Who is that lying next to me on our sofa? Why it's Biscuit, the wire-haired Jack Russell. He's staying with us for a week while his owner is on holiday.
I have already taken him on several walks. Though he is small, he likes a good long walk and his little feet patter along as if in a film that has been speeded up. These walks have been characterised by an enormous amount of sniffing - not by me but by Biscuit. His world seems to be dominated by his sense of smell and often a careful halt for sniffing is followed by a squirt of urine. I guess he is marking territory covered. It pleases me enormously that as a male human being, I don't have to do this when walking city streets or country paths.
I don't know much about dogs because we have never owned one and growing up in my East Yorkshire village we only ever had Oscar, a tortoiseshell pussy cat who, in spite of the name, bore several litters of kittens. She died at the age of twenty, long after I had left home.
No I don't know much about dogs but I am learning. When out and about with Biscuit you have to be alert to the presence of other dogs. When Biscuit spots another member of the canine family he goes berserk, barking and straining on his lead with murderous intent. It doesn't matter how big the other creature is, Biscuit will have a go at it and if he wasn't on the lead, blood would certainly be spilt.
The rest of the time he is mild-mannered and lovable. He looks up at you with his soulful brown eyes and you have to guess what he is trying to say. Mostly it's "Get off your fat ass and let's go for another walk. I need to do some sniffing and leg cocking! Let's go buddy!" Soon I shall take him to The Botanical Gardens where three elephants are located from The Herd of Sheffield. He'll enjoy sniffing those big mothers.
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| Later on Sunday - Biscuit in The Botanical Gardens |
I can sympathise, it ruins a walk if you share it with a timid or antisocial dog. I am fortunate as I've never had to contend with nasty behaviour.
ReplyDeleteIt's not something I had ever thought about before Adrian.
DeleteA dog would look good with you on your country rambles YP. A good companion in your retirement. From whom did you borrow Biscuit?
ReplyDeleteI like to keep on walking Carol. All these pauses for sniffing or territory marking are not to my liking. We borrowed Biscuit from a divorced university lecturer who I know from the local pub.
DeleteYou'd train your dog to your ways YP., so that on your country walks you can let it off the lead. Teach it to respond to your call, and it will run to catch you up. Ours learned very quickly - amazing what the promise of atreat will do !
DeleteAwww! Biscuit is cute! A dog makes walking much more fun, in my opinion. My two make my life better in every way and I wouldn't want to live without a dog!
ReplyDeleteNo. I don't think I could ever be a dog man Jennifer. Each to their own. I am a cat man.
DeleteI miss not having a dog. I always felt safe with a dog at my side when out walking. Biscuit looks very content on your sofa.
ReplyDeleteSo if you are a dog lover Sue, why haven't you got one now?
DeleteWe travel abroad too much at the moment and I wouldn't like to put my dog into kennels. One day I am sure I will adopt a dog again.
DeleteBiscuit is a perfect name for that dog! It seems terriers often react the way Biscuit does to other dogs. Olga, fortunately, does not rise to the bait. :)
ReplyDeleteIf Biscuit had a fight with Olga he would make mincemeat of her. Shall I bring him down to Hampstead Heath to test my theory? Biscuit is a Yorkshire dog so be afraid, be very afraid...
DeleteFor many years I was never keen on dogs - but beware YP - we once looked after a dog for friends when they were away on holiday. I took him for walks, and it was amazing just how many people stopped to chat and ask about him. He left a big gap in our life when his owners came to reclaim him, and within a couple of months we had our own pup. Since then, (the past 35 years or so) we have never been "dog-less". For some years we had three dogs at the same time, two Labs and a Spaniel X who was a little bit like Biscuit in temperament.
ReplyDeleteWe still have another two Labs. - they came to us as mature, retired breeding dogs. We dread the day when we are too old to have another dog.
Could it be that Sue hasn't got a dog because they can't ride a bike ?
Your warning is salutary CG. I notice how lovey dovey Shirley is with Biscuit and that is worrying.
DeleteAgree with Coppa's girl above - and on a purely selfish note they do make you walk whether you feel like it or not, wet weather or fine. I can't imagine life without Tess.
ReplyDeleteIronically, Biscuit's presence means I can't really go off on a long country ramble this week. It must be a pain in the neck taking dogs gfor walks in wet wintry weather.
DeleteOur cat will not go on walks with us LOL. Your little guest dog is a cutie and it sounds kind of fun to go out and about with Biscuit.
ReplyDeleteA week of dog sitting is something I can endure. All part of life's rich tapestry.
DeleteThis is amazing, Mr Pudding. Amazing and ...... I don't know what to say.... What must you owe the owner of this pooch to agree to have a DOG with you one even a short walk? You have said so many, many times that the canine species is absolutely not for you!! (Although if you were to change your mind, this breed is a wonderful one for people of your age and temperament.) Bravo, Mr. P!
ReplyDeleteNormally I am not fond of dogs but Biscuit's owner used to bring him into the local pub and in spite of myself I grew to like him. If it had been any other dog, I would have said "No!".
DeleteJack Russels are all attitude. There are no dog owners like jack russel owners.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are no temporary jack russell sitters like me.
DeleteI do hope you don't start mimicking what Biscuit does while he's out walking, Yorkie!
ReplyDeleteBiscuit looks like he is a lovely little fellow. Pets are great. Tortoiseshell cats are always of the female persuasion. Most ginger cats are male, but not always...not like it is with the tortoiseshell.
The last dog I had, Missy, was a black Cocker Spaniel. She had a little grey as well. Missy was a lovely dog. An American breed, she was, actually, my brother's dog but for the last five years of her life she lived with me because he couldn't have an animal where he lived. Missy got on with my two cats, Pushkin and Rimsky...but Pushkin (ginger cat) made sure that Missy knew who ruled the roost from the get-go! :)
If I start imitating Biscuit while out walking, I will need to carry some extra large and extra strong plastic bags with me. I will also need good kneepads if I have to walk on all fours.
DeleteBiscuit looks like a dog for all places and seasons, willing to be in anything - dog fights included.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
The first night he was lying on my side of the bed when I went upstairs and seemed very miffed when I turfed him off - growling and snapping. He needs to understand that I am the leader of the pack!
DeleteI am in two minds about dogs; like you, I am much more of a cat person. But I do like dogs (just as I like almost all animals) and keep saying I'll have a dog when I retire (in about 20 yeras) to help keeping me active.
ReplyDeleteBUT with my own dog I would make sure he/she is well trained and listens to me, not going berserk at other dogs, cats or people. Since Biscuit isn't yours, I can only assume the person who owns him didn't know much about Jack Russel terriers; a lot of people are daft enough to get them for their families with little children, in spite of Jackies being NOT made for being around kids - they have the aggressive character of nearly all terriers bred into them on purpose. But people think they are "cute" (they are!) and the right size for the average family home... Character is not what they think of, unfortunately, and more often than not you find they are unable to handle them properly. Unlike cats, dogs need to be trained and accept their owner as their leader.
Thank heavens I only have him for a week. He is a real character and mainly very well-behaved but I never had to take my cats for walks on a lead or collect their droppings in little plastic bags. I think you are right that when he was a puppy some of that natural aggression towards other dogs could ha ve been taught away.
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