Working Like a Dog

If I were a dog, I would probably think I had the best job in the whole wide world.  I am sure my dogs think I do.

Today, whilst spring cleaning in one of the cottages I look after, I happened to look out of the kitchen window to see River sitting just watching the world go by.  Then suddenly, she jumped up, did a zoomie around the grass and then went and sat back down again. 

I wonder how many of us do an equivalent zoomie when we are just happy and contented.  I sometimes take a cue from my dogs and do one, and then surreptitiously look around to make sure nobody saw me!  We are supposed to be a bit more in control of ourselves.

I see their gleeful and enthusiastic play, and wonder where we left our glee and enthusiasm.  Which job or responsibility or relationship battered it out of us?  Or did we just "grow up" like our parents told us to?  I don't know, but I will try very hard to take a cue from my dogs more often - it's actually good fun!

But I digress.  Why do my dogs think I have the best job in the world?  Well, they come with me and "help".  If I am inside they have the run of the garden outside, although walls and fences mean absolutely nothing to River and she spends much of her time beyond the garden.  The cottage we were at today is right on the sea, so a dream venue for any dog.  In the summer months they can bask in the sunshine, take a dip in the sea, play, or sometimes I take them some tasty bones to enjoy.  The colder weather is a bit more challenging but unless it is pouring with rain, I leave the back of the car open so they can hop in and out as they like.  Sometimes they come and curl up in the entrance porch and just wait for me to finish.

One house has a lovely stream just outside, and River and Talulah love to dip in and out of its pools.  The same house also has a muddy ditch behind - and Talulah the swamp monster is happy to play in there.....

The smallest cottage is up in the trees and the steep banking goes down to the river - they tire themselves out running down for a swim and then running back up again to play on the lawn.

But I will talk about the other houses another time.  Craiguillean, where we were today, is their favourite.  I always seem to end up cleaning the kitchen as nobody else wants to, but in some ways I like that because I can watch the dogs out of the window. 

I have watched them playing like kids walking on the top of the wall - just for the sake of it.  Almost as if they are having a competition to see who can stay on longest.  I haven't seen anyone fall off yet, but there have been a few close calls.

And then the day I looked out on the water to see an otter swimming.  Oh wow, I thought, and got the binoculars.  It wasn't an otter, it was Talulah - about 20 metres out just pottering about in the water enjoying herself.  She swam up and down for about 20 minutes before coming out and drying in the sun.  I do wonder if she did it to get away from River.

Another day they might just run up and down the shore, in and out of the water, chasing each other round - sometimes a stick is the prize, sometimes it is a ball, sometimes there is no prize.

Sometimes, like today, Talulah might find a mouse, and she will carry it around like a trophy tormenting the girls I work with when they go outside for a cigarette.  All I could hear were squeals and "Talulah - no!"

And if I am on a gardening session - they try to help by pushing balls and sticks at me, or running off with my pile of weeds or prunings.  Or curling up to sleep in the shrubbery.

Whoever coined the phrase "working like a dog" didn't have on of my dogs!