Bloody Roger

 

It’s been a bit of a bust of a day.
I had nothing planned, and there were no good films I hadn’t seen yet at the cinema, so after a walk and breakfast, and a perfunctory chat about dog dirt along Bryon Street with Mrs Trellis, I lay back down on the bed to read.
I woke around 2 and could smell burning. 
I suspected that village Elder Islwyn was up to tricks, but the smell wasn’t damp woodsmoke but smouldering banana and orange.

Roger! 

After mopping the kitchen floor I had left Roger’s crate against the washing machine .
In his gleeful few hours of being unsupervised he had climbed onto the crate, then onto the kitchen worktops where he ate three eggs from the fishy designed bowl, several reachable sugar lumps from a container which I thought would have had a lid a Dim Welsh terrier could not have opened.
More importantly he had turned on the halogen oven hob with his warm paw. Luckily it was a back burner, the one I seldom use, but a much loved fruit bowl lay to one side and in his adventures Roger had slid it back over the hob.
I was lucky the cottage didn’t go up in flames

Now before the collective gnashing of teeth starts
We’ve all had one of these moments of luck in our lives.
More graphically I remember silently drowning in a swimming pool in Lloret Del Mar when I was ten, before some nameless man reached down to laugh me out. 
No man , no Going Gently, no little life lived
It’s a real It’s a wonderful life kind of moment if you let your head run away with things.


90 comments:

  1. weaver4:08 pm

    John - all the Welsh terriers you have had I would have though you would have known all their tricks by now. Get a blackboard on the wall and write yourself a reminder. Remember "Welsh Rerriers are always one step ahead and if anyone is lying reading on the bed Welsh Rerriers rather like lying there too (not reading of course)."

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    Replies
    1. Roger despite his dim nature, is the most adventurous when alone

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  2. Oh my goodness, naughty Roger!! Yep, dogs will always exploit a change in their surroundings and get up to mischief. I have 2 Labs and they're always getting in at something. My old girl once stole a whole pack of 12 eggs and ate the lot, shells and all. She also once stole a jar of mango chutney, chewed off the metal lid and licked out the jar's contents. All because I'd left a bag of shopping unattended within her reach!

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  3. How could he turn on the hob? Are they push-button controls? Sounds dangerous. Yes, you're lucky the house didn't burn down.

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  4. Close calls, I've had a few too. Almost lost a child at least once; almost, and thank gawd didn't. Glad your close call was only inconvenient. Damn dogs (she says goodnaturedly) ... like kids, only doing what kids and dogs do. -Kate

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  5. Roger has a bent for causing mischief. Getting to the hob is surprising. At least a full on disaster was avoided.

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    Replies
    1. Turning the hob on was a worry in itself

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  6. Stubblejumpers Cafe4:40 pm

    We once had an older dog who would alert us when the young pup was doing something she oughtn't, like getting into a grocery bag I'd set on the step before getting it into the house.

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    Replies
    1. Mary’s not a snitch , but I could see Dorothy telling all

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  7. Oh, my goodness! Eyes in the back of your head needed. I'm glad it was only a bowl and some fruit that got damaged, doesn't do to think what might have been. Naughty Roger, but with that face, you can (eventually) forgive him. xx

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    Replies
    1. He’s an Angel of a dog normally so I’ve never been angry for long

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  8. Thankfully you have all survived - One of mine looks very much like your Roger and is into everything - and with the randy Romanian and a long legged lurcher and a small teddy who is bossy it can be chaos if I don't invigilate - My visitor of 3 hours today luckily was understanding as I was distracted by any food x

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    Replies
    1. and may I add - my thatch jumped on the sofa alongside my visitor - stood on his head kicking his legs in the air x

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    2. You should keep your thatch under control

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    3. We had 16 individual hours of training but they said his excitability is because k/of his previous life - I adore him x 🐶

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    4. Anonymous10:55 pm

      My Aussie Koolie, Bonnie, does that too. So funny. We call it koolie stacking. She seems to use it to calm herself when she's overwrought for some reason. Dog yoga?

      Delete
  9. Could you check your spam, I sent an email. love...

