Posting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Saturday

This has been a busy week for Isis. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are dull and showery so she enjoys long walks in the park with Cochobhar, Nancy and Rufus, lots of treats from familiar dog walkers and fuss from the favoured few.

She has been shedding a soft, thick, snug undercoat. It appears on the surface of her coat in fan shaped wads and slides out between my fingers. Now I understand why she didn’t feel the cold in the winter.

We won’t dwell on Wednesday’s undignified bathing experience. But her daily five or, very occasionally, ten minute grooming sessions go well. I have been tackling numerous little mats in her top coat. If she growls I stop immediately but she doesn’t get a treat. She has been remarkably patient and has earned a desirable treat at the end of each session.

It’s Thursday evening. Isis comes in at about eight forty-five. It has been a frustrating  day. Every time she has dragged a plastic chair down the garden, Human has reclaimed it.

There’s a limit to what a dog can put up with.

She curls up on the futon at my feet. I watch t.v. on the Hudl. There are no flickering lights from the screen. Isis is content. As time passes, she relaxes and uncurls. Soon her legs are resting on mine, this little dog who used not to tolerate being touched when she was sleeping. This little dog who awoke many times every evening and during the night, growling and snapping and biting herself.

I slide carefully to the floor to fetch her Dentistix before going upstairs. Unusually for her, she follows me up immediately and settles on the bed.

Friday

It has been a hard day again for Isis. Human has been sleepy and idle today so early pruning of the buddleia has been left to Dog.

One, two, three … tug!

Oh. That was easy.

She may as well tidy up the blackcurrants too.

Yum.

Another busy day. Hairy One’s brain has been overworked. At about three a.m. she wakes and barks. Then there are angry snarls. They persist. I go down and pat her head gently. I wouldn’t have risked that a few months ago. She would have snapped at me. I reassure her. I return upstairs. She soon joins me. During the night, the odd snarl is soon extinguished with a pat.

Must go. Yesterday I stacked two garden chairs together to make it harder for her to move them.

She’s turned them upside down and is attempting to drag them down the garden.

Sigh.

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