Three little working dogs are we
Unemployed and fancy free
(Look at those devil eyes!)
We’re now a three-dog household. Dotty is the pup remaining with us after the other three have left. As I write she is wandering around the living room looking to see what she can chew next. Welcome to chez nous; our kennel.
I hope that those who’ve, through lockdown, thought it a good idea to get a dog are fully prepared for that dog being for life and not just for lockdown. They are a full-time commitment that requires a lifestyle to accommodate them; unless you’re one of those celebrities who apparently own dogs and home them in dog apartments, cared for by paid dog servants (I wish!). Lady Gaga’s poor dog-walker was apparently shot as her dogs were stolen from him (or was it a ‘her’?). I wonder how the star feels about that.
There are a lot of dog-accompanied people out and about nowadays and you don’t see so many mongrels any more. In my younger days, dogs wandered freely and you had to check your shoes before coming indoors. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see dogs locked together on the street “making babies”; intriguing and a bit scary to a young child. The modern day trend in dog ownership results in a range of designer dogs being paraded about, often as statement accessories. I recently saw a news item about a trend in ‘cosmetic’ surgery on certain dogs’ ears - mutilation in other words. Insane and inhumane! There is also a growth in dog theft given the demand for and prices for such pooches. So many dogs are being bred for their looks rather than for what was their initial man’s-best-friend function - to help with things like guarding and herding sheep and cattle. They’ve come such a long way from their domesticated wolf ancestry. There is even a TV programme where dog groomers compete to be, not just the most skilled, but the most artistic and creative.
I think it unlikely that these modern day accessory dogs will ponder, like I do about myself, as to what is their purpose in life. Dogs are generally quite happy to be one of the family - to love and be loved, and as long as the family which adopts them understands that a dog is a commitment and life is not the same once you have one. Unfortunately, there could be a booming dog-rescue industry after this current trend.
So now we have three. We’re outnumbered and the question is how to accommodate them in our life without becoming thoroughly canine ourselves. After removing the lint from the tumble dryer the other day and wondering whether I could spin the dog hair to knit a sweater, I’m concerned that my dog-allergic daughter-in-law will never forgive us and I won’t see her or my grandchildren ever again. The next task for us is to sell this place (if it’s still fit for human habitation) and find a more dog-suitable property. If any of you know of such a property, please let us know......before I leave home! 😜
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| This is my spot! |
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| Where are we off to today? |
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| What does this book taste like? |
