Early Morning Dogging

Courier Column for 9 January

Two Balls Best in Winter Wonderland

The advantage of living with a dog is that you HAVE to go out together every day whatever the weather. Myrtle and I have a routine. In the morning the kettle goes on the Aga and we go out of the back door. At this time of year it takes some preparation. Wellington boots, overcoats, scarves, hats and gloves have to be donned. And I have to put on winter clothing too! 

No, I jest. I’m not the sort to dress up my dog. Though we’ve seen some canines in pretty natty Christmas coats out and about recently. Myrtle, however, wouldn’t allow even a ribbon to be tied round her neck in to make her a bit more festive. In hindsight, perhaps, the attached large gold balls may have put her off.

As I robe up she stands impatiently at the door as if to say: “What IS the delay? Why don’t you keep your fur on permanently?” And I have to remind her of those blazing hot summer days when she lies panting in the shade while I strip down to shorts and T-shirt and lap up the sun. 

But that’s for then and this is now: it’s cold as a polar bear’s paws outside and the frost crunches underfoot as we walk into the field. It looks magic with the early morning sun rising over the hillside and the trees parading leafless limbs.

I fling the tennis ball high in the air and Myrtle rushes to retrieve it. We have to adopt the ‘two-ball strategy’ as she’ll never relinquish the one in her mouth. If she hasn’t spotted exactly where the second one landed, she does little gazelle-like leaps to give herself extra height. Then the collie in her takes over and she shepherds the ball between her front paws, sometimes dribbling it like a centre-forward before finally standing aside to await a new throw.

The trouble is that, every time I stop to take in the majesty of the winter scene, I lose sight of the ball and have to scour the ground. It’s worse in autumn with carpets of leaves to conceal it. If I’m really stuck, I can summon the hound who sniffs round in demented circles until she locates it. On frosty mornings like today, it’s a joy to be alive and you hardly regret leaving your warm bed at sunrise at all.