Tuesday 24 February 2015

A Lazy Life

Dogs have a good life if they are part of a loving family, don't they?
I suppose Border terriers are really working dogs, bred originally in the Border area between England and Scotland for ratting and rabbitting.   But although a few are still working dogs, round here many are kept as household pets and apart from her morning and evening walks round the fields, when she chases (but never catches) the rabbits and pheasants, Tess is here in the house with me.

Her habits during the day never vary - especially in the Winter months.   She moves with the sun (if it is shining).   As we face South she can always find a sun beam on a carpet somewhere that is wide enough to stretch out on and take full advantage of.   If the sun stops shining then it is basket by the Aga (complete with schnoozle blanket) or in front of the woodburner if it is going.

Her favourite place of all is the stairs and she moves from landing to landing as the sun moves round.   Yesterday friend D, just before he went home to Windermere, took a photograph of her and this morning he e mailed it to me.   I have stored it so safely in my computer that I can't access it!!   So I have just taken another of her in exactly the same place - and here it is.  She is to be cut in a fortnight and will become a completely different dog on the outside - on the inside she will remain the same, a dog who loves rabbits, food and home comforts  in that order.

18 comments:

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello,

Tess is truly adorable. That woeful expression would surely melt even the hardest of hearts.

What a beautiful picture you paint of her moving around the house, chasing sunbeams. We can well imagine this and can see that she is a very loved canine companion.

We have always had cats in our married life together, the last two came here to Budapest courtesy of British Airways. They have since died and we are without pets just now. We miss them but they are a big responsibility, especially if one travels. So, we have to take joy in other people's pets........would Tess like a holiday abroad?

thelma said...

Tess is very pretty, even in her scruffy mode. Good thing she has a habit forming sensible nature, it makes life easy for everyone.

Gwil W said...

My aunt had a dog just like Tess. The dog was called Sheila. And they lived in the Border Country as it's called. When I was a child and we went there on holiday Sheila would lick my face all over. Give me a wash in effect. I enjoyed the feel of her tongue on me but needless to say my mother would freak out whenever she saw us engaged in such unhygienic activity.

Elizabeth said...

Tess looks very cheerful and content - as she should.
Sadly, Buster's chief delight is food - though we keep him trim.

Linda Metcalf said...

She is a beauty....we so love our pets don't we?

Joanne Noragon said...

Those haircuts make such the difference. About the time our little terriers get used to them it's all grown back.

MorningAJ said...

She is lovely isn't she? I hope there's plenty of sun for her today.

Cro Magnon said...

Lovely dog. We have a very good friend here who has one. Her name is Inky, but we all call her Stinky..... she is quite old and smells a bit. Otherwise; adorable.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Interesting comment Cro - Tess is eight and I am afraid she smells however much we bath her. Her favourite food out in the fields is rabbit droppings, and the farmer thinks it is her breath that smells.

Doc said...

Our Sophie loves to hunt mice and has a real appetite for the undesirable which I thought was the reason for her bad breath. On a recent visit her vet discovered some teeth that needed some attention. After her visit her sweet puppy breath has returned even at the ripe old age of thirteen.

angryparsnip said...

You know how much we love Tess.
I was lucky to have Border Terrier before The Square Ones. They are wonderful dogs and I miss Samantha so much. She help me everyday doing the chores. She was always around.
And when I sat writing letters or reading the paper she would always sit next to me and of she could place her head on my lap.
That is a lovely photo of her. She is beautiful. I am tearing up right now.

cheers, parsnip

Heather said...

She looks adorable and is the perfect accessory against the lovely colour of your stair carpet. She and I have a lot in common apart from chasing after rabbits - I enjoy my food and like being warm!

Hildred said...

I do so miss having a dog, but since Caspar left us and I have grown somewhat older (!) I wonder how fair it would be to an active puppy or even an older dog. Callie is a little more independent, so I must make do with her and her loving ways for now. Tess is a sweetheart!

Penny said...

Such a lovely photo of her. She lives a lovely life with you.

Terry and Linda said...

She is adorable! I think she is very smart to move with the sun...cats do it, why not beautiful Tess?


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Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

It never dawned on me when we acquired our miniature Schnauzer that this dog was bred to be a hunter and that whatever they did to it to make it "small" did not diminish in any way her desire to hunt and kill things. The list of small animals she has caught and killed is approaching 10 and I have to watch her like a "hawk."

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

Your Tess is so cute. I love the sleepy-eyed expression on her face.

George said...

The unique thing about animals, especially dogs, is that they can lead a lazy life without either guilt or apologies. A nice photo of Tess, who looks quite content.