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January 2010

Dear Irish Terrier Friends,

All good wishes for 2010 and I do hope that Christmas was joyful. I have been away in The Gambia which has become a fixed winter visit. It all started twenty years ago as a bird watching holiday but has become a very welcome and greatly enjoyed run in the sun.

Zu and Beegie had their favourite friends looking after them and happily survived the snow storms. I came home to find them both kitted out with knitted winter pullovers. Zuli’s is a discrete maroon but poor Beegie looks rather like a stripy deckchair. If anyone is interested we’d be delighted to pass on the information about them. They’re so useful especially for older dogs and the price, which is a donation, goes to animal charities.

Talking of charities, the work done in The Gambia entirely by charities for the animals, has transformed the lives of the hotel cats, beach dogs and the donkeys and horses. They admit it has only scratched the surface but it’s such a relief to be able to telephone someone kind and knowledgeable who knows the local set up. We rescued a poor little mare covered in a skin fungus and with a badly infected eye giving rides on the beach. A week later she looked so much better after seeing a vet and being properly treated. It is heart breaking as there has been no rain and the price of hay is more than many can afford. Perhaps we need to count our blessings – snow and all!

Maddeningly I have been struck by a positively satanic tummy virus – unheard of for me. Nothing like a holiday in the sun to set one up nicely for some home grown winter demon. The one extraordinary thing has been dear Beegie who has been the perfect nurse. You have to know that they have never seen me ill – ever, let alone three days in bed but she was up and down with me all through two nights of awful sickness. Extraordinary really and most comforting. Zu is of the ‘pull yourself together’ school, rather my sentiments till now, and today is wearing her ‘I’m being wronged’ look. Now this is the third day and I’m still wobbling. My daughter in law, Laura, Tessies mum, has so kindly walked them all, and I am trying to get out today.

It reinforces for me the need to have an essential back up for the dogs and this has been very salutary for me in more ways than one.  

At long last, after years of prevarication ‘songs for dogs’ I hesitate to call them verses, is off to press. The dog publishers tell me there has never before been a whole anthology by one writer. The strap line says ‘I hope there will be a song here for every one of us who has ever loved a dog’ and that comes from my heart.

Talking of hearts, we’ve been having a fairly stringent conversation by email with an Irish Terrier owner in Ireland. He says I’m too ‘soft’ about Irish Terriers and don’t enjoy and acknowledge their fighting spirit. My answer is that all dogs fight sometimes, and terriers if given the chance find it ‘jolly good sport’. Nothing clears the mind like a scuffle.

But in today’s world this is absolutely not acceptable and Irish Terriers have had to adapt to this less overtly aggressive time.

I freely admit however that I do have to swallow hard when I see rows of our best beloveds sitting mutely waiting for the next ‘obedience’ command especially since I’ve never taught mine anything very directly. They have all been charming dogs with perfect manners and loved by everyone who knows them. I do realise that they have all grown up in a household where there was always a garden and always someone in the house for them. This continuity of control is something of a luxury today and dogs can become very bored and isolated. I know a lot of you have great fun with your dogs taking part in all the games and activities now on offer. There’s nothing more exciting than a beautiful fit Irish Terrier diving through tunnels and leaping over bars, and if there’s a muddle it’s even more endearing. I shall ask my friend in Ireland if we can put up our correspondence on the Friend’s Letters Page and you will be able to decide for yourselves.

Thank you for all the lovely snow pictures. We’re already collecting pic’s for next year’s calendar. Anyway, it’s good to know that some of us enjoyed the snow.

Jane and I send you best wishes for good health and much happiness in 2010.

With many greetings and love to the dogs,

Lucy