Posting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday

Tuesday is one of those days. First I tug the shower’s pull switch to stop the water flow and the cord pops out in my hand. Later, we arrive at the Co-op only to discover that the fire alarm has gone off, all the staff are outside and the shop is closed. We decide to return later. As we approach Lidl the car begins to cough and lurch. We make it into the car park where the car stutters to a stop. When I attempt to ring the breakdown service, 02 informs me that I have run out of credit and puts me through to the top-up service. By the time I get through, the car and I are well steamed up.

Owing to these mishaps, poor Isis has less than her usual two to three hours of walking.  But despite this, she is a relatively calm, well behaved dog. The Polymath opines that  Hairy One is more relaxed because she has spent a few hours on her own and perhaps she needs the down time. Perhaps she does.

Today she has long and joyful walks in the park, exploring the undergrowth, hunting on the field and whizzing round on her very long lead snapping at rain flies.

For two days  now we have pre-empted the after meal rages, using Monday’s ploy of withholding four pieces of meal and feeding them to her very slowly as soon as she has licked the last scrap from her plate. The last piece is dispensed in the hall away from the kitchen which has become a dangerous place.

Reviewing her rages confirms for me that they happen most frequently around food and that, inadvertently, I have been adding fuel to the fire. When I am preparing human food, I often give her a chunk of carrot or cauliflower stalk and she has taken to grumping and spinning when we are both in the kitchen. Now I resolve only to give her these delicacies in her bed after I have finished eating.

I had also been giving her treats as I groomed her. But she began spinning in anger when she thought she was waiting too long. Now she has plenty of praise throughout the grooming but the treats come afterwards.

Ho hum. What a slow learner.

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