Posting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Ah! Someone’s about to get a treat.

Friday

On Thursday the rainflies are here. Isis enjoys her walk hugely and is happy to trot in any direction. I stand on the end of her lead, well away from any obstacles which she might crash into. The constant twirling soon makes me dizzy. Then, I hold the end of her very long lead over my head so that I can stand still and she can continue twirling.

Whistle news

Thursday a.m. We play the ‘whistle game’: Six whistle calls and Isis scores 6/6, even coming to me in two of the places where she was unable to find me on Wednesday. Well done little Isis.

A few minutes later, though, when I hear her growling in the front room and I whistle her from the back room, no response. She needs to be aware that we are playing the whistle game, I think. Fair enough, it’s very early days.

Five minutes later I hear her cutting her hair in the front room. I stand in the hall close by. After several whistle blasts she comes to find me. Excellent!

I try out the whistle several times when she is twirling in the garden. No response. But then, playing in the garden free from any restraint, is her favourite thing.

I have thought for a long time that Isis is unable to hear where sounds are coming from.  Current observations convince me that this is so. I believe this is because only one of her ears actually registers any sound. When Gra. or Jo. whistle, she turns her head from side to side and slowly makes her way in their direction.

Although she is still largely indifferent to other dogs, this week I have noticed her giving Conchobhar, Ben and Rufus a very quick sniff. And yesterday I was amused to observe that when she came across Conchobhar and then Ben, she approached their owners for a treat.

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.com

Friday