THE BATON HAS PASSED.

There is an alternative way of dealing with the ‘fear of loss’; that obstacle preventing people from having a dog or, at any rate, a second one. Some owners will, at any one time, have two dogs. There tends to be an age gap of a few years between them because a conscious decision has been made to ensure there’ll always be at least one dog in the house, softening the moment of loss!

I understand that approach, although it’s not a strategy I would use. For me, it’s important to acknowledge the central role in my life held by my dog; that I will be heartbroken when my friend is no longer around but so grateful for the times we shared. I’ll need time and an opportunity to mourn that loss and gradually move past the pain to a point where I can just celebrate what we had.

Someone once said, and I totally agree, ‘If you don’t own a dog, there may not necessarily be anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life.’ And that’s why we go again! Because there is always room in your life for the non-judgemental love waiting to be unleashed and focused on you.

Mind you, it’s always a shock when your elderly, wise companion is replaced by the firework which arrives next! You’re suddenly reintroduced to explosive bursts of energy, to the joy of observing moments of puppy wonderment, where the simple movement of a stray leaf drifting across the lawn is the most exciting event in the world! And, of course, there is a sense of satisfaction when you realise one more piece of learning has finally and irreversibly been consolidated into new behaviours.

I remember watching a programme about a lady who had her dog cloned so she could have a never-ending supply of identical substitutes. I was genuinely horrified by the idea! Partly because although you can clone a gene, the growth and development of personality and character will always be fresh and unique. Also, I think it’s important not to regard a new dog as a replacement for the recently lost one; we must accept the loss and then embrace the new adventure that will begin again.

This is a selection from my playlist of covers. I like the originals; some are genuine classics, but I prefer these versions. Perhaps it reinforces the point that life moves on, and if you roll with it and remain open to something new, there might be unexpected but pleasant surprises.
Hallelujah – Alexandra Burke
Like a rolling stone – Seal and Jeff Beck
The sound of silence – Disturbed
You’ve got to hide your love away – Joe Cocker

As your new companion grows and makes a place for itself in your life, you inevitably compare it with the previous occupant of your heart. For us, there are obvious similarities and marked differences between Ellie and Ruby. Over twenty years, the breeders have produced a solid genetic line that undoubtedly influences temperament. Additionally, we believe that a clear routine is essential for a dog, and we have implemented it almost identically both times. So that combination of nature and nature accounts for many of the similarities.

On the other hand, Ellie was born three weeks before the shortest day of the year, while Ruby’s birthday is just five weeks before the longest. That early exposure to prolonged daylight has definitely influenced her sleep and play patterns differently from Ellie’s. Similarly, their early socialisation experiences were also very different. We bought a buggy to take Ruby out in the summer of 2020 until she was fully protected by her vaccinations; when Ellie arrived, she was almost housebound in the long, cold, snowy winter of early 2007. She loved the beaches in Sunderland but didn’t really see much of them, and the many dogs who roam there, until she was around six. Ruby was introduced to them from a few months old. She has been around young children since her first days with us. Ellie was almost ten before she was exposed to the same experience.

The two photos I’ve used this time look almost identical but were actually taken nearly seven years apart. I only realised I had them when uploading another batch to the electronic photo frame. One is Ellie, and the other is Ruby, and I can only tell the difference by checking which one is sitting on the carpet. A few years ago, well before Ruby arrived, we replaced it with a wooden floor. I was enthralled when I spotted the similarity. Not because I had unknowingly recreated a moment in time; it was that these two very different dogs had a shared love of observing life in the garden. Another thing that links them is the joy and pleasure of being around two such beautiful creatures with their lovely characters.

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