All animals are equal but…
Having fallen sleep on the laptop I woke at 4.30 am and crept up to bed. The hottie was still warm and the Min Pins welcoming. Danny was deeply asleep. My alarm wakes me at 8.15 am but I’d opened an eye at seven. The Contessa was feeling sprightly and wanted to play. She drumed on my chest demanding attention (at 56 dog years she should be quietnening down). She was joined by Inca who raced frenetically around the bed (we call this race-tracking). Danny was talking to India in his home office next door and Dr Quito and I just wanted to...
read moreMin Pin phantom pregnancy
The Contessa, our senior Min Pin bitch, was prone to phantom pregnancies. As she didn’t fancy Dr Q it was pretty clear what was going on. Although we always hoped that she had finally snuggled up and might be carrying a litter of pups. In the end we went down the AI route with the mismatched couple, which was a surprisingly down to earth experience. The key result was that Dr Q fell instantly in love with the female vet and any visit to any veterinary establishment since then is an expectant joy for Q. He actually pulls on the lead to go in...
read moreDental disaster: check your dog’s teeth regularly
A week ago we noticed that Dr Quito had lost weight and was off his food. Quito has had a crummy shake of the dice. He was attacked by a lurcher at 10 months old and has been semi-crippled since then. From a pup, he’s always been a picky eater so we tried soaking his food in delicious gravy, bought different dog food, changed the toppings. “It’s like The Caesar Syndrome,” muttered Danny as he hand fed our best boy. I was curious. What could The Caesar Syndrome be? Some sort of dog related condition discovered by Pliny? I’d forgotten...
read moreTackling aggressive behaviour in our pack of dogs
Over the past weeks since Daisy Beatyl died we have been having problems with Inca. She is determined to be top dog and if there’s a fight she always wins. She is slightly heavier than the stag red Min Pins and has a much more dominant personality. When Great Aunty Daisy B was alive, Inca used to test the domination boundaries with our Senior Dog. GADB was patient with the pup but finally would turn into a snapping, scary beast that had Inca backing off immediately. Beatyl’s jaws were large. The stag red Min Pins are much quieter and more...
read moreKindly control your animal
Many years ago, eight years at least, I was walking Dr Quito and his new wife, The Contessa. Suddenly a large dog jumped out from the shadows and sniffed them. He worried them but did not bite. Dr Q had just recovered from a nasty ˜left for dead episode’ on Newmarket Heath. Just the mere sight of a big dog had him shrieking. The Contessa followed suit. So in one movement I swept the Min pins up from the ground and tried to shift the dog away. The owner just kept his distance and observed. As his dog leap to the height of my earlobes his...
read moreOutwitted
Last night I gardened until I couldn’t see the weeds. When I drifted inside, the dogs looked hopeful. So I grabbed the bag of complete dog food and prepared their meal. A bit late but humans hadn’t eaten yet. Great Aunt Daisy Beatyl observed me from her igloo. Usually on a late supper night she is doing her Whirling Dervish dance and yelping vociferously. Something was wrong. Suspecting that her teeth were giving her gip, I soaked her biscuit for longer than usual. When I laid down the bowls in order of seniority, Daisy Beatyl kept...
read moreDog love
We have three Min Pins. Dr Quito (9), The Contessa (8) and Inca (2). Inca needs a dog nearer her own age. Dr Q loves her and looked after her when she was a pup. Played with her for hours and let her sleep in his basket. He loves the elegant and silky furred Contessa too. Unfortunately when we bought her home as a puppy she did not reciprocate his joy. She grabbed all his toys and wouldn’t share a bed. Ever. The arranged marriage suddenly firmed up when Inca arrived. The Contessa snarled though the bars of Inca’s pen. Dr Q licked...
read moreThe neighbours from hell
The stocky man outside the front door looked a bit embarrassed. I assumed that he was going to offer to prune my trees or tarmac the drive. With a sweep of his hand he explained that he was a neighbour. He didn’t give his name. As The Contessa and Inca bawled at him from the safety of the sitting room window he let rip. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the roaring dogs behind the steamy window. “Those are the reason why I have come round.” He observed me closely and enunciated clearly. “Every time I go into my...
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