A bit more ginger...?

Rupert

Rupert and Nobby

Have you ever noticed, on the photos of my monthly walks with the Aberdeenshire fox terrier gang, that the furs on my big brother Rupert's ears and face are a deeper and more vibrant rusty colour compared with my own more muted shades? 

I've often rather envied him this.

It is well known that I am not one to miss an opportunity. 

When Gail took me for a walk along the River Dee near Banchory, on a rainy afternoon earlier this week, I decided to go exploring in the woods. I slipped through a fence and and found something very interesting so I ignored Gail's increasingly panicky calls.

When I eventually reemerged, it seems Gail did not recognise me right away. Then it was:

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR BEARD NOBBY!!!"

Back home, she immersed my head repeatedly in a bucket of water, but later still complained that I was ruining her attempts at a Christmas card photo with my Prince Harry-esque facial fur tint...

PS from Gail: I have no idea what Nobby found in the woods. At least it didn't smell, and does not seem to have harmed him. I'll admit I was panicking when he was out of sight because, after recent incessant rainfall, the river had become a torrent and I was terrified he might somehow have fallen in and been swept away. Plus, it was around 3:30 pm and getting dark. So I was pretty relieved to see Nobby, despite his newly acquired and rather alarming 'glow in the dark' beard colouring.

We are family!

On Sunday morning my extended family of Aberdeenshire wire-haired fox terriers met for a woodland walk on the Leith Hall estate. 

On arrival I was delighted to spot my big brother Rupert, one year older than me. 

Even better, our parents turned up too. Front to back we have Jimbob (dad), myself, Rupert, and Vikki (mum), 

After a brief 'meet and greet', us pups set off in purposeful fashion for the bluebell woods, with the humans trailing behind, nattering away of course.

As time went on, it is just possible that Rupert was finding my insistent attentions a teeny bit irritating.

What are little siblings for, if not to be a pest?

Of course, when I am home with my human family I am always impeccably behaved and never ever a pest.....*

*Gail says "I wish..."

My Big Bro

It's very annoying, isn't it, when your big brother is allowed to do things but you are deemed too young.

So Gail took me along to the start of the monthly 'Aberdeen'n'shire Foxie Walk' on Sunday morning. 

Can you believe there were eleven of us wire fox terriers - a whole football team's worth - assembled in the Robert Gordon University car park. Including several relatives.

Closest of all the relatives was my big brother Rupert, a year senior to me - same breeder (Alex), same parents (Vikki and Jimbob).

Nobby and Big Bro Rupert

After the obligatory intros and much cooing over my adorableness, the pack set off on a walk through the campus and down to the river. 

I was getting along swimmingly with my foxie pals, and so was most perplexed when, after about ten minutes, Gail pulled me up short, saying "OK Nobby, that's quite enough excitement this morning for one so young. We need to go back to the car".

Let me tell you, I DID NOT NEED TO GO BACK TO THE CAR! 

I mean, I was learning so much from Big Bro Rupert. Like how he had once accompanied his human to the office and chewed right through the line manager's internet cable.... 

And Rupert was allowed to continue on the walk, but not me.  It's all so TOTALLY UNFAIR.