Thanks for your comments everyone.

Karen, yes, I've given up on his growing out of it but, believe it or not, he IS better than he used to be at least on walks - not that we go much anymore, but I digress .. At one time it was such a nightmare taking for a walk around bonfire night I used to have to put a muzzle on him else he would pick up and swallow the spent fireworks, he has also been know to pick up those plastic cigarette lighters.

Randi, putting things out of his reach has become second nature to me, even my g/daughter knows to never leave anything lying around whilst she's here. The bookmark he grabbed had fallen out of the book I had been reading without me noticing, fatal with Bob around.

Liz, must be a thing with labs and spaniels, there was a lab a friend of a friend owned named Socks, he was named so for a reason. Perhaps it's something in the genes.

The neighbours children are only little, a baby, Molly, and a three year old, Warren, the Friday it happened Warren had his little friends to round to play. When they were there again this past Wednesday some more things came sailing over so I had a quiet word with his mum, hopefully she will keep a sharp eye next time they are playing out there.

He's beyond redemption I fear but what can I do but love the silly boy.
Here he is determined to perform the impossible, keep hold of the two balls he was playing with.

btw, the room is not usually that crowded it's just the yearly invasion of ants has forced me to decamp out of the kitchen.