FOILED AGAIN..

Barney`s feeling miffed. You see, when he does his weekly training with his Golden Retriever mates, he rubs shoulders with some of the Southern Golden Retriever Formation Dancing Display Team (pictured doing their stuff at the Crufts Dog Show.) Quite a few of the team and their owners come from around here and they practice locally, so Barney feels very honoured to share their company once a week as he struggles with the demands of the Kennel Club Good Dog Gold Award. But that`s not why he`s miffed.

There was a bit of fuss last year when people complained about the cross-breeding of dogs which produced things like labradoodles and cockerpoos and the fact that Crufts suddenly became politically incorrect for some reason. The BBC`s response was simply not to show Crufts at all last weekend and coverage was banished to obscure channels like More4. Even so, you might expect that the Golden Retrievers, doing their intricate routine, would have made for entertaining viewing, but despite an intensive search of obscure tv channels (some of which I really must revisit) Barney was able to catch just a fleeting background glimpse of his formation dancing friends, who must have been disappointed to have put in all that effort and hours of practice only to be ignored by the cameras.

This evening, it`s training night again and no doubt Barney will hear all about it from those who were on the team. He doesn`t aspire to join them in their pirouettes and their disciplined palais glides, as I`m sure he possesses other qualities, yet to be discovered. Anyway, to help him get over the disappointment of the tv blackout, he`s had a much needed bath this morning so that tonight, whilst he may not be the most obedient one there, he might for once just be the most pampered.