A good question and one I had never ever bothered to consider before or at any time during my sixty-seven years on this earth, simply because I was more than happy without one. The fact is that the thought would never have crossed my mind had my wife and son not raised the subject one day, at first casually but within a very short period with far greater conviction. In fact. It seemed to become more important by the day and eventually my resolute resistance collapsed and I was forced to accept the democratic process involved. In a household of three, two like-minded opinions win the day. A vote was taken and I lost.
I’m not saying that I gave in easily because I didn’t. To begin with, I fervently argued all the reasons I could think of for not having a dog, mainly selfish stuff as you can probably imagine. After this tactic failed miserably, I moved the conversation on to tasks I would not undertake under any circumstances such as dog walking, picking up poo and any other little job that was likely to interfere with my settled daily routine. However. After many disagreements and numerous protestations, I simply gave up and accepted the inevitable. A dog was coming…….. and there was nothing whatsoever I could do about it.
Once I had agreed to accept, what I considered to be a misguided majority view, plans were put in place although, happily, I was excluded from the decision making process at that stage. My wife Pamela, always in the know, had been told of a litter of Lhasa apso puppies, born locally and which were available for sale to responsible people who would provide a safe and loving environment. There were a few pups to choose from but, given the following ten years, I know that Pamela actually made the right choice and I mean that. This tiny puppy which we invited into our home in February 2016 was given the name Poppy, chosen by the same democratic process, two votes to one.
Poppy is now ten years old and has been a joy for the whole decade. I have become a reformed sinner. A lover of dogs of all shapes and sizes but none more than the Lhasa apso. My previous attitude was wrong and I am proud to say so. Of course, as anyone could guess, I became the soft touch and Poppy knew it. Nothing has ever been too much trouble for our dog. She is the centre of our family and is always considered, never ignored. I dare say that there will be many readers who have shared the same experience and I would love to hear their stories. Please write to us and share yours.
Since having poppy, a website has been created specifically to celebrate these remarkable Lhasa apso dogs and I have learned so much about their characters and personalities. My novel entitled A Dangerous Time for Dogs was mainly written during the covid era when the theft of dogs seemed to become more prevalent. Poppy is, of course, the hero of my story alongside Trevor, a remarkable Patterdale terrier and another dog who taught me things that only a dog can teach. All the other canine characters are actually real dogs who I came into contact with during my years as a taxi driver.
Comments