NEW ADDITIONS
JACQUE
Way, way back when I first started blogging I did a post about my buddie 'Milo', and how FATE had played a huge part in bringing us together. If you read this, you will see how poor Milo had gone from the constant 24/7 love and attention, to finding himself alone in a kennel with strangers.
This trauma had obviously effected him more than we could ever have know, his need to be with us and to have constant love and cuddles was his only thought. Being a wise dog he soon worked out that when the lipstick had been applied, (mine not Maths), or a coat appeared, his new owners were going out. He then started with a whining noise that escalated into a full howl, and, being the big softies that we are, he would then accompany us wherever we went. Fortunately most of our friends are dog lovers, but if not, he was quite happy to sit in the car. (He knew we would return). This situation was OK to a point, but not possible when the weather was hot. We didn't want to return to the car and find a fried Milo did we? Also, there were a lot of reported cases of dogs being stolen from cars.
We tried to help him overcome his fear of being left on his own, but we would return home to find him in a very distressed state, and he would have peed everywhere, and I mean every where!!!
I wondered if a doggie girlfriend would help. I warmed to the thought of baby Milos running around my home. Fortunately the kennel where we had acquired Milo had given us his pedigree papers, and there, among his pedigree history, was the breeders phone number.
I made contact and explained Milos problem. Yes, she agreed he needed a pal, and I asked if she had any little girls (sounds so much nicer than bitches). "Has he been done?" she asked. "No" I replied, his doghood is still in tack. "Ooooh! no, if you give him a bitch he'll not be the same dog, he'll pee up everything (he does when left alone anyway), and he'll smell a bitch on heat miles away".
I never realised until this point, that some men and dogs have so much in common!!!!!
I digress, let me get back to Milos plight. She informed me that she had kept a dog and a bitch from a recent litter for 'bringing on' (breeding/showing), and had decided to keep the bitch and let the dog go. However, she would only sell him to someone who already had a dog, because he had spent the nine months of his life with his litter of brothers and sisters. We could though have him for £400 instead of the£650 that she usually charges for her puppies. I asked her if I could consult with my partner and I would get back to her.
Without further- a- do I rang Math, who instantly became as excited as a 5yr old at Christmas. "Can we fetch him today?" he chirped. "Well, we need to see what he's like, if Milo gets on with him etc" I replied, like a mother calming an over excited child.
It was at this point I realised that if the dog had only three legs and one eye it would be coming home with us.
So that evening off we went to Leicestershire to see the said dog. The dog breeders house was in the middle of nowhere, and reminded me so much of the Larkins home in 'The Darling Buds of May'. The breeder was a wonderful down to earth woman. Her mother even more so, being in her 70s and laying a patio at the rear of the house as we arrived. A cigarette hanging out of her mouth she looked fitter than an 18yr old lumber-jack.
We made our way over the fields to the kennels where our future family member was living.
We finally reached the place, (a wooden shed with a chain-mail fence providing a run for the dogs). Out rushed 10 various sized and coloured puppies, jumping up our legs, yapping and wagging their tails so hard, their bodies shook. That is, all except one, who was sniffing around Milo (who looked bewildered by all this activity). Yup! That was the one we had come to view.
Math was as excited as the pups, and I think he would have brought them all home if he could have.
So we returned home with the 9 month old, who at that time had no name other than 'Pup'. (The breeder had said that she didn't name them otherwise she would get too attached). However, his pedigree name was 'Jack-in-the-Box', so Jack was to be his name, or so we thought! When we took him to meet the chief dogsitters, (my mother and father-in-law), they were horrified that we could call something so cute Jack. (No offence meant for the other Jacks out there in Blogland, unless of course you have a small wet nose, paws ad can bark). Not wishing to upset our main dogsitters, (either that or we could never go on holiday again), we pacified them by calling him JACQUE. Prounounced of course with a french accent. What would Charles the Second have made of that then!
At first we thought we'd made a major mistake, Milo sulked like you wouldn't believe, he sat with his back to us and wouldn't get involved with any of the games we played. This was really unusual as even when Math (his idol) laid on his back, (Math not the dog), shouting "come to daddy", and patting his chest like some parental ape, Milo chose to ignore him. Jacque however was not so easily put off. Jacque was very nervous, (and still is to a point) with humans, but sort companionship with his new found mate Milo, bringing him his toys, yapping at him to play, and even trying a bit of boy on boy loving. For his efforts poor Jacque was growled at, knocked away, even nipped on the odd occasion. His persistence paid of though, and now they are indeed inseparable
Jacque, like Milo, adores Math and will put up with me during the day, but when Math returns home from work I fade into the background. Math likewise dotes on his dogs. Even enduring embarrassment when he returned his new mobile phone to the shop complaining it wouldn't charge up. The assistant was very apologetic as he took the new phone and charger from him, then with a smug "I think this could be the cause of your problem sir", showed Math the dog chewed wires. I don't think Math could exit the shop quick enough. It still makes me giggle, now, whats that they say about animals and children??????????????
Well I've just a little more work to do on the en-suite, then we can start to decorate and get the bedroom back in use.
