There's just something special about dogs
My friend just told me she was taking her puppy to the vet for the one-off visit that needs to be done now he's six months old, writes Rosemary Allen. I'm being discreet here.
I laughed and asked her if she was sure it would happen. Oh yes, she said. I asked her, because we had a vet once who checked with the husband that it was a genuine booking if the wife had made it, and then the day before, to confirm it was still going to happen. He said it was because at the last minute, many men changed their minds and refused to let their wives be so cruel to their best friend.
It's must be something about dogs, because such procedures are part of the farming cycle – bull calves, ram lambs, colt foals and even the farm cats. So what is so special about a dog? I don't know.
Our sheep dogs didn't make this visit, because it was always possible that if one was really good, we might want some pups from him. But the Cairn terriers were all dogs, and they could be a problem. They were mostly up for a bit of a scrap if the offer was there from strange dogs, but that's because most small dogs have big egos and think they are a match for anything – the larger the better.
However, one sealed his fate because every time our collie bitch was coming in season, he'd warn us by "marking his territory" around the house. But after his trip to the vet he no longer cared. Nor, funnily enough, did he challenge other dogs any more. He would still run up to them barking – after all, they were on his land – but once there, he seemed confused about what he should do next.
Our first Cairn, Max, was called on to do his duty with Patsy the Cairn bitch at the neighbour's farm. Her owner had tried several times to get her in pup but she'd always refused to let any dog near her. So when the time was right, we left Max with her, in a shed over night.
Apparently there was a lot of snapping and snarling but in the morning all was quiet. Max had a torn ear and a swollen lip. However, she was in pup, so everybody was happy, and six weeks after they were born, we became a two dog family!
Funnily enough, the son, Simon was quite a different character from his father. Max could be described as stolid and tough but not a trouble maker. However if we were all out together, Simon might pick a squabble with a dog far bigger than himself, then step back and Max would bundle in and sort it out. That's what fathers do isn't it?
My friend has had her puppy done, and all is calm again.
* Rosemary Allen is a retired livestock farmer now living near Ellesmere and with her husband Peter is part of CowCash-UK.
