Alfie is the latest addition to our household.
Mrs M had always said that she would get a dog when she retired. She has and she did. She and I come from different backgrounds. She had dogs as a child and I did not.
The reason for my canine free youth was apparently that my parents and Big Sis did have a dog when they were occupying Germany in 1947 and before I came along. I understand that they had a daschund. They lived on the top floor of a block of flats and the hound used to get slightly excited about birds flying by. One day, it went chasing a passing flock and straight through the railings of the balcony. Big Sis has always told me that, by the time they got downstairs, the remains had vanished, allegedly into the nearest cooking pot. Whatever the truth, my parents never let me have a dog. One cat, one goldfish and one hamster which lasted five years and was actually three hamsters. I only found that out at a later date when they felt that I was old enough to cope.
Anyhow, off we went to the Dogs Trust in Uddingston to pick up Alfie last Saturday, having had two weeks of getting to know him. He is. of course, a Weegie but I have forgiven him that. He really can’t help it. Not that he was Alfie at the time. The name given to him by the Dogs Trust was ‘Haribo’ because he was ‘a wee sweetie’ – it works in Jock.
Three years old and a bit of a charmer to Mrs M whom he already loves with an absolute devotion. He’s not so sure about me and I’m not so sure about him. He’s already taken us off the Internet once by chewing through the wiring. He also got through the railings (main door flat luckily) on his second day and it took seven people half an hour and two miles to recapture him. Whatever, we were warned that he would take time to settle and he can do little wrong so far as Mrs M is concerned. Not that I’m feeling at all jealous about the leeway that he’s being given.
Got him bang to rights this time. Mrs M is in Glasgow rehearsing for yet another triumphal appearance at the Embra Festival – Mahler 2 this time.
She left for Weegie land at 4.30pm and he did the usual ‘I’ve been totally and callously abandoned’ bit for about five minutes and then went quiet. When I went to look for him, I found him posing in pining mode on the top of one of the sofas in the front room.
As you can see, said sofas have their summer covers on and are not particularly dog friendly. I’ll try to grass him up but I bet Mrs M won’t care at all. Truth be told, I really don’t care much either. He really is a wee sweetie, in my opinion.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Lovely post JM, you big softie. 🙂
OZ
Gorgeous! Don’t let him fool you…you’re the alpha male, and you’ll need to remind him every day! He’ll love you even more then!
Dogs are wonderful companions. I don’t have one of my own, time constraints and rental policies preventing it, but it’s always nice to meet up with neighbours’ dogs. They’re always happy to see a friend, smiling almost as much as my landlady when she gets her monthly rent cheques. They might at times be frustrating, but still worth it.
I’ve had dogs all my life never ever have they been allowed on the furniture and never will they.
My mother wouldn’t even allow our dogs to walk or lay on the carpeted areas of our house, they understand that, sort him out now JM or you could end up sleeping with him!
I’ve always preferred the dogs to the current model, tend to last longer too!
sleeping with 2 JT’s is much nicer, they take less room, do not snort, fart, steal the duvet or generally piss one off!
In my next life, more dogs less spouses!
JM, what a lovely and most treasured photo that must now be! Alfie found his home!