Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra ‘news flashes’!

Sunday May 8th 2016

Isis has been staying in the doggie hotel since late afternoon last Monday.  She has spent six nights there. This is only the second time that she has been away from home alone since she came twenty months ago.

The first time I left her was for one night and two days. It was only a month after I adopted her. My animal friendly mate A. stayed at home with her and all went well. When I returned, Isis ignored me.

As some of you will recall, Isis, who has visited Polymath in Wales with me on two occasions,  is not the ideal house guest. Since she trashed her hostesses’s house on both occasions, she is, unsurprisingly, persona non gratis.

Last Christmas I left her at Ray Deddicoat’s Holly Trees Rescue Centre and Kennels. My first rescue, border collie Feather, came from Ray’s more than forty years ago, so I knew Hairy One would be well looked after. But I was anxious about Hairy One’s fear aggression and her generally difficult behaviour.

“No problem,” says Ray at Christmas after my warning about the worst Isis might do. Then, as he reminds me when we meet again this week, “She was no trouble at all at Christmas. She can come any time.”

This time, when I take her in, she soon realises where she is, and shies away from the kennel block. And when her kennel bedroom door is closed, she scratches at the door. Oh dear. Nasty Human abandons little podengo and drives home with an empty harness and a heavy heart.

On Thursday she phones Tracy who reassures her that Isis is doing fine.

Today, Nasty Human can’t wait to see her naughty little dog.

Again the report is good: Isis settled in quickly, enjoyed her exercise sessions and ate well.

Well, I’ve thrown my duvet around. Now what Tracy?

It is clear that Isis and Kennels Manager Tracy have forged a lovely relationship, and when she opens the door, Isis rushes out joyfully to greet her.

When I collected her at Christmas, Hairy One expressed no pleasure at all. After eighteen months, she was still a very undemonstrative dog. Not a wag. Not a lick.

This time, I am in for a delightful surprise. Once she has greeted Tracy, she wags her tail vigorously at me  – and I get five licks on my nose.

Oh, it’s you, is it?

She is pleased when she sniffs her car, pleased to see Ji. and very pleased to walk into her house and pee in her garden. Every time I pat her, she wags.

In her kitchen I offer her two of her favourite treats, and, as she sometimes does, she takes one to eat in her bed, trusting me not to eat the other one before she comes back for it.

Greater love hath no dog than this, that she entrusts her friend with a special 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.co.uk