Misunderstanding the therapy dog role

photo by Françoise

You might be wondering why Gail has a pot plant growing out of her head, but that is not the point of this post. 

Perhaps you have already deduced that the photo above was not taken in our house. 

We were visiting Gail's friend Françoise, who is currently stuck at home recuperating from a nasty three-times broken and still painful ankle. 

I have often fantasised about being a therapy dog, going round bringing joy to people who need cheering up by jumping all over them and licking their wounds.  Grateful 'clients' insisting on showering me with treats has always been an important part of the fantasy.

But to be honest, the whole experience the other day was rather disappointing, as I was kept on a short lead throughout the visit and was restrained from touching Françoise's ankle or even getting close to her. There was a distressing absence of dog treats too (although I noticed that the humans had cake).

I asked Gail why everything was so boring and she said I had misunderstood what is required of a therapy dog and first and foremost I needed to be aware that it's not all about me...

What???

Birthday Boy, Burns Night, and "Be more Nobby"

Nobby's birthday haggis

Haggis, neeps and tatties

Readers can be forgiven for not realising it was my birthday on Thursday and I have now reached the grand age of two years old. After all, it seems my owner Gail had barely noticed.

You would have thought that, given the choice between spending the morning playing with her favourite pet and giving him birthday treats, or joining her friends for a cold damp bicycle ride to Monymusk and back, she would have chosen the former. But you would be wrong.

Recognising that I share my birthday with Scotland's greatest poet, you would have thought Gail would arrange for a special canine-focussed Burns Supper for yours truly, with bagpipes, haggis, an Address to the Bitches and a recitation of 'The Twa Dogs'. But that also was not to be. 

It is true I was given a hasty bowl of the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties before Gail abandoned me again to attend a live screening from the National Theatre of a play called 'Dear England'.

'Yes you read that right. She went to see a play titled 'Dear England' on Burns Night in Scotland!!!

I will admit, when Gail told me the play was about the England football team under their current manager Gareth Southgate and it featured a whole scene celebrating my namesake, 1960s footballer, Nobby Stiles, I felt a bit less aggrieved.  Especially when I learnt that this scene has the team all dancing to a chant of 'Be more Nobby'.*

'Be more Nobby!'

You don't get that in Shakespeare...

*Gail says: I rather doubt that the 'Be more Nobby' thing will be comprehensible to most readers of this blog and to be honest I'm not sure I'm up to attempting a full explanation. Let's just say it's about expressing one's feelings in an unselfconscious manner, not worrying too much about how you look. If you watch from 3:40 to 3:50 of this video (click here) you might get the idea! The play, incidentally, was hugely enjoyable - witty, original, warm-hearted, and at times surprisingly touching.

Nobby's Ode to Winter Weather

My offering today is a wee poem, suitable (I hope) for the LLB Gang's Nature Friday and for YAM-aunty's Final Friday Feature. 

Climate Change in a Week

My heart's aglow,

When I see snow.

But as for slush,

Not so much. 

Don't slip on ice,

Is good advice.

Ceaseless gales,

Bring more travails.

Now we have rain.

Oh not AGAIN!

What a bummer.

When is Summer?

PS As some of my readers know, yesterday was my 2nd birthday. I shall be posting about my not entirely satisfactory 'celebrations' later in the weekend...

The dawn explorer

In-between storms Isha and Jocelyn, Nobby successfully negotiates the narrow passageway under Aberdeen's King George VI Bridge, keeping his paws dry. 

P.S. Gail shares her (middle) name with the second of these storms. She suspects there will never be a Storm Gail - that would be too confusing! 

Nobby and the Book Group

 
I am wondering whether any of my readers, or their humans, are members of a book group? 

Gail's book group was supposed to meet at our house last week, and it was to my great disappointment that due to the snowy weather they decided to conduct the gathering on Zoom instead. 

One usually hopes to snaffle some foodables while the book group ladies' attention is elsewhere. 

I was however able to eavesdrop on their on-line discussion about the latest novel (selected by Gail) and I am pleased to report that they had a lively debate, as some loved 'Death and the Penguin' by Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov, and others did not. 

I was a bit surprised that this book was not universally popular*, as surely the presence of a penguin as one of the principal characters could not fail to delight. 

When I looked at the list of past books read by the group I realised that there is a glaring absence in the subject matter they have covered to date. 

Where are the books featuring dogs?

Gail tells me that not everyone in her book group is a dog lover and in fact at least one member is notably uncomfortable around my species. Which got me thinking.

Perhaps my readers could suggest a book - fiction or non-fiction - which might prompt those friends of Gail who are not convinced about delights of canine companionship to reconsider?

*For the record, Gail greatly enjoyed the dark humour of this satire on society in 1990s Ukraine.