The launch of SHADES 2011 ..... Hector meets Clive!

Yesterday was the launch of the Irish Guide Dog's SHADES 2011 campaign at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin. Clive and Murray were delighted to meet radio celebrity DJ and TV presenter Hector O'Heochagain as they arrived at the hotel.

Hector really enjoyed meeting Clive .....

Hector is 'godfather' to puppy Hector who he regularly talks about on his daily show on 2FM. Hector's show has been helping to raise funds for Irish Guide Dogs through their support of puppy Hector over the past few months! Lots of puppies were at the launch yesterday .....

Sorcha fell totally in love with Sam - a seven week old puppy in training ......

Roy Keane, former Irish international football player and former captain of Manchester United FC was on hand to formally launch the annual IGDB SHADES campaign ....

He met lots of dogs in training and also met Clive again with Angela Bradley (on Roy's right). Angela is the most amazing fundraiser - she is in her 80's and has been fundraising for over 40 years for Irish Guide Dogs. She set up the A&A branch many years ago with her husband, Anton. We love fundraising with Angela and her enthusiasm, energy and support of Irish Guide Dogs is truly fantastic. Noreen (on Roy's left) is a puppy walker (and an incredible one at that!) - currently puppy walking her 10th puppy - Sam! That's over 10 years she has given to puppy walking for Irish Guide Dogs.

Opps, Clive realised Sorcha was still holding onto Sam and was not very impressed!!

Worse, he then saw Murray's Mom holding 'Sam' .....

He was straight back to Hector with Murray! All the boys together helping to support Irish Guide Dogs! Huge thanks to Hector who was especially good with Murray yesterday! We really appreciated it. Days like yesterday can be a bit trying for Murray and Hector really knew how to keep Murray happy!

The Irish Guide Dogs SHADES campaign runs from Monday, May 2nd to Sunday, May 8th!

We will be out and about selling SHADES pins - please support Irish Guide Dogs and make sure you come over and say 'hello' to us if you see us out selling the pins!

- Clive & Co

When Clive went to Starbucks ......

Yesterday, Clive was at Starbucks in Malahide at the Irish Guide Dog fundraiser organised by Anna Giblin sitting here beside him. We met Anna a few months ago through the Irish Guide Dogs FB page and we were delighted to be asked out to Malahide to support the coffee morning!

Anna is with her two friends here who she was in school with ....it was really lovely to meet up with Anna and her friends. Anna had organised a great fundraiser!

It was a great morning in Starbucks .... we have to thank the staff who were so welcoming and friendly! The free coffee and packets of coffee beans were wonderful too .....

Murray really enjoyed his morning ..... any day that has great strong coffee in it is a "wicked awesome" day in Murray's world!

Clive enjoyed meeting lots of new friends and making sure they all got a kiss!

Murray's Mom was very good with the introductions!

Clive thoroughly enjoyed all the attention he got! This was a particularly good pose when he overheard Murray's Mom taking about him!!

Outside we met a wonderful puppy in training and guide dog. Ash has been working for the past three years with her Guide Dog Owner Ann and it was a real pleasure to spend some time with both of them.

After Starbucks we took some time out on the Velvet Strand at Portmarnock! A fabulous beach!

The boys were anxious to get down onto the beach .....

So we put the camera away and took off for a long walk ......

- Clive & Co

Huge thanks again to Anna Giblin for organising such a great fundraiser in Starbucks and also to her friend Paula who took such wonderful photos! Thanks ladies - we really enjoyed our morning and very much appreciate all the fundraising you do for Irish Guide Dogs!

so that was our Easter .... lots of eggs and lots of fun!

Yes, the Easter Bunny came ....

Yes, a certain young man was very happy ....

Collecting Easter Eggs is lots of fun ....

He searched all around the garden .....

and even persuaded his 'big' sister to take part in the easter egg hunt!!

He kept calling out to Clive to see if he had found any too!!

For there were little chocolate treats all over the garden ....

Just waiting to be found!! Sure enough Clive had found an Easter egg!

His own very special 'doggie' Easter egg!

It was "wicked awesome" according to Clive!! Honestly!!!

He ate very single little piece!

Murray was very happy that Clive was happy!

Murray just double checked all the chocolate treats were collected before he sat down ...

with his best friend Clive! Both agreed it had been a thoroughly "wicked awesome" Easter!

