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

Wednesday January 2nd 2019

Well, Human’s not had a good beginning to 2019.

On Tuesday the washing machine refuses to drain. ^*+!.

Never mind, we’ll have a relaxing walk in the park and then think about the washing machine.

Isis jumps happily into her car. I remove her lead and clip on her safety harness.

The car won’t start.

Great.

Isis is not impressed when I unclip her safety harness, clip her lead back on and set off along the pavement.

Although it’s a dull day, no sun to threaten her, she walks a few steps in one direction then sticks like a limpet to the pavement and refuses to move. After a minute or two, I set off in the opposite direction. Again, Isis walks a few steps and sits down again.

This little performance is repeated three or four times.

We cross the road and walk another three or four steps. She stiffens her legs and bucks like a bronco, dragging her harness down over her head.

Muttering extremely unladylike comments, and resisting the urge to strangle her, I gently unfasten all of the clips, remove the harness, replace it, fix all the clips again.

Then I try walking in the opposite direction.

Another refusal.

We recross the road, and, just when I’m about to give up and return home, she flicks up her tail and sets off in the direction I first thought of as though nothing untoward has happened.

I say more very rude things.

We walk to the park without further incident, but, unfortunately, she’s anxious while we are there and doesn’t enjoy herself.

Even more unfortunately, it’s late afternoon by the time we leave, and the sky has changed. She doesn’t care for the particular shade of grey it’s taken on.

No way, she decides, is she walking home.

She keeps sitting down and refusing to move. I have to stagger most of the way home bent double, attempting to reassure her.

Well, what a lovely relaxing walk. Not.

On Wednesday, it’s even more dull than the day before. Surely she’ll not object to walking today, will she?

Oh yes, she will.

It’s only five houses from our gate to the closest turn off, but, dog, is it a hassle to get her there. Alternately, I heave and shove. In the end, I carry the cross and very heavy little toad for the last few yards.

This time we stick to a road walk. We take a different route from usual and there  are numerous new smells to engage her; even so, at regular intervals, I have to persuade her to not to slow down and stop.

Now my shoulders are burning. I hope I’ve not damaged them hauling on her harness.

What else can you do with a dog who only wants to walk if she’s chauffered to the park?

Never mind, there’s a lot of 2019 left, and, as they say, tomorrow’s another day.

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