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  10. Anonymous4:59 pm

    And here I was thinking only cats jump on the kitchen counters. Jackie

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  11. Yikes! Do you have smoke detectors? We have 3 , one on each level of the house. Glad nothing worse happened.
    Barb

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    Replies
    1. I have had them before, but the wood burner used to set them off too much

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  12. Oh dear, that was a close call! Glad nothing worse came out of Roger's misadventures.

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    Replies
    1. Seriously , there could have been a serious fire

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  13. Well, you've often said they'd be the death of you!!!!

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    Replies
    1. One day that will be written on my gravestone

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  14. The lad is a rascal for sure, but it could have been a lot worse.

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  15. The moments like that in my life (which you described so well) make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I'm very glad things were okay for all of you in the end.

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    Replies
    1. Roger could have been in trouble . Dorothy was with me and Mary could have escaped the kitchen as she’s small enough to fit through the cat flap

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  16. Barbara Anne5:52 pm

    Golly! So glad that nothing worse happened and that you were alerted to the problem. Yes, smoke detectors and move Roger's crate far from any countertop!

    Big hugs!

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    Replies
    1. I can’t have smoke detectors with a log burner

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    2. Traveller10:31 pm

      Not so sure about that John. We have a log burner and smoke detectors. Log burner is burning as I type.

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  17. This is frightening. Do you leave him uncrated while you're at work? My pug could jump up on counters when he was a young athletic boy, ate a pack of chocolate cookies once! But he never turned on the stove top. Roger seems he should be past puppy naughtiness--is he three or 4 now? But maybe those bananas were just so alluring.

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    Replies
    1. If the dogs are left in the house for a couple of hours , he’s always crated . If he’s left out , the crate is placed away from the tops so he can’t climb

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  18. Roger is just like Roger the Dodger who appeared in "The Beano". A bloody nuisance!

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  19. With the drowning incident, why did the man ''laugh you out"? He thought a drowning child was funny? And...age ten, you couldn't swim? So frightening to contemplate,.

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  20. Anonymous6:06 pm

    Yikes! Oh my gosh! If you hadn't been home... If you hadn't have smelled smoke... TThe ifs could run on forever, couldn't they? You are right when you say these events are universal. Even if you are not the owner of a 'dim' Welsh terrier. All's well that ends well. Good luck on finding a new fruit bowl.

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    Replies
    1. I know it dearly loved it , hand painted

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  21. A close call, I'm glad everything is okay. ❤️

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  22. My primary reaction to this post is "Good for Roger, he saw a chance
    to feed and amuse himself and made the most of it!"
    Having had pets of many kinds I find adventures
    without serious damage or injury a fun part of life . You,John, can never say your non-human house mates are boring,Mary
    ,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And he was doing what was in his nature to do
      My fault not his

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  23. Anonymous6:50 pm

    From the sublime to the ridiculous
    But I liked it

    Lee

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  24. Anonymous7:34 pm

    Is Roger in the dog house now 😉. Glad all is well and you still have an intact home, it could have been catastrophic, take care. Jan in Castle Gresley

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    1. I never understand owners that shout at the dogs after the fact . Having said that I did shout at him as he was stupidly still sat on the kitchen tops when I walked in

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    2. Anonymous9:56 pm

      you never understand owners that shout at dogs after the fact - you were cruel for shouting at him
      and it's happened before many times with different dogs

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    3. John is better to his animals than many people are to their children.They have care-givers when he can't be home with them.Amid a busy life and frustrating day he raised his voice,
      His animals and friends feel his love 99percent
      of the time
      You chose to criticize him as if you are not capable of seeing the big picture. Fortunately the rest of us are more
      understanding and support him. I have been deliberately polite in this note
      You should try to do the same or not leave a comment -Mary

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3:51 pm

      And you should mind your own business Mary.
      The comment wasn't addressed to you, yet another do gooder. Go and tend to your own affairs before criticising others.

