Yes, that’s it, the thing that the humans call a harness, but I prefer to think of as a rather cool rock-dog black leather belt.

Originally, the Aidan and the Mum had taken me down to the heaven on earth that they call a pet shop so that I could be fitted for a dog life-jacket. This in itself is somewhat perplexing, as they never let me anywhere near their inflatable kayaks. Anyway, there weren’t any canine flotation aids, so they bought me a tennis-ball-pully-thing instead. Not sure how it would assist the old doggy-paddle, but I wasn’t complaining,

and especially not when the Aidan started playing my favourite trial of strength game. I let him win, of course.

Then, however, the Mum fished out her little phone, the one that she can never get out of her pocket in time to answer, called the Dad, nattered for a while and turned us around back to the shop.

“I thought you’d gone.” said the lady assistant, in what could have been a wistful tone. But she sold us the rock-star harness and I wore it with pride down to the jetty.

With all this talk of life-saving, I thought I’d better practice on the ducks while we were there. I did quite well, I think. At least none of them actually drowned.

Curiouser and curiouser, once we got back home, the humans began to build themselves new houses (or maybe kennels would be an apter term) on the back lawn. I thought I’d better investigate.

It all seems most odd, but apparently has something to do with what I believe Pooh used to call an expotition. As long as it involves the Aidan and somewhere out of the rain, I don’t really mind…