October and November, 2023

We have been talking of having a dog in our family for a while now and the best way to get to know what it entails and what life with a dog look like is to borrow one. Not for a few hours as with Fraggle per an earlier post, but for a week maybe!

Some friends in the village were going on a holiday by air for the first time and were in a sticky situation what to do with their dog.  Until then, they took him everywhere they went, even on holidays by car across Europe each year. I offered to look after him and they accepted with hesitation such is he woven in to the fabric of their family. My friend was prepared to stay behind if no dog sitter was found.

He is a thirty month-old Bichon Frisé called Timmy and he is adorable. A white fluffy ball of joy.  In training for him to get use to me, I took him for a walk on a few occasions, he went to our house to get familiar several times and he was absolutely fine. 

On the day of the family departure, I took him for a walk and when we went back in the evening, they were gone. Emilka, on holiday from college, was the second main carer for him alongside myself and was the one who was walking him most of the time, even in the rain. We slept in their house and had Timmy with us in his bed close to us so he didn’t whine and stress too much.  This breed of dog is known for separation anxiety. The next day he slept in his cage and on the fourth day, we took him to our house for the night and he slept in his bed in Emi’s room.  Each day, we took him to his house at some point and stayed with him so he felt secured, or we left him on his own for a while and when we got to get him he was happy for the reunion.

He wasn’t that keen on males in the house.  No matter what Misa or Steve did, his tail would drop the nanosecond he saw them, and he’d then plan how to put as much distance as possible between him and they, without having to come close to do it!  Steve wasn’t bothered as Bichon Frisés are very far from what he likes in a dog, but it was interesting that no matter how kind and thoughtful he or Misa was, Timmy stayed well away – yet would do everythining that Emi, my mum, or I asked of him.  Emi even taught him some tricks!

He is a beautiful affectionate dog – like a live toy really, so clever and so cuddly and warm – and I miss him now he is not in our house.   We had a lovely week together and I really enjoyed having him even though it is a 24×7 job and  a majority of the work around him was on me, so if we are ever making a  decision what bread of dog we are getting, I will have the final say in that. It will be a dog which is big, sheds hair and require lots of exercise, that is for sure.

Timmy  was followed by Toby, a Cocker Spaniel, who has been with us for the past week.  An adorable and characterful dog, even if his long face always looks sad.  He is owned by David, Steve’s friend of approaching forty years, and was chosen by Caroline, the wife that he so tragically lost to cancer in September 2019.  Unlike Timmy, Toby has warmed to all of us and is very happy to be walked or stroked, no matter by whom. 

Loveable and obedient the majority of the time, and with us until Tuesday evening or perhaps next Sunday, he becomes hair-brained around most big dogs (thankfully, Fraggle next door is an exception), making a lot of commotion and resolutely ignoring all commands.  Pure animal instinct takes over.  We also cannot leave food anywhere in reach because he will snaffle it in a heartbeat!  He got very close to pork sausages ready to be cooked on Saturday, a croissant that Steve put down for a few seconds on Friday, and during the week a string bag of foil-wrapped mini chocolates purchased for Christmas when Steve took him to his parents.  Thankfully Steve got it out of his mouth with only one chocolate semi-dissolved and none of the net swallowed.  It all went in the bin. Toby also has a knack of finding chewing gum in the hedgerows and then munching on it, as Misa and Steve found on multiple occasions and Misa managed to extract from the mouth on one!  

This evening was the first time we have washed a dog, Toby taking a lot of encouragement and many treats laid out in a trail by Misa to get him anywhere near the shower room.  He refused to be tricked in to the cubicle though and needed ‘help’ (my hands) to get him there.  With warm and gentle water and a little suitable liquid soap, I was able to wash his feet, legs and belly as planned, without a torrent of water everywhere or any resistance.  Good boy, Toby!

Rennie