It’s hard to imagine that such a distinguished, greying face of innocence could once have required someone to lie for them, isn’t it? It’s true though. I did once lie for this lovely chap. Lied to my husband of all people!
When this gorgeously handsome boy joined us, many years ago, he was a young tearaway (he’s now an older tearaway). He was under a year old and not including his breeder, we were his third home
I don’t think he had had much training or socialisation. His previous home had only had him a short time, having taken him on from the first owner. When I asked what his recall was like, I was told that he sometimes got out of the garden and ran around the housing estate, but always came back. Not quite the answer I was expecting. I wasn’t sure how he was going to fit in, but he came home with us the night we saw him, with my telling my husband that I would find a good home for him myself, if things didn’t work out. Oops that was my first Max-related lie actually; he was never going anywhere
I decided, bravely or foolishly perhaps, to let him off lead the very next day (the dog I mean, the husband has been allowed regular off-lead exercise since the day I met him :wink:). Max, or Mr Moo as he is often known, was a young, energetic dog in need of a good run. Thankfully, despite his lack of previous training he seemed to realise that he was onto a good thing with us as his recall was pretty good from day one and has become/remained excellent.
I should have realised what we had taken on, when on his first off-lead jaunt the morning after we brought him home, Max had his first poo in our care. I went to pick it up and found an alien attached! A fairly small rubber alien, but an alien nontheless. If I had been a photographer back then, I’d have photographed it probably, but you’ll be relieved to hear I wasn’t/didn’t. Still, though, I contacted the previous owner to confirm that we would definitely be keeping him! Some may say I should have heeded the warning.
So, onto the lie. Well Max was a bit of a whirlwind entering our previously relatively peaceful existence. We already had one dog, our beautiful couch potato, I mean Bullbreed. A dog who loved food, warmth, comfort and snuggles. Not so impressed with the crazy young Labrador who had crashed into her life. Thankfully she did come around fairly quickly and they were the best of friends for many years, often snuggled up together on the sofa.
Max’s arrival was rather a shock for my husband too. He had not owned dogs before our first dog together and he really was unprepared for Max! My husband is the softest person you could meet around dogs – and I’ve trained him well now. He stops to help stray dogs out of the road and gets annoyed at people who don’t treat their dogs kindly. However, back then, he took a little longer to bond with Max than I did.
Well one day, while dear hubby was at work and I was home, Max was upstairs with me, in our previous house, and saw a cat out of the window. Not thinking things through properly (upstairs/big drop/glass etc.) he jumped at the window! Terrifying moment! I *think* I managed to grab his collar and pull him back, I can’t quite remember, but thankfully, though the glass broke, Max remained in the bedroom and didn’t fly out of the window.
I then had to try to get the window fixed, because I knew Max-breaking-window was not going to go down well with the husband! I managed to find a company who could come out that afternoon. I explained what had happened to the man who came out, but asked, if the husband arrived home before the window was fixed, if he could please go along with my story that I had broken the window.
The husband did indeed arrive home while the window was being fixed. I did indeed lie (sorry about that, dear husband) – and bless the window-fixing-man, he backed up my story good and proper. He explained how I had tried to close the window (it was one of those lovely old sash types) and slammed it too hard and smashed the glass. All with a very serious, trusting face. I think he rather enjoyed himself
I’m not sure my husband was entirely convinced, but he went along with things at the time, though I did confess at a later date!
So, have you lied for your dog (or your cat, horse, rabbit, goldfish etc.)? Would you?! Leave me a comment below and let me know
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