A Tribute to Gretal (05/2011 to 02/2016)
For those of you who didn’t know Gretal, let me tell you a bit about her…..
It took me 15 years for me to persuade Ian to let us have a dog. He eventually relented, but I had my orders:
- The dog must not moult
- The dog must not slobber
- The dog must not smell
- Must not have a high pitched yap!!
Firstly, Gretal was raised by cats, so in time she became a mountain goat crossed with a cat. You get the picture…agile, fast, climbing great heights whilst our heart is in our mouth, and although well trained….free spirited at any given opportunity.
I wanted a well trained dog, good recall, and no desire to chase our chickens. So the first games started. We spent hours looking ridiculous….crouched down playing the “recall game”. One would hold Gretal, whilst saying “Are you ready….are you ready”, and the other would shout, “GRETAL COME” waving a furry squeaky, and dancing around in excitement. She came to love this game, and we’d do it everywhere. Very quickly our little girl had mastered that command!!! By the time puppy class started, we felt much more comfortable.
She failed her first attempt at the bronze good citizen dog scheme….she couldn’t keep her bum on the ground long enough lol. That was a clue to her nature….she didn’t like to sit, or lie…..she liked to stand or RUN!
I wanted a well trained dog, good recall, and no desire to chase our chickens. So the first games started. We spent hours looking ridiculous….crouched down playing the “recall game”. One would hold Gretal, whilst saying “Are you ready….are you ready”, and the other would shout, “GRETAL COME” waving a furry squeaky, and dancing around in excitement. She came to love this game, and we’d do it everywhere. Very quickly our little girl had mastered that command!!! By the time puppy class started, we felt much more comfortable.
She failed her first attempt at the bronze good citizen dog scheme….she couldn’t keep her bum on the ground long enough lol. That was a clue to her nature….she didn’t like to sit, or lie…..she liked to stand or RUN!
One of Gretal’s favourite spots was sitting on the roof of the house….she would wile away the hours, keeping watch over her vast territory. We had the odd knock on the door from a concerned tourist, telling us our dog was on the roof. Yes, thanks…she does it all of the time! Rolling our eyes at her, she carried on scaring the public.
Now, although Gretal was an active dog, she was also a lazy dog if the mood took her. True to a Bedlington Terriers nature, she was happy doing whatever her guardians were doing. So, she loved to be cuddled. We couldn’t sit down on the sofa, without her curly scruffy body being draped all over us. She also loved the cats – the cats being anything from indifferent, to playful or loving.
Gretal’s biggest admirer by far was Alfie. We had him as a kitten when Gretal was about a year old.
She let him suckle her nipples, until he used his teeth on them, and he got a telling off!! Alfie used to greet Gretal each morning by rubbing his stumpy little body under her belly, and draping his huge bushy tail over her face
She let him suckle her nipples, until he used his teeth on them, and he got a telling off!! Alfie used to greet Gretal each morning by rubbing his stumpy little body under her belly, and draping his huge bushy tail over her face
I loved Gretal cuddles, always as warm as a radiator, and we would spend hours picking bits from her coat as she lay there in restful slumber. That was the funny thing about Gretal’s fur. It was Velcro, and anything and everything would stick to it. It was fab fur, but matted easily, so as we wanted her long and scruffy….I had to become apt at using a pair of scissors. So I began trimming her myself – yes I had a couple of accidents in the early days….oops!!! But Gretal was forgiving and would stand for a good couple of hours whilst I trimmed and beautified her. Not the traditional beautiful trim…..the scruffy girl trim!! Except for when she had a bath….and wow, did she look like a cloud – a powder puff of full body cotton wool….until she got wet again and it became the sweet spirals we loved. When it snowed, the snow stuck to her legs and face, and she procured the name….Snow dog. I also think “bog dog” speaks for itself!!
Now, another of Gretal’s favourite pass times had to be road trip. She’d jump into the car with gusto and was straight to the window….face out, sniffing the air, fur flattened in the breeze…..well it’s not all that romantic…we live 1500ft above sea level….I couldn’t call it a breeze….more like a tornado, and she loved it. We had the constant battle when the weather was torrential, horizontal rain – window up….or window down….who won? You guessed it…and I would forever hear from Ian, how I had created a monster!!! Window always down. Good job my seats are leather….a bit of rain never hurt anyone!!!
Gretal didn’t mind the rain in the car, but it was a completely different kettle of fish when it came to it on her body….and that included swimming. She’d dip her toes gingerly into said sea, river, pond etc…..and now and then would go up to her leg pits. But did she ever go swimming by choice? OOOO No, but I can recount a couple of incidents that do make me laugh. Firstly, when she was a pup, we were walking along the canal, when she leaned over and stood on some grass…..it was actually coming from the water….and plop….she fell right in. She looked like a drowned rat, and we got some very strange looks as we were walking along with the rat dog.
Another time, was on a holiday to Anglesey. Gretal loved the sand…..she’d run and dig, and run and dig! She loved splashing through the puddles left by the tide. Until she splashed through one, and it was like Geraldine in the vicar of Dibley!!!! I have never laughed so hard at her….and being a cat dog, she didn’t like being laughed at.
Gretal always had a good time on our holidays, and at least Ian was useful for something. Being a non- moulting breed, we didn’t have to adhere to the “no dogs on furniture” rule. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone.
Another time, was on a holiday to Anglesey. Gretal loved the sand…..she’d run and dig, and run and dig! She loved splashing through the puddles left by the tide. Until she splashed through one, and it was like Geraldine in the vicar of Dibley!!!! I have never laughed so hard at her….and being a cat dog, she didn’t like being laughed at.
Gretal always had a good time on our holidays, and at least Ian was useful for something. Being a non- moulting breed, we didn’t have to adhere to the “no dogs on furniture” rule. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone.
Eventually, I decided to set up my pet sitting business. I explained this to Gretal, and said it would mean I would be with her EVERY DAY, and not just in the evenings and weekends!!! So, she accepted the tradeoff – a house full of dogs, in exchange for more Mummy time.
She welcomed dog after dog into her home, and loved to run and play with them. She didn’t mind me fussing them, but would nudge her bum into me, to remind me she was there, and that she needed a scratch too.
She welcomed dog after dog into her home, and loved to run and play with them. She didn’t mind me fussing them, but would nudge her bum into me, to remind me she was there, and that she needed a scratch too.
I had a husband who was originally scared of dogs, and now we have a houseful. Who would ever have thought it. Gretal became iconic, with her face out of the window, and she is forever immortalised on my logo.
Gretal is a special girl, a beautiful, scruffy sweet little thing, and we will never forget her. Her life may have been short, but it was crammed full of adventures. She will remain forever in our hearts. He litter sister, Summer lives with my parents, and we see Gretal in her. She lives on in our hearts, and in Summer. I don’t regret a single bit of her life. She was true to herself, and lived a carefree life.
Gretal is a special girl, a beautiful, scruffy sweet little thing, and we will never forget her. Her life may have been short, but it was crammed full of adventures. She will remain forever in our hearts. He litter sister, Summer lives with my parents, and we see Gretal in her. She lives on in our hearts, and in Summer. I don’t regret a single bit of her life. She was true to herself, and lived a carefree life.
Cherish your fur babies… Give them an extra cuddle…forgive them quickly and love hard…because you never know when they’ll be gone….it’s not age that always takes them away….an accident can rip them away in the blink of an eye.
Much loved and forever missed, our dear little bog dog….our GDP…our beautiful little Pretzel. xxxxxx
Much loved and forever missed, our dear little bog dog….our GDP…our beautiful little Pretzel. xxxxxx