Pre-owned, second hand, whatever. We love her

SO FINALLY, nearly three years after I put to sleep wee old Scud, the rescue dog who grew up with my children, the house is echoing once again with the pitter patter of canine feet.

But these are not tiny puppy feet.

There have been no unfortunate “accidents”.

There have not been sleepless nights brought about by the appealing howls of a pup that has just been separated from its mother and siblings.

There has been no requirement for a comfortable cage, to avoid damage to property and pup.

And there have not been endless training sessions when even you get bored saying “sit” and “stay”.

The reason, of course, is quite simple. The dog, or rather I should say the bitch, is seven years old.

She is what a car salesman would call “pre-owned”.

In the old days, it was second hand. I prefer the expression “trained”.

The reasons she came to be here are not important but she has been a revelation to say the very least.

She walks to heel without a lead.

She will “sit”, “stay” and “come” on command and she waits patiently to be told she can start her dinner.

She remains in her bed until requested to leave it but still delights in lying in front of the fire and glowers silently if it has not been lit.

In short, she hasn’t put a foot wrong since she arrived and has settled into family life beautifully.

Wife and daughter are greeted consistently in a happy, agreeable but controlled manner and she has one bark at the prodigal son if/when he ever returns home before wagging her tail and sitting for a pat.

Nevertheless, since I have been doing all the exercising, feeding and, yes, keeping up the training, there is no doubt she is thoroughly “my” dog.

She seems perfect in every way but her appearance has caused some minor upset.

First, daughter Ellie felt guilty about her taking Scud’s place. A long, tearful conversation ensued. Ellie hates it when I cry.

Then there was the silence when my wife pointed out that no female had looked at me so adoringly in the last 20 years.

And I shouldn’t have said that the dog was the only being that had retrieved anything for me in the last two decades.

But all in all, she has started another chapter in my life.

I had nearly forgotten how much fun it is to have a dog about. It just feels right. Doesn’t it?