know to stay away from those huge doggies, instead of herding them. But I’m not a scaredy-cat.

Sometimes Wylie wanted to play and I didn’t, so I told him where to go. He was always deferential; he should be, as I am the boss here. Sometimes we both wanted to play and the backyard was a boxing ring. We both love the fountain and there is room for both of us. Sometimes on our walks one of us found a good stick for tug of war.

He was a good twerp about sleeping in his crate in Mummy’s study at night and woke us with one quiet bark in the morning. We did our morning walk with the girls, who are so patient with Mummy’s slow pace, and after lunch Mummy took her nap, starting with me on my blanket next to her bed and Wylie in his cuddle bed at the foot of her bed. When she woke up, Wylie was next to her and I in his bed. In the evening we did another round in the fields. Neighbor Silvia often took us on her 11:00 p.m. round with her two dogs. Mummy can’t keep up with her bad knee yet.

Today Mummy baked a cake. Who’s coming? Wylie’s family was back from their vacation in Turkey. We showed them how well we got along, even when a thunderstorm came up and the humans fled into the house while I showed Wylie how to bark away the thunder in the yard. The four girls dried us off again and again with a washer full of towels!

Wylie’s belongings went into their car. Then Wylie and his family went off. I miss him. Mummy says he’ll be back in October for a week!