It would have been strange if I didn't like dogs....
I was born into a world with dogs in it. Dogs were just one of them things that everyone had,... right? Well of course, the answer is no but that is how it seemed to myself. My first companions were reasonably large breeds. An exceptionally large Standard Poodle, and a Long Haired German Shephered.
The Standard Poodle was named Kimberley, she belonged to my mum, but everyone referred to her as Kim, or Kimmy. She was a sweet beautiful girl, and had a talent for opening doors with her paws. She was pretty tall standing on her back legs and dancing with the adults was her favourite party trick. With myself she was always calm and gentle.
My parents recall how closely she watched me as a baby, waiting for me to disturb, and letting everyone know that I needed attention. She walked by the side of my pram with a manner that could only be described as maternal. In fact one of my very first words was 'Kimmy' or at least a babbled attempt, from what I am told.
The lovely German Shepherd was Cassandra (or Cass). She belonged to my grandparents, from my father's side. I used to so look forward to walking her with my Grandad. Again, she had a faultless temperament and abundance of kindness. I've met many German Shephered dogs since and they have all exhibited her gentle, dignified disposition.
After the passing of Kim and Cass, (they both lived long! fulfilled lives) my Grandad from my mothers side gave both myself and my Nanna a surprise in the form of a tiny West Highland White Terrier puppy. She was to live with my Grandparents, but I was there everyday in any case, and I was allowed to choose a name. I named her Sally
Sally was a very special girl. From the moment she arrived, she was my best friend. It was however, thanks to the work of my Nanna that Sally pulled through them early weeks. It soon became clear that Sally was much younger than the advert had claimed and she was not yet weaned. I do not remember the details of this personally as I was so young, I know that I vaguely remember not being able to play with the puppy for a while. After that. I was lucky enough to have 17 years with this lovely little dog. She really was the perfect companion. Becoming a 'nanny dog' to my little brother in the same way that the lovely Kimmy had been to me.
Sally was also the tutor of Archie; a characterful Scottish Terrier, Archie! Archie is still with us. An extremely challenging pup..Archie was more difficult to train than any dog myself or my family or friends had witnessed. He was always sweet, but the basic commands took months to master rather than minutes. Nevertheless, he's always been a very popular dog. My brother was still very young when my parents decided to get Archie, and so as a pup he grew up to be exceptionally good with children and generally likes people a lot. He wasn't himself after he lost Sally, but the decision that my parents made, in introducing another Scottish Terrier was one that was highly beneficial to Archie. Dougie followed Archie everywhere & still does. Dougie is actually the opposite to Archie in that he dislikes mud, puddles and is fussy with food. Dougie is known for his good looks and slightly snobbish demeanour Both now enjoy getting into mischief with my young Bulldog and helping him eat his treats.
***Important: Please do not leave any dog (no matter how nice) and child unattended***