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

Sunday December 16th 2018

Isis has had a wonderfully wild weekend.

Saturday is horrible: very grey, with continual, painfully cold, drifting rain which arrives in wind driven sheets. No let-up all day.

Now, quite a number of dogs, according to their owners, dislike this kind of weather and refuse to go out.

Isis, as we know, is not one of these.

I pile on five layers: thermal vest, polo-necked, long sleeved cotton jumper, heavy marine type jumper, quilted gilet, and then an everything proofed, well insulated, squall jacket. Neck warmer, thick socks, ski type trousers with a quilted lining, waterproof over-trousers and walking boots complete my ensemble.

Despite the deluge, the Pawfect Dogsense trainers are valiantly running their last session before the holiday. I only see two other dogs during the ninety minutes we spend in the park.

Isis, of course is ecstatic. She spends all of her walk gleefully running up and down on the deserted old bowling green, twirling and clacking her teeth.

A dog has left behind the rope part of its ball on a rope. I offer it to Isis who is very pleased and plays the game she plays with her snakes: she lets go of the rope mid spin, runs off and then returns to search for her prize. Then off she goes again, repeating the routine over and over.

She shows no sign of slowing down, and, eventually, I walk over to her, place my hand on her soggy back and attach her lead.

We squelch back to the car park where Hannah is packing training equipment back into her van.

We stop to say hello, and Hannah gives Isis two presents – a pigs ear and a lovely squishy ball wrapped in gold paper.

I thank her and ask what we have done to deserve presents.

“I’ve known you both for a long time,” she replies, “Isis is so beautiful and you’ve both done so well.”

What a lovely end to a great walk.

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