"It's Me Or The Fat Dog" Programme

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed to tell us that they'd watched the programme earlier this week. I don't know if I consider the farm a "Doggie Fat Farm," but we were pleased with the result.

I received this great e-mail from Louise, Hattie's owner, in mid-September, just after filming for the programme had ended. I'm sure she won't mind my sharing it here:

I have been meaning to write this for sometime - I just wanted to say a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG thank-you for looking after our Hattie so well.. She's come home a different dog, sooooo slim and full of energy and her coat looked fantastic !!! Its given us the incentive we needed to keep her looking so good.. The other evening was quite amusing - my daughter Emily was sitting on the floor eating a raw carrot ... something as dull as a vegetable would never normally have moved Hattie off of her perch on the sofa. But nooooo she spots the carrot - launches herself off the sofa at some speed and proceeds to look appealing at Em... sooooo appealing in fact that Em relents and shares the carrot - whoooooa its gone - a miricle the dog has acquired healthy eating habits whilst on holiday... It dosent just extend to carrots either, the other day - I had to stop her scrumping herself out totally whilst on a walk on plums that had fallen from a tree... I'm very impressed - do you think you could do the same for my children ??- you can stick them in a kennel I really dont mind..

Good news on the walking front too - she has been much better behaved with other dogs - so much so we braved the park on a saturday afternoon (lots of dogs lots of picnicers so potentially a Hattie nightmare) - but she was as good as gold. So good in fact that as we walked down the high street she was admired by the people from the Alternative Health Clinic and managed to blag herself a free on-the spot Reiki healing - ITS A BLEEDIN' DOGS LIFE!!! So Sunday it was the ultimate test ..we took her to one of our favourite pubs - its in our village and you can only get to it by either boat or foot - therefore it is a dog walkers haven or a Hattie Hell ... she lay there in the pub garden, in the sun - and attacked no other hounds and (you'll be pleased to know), snacked only on a tomato garnish that had been abandoned on the side of a plate - pretty good huh... later we walked her by the river, and altho she was having none of the swimming malarky she did have a good old paddle with the children - came home exhausted.

So thank you - thank you - thank you - we've always loved our Hatts to bits - but, shes always been such a pain to take out that she tended to get left out - I cant tell you how wonderful it felt for us ALL to be able to spend quality time together with our funny, kind and loving (but often mis-understood) dog!

Hope all's going well for you all - please send my thanks to everyone who gave their love and their best to Hattie... We shall await with baited breath her debut on the show .. (get ya pillows ready for some cringeworthy action from the Willards)

Much love and best wishes

Lou, Emily, Phoebe and Hattie of course xoxoxox

There are also more photos of Hattie's stay at Lucies Farm in our online photo gallery.