      Delete
  25. I do believe the banana's are now over ripe

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    Replies
    1. They are now deceased…they are ex bananas

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  26. Anonymous7:48 pm

    My dogs haven't give me scares, my first own dog saved my life as tiny puppy (with my kitten). They were very restless, keeping to ask to go out, and I just let them out (we have a huge garden and no roads or neighbours) but they didn't stay there. I got sick and threw up, and got a terrible headache. Didn't had a clue - but luckily they knew something was wrong. Finally I followed them out because they didn't stay outside without me. And fainted, complete black out.
    Turned out hb had heated the fireplace and closed the damper too soon, I got a serious carbon monoxide poisoning! Puppy and kitten didn't inhale carbonmonoxide because it is lighter than air, being so small they were safe.
    But never had a Welsh terrier, I have had only shnauzers...
    Ulvmor

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    Replies
    1. A sobering story and one my ex would have memories of as he was poisoned once

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  27. Anonymous7:52 pm

    Isn't Roger enterprising? Glad he didn't burn his paw, or incinerate the whole cottage.
    Since we are now accustomed to a very small dog, we tend not to think of the counters and table tops as vulnerable to dog predation, and have thus been surprised a couple times by visiting big dogs cruising the countertops for unprotected food! Fortunately our stove is not that easy to turn on!

    Ceci

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    Replies
    1. Yes not a limp or a sore paw in sight

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  28. Yes, spoken like a true optimist

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  29. Oh my. You must remember to feed the little blighter before you go to sleep. Bad Roger!

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    Replies
    1. That would never stop him, he’s a moocher

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  30. Oh Roger, what a dimwit you are, not even the sense to be afraid of fire. You are lucky, and even luckier to have a good master.

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    Replies
    1. No barking , he was standing on the side looking out of the window when I walked in

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    2. Tsch, one could only wish to live so unconcerned.

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    3. Have a brain the size of a peanut that’s the answer

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    4. Anonymous12:02 am

      This exchange made me laugh!

      Delete
  31. Bloody Roger indeed.

    The last fire here, I started, more smoke than fire. I pushed my air fryer back to the back of the stovetop, to make room and it accidently turned on the burner. Melted the damn thing which was brand new and I couldn't even blame the dogs:)
    Glad your place didn't burn down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My mother set fire to the kitchen once , the chip pan went up
      It was a scary moment , but one I took great humour from post event

      Delete
  32. Have you ever thought, these dogs are going to be the end of me? But not today.

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  33. The death of me and I want it on my gravestone

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  34. Anonymous10:04 pm

    Four months before I moved, one of the cats went through a “let’s bat this object and see if it breaks” phase. At least four pieces broken. I referred to these losses as involuntary decluttering by feline. He stopped doing this once we finally moved

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    Replies
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op4NANJh16U

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  35. Anonymous10:29 pm

    My dog, Peggy is small and can hardly jump up on my bed, but that is where she would have been if I were there. She too is quite dim. I call her my velcro dog as she is always with me. Glad you didn’t get into a deep sleep. Gigi

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  36. Back to ask is there is anything, box, metal item that can cover the buttons that turn on the units? No paw can tough then and turn on burners. Maybe?

    Hugs!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:51 pm

      or turn the hob power off when not in use?

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    2. It was off..it’s a halogen top worked by warm touch

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    3. Anonymous10:30 am

      No, I mean turn the power to it off completely...

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    4. Anonymous10:33 am

      ...assuming it's an electric hob, not gas?

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  37. Yikes! A close call indeed. I too am glad it wasn't worse.

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  38. I have had some close calls too! Very glad you woke up to stop it getting worse.

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  39. It’s astounding how the dogs can still surprise you... and not always in a good way. What was Roger doing when you came downstairs?

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  40. Anonymous8:58 am

    So that’s what burned bananas and oranges look like.
    We have 2 eight month old puppies…one is the ringleader and investigates thoroughly anything new. The other one is shy. Do we have a Roger/Mary combo?
    weavinfool

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  41. Anonymous11:42 am

    read the instructions!
    there will be a lock setting to prevent things like this happening
    its usually a long press or double press on one of the glass buttons
    all halogen hobs have this to prevent accidents like this

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  42. Glad you caught it, John. Stay safe!

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