Gillys Blog

15 Jun 2009 - Getting her own way.

I’m thinking of changing Dixie’s name to Quicksilver. When she spots something she wants, she can move like the speed of light to get to it – all the more so if it’s something she knows she’s not supposed to have – like the cats’ dinners. She can also wriggle her way through/past/up/over/under/behind just about any obstacle you could care to name. We’ve just put up a little gate between the kitchen and the hall – the kind used to stop toddlers going where they’re not supposed to. The bars looked far too close together to let a plump little puppy through. Wrong. I’d hardly turned my back before she had it sussed – she realized she couldn’t just barge both shoulders through at the same time, but she could do it one shoulder at a time. She’s way too clever for her own good this pup – or to be more precise, she’s way too clever for my good!

She’s starting to remind me of another dog who shared a big part of my life – and who was definitely responsible for many of the grey hairs I still diligently attempt to conceal. Chae was a Collie/Labrador with the brains and guile of the former and the permanently hungry stomach of the latter. He went through his entire life untroubled by anything remotely resembling a moral or a scruple. Other dogs suffer from guilty consciences if they commit a misdemeanor. Not my Chae. Not that he would attempt to deny his wrongdoings – he was positively nonchalant about them. I’m convinced he actually invented the ‘Yeah, whatevva’ look. I’ve never seen anyone do a better one.