DIFFERENT STROKES…
Finnish Lapphunds Rema and Ari were aunt and nephew. They lived together for a number of years, with Niki Allison’s other Lapphunds, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, but, sadly, Rema passed away.
“She was my clown,” recalled Niki. “Full of life and borderline hyperactive, she rarely kept still, although she did calm down in her later years.
“Ari is much quieter; he’ll take himself off to a quiet corner. He’ll have his moments of activity but he’s slower; Rema would do things at a gallop.
“I think boys tend to be soppier, but Ari doesn’t have to be right there with you all the time. If your hand was resting over the side of the sofa, Rema would stick her head underneath it, and flick your arm so it landed on her — not subtle at all!
The pair differed in their approach to water too. “Rema was a real water baby. On a walk, if there was a puddle at the side of the road, she’d drag you across to walk through it, whereas Ari will do all he can to walk around a puddle. If he has to walk through, he’ll tiptoe through it, like he’s thinking: ‘Ooh gosh, I don’t like this!’”
Both dogs learned tricks, although Rema exhibited more enthusiasm. “Ari will give you his paw,” said Niki. “But Rema learned to give paw from a young age, and she liked to please. She had a repertoire of tricks for treats, and if you didn’t give her treats straightaway, she’d move onto her next trick and go through them all until you gave her one!
“She was also very vocal — if you told her off, or said something to her, she would answer back. She always started the singsongs. Ari is quieter; he’ll join in a singsong but he’ll be the last to do so!”