Lurking Nemesis

As the weather slowly improved and became warmer, I started to spend more time in the garden. This quickly became my little space. That garden is Lhasa Apso territory and those humans know it! The first thing about Lhasa Apsos is that we are guard dogs. This is built in to every Lhasa you will ever meet and I’m not about to be the exception! Sitting out in the open playing with sticks and listening to all the noisy birds perched in the trees was the puppy dream. I would keep an eye on the squirrels scurrying back and forth through the undergrowth. But my eyes and ears were always alert.

Stick collecting

On the subject of sticks, my humans frowned upon my habit of bringing sticks into the house which I used to do all the time! After some training I no longer chew them up! That’s bad. I still collect them though. Anyone with a puppy will know that in the first few weeks we chew through anything and everything whilst we are teething. In my defence, I love sticks and if I was writing a book would write a whole chapter about them. I had to keep the garden in order. I patrolled the bushes to ensure all remained as it should. Other animals in the garden never bothered my humans because they left it to me to make sure they were well behaved!

Meeting my nemesis

Every now and then,  a cat would leap over the fence and saunter down the path. It would usually leap right back again when I came into view. I didn’t even have to say anything. My life was perfect but something was brewing. One day I was playing happily in the garden when a big old ginger cat had the cheek to walk on my path. This scared me a little because he didn’t run away when I spoke to him about it. He actually sat back and stared at me. From the look on his face I could tell he was going to stay right where he was. Obviously he was frightened of me but just didn’t show it. I edged closer and this time using my special whooping sound that sometimes frightens even me. After all, I had tried being polite… The ginger cat just didn’t move – how cheeky! I moved closer still.

The stand-off

We were now face to face. Then something very sudden happened. A paw flew through the air and almost smacked me right in the face! Luckily this pup has got skills! Have you ever seen The Matrix!? I jumped back but didn’t run. I am a Lhasa and we don’t run. The nemesis growled at me (how rude!) so I growled back. I stood my ground. We stayed like this for what seemed like ages. Then without warning, ginger turned and walked away.  He didn’t even walk quickly. The cat just strolled down the garden, jumping back over the fence and was gone. You have to admire him for his bravery – I’m so scary I even frighten myself sometimes.

After this run in with my nemesis I learnt to love my cat neighbours. I’ve not seen that cat again. But he knows I was only doing my job. Us guard dogs take our jobs very seriously.