Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra bits in between.

Sunday September 9th 2018

Two lovely, damp, gloomy weekend days, with light showers on Saturday. Lovely Isis weather. So on both days we walk to the park.

Isis, somewhat deprived as she’s been, of street smells, proceeds very slowly and is soon only capable of gestural pees.

It takes us thirty five minutes to reach the park. I estimate that we’ll take about twenty five minutes on our return journey and decide that with walking both ways, Isis should be well exercised if she has about thirty five minutes off lead to play.

She runs around gleefully, after which I re-harness her as usual and off we set. Or, to be more accurate, off I set. I am immediately brought up short. Isis is sitting down with a distinctly uncooperative expression on her face.

Oh. This is very unusual. Refusing to walk to the park yes. Refusing to walk in the direction I’ve chosen, yes, but refusing to leave the park?

I allow her to choose which way to go. She makes it crystal (as our politicians appear impelled to say) clear that she doesn’t wish to move in any direction, thank you.

And she won’t.

I sign ‘walk on’. I pat her encouragingly. I stand still and wait. And wait. And wait. I examine her feet to see if there’s anything sticking in her pad or between her toes. Nothing. I feel her carefully all over. Nothing. I give gentle, then less gentle tugs on her lead.

Finally, I stride on, bearing her weight on the running belt around my waist.

She protests by digging her heels firmly into the ground.

I imagine the headlines in Dogs’ Daily: cruel human seen dragging innocent dog across Kings Heath Park………………further enquiries reveal that this poor little dog is not only much smaller than her aggressor, but is also deaf and blind ……….

We eventually leave the park. Isis twice sits down on the pavement, but then gives up and walks calmly home.

I am still concerned that I may have missed something, but a further careful examination reveals no obvious reason for her behaviour.

And, judging by the way she leaps ecstatically in the muddy garden later in the evening, there is no obvious reason.

Today, she walks eagerly to the park again. No hesitation at all.

I can only conclude that she wished to stay in the park yesterday, that thirty-five minutes didn’t feel enough time.

I am free this evening, so she can play off lead for her usual hour.

After she has run around joyfully for her hour, I walk carefully into the big shrubbery and tap her back. As usual, she makes her way out and stands still so that I can put her back into her harness.

Yes, she looks ready to go …………………………

…… sort of.

Oh.

I wait for a minute or too.

Perhaps she needs a rest.

Or not.

Dogs’ Daily, Sunday Edition: Once again, it has been reported that ………………

At least today the little  *^@  has the grace to walk properly once we approach the park gate.

Isis, Isis.

What more can I say?

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