The little bit of freedom belongs to Bella. In the intervals of sunshine we’ve been able
to get into the back garden to cut the grass and pull up weeds which catapulted
out of the ground into the lawn and the garden with the deluge of rain
throughout April. Since we were in the garden, Bella was granted a reprieve and
allowed out with us with no restraint.
She sat in the middle of the lawn, lifted her head to the
sun and closed her eyes – what a sun-worshipper!
Keeping an eye on her at all times enabled me to give a
sharp ‘No!’ whenever she started wandering over the threshold of The Corner
(where she’s previously climbed over the fence into the school playing field.) She was totally obedient and turned back
immediately, as if she knows that’s a boundary not to be crossed! Even with her nose sweeping the soil beneath
the grass following the black and white cat’s scent single-mindedly all around
the garden, she has stopped at that boundary line and retraced her steps!
Amazing!
So she deserves a bit of freedom, in the garden that is.
On a bedtime wee walk last week, she found a hedgehog!
Fortunately a good jerk and distraction ensured Hedgehog’s safety and he was
last seen crossing the quiet cul-de-sac road with his teeny tiny nose just
visible.
One of the ‘problems’ we have had with Bella is her utter
excitement at meeting other dogs – she’s not aggressive, she just wants to
play. But as I think I’ve said before, a lot of the dogs in this neighbourhood
are about the size of her head and while they have no fear, she plays
rough! Tuesday afternoon’s walk
zig-zagging around the puddles and trying not to slip on the muddy path (me trying
not to slip, she’s quite sure footed!), we met a dog who was just as excitable
and still being trained, and her owner was struggling to keep her under
control. Bella behaved more or less
impeccably! The sniffs then the play, but I think the other dog’s owner was
more nervous and pulled her back causing her to climb further up the scale of
excitement.
On top of that little CJ the Jack Russel came bounding up.
He seems quite the popular one as everyone says he gets on well with their dogs!
Again Bella stood calmly for the sniffy greeting before trying to play but
knowing she was restrained. While three owners stood nattering about dogs (it’s
like mums chatting about their babies and nappies!) the three dogs had a good
sniffy natter amongst themselves and by the time the humans were ready to part,
so were the dogs – well, Bella was anyway.
Now that was quite an achievement. It felt like Bella is
growing up! Of course she still comes into the lounge at about 10pm every night
asking to be ‘tucked in’, or at least ‘please switch the kitchen light off I
want to sleep!’ 