Bim’s blog – all about the dog

my main preoccupation – rehoming a dog takes time and patience – this week.

of course on Saturday her arrival took precedence, but I was also open for visitors. luckily as it was pretty hot, some people from the village came but Sunday was the best day, three paintings and three pots went.

this big one from Nic’s kiln is going to a garden in the village

and this to a garden in Warham.

Brian and Sam arrived with the Galgo (and Podenco) transport half an hour early

and here is miss B, a bit dazed.

a change of collars and leads, handover of paperwork and passport, and they were off, with more dogs to deliver to Rotherham and points west …

obviously she’d not been in a house before, and everything was new and puzzling/enticing/scary, including me.

once the Open Studios day was over and I let her off the lead, the garden was explored in depth

long grass delighted in, paws paddled in the bowls of water, so I found a larger receptacle … it was a hot day …

my neighbours came round for a glass or two of pink prosecco and she had a nice time relaxing, as we did. she zoomed around the garden at top speed, showing off her muscularity and ability to turn on a sixpence, had a roll in the long cool grass, and lolled.

eventually she settled into her bed, and spent most of the evening asleep in it. she is a lovely red fawn, lion colour, with black guard hairs and the black mask. I think this is from the Sloughi ancestry, the Berber hounds from North Africa brought to Spain by the Moors. she is more Saluki shape than Greyhound, and surprisingly heavy, lean muscle and bone.

huge thick pads on her feed, shock-absorbers for running at speed on hard stony ground. she’s had a very good pedicure too, not sure if I can keep up that standard.

she’s still a pup really and takes things up the garden. she likes my shawl, and this morning she chewed a hole in the wool socks I’d taken off after our very damp-footed walk. I have to be careful what I leave lying around.

the old rotten dupion silk cushions are a favourite, they rip up so nicely, and the loo roll is a bit of a target too.

but barring one accidental puddle the first morning, I think due to a fright with the pole that opens the veelux, she has been clean overnight, and also very quiet. in fact she goes to bed for the evening, I have to persuade her out of bed to have a last pee in the garden before I go to bed.

our walks are getting more adventurous; at first she was quite reluctant. people walking down the road made her rather nervous, and heavy traffic is, predictably, quite scary.

yesterday we went to Morston, in the car. I have to lift her in, she is not keen on cars on principle, but lies down in the dog box and is quite quiet. we met one or two friendly dogs and people

saw some VERY interesting birds

but sadly were too late to buy an ice cream to share, as my watch had stopped.

this morning we tried Cakes lane. the grass is very long and wet, dock and cow parsley waist high in places,

but on a warm morning wet feet are quite refreshing, so we went all the way to the end

through the long grass set aside

Bimba seemed to enjoy all the new textures and smells

really a delight to walk. she never pulls, is more likely to stop for an in depth smelling session, but comes when called.

of course there is no way she can be off the lead yet. considering it would only be three minutes before she was a mile away … and I have a feeling I will be quite happy to mostly keep her on the lead in the countryside. I have a long training lead, not an extendable. we have seen hares a couple of times – the first time she leapt a bit, but didn’t pull, the second time just pricked her ears a bit. if she’s not allowed to go chasing I think she won’t realise what fun it is. and I think her prey drive not as strong as my last two sighthounds. I hope that she can have regular gallops on the beach before too long.