the dog

between stopping writing my blog and restarting the process, we lost our faithful dog Stevie, and gained our unfaithful dog, Sookie.

Anyone who claims that a dog is man's best friend, has obviously never meet Sookie.

Now, before any of my Russian speaking friends start jumping up and down... yes, i know what Sookie means.  I've also had my eyes opened by the definitions available to us in the Urban Dictionary.

To give our dog her full Sunday name, she's Sookie Agnes Pinchington.  The name was a mash-up of various suggestions, all boiled down into a gelatinous gloop and thrown at her.  Poor dog.

I think, in my head, Sookie came from the TV series True Blood..... The female lead character was called Sookie Stackhouse, and i kind of liked it.

The rest you can blame my cousin, Jo, and a work colleague, Ryan, for their inputs.

Anyone who has met Sookie will know, she's a dog very much, of two halves.

She's nervous, and barky, and timid, and highly strung.  She growls, and snarls and appears like a rabid animal.

She's muscular, robust, fast, bony, warm, sleepy.

On a lead she's a nightmare to walk.  You always have to keep your wits about you in case there are any other people, dogs, cats, squirrels, motorbikes......

Off the lead, in a pack, she's playful and funny, and dangerously fast.

She can sleep for England, once spent.  Don't be fooled, no matter how deep the sleep, the moment you move, she'll know.  I always suggest she sleeps with an eye open.

A lurcher.... black and tan, with amazing eyebrows, short haired, and a warm pigskin belly that hypnotizes her when tickled.

She's a hotpotch of breeds.... we are assured there's saluki, greyhound and whippet......  and her moods are as reliable and predictable as her confused breed would suggest.

She comes when she wants.  We regularly have stand-offs where she obstinately looks at us defying any and every request or command.

She is tough as old boots, but incredibly sensitive.

She's incredibly clever, and inestimably dopey.

She likes sheep, deer, squirrels,,,,,,

Yet, at home she is fine with our cat and our chickens..... I haven't introduced the chickens yet, either!

Confused?  Yes, we all are!!

Need to give two shout outs:

Lurcher Link - The charity from whence we got Sookie.

The Dog Father Huddersfield - our trusty dog walker (top marks for being brave with her)