If you see me on MSN chatting, I'm signed in as "Walks With Dog". I'm changing that to "Walks With Dogs".
Yes, now I have two dogs. At Christmas just gone I was told by a friend at work that he would be retiring his Drug Search Dog, Tessa. She's a beauty. In as much as she is an attractive dog with a very appealing face and silky coat and nice propotions. She also has a friendly nature and is playful. Just the companion for Jake I thought, just the dog for the family I thought.
She's been with us for five, (or is it six weeks?) and is well and truely settled in. She's asleep at my feet as I type. Anxious not to be left out when I decide within the hour that it's time for a walk. ( When the rain eases a little 
)
A little taster of what a hooligan Tess is. The walks we take are generally across Penn Common. We can take long walks or short walks. We can take different walks every day for a week. It adds variety and keeps me and the dogs interested in where we are going, what we are doing.
One of the walks involves a walk down a quiet lane with grand houses hidden behind hedges. When I say grand, these houses are mansion-like. They have swimming pools Jaguars, Bentleys, Rolls Royces and Ferraris'. They also have tennis courts.
When Tess was a working dog, if she performed well, her reward was a play session. The play session involved being given a tennis ball and lots of throwing and retreiving. Problem ... Whenever we pass the houses with the tennis courts...she dives through the hedges and ALWAYS returns with a tennis ball. I heard the shouts one evening as she ( apparently ) leapt into the court and took the ball mid-air in the middle of a rally. My porch is full of tennis balls. Eight at the last count. 
She's also used to the rough and tumble of being kennelled with five other dogs. She fights for her food, her toys and the affection of the family. It's not a problem in the house, but it can be when we are walking the fields.
Jake is not an aggressive dog. We've trained that out of him. If he sees an aggressive dog, he mockingly runs rings around it. Flight not fight. Tess however is more a fight than flight girl. Boy has she scared the bejasus out of a few of the more "assertive " dogs that we meet! She stands her ground and defends her corner. Good Girl! 
The rain has settled in for the night. Looks like a soaking again. Waterproofs and boots ... Time for that walk.
Das. Walks With Dogs.
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