I bought Penny, a one year old black, tan and white collie cross, from the RSPCA, Barnes Hill, Birmingham on the 12 May, 1990. She and I had one week of holiday to get to know each other and get used to my life. I lived on my own in a small bungalow and so she had to get used to being left alone. I would come home at lunchtime to check she was all right and let her into the garden. I was fortunate at the bungalow, that I had a large garden in which she could have her ‘mad 5 minutes’ racing up and down. She would jump over the flowerbeds and seemed able to turn through 180 degrees in her own length.
I made sure she had toys to play with while I was out. I started by leaving her in the small kitchen, but she decided that, since the bungalow was empty, she ought to be able to have the run of my home. She soon learnt how to open the kitchen door, which opened towards her. How she did it I will never know, but nearly every time I came home she greeted me at the front door, bright eyed and with her fluffy tail going round in circles. I learnt that if her tail went from side to side she was interested in something; if it went round in a circle she was really pleased. She was no trouble in the car; jumping onto the back seat and lying there contentedly, until I slowed for a turning, traffic lights or island and then she would stand up to sniff the air through the gap in the window.
It took a little time to find a food that she really liked and which did not upset her stomach. She was quite satisfied with a ‘complete’ dried food as long as it was livened up with Tomato sauce or proper gravy. Gravy granules were rubbish as far as she was concerned. A little of my food was always acceptable, and if she was off colour a small piece of sardine mixed into her meal would fire her appetite. She liked blue cheese; cream; chocolate, obviously, these had to be strictly limited.
I had bought her a solid plastic bed which she soon had gnawed its edge to a jagged mess. However, this taste for plastic nearly killed her when, one night, I heard a little yelp followed by her padding into my bedroom and
I made sure she had toys to play with while I was out. I started by leaving her in the small kitchen, but she decided that, since the bungalow was empty, she ought to be able to have the run of my home. She soon learnt how to open the kitchen door, which opened towards her. How she did it I will never know, but nearly every time I came home she greeted me at the front door, bright eyed and with her fluffy tail going round in circles. I learnt that if her tail went from side to side she was interested in something; if it went round in a circle she was really pleased. She was no trouble in the car; jumping onto the back seat and lying there contentedly, until I slowed for a turning, traffic lights or island and then she would stand up to sniff the air through the gap in the window.
It took a little time to find a food that she really liked and which did not upset her stomach. She was quite satisfied with a ‘complete’ dried food as long as it was livened up with Tomato sauce or proper gravy. Gravy granules were rubbish as far as she was concerned. A little of my food was always acceptable, and if she was off colour a small piece of sardine mixed into her meal would fire her appetite. She liked blue cheese; cream; chocolate, obviously, these had to be strictly limited.
I had bought her a solid plastic bed which she soon had gnawed its edge to a jagged mess. However, this taste for plastic nearly killed her when, one night, I heard a little yelp followed by her padding into my bedroom and
lying by my bed. The next morning, I discovered the flex to a table lamp was half bitten through.
She was always distant with people and other dogs. Some she got to like; others she never did. She seemed scared of young children (3 - 10 years old) and gave them a wide berth. Barked at anyone who came to the front door (useful with door to door sales people but awkward with visitors I wanted to see when she did not). Did not bark at the milkman or postman if they were delivering, but barked continuously when the milkman came for his money. Penny also disliked my using the phone, and would either sulk in her basket; stand looking at the back door (her signal that she wanted to go out) or fetch a biscuit from her bowl, which she would drop just out of my reach, nudging it for me to break in two.
Penny loved going for a walk and was reasonably good at walking on the lead. I had to walk to her heel not her to mine, but otherwise we were fine. Once off the lead, she would race away and then back, always checking I had not got lost. She was very good at coming when called, but never got the hang of throw the ball. She would race after it and stop where it lay but, since I had thrown the thing, I had to go and pick it up. When young she would chase the crows and seagulls; she would chase a rabbit, if she saw it, and stand to show me where it had disappeared into the hedge. She was curious about the hedgehog that visited our garden one night, but having found that the spines were sharp left well alone.
She would not go in the garden if it was raining; but if we were going for our walk, that did not matter. If there was a puddle on the pavement, she would walk round it; a puddle on grass she would carefully enter, take a drink and then bound out so that the clear water was muddied for the next dog. I remember the first time she saw snow. The garden had been covered overnight, so when I let her out that morning her racetrack and playground had gone and there was just whiteness. Gingerly she put a paw onto the white, it gave way and she tumbled out of the doorway. She righted herself and started to
She was always distant with people and other dogs. Some she got to like; others she never did. She seemed scared of young children (3 -
Penny loved going for a walk and was reasonably good at walking on the lead. I had to walk to her heel not her to mine, but otherwise we were fine. Once off the lead, she would race away and then back, always checking I had not got lost. She was very good at coming when called, but never got the hang of throw the ball. She would race after it and stop where it lay but, since I had thrown the thing, I had to go and pick it up. When young she would chase the crows and seagulls; she would chase a rabbit, if she saw it, and stand to show me where it had disappeared into the hedge. She was curious about the hedgehog that visited our garden one night, but having found that the spines were sharp left well alone.
She would not go in the garden if it was raining; but if we were going for our walk, that did not matter. If there was a puddle on the pavement, she would walk round it; a puddle on grass she would carefully enter, take a drink and then bound out so that the clear water was muddied for the next dog. I remember the first time she saw snow. The garden had been covered overnight, so when I let her out that morning her racetrack and playground had gone and there was just whiteness. Gingerly she put a paw onto the white, it gave way and she tumbled out of the doorway. She righted herself and started to
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Penny