This weekend was another three day bank holiday treat in the UK, which always allows us more time to get out and about. We went to a medieval re-enactment at Whittington Castle, and the best bit was that the dogs came along too. We met lots of other dogs too - as soon as we arrived, I spotted a Jack Russell Terrier who was sitting with his person on a high vantage point, keeping a wary eye on Rusty.
There were several other dogs at the castle, and I always enjoy dog watching rather than people watching. The re-enactment society gave a very interesting demonstration and talk about medieval clothing, but I couldn't help being distracted by these two dogs - a six month old Golden Retriever and a four year old Labrador. They played and amused each other while their people listened to the talk.
At several times during the day there were demonstrations of warfare and fighting techniques. It was a popular day out, and we struggled to find a good place to watch from. We ended up standing near this family with their King Charles Spaniels. What tickled me was that when the fighting demonstration got going, the people picked the dogs up and angled them so that they could get a great view of proceedings. They did seem to be interested, but it made me smile - what we do for our dogs!
On the walk back to the car we came across this Bull Terrier waiting patiently at his gate to say hello to anyone who had the time to pause and pay him some attention. The bull breeds can be represented as aggressive in the media, but that's an unfair generalisation. Dogs are individuals; you can't sum up a whole breed with such broad strokes. This guy was as friendly as you could want - he greeted me and Buddy without a single bark, and without stopping wagging his tail the whole time.
I'm looking forward to the next bank holiday weekend - and so are the dogs.
Take care,
Julie xx