Canine Craziness

Followers of this humble site will know that occasionally I make mention of family members belonging to the species canine.

We have two, a three year old female Blue Heeler and a two year male old Coolie Corgi.

They get on pretty well, and spend much of their time play fighting, which does them no harm at all, but doesn't do much for the state of the lawn.

The Coolie is a digger. This is not a problem, as he confines his digging to a couple of areas where he has created what looks like a shell scrape, and into which he retreats when the weather warms up.

He would have been an asset in an infantry section, as he can create a respectable shell scrape in about ten minutes flat. But I digress.

Early this morning, I heard strange noses emanating from the area of the doghouse, which we have lined with old outdoor furniture cushions, and which both dogs have happily slept upon when the weather is cooler.

The Coolie was doing his level best to drag the cushions out of the doghouse. It was a bit of a struggle (see first video).



Once he had managed that, he set about trying to dig holes in the wooden floor of the doghouse (second video).

He wasn't successful in this, of course, but did a fair bit of damage to the floor, and it can't have done his paws much good.

I have resorted to blocking access to the doghouse in the short term, until I can get to the bottom of the behaviour. The Heeler is not happy, because she does lurk in the doghouse from time to time.

Funny thing is, the Coolie is rarely inside it in the Summer.

Apologies for the quality of the videos. They are the product of an iPhone shooting through a gauzed window.

Dogs are strange.

7 RAR's Last Op

5 Platoon briefing on the morning of the day we hit bunkers (April 23rd). Pic courtesy AWM.

I'm posting this video, gentle reader, because it's one of the few I've seen which actually shows pretty accurately the business of patrolling in my old unit all those years ago.

As it happens, when this was recorded I was already home as my tour finished on December 10th 1970. This was happening in February 1971. By then I was back teaching after the two year hiatus caused by National Service (more accurately "Conscription").

This was Delta Company led by Major Andy Mattay of Bondi. The lift was by RAAF helicopters and APC's  of 3 Cav also feature.