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

Wednesday June 7th 2017

Isis and I find the Kings Heath Park lot on the level above the old bowling green this morning.

What a wonderful variety of dogs: sweet little Ruby and Millie the pugs, Malamute pup Reggie, growing fast; naughty terripoo Maggie; mud bath aficionado Scout and Charlie the cockerpoos; stalwart labradoodles Nancy and Rufus; Jack Russell Louis, and, of course, aloof from the others, my hairy podengo, Isis.

I’m lucky today. Generally, naughty Scout rushes up and jumps on poor Isis who, ruffled by the unannounced assault, departs hastily through the gap in the hedge. But now Scout is engrossed in her play with the other pups, so while Isis amuses herself, happily uninterrupted, behind us, I take in the scene. It’s lovely to watch all these dogs, from a few months old to seven years, mingling so contentedly.

Then, suddenly, through a gap in the hedge, walks a man whom we’ve not met before. He has a lead in his hand, and there, on the other end of it is a tiny black and tan cat-sized creature stepping daintily through the grass.

There are several small canines here today, but none as small as this.

“Behold a baby Manchester terrier,” I think, smugly.  No-one else recognises its breed. And, I hasten to add, I am only able to identify it because my previous dog Ellie had a Manchester terrier dad, and I was so fascinated when I met him that I spent ages looking at the breed at Crufts.

The stranger introduces himself. Like most dog owners, I remember the dogs’ names much more readily than those of their owners, so I’ve forgotten this nice man’s name. The beautiful little pup is ‘Pixie’.

I’d forgotten how delicately made Manchesters are. And this little dog is exquisite.

We all watch as she slowly emerges from behind her owner’s legs, watching the noisy goings on with some trepidation,

yet, at the same time, very tempted to be part of the dog scene.

Most pups are overwhelmed when they meet our lot for the first time, but this Pixie is a surprisingly daring little dog, and soon makes little forays into the crowd. Everybody falls for her, of course, and the old bowling green echoes with cries of

“I WANT ONE!”

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