A post should appear every Sunday

Monday January 8th 2024

Isis continues …………….

By the time that July comes round, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I don’t want to be left again, so I keep checking that Human is at home and I’m not on my own. And I really don’t want to go for walks. It’s safer at home.

I’m a very insecure dog. How do I know what’s going to happen to me next?  She keeps complaining that she doesn’t know what’s the matter with me, but Bev tells her that I’ve lost my confidence. After that, Human doesn’t make me go out if I don’t want to, but I go when Nancy’s there and I feel happy and do lots of sniffs.

It’s August now, and I’m just  beginning to feel better when she takes me to the kennels again. I stay right next to her and try to wrap my paws round her legs. I refuse to move, but they take me away again anyway.

After a while, Gordon fetches me from my kennel, and tries to take me out of the yard, but I refuse to go. I like Gordon, but I’m not leaving the kennels until Human comes to fetch me. In the end Y picks up my stuff, and Gordon makes me walk. Then they try to make me get in the car, but it’s not our car so I struggle and go stiff. They lift me in and Human’s in there. She pats me and strokes me, but I’m too upset to take any notice, and I tremble and pant until we get home.

Something’s wrong with Human. I think she’s been at the vet’s because she smells nasty, and she can’t put one of her paws down properly. She stays with me on the day bed, and keeps going to sleep. I need to look after her, so I’m very, very careful and never overtake her or stand in front of her.

We don’t go for any walks, but I don’t care. She doesn’t go away anywhere for weeks, then she walks a little way down the road with two metal sticks.

When it’s September, Bev comes. Am I pleased to see her! She tries to take me for a walk, but I won’t go, of course. It’s very nice of her but I have to stay at home with Human. Then Bev comes again and takes us in the car to Highbury. The humans sit and drink coffee and Nancy and I lie down by the bench.

One day C. comes to stay, and the next day we go a very long way in her car. I pant and tremble all the way there, and refuse to drink any water. When we’re there though, I’m very pleased. S. comes to meet us and we go into the cottage. C. takes me in. I remember it from last time, so I feel O.K. and eat my tea. When we go out, C. holds my lead. I’m usually naughty and don’t want to go. I don’t know why.

Then N. comes, and he makes a big fuss of me. I love N. When we all go out together, he holds my lead. I’ll go anywhere with him, even if Human’s not with me.

We go to a lot of places, and I find a lot of interesting smells, but if N.’s not there, I’d rather stay in.

When we get home, everything is back to normal. Human and I go for a walk every day, although I’d still rather not bother. It’s raining all the time, so that’s nice.

When it’s October, it’s still raining all the time, and in November as well. We get wet every day, which means I have to be dried all the time. What a bore!

One day I go to the vet. The nurse cuts my nails and hurts one of my front paws. I don’t say anything but I won’t let Human touch my that paw any more. So now I have three trimmed paws and one very hairy one.

It’s still raining all the time, and everywhere we go is very muddy. One day Human falls flat in the the mud. Serves her right, she should mind her own business instead of bossing me around, trying to keep me out of the mud.

I don’t remember much about December, except that we still go out every day in the rain and mud. I don’t mind, but Human’s a bit grumpy sometimes, and says very rude things like, “*******, ******, ******* raining again. Of course it ******* is.”

Which is very silly, because it still carries on raining.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Christmas was O.K. I got a very warm, comfortable new bed. About time too. My old one was falling apart and it didn’t smell nice. This one feels lovely underneath you. It’s very big so Human sneaks part of herself on it too.

I got a yellow duck with a quack in it as well. I didn’t take to it for a while, but I allow it in my bed now.

Blitzi came on Christmas day and Y brought us both a lovely tin of special Christmas dinner for dogs. I ate my whole tin all in one go. It was delicious. Then I slept on the day bed in the back room, and didn’t chase Blitzi once.

Isis came from Aeza cat and dog rescue in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@azea.org or go to http://www.dogwatch.co.uk.