Jess just turned up one day. There she was, out in the garden with the others. She was very pleased to see us and even happier to be stroked. She was the most affectionate dog, quite needy really, no amount of petting was quite enough for her. After her first visit she spent most of her time here, only going home at night. We'd made enquiries of course, she belonged to people in the next road - or rather, she belonged to their son but for some reason he couldn't have her to live with him any more and his parents were taking care of her.
After a few weeks, Dr and Mrs Gee came round for a drink - other people would have been there too, just a regular pre-lunch Sunday get-together, and they apologised. "We hope that Jess isn't being a nuisance, we haven't the sort of garden where we can keep her in and she hates being shut up all day." My mother assured her that it wasn't a nuisance at all, she was a lovely little dog. "We're looking for a good home for her, actually." "Well, we're a good home..." So Jess wasn't taken back that night and she stayed with us for the rest of her long life: she lived to 17. Once Richard, her erstwhile owner, came round to take her out for a walk, I don't suppose he had been very pleased that his pet had been given away. I answered the door to him, certainly Jess was thrilled to see him and greeted him lovingly, but I don't remember that she pined at all when he went away.
She was a medium sized dog, a Welsh border collie mixed with I'm not sure what. I don't have any photos of her to hand, but this one is not unlike (I think it's the kind eyes and sweet expression that makes it so) except that her colouring was black, brown and white. She was a pretty little thing with long soft hair that tangled terribly. If she wasn't groomed frequently she used to get quite matted and it wasn't unusual to have to take scissors to the 'feathers' on her back legs.
Dear little Jess, I think she was rather taken for granted. She was never any trouble, never made any demands. When there were puppies in the house she was an indulgent auntie, but she reserved most of her affection for people. Not one person in particular, anyone who was kind to her was instantly loved. Her little fetish was licking feet. If anyone went barefoot then she was there the moment one sat down, licking lovingly. A child didn't think this was odd, just funny, especially when she licked between my toes and tickled, but now I look back it was quite unusual that it was taken for granted and not severely discouraged. I think that she was so hopefully eager to please that no one could quite bring themselves to disappoint her.
After a few weeks, Dr and Mrs Gee came round for a drink - other people would have been there too, just a regular pre-lunch Sunday get-together, and they apologised. "We hope that Jess isn't being a nuisance, we haven't the sort of garden where we can keep her in and she hates being shut up all day." My mother assured her that it wasn't a nuisance at all, she was a lovely little dog. "We're looking for a good home for her, actually." "Well, we're a good home..." So Jess wasn't taken back that night and she stayed with us for the rest of her long life: she lived to 17. Once Richard, her erstwhile owner, came round to take her out for a walk, I don't suppose he had been very pleased that his pet had been given away. I answered the door to him, certainly Jess was thrilled to see him and greeted him lovingly, but I don't remember that she pined at all when he went away.
She was a medium sized dog, a Welsh border collie mixed with I'm not sure what. I don't have any photos of her to hand, but this one is not unlike (I think it's the kind eyes and sweet expression that makes it so) except that her colouring was black, brown and white. She was a pretty little thing with long soft hair that tangled terribly. If she wasn't groomed frequently she used to get quite matted and it wasn't unusual to have to take scissors to the 'feathers' on her back legs.
Dear little Jess, I think she was rather taken for granted. She was never any trouble, never made any demands. When there were puppies in the house she was an indulgent auntie, but she reserved most of her affection for people. Not one person in particular, anyone who was kind to her was instantly loved. Her little fetish was licking feet. If anyone went barefoot then she was there the moment one sat down, licking lovingly. A child didn't think this was odd, just funny, especially when she licked between my toes and tickled, but now I look back it was quite unusual that it was taken for granted and not severely discouraged. I think that she was so hopefully eager to please that no one could quite bring themselves to disappoint her.
10 comments:
It's nice to be chosen by the pet, rather than the other way around, isn't it?
I like dogs, but at the moment it would be too much of a tie to have one. One day though.
We had a cat who was a foot fetishist. I was quite pleased when she died actually...
Dogs to me are like children - other people's are lovely, particularly when you give them back.
But it's been heart-warming to hear your memories of your over the past few days.
17 is a good age. I must try licking feet....
All those lovely dogs you have had-you are a lucky Z!
Cats are like that to me, BW. And yes Liz, I know what you mean.
I'm not sure whether to keep on relentlessly with the dog stories, would people like a break? I'll follow up tomorrow with Susie, but then another generation will kick in, so there could be a natural break for a bit if you like.
Loving the dog stories.
Well, I've got some grandchildren photos, I'll let you have them after tomorrow's dog post.
Let more dogs out, please, Z. Someone suggested you should make a book of this, and you responded that you couldn't because you can't write - wrong!
Please keep up the dog posts. Reading about your dogs this week has distracted me from grieving about our recently departed dog.
Well, thank you Tim. Blogging is just right for the way I write though. Spontaneous is the kind word!
Darling, I miss Gordy too and I never even met him. Of course I'll carry on writing about dogs. Susie next and then it'll be time for Muldoon.
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