Clive and Murray are really enjoying spending lots of time together ... tomorrow they are going to meet up with lots of other dogs and Irish Guide Dogs supporters at a special coffee morning fundraiser! As Murray loves coffee and Clive loves croissants they're looking forward to an "awesome" morning.

- Clive and Murray

Happy Easter from the House of Clive ......

Happy Easter from all of us in Clive's house .....

Astral has gone home .....

Murray misses her hugely ..... he wanted her to stay on as Clive's permanent girlfriend!

Tinkerbell is happier though .... back to curling up and sleeping wherever she wants .....

Murray has gone to bed happy though that the Easter Bunny will be hopping through the garden tomorrow morning!

We hope you all you a wonderful Easter!

- Clive & Co

Good dogs deserve lots of ice-cream!

We've had lovely sunny weather this week .... Murray is home on his Easter holidays ..... He loves being home and getting to spend lots of extra time with Clive and this week with Astral too!

He has really loved having Astral here this week .... it's been lots of fun or "wicked awesome" as he has been saying all the time!

The dogs are very different though .... and it's been fun learning just how different they are!

Astral loves to play with toys - much more than Clive does - so Astral has had great fun taking Clive's toys and playing with them in the garden. All was going well until Astral decided to take one of Murray's plush toys - one of his 'Spongebob Squarepants' toys into the garden! That didn't go down very well ......

Astral loves to eat - everything and anything - so we have all learnt to be very careful with plates of food or snacks that we might have left down before. Clive would walk past and ignore the food .... not Astral (guess that's a lab for you though!)

Astral loves to chase Tinkerbell - she's only playing but Tinkerbell doesn't see it like that!

Clive has been great though .... he has looked after Tinkerbell - standing in front of her and protecting her whenever Astral has come to close for Tinkerbell's comfort! His fiercely protective growls are "awesome" as Murray says .... and Tinkerbell has been fine!

Clive has even let Astral take his bed .... his NEW bed! This upset Murray much more than Clive so Murray has been busy pulling Astral off Clive's bed and getting her to sit on her own bed!

Clive is a very fussy, very slow eater so we learnt on day one to feed them separately and to make sure Clive got to finish his dinner. You put Astral's dinner in front of her and it's gone 30 seconds later!

Clive has realised that having Astral around for the week has meant lots of fun games in the back garden, lots of company on our walks every day and lots of competition in the house every evening for Murray's attention. But that is not bad thing - Clive will appreciate all the attention he gets all the more when Astral leaves on Saturday.

We have enjoyed Astral's company this week and we will be sad to see her go home to her own house on Saturday. But for now, we're just enjoying the time we have left with Astral in the House of Clive!

Good dogs deserve ice-cream so today after a very successful and good walk (and Astral did come back every time (well nearly every time) she was called and then walked very calmly 'at heel' - we took them to our local ice-cream shop! Both dogs were very happy and Murray too!!

They all got vanilla ice-cream!!

- Murray's Mom

When Clive and Astral went to Killiney Hill .....

Clive took Astral to one of his favourite places today ..... Killiney Hill

It was a lovely sunny day and the views were fantastic .....

Clive explained to Astral the importance of being able to sit and pose for photos!!

She was good!

(to a degree!!) Astral was training as a guide dog and was withdrawn from the programme due to dog distraction!! Seems she's still getting distracted!!

I tried to get her to turn back around - the photographer is very demanding!!

We both paid attention to Murray's Mom for a few seconds but then ...

No matter what I said - Astral just kept looking away and I couldn't see what was distracting her ....

I sat for a few photos by myself then ....

Murray was looking after Astral .....

He's got very fond of Astral over the past few days .......

I went off to sit in my favourite spot on Killiney Hill .....

The views are really great from here and I can watch everything that is going on .....

I really love sitting up here ....

I was just enjoying the sunshine and the views .....

and making sure Murray's Mom was still around ......

She was looking at me - I was looking at her!!

Eventually I saw her moving off .....

So I came back to Murray and Astral and sat looking at them ......

I wasn't very impressed .....

"Hey Astral - aren't you coming over here to me???"

No, seems not!! Astral was worn out with all the excitment of visiting Killiney Hill!

So we all headed for home! Murray's Mom was delighted that Astral enjoyed Killiney Hill and didn't get too distracted at all really! She made sure she always came back to us - well Murray was very good at looking after her too!

- Clive on Tuesday