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

Sunday August 13th 2017

Isis is delighted to return to Kings Heath Park and spends most of her first walk down on the little, woody path near the railway line.

Because her hawk bell is so distinctive and its sound carries so well, I am able to chat to the dog crowd on the old bowling green while she leaps and bounds beneath the dripping canopy.

I know why she has chosen to stay here today. The rain fizzled out as we arrived at the park, so no nice sploshy drops are falling from the sky.

Very disappointing for a dog.

But under the trees, of course, it’s still raining. That’s what happens under trees, Isis has noted. And what’s more, if a dog snatches at low hanging leaves and branches and shakes them vigorously, she can dislodge quite a shower.

She frolics joyfully for almost an hour. She is so delighted with the mini climate by the railway line that she would like to stay all day.

Silly Human is enjoying chatting. In fact, she enjoys it so much, she forgets that it has been raining steadily all night.

When she eventually gets round to collecting her happy dog, she discovers that Isis has stamped the once springy path into a flat, muddy mire, and is  now wearing long, thick, black, knee socks.

Oh.

Never mind. Hairy One seems to have self cleaning hair. A bit of bouncing around will soon sort her.

I wish houses and cars were self cleaning.

Off we go up the slope with Bev, Nancy and Rufus.

We soon meet lovely Max, one of my Ellie’s favourite boys. When he was a tiny pup, his head and body seemed to outgrow his legs and he had problems bearing his weight. A vet told H., his owner, that it would be best to have him put to sleep.

I can remember, as clearly as yesterday, her telling me this devastating news. We were standing on the slope we have just climbed today, near the hedge at the top of the old bowling green. I’m not a weepy person, normally, but both of us swallowed back tears that morning.

That was over eleven years ago.

Max’s people signed him up for swimming therapy, very gradually the muscles in his back legs strengthened, and he became a fine figure of a dog!

He is eleven now.

Here he is in the background, getting some pats on his way to join his friends Tinkerbell the spaniel, and labradoodles Nancy and Rufus at the Treat Truck.

Nancy never was good at doing the delayed gratification thing. While Rufus sits patiently, she thinks it’s self service today.

Alison and Dave are looking stern and giving her the,  “Pushy dogs don’t get treats,” message.

Nancy doesn’t care. She ‘s not easily offended.

It’s all too much for poor Isis. She sniffs hopefully. She’d like a treat but there are too many people and dogs around.

When order is restored and Nancy’s back on terra firma, Dave throws Isis a treat. Isis eats it and hastily retreats bottom first into a handy shrub.

It’s all too much when you’ve only just returned from Holly Trees Kennels.

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