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

Sunday March 3rd 2019

Strangely, since I finished the last post thinking it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that one day Isis might have a friend, on Friday, we meet a very well qualified candidate.

Isis and I are in Kings Heath Park early. She’s not been here for a while and she’s delighted with all the new smells. After a sniffing circuit of the park, we make for the old bowling green.

All is just as she likes it. The sun’s not out yet, and the green is empty. Not a dog in sight. Wonderful.

She launches herself into a prolonged burst of running.

She’s still running when B. arrives with Sid.

Sid, a gentle, affectionate dog, potters around the green. He trots towards Isis. Being a polite animal, he doesn’t shove his nose in her face, or sniff her lasciviously. He stops a few inches away from her, sniffs her briefly, then wanders alongside her for a minute or two before returning to B’s side.

Isis, aware that another dog has encroached on her space, slowly retreats to the level above.

Through the hedge, B and I can see Hairy up on the grass happily prancing, and we continue to chat.

But Sid is worried. Several times he looks up towards the hedge then stares meaningfully at B. and me.

“Where is she, Sid?”, asks B.

After a brief glance at his person, Sid runs up the bank to Isis. As before, he doesn’t rush at her or bark: he just circles her, then, when she takes off, he pads alongside her. When he perceives that she’s about to veer off in a different direction, he moves just ahead of her, blocking her way.

B. is very intrigued. This, he tells me, is exactly what Sid does when he’s with the young grandchildren. He’s very protective, always stays close to them, and heads them off if they try to wander. We think he must have sensed, as most adult dogs do, that there is something different, not quite ‘right’, about Isis.

Most dogs watch her briefly, then run off and continue with their doggy affairs. (Unusually, Cinnamon – featured in last Wednesday’s post – stayed around although she didn’t interact with Isis.)

Sid definitely does.

I ask B. if it’s O.K. to take a photo of Sid and B. tells him to sit.

He sits, but he’s not happy.

It takes me a while to get this image

because he keeps squirming around to see where Isis is.

Then, when Isis disappears into the Colour Garden, Sid dashes in too.

“Sid, where is she?” asks B. again.

At this, Sid pops into the flower bed and joins Isis under her fir tree.

From then on, Sid shadows the ungrateful Hairy.

I am delighted to see that, although she keeps moving, she’s not afraid. She doesn’t run. She doesn’t cower. She doesn’t back into the bushes, and, even more surprising, her tail stays up.

She walks onto the old tennis courts for more prancing, and remains unfazed when Sid follows.

We decide it’d be good for them to meet up more often.

So watch this spot!

*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