A PUPPY!

Hello folks, bad weather here so I’m back at the computer again.  We were all so busy over the summer I didn’t get a chance to put paws to keyboard, we also had something sad happen and I didn’t much feel like writing. 

In July Calypso, our number 2 cat, went out through the cat hole and hasn’t come back yet, Pam’s very sad and says we’ll never see her again.  You know I always knew that cat hole was dangerous and should be made big enough for us dogs to go out with the cats to look after them, we are German Shepherd Dogs after all and protection is what we’re good at. But my best cat friend Jazz says this is what cats do, and they certainly don’t need a dog to look after them. Well, sorry I mentioned it, but she might not be lost now if I’d been able to go out with her. Can only hope she’ll be able to get home on her own one day soon.

Then a few weeks ago everything changed because Pam’s gone and done it again, except this time it’s a PUPPY! Whatever possessed her to bring a puppy into the house to live with us??? Me an Roma were quite shocked to begin with, but not as shocked as the cats who are still very upset and say she’s invaded their house, anyone would think the house belonged to them ……

Of course she’s a German Shepherd Dog, what other breed is there? Though she’s a short coat, not like me an Roma with our lovely long coats.  She won’t be as warm as us in the winter but I suppose it won’t get all tangled up and uncomfortable like mine does, especially this time of year.

She’s called Ishtar after the goddess of love and war from Babylon. As you know I’m a very well travelled dog but I’ve never been to Babylon and don’t even know where it is, so it can’t be a very important place.  I originally thought Ishtar’s not a very musical name either, but apparently Ishtar is an opera character, just like Figaro, and there is even a pop singer called Ishtar – so I suppose it is a musical name of sorts after all. Of course it’s nothing as refined and important as Mozart, but then who could be as important and refined as me!

Well, none of us was very happy at first to have this little thing with sharp teeth thrust into our lives, but actually I’ve discovered that even though she can be a bit silly she’s ok and quite fun to play with, although I’m worried I might go bald in places as she keeps on grabbing my lovely thick coat and coming away with mouthfuls of it – OUCH!

I’ve decided I can pass over to her all the knowledge and experience that I’ve gathered over the years, such as how to be a champion barker, how to be very friendly and say hello to everyone we meet, even if they run away and it means chasing after them and other important things, like how to entertain all the dogs at dog training and making as much noise as possible when the postman comes to frighten him away.

So I’m working very hard at teaching her all these things.  Pam says she learns very quickly but I’m sorry to say that’s not my experience and at the moment I’m beginning to doubt she will ever be able to take over my title of champion barker or be able to do the job with the postman, she’s just not noisy enough and doesn’t seem to have the drive to bark a lot.

Hey ho, she’s still young and there’s plenty of time to teach her ……