Posting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Saturday

It rains all day on Sunday so no garden for Isis. She is very good considering she has to stay in. As usual she comes into the front room where Ji. and I are sitting and settles herself on the rug. Nowadays she’s keen not to be left on the sidelines. In the evening she is not eager to leave the car. I haul her out and, after an unfortunate greeting from Keiko who smacks her with a large paw, Hairy One has a good walk.

At both mealtimes we have an impatient wow-woof while I am preparing her food, loud aggression towards the invisible scavengers while she’s eating and a rage spin when she’s finished.

In the evening she snuggles against my feet. Nice.

I retire early to watch catch-up t.v. Unfortunately, Isis decides to join me very soon after and has the nerve to bark at the light emanating from the screen of the Hudl. I put it under the bedclothes until she settles. She has two or three grumbles but settles after some little pats.

It’s supposed to be raining on Monday but it isn’t. Isis has her first harness spin rage for months and months. I shove her out into the porch and shut the front door behind her. A minute later I emerge. She sits angelically as I pop on her harness, waits for her treat and off we go. I don’t know what that was about.

I have to lure her from the car with treat. She refuses to walk so I carry her into the middle of the field. Several sit-downs follow but I don’t take her home in case she has to stay in all day. After we meet Conchobhar and Gr. I carry the refuser a little way along the path then urge her on. She’s fine. We avoid Keiko. When puppy Poppy sniffs her gently, she doesn’t try to move away.

Breakfast: one yappy growl while waiting for meal and a rage spin after but she sits nicely before being allowed to eat.

On Tuesday she is irritable all day and into the evening. Several times she spins and threatens to bite herself. Is it because it’s still too muddy for her to play outside? Both of her meals are put out while she’s still in the car. I’m hoping that this will break her habit of carrying on while she is waiting for me to serve her. She sits very nicely for ten seconds on both occasions. Rage spin as usual afterwards.

On Wednesday morning the pattern is the same.

In the evening we walk to and from the park to make sure that she has enough exercise as it’s still very muddy under paw in the garden. She is still irritable and keeps riffling through her hair. It seems something fur related is bothering her. I find a mat on her stomach and remove it and she stops scratching.

Then I brush her very carefully where she hates being brushed – along her lower back, undercarriage and the tops of her back legs. She growls.

On Thursday again she waits without a sound while I prepare her food. Wow. But she makes up for it by raging ferociously as soon as she’s finished.

By Saturday, mealtimes have become much less hassle. She has not yapped during food preparation for two days, and is getting used to sitting for a count of ten before she is allowed to fall on her food. She still shouts at her imaginary rivals as she eats, but, amazingly, she hasn’t flown into a rage after either meal today.

We’re making progress.

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.c