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

Wednesday March 7th 2018

It’s Monday. There’s still plenty of snow lying around but a thaw is underway. It’s nice and dull, just as Isis likes it when R. texts to ask if it is O.K. to collect Isis around ten. Brilliant.

Unfortunately, by the time Pet Angels and hounds Gilbert and George arrive, the sun has emerged in a threateningly wide slant.

Oh dear, I fear the Pet Angels will have had a wasted journey. Isis, thrilled when her harness and lead are put on, begins leaping up and down with excitement in the porch. She is even more excited when R. opens the porch door.

After a pre-walk pee on the front ex-lawn, she  – Isis, not R. –  pops merrily out of the gate and onto the pavement. Oh, but it’s sunny. She attempts to turn left and stops in her tracks as R. begins to turn right.

Sigh.

R. gives her lead an encouraging tug but Isis balks at the idea, arches her hairy back, stiffens her front legs and leans backwards.

Oh dear.

Undaunted, R. walks round the defiant creature and takes another pace forward. Each time R. makes a determined effort to proceed in a westerly direction, Isis makes an equally determined lunge towards the east.

Deadlock.

Tug.

Shan’t.

Tug.

NO WAY.

Embarrassing animal.

S., Gilbert and George wait patiently. They are used to Hairy One’s hissy fits. I imagine  the hounds sighing to themselves, “Not again.”

That’s it. They will have to abandon the troublemaker.

R. steps back to the gate and opens it. I wait for Isis to rush to the house to be comforted by Human.

But she ignores the gate and tug, tug, tugs to the left. R. indulges her and off they set. None of we humans, I learn later, expect the pest to walk further than the road gate which opens onto the lane. Apologies are already forming on my tongue as I await their imminent return.

Five minutes pass. Then ten. I fantasise that the little group is stranded on a sunny corner while Isis has a fit of hysteria.

More than ninety minutes later, R. and Isis return looking quite jaunty and very pleased with themselves. Isis is not overwhelmed with relief to be reunited with me. No, not at all. She’d happily go out again with R.

She has, R. tells me, been a very brave girl. She had a podengo moment when they reached Howard Road but was cajoled into moving on towards the park. I am amazed. R. thinks that although she is afraid, the canny creature remembers what a good time she has when she gets there, and this prompts her to  keep going.

Once off lead in the park she does, indeed, have a delightful time. After a while, R. wonders whether  her charge might like a change from racing round the shrubbery and pruning the hazels. She tosses an experimental snowball so that it showers onto Hairy One’s back.

Oh yes, this is much appreciated. After more well received snowballs, R. tries kicking snow at her. She loves this too. Even so, R. finds herself glancing around furtively to make sure that no animal loving informant is witnessing her kicking snow at a poor, helpless, disabled dog!

When R. thinks that Isis has had enough, she walks away and stands still. But Isis soon sniffs her out, grabs a mouthful of snow and drops it beside her. She, quite obviously, has not had enough.

Braving the sun and co-operative play: two breakthroughs in one day.

How impressive is that!

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