Greetings and goodbyes

First an apology, I can’t get to grip with the visual appearance of this blog, picture sizing and placement seem different every time I look back at what is already up and the typography is crude beyond belief, mortifying to one who spent years as a graphic designer. These things will improve.

Regarding content I am keen not to anthropomorphise Rocco and our guests however they are all strong characters and communicate clearly to us. I am also concerned not to come over as a Pooter but that is the risk every blogger takes.

Back to the subject of this blog...


As a rule dogs don’t say goodbye, (the possible exception to this is Teddy a Border Terrier who is ever punctilious in his interactions). The lack of a goodbye is felt both by an owner leaving a guest who dashes to our side door to greet old friends and it is felt by us when someone who has professed itself as our best, best, best friend when it whizzes off at the end of its stay to joyfully to rejoin its family.

Dogs are very good on ‘Hallo’, they are magnificent in their greetings, it is the next thing that matters. It is legendry that they are loyal friends but it is the friends they make as puppies who stay close to their hearts all their lives.

Ziggy seen here with Rocco (both lurchers seemingly thinking dark lurcher thoughts) and seen with Maisey. Ziggy is one of Rocco’s oldest mates. When they were young they both played the puppy game of ‘bite yer face’ distressing to watch – how can they avoid harming each other? – but the participants know the boundaries exactly. When they meet each other after a break of a couple of years Rocco and Ziggy continue where they left off.

Phoebe, our eldest daughter is a genius at finding a voice that exactly encapsulates the character of a dog. When she voices Ziggy’s thoughts he comes across as a Russian gangster, which suits his ruthless pursuit and killing of squirrels and in his youth, waterfowl on Barnes Pond. Once when she saw Rocco dashing ahead of Ziggy towards a Wimbledon Common rabbit warren, she called out in Rocco's voice 'Run, baby bunnies run, Ziggy is coming'.

Chasing animals is Rocco’s passion, thankfully however he does not kill. He was a rescue dog, discarded in Birmingham by gypsies, as his lack of a killer instinct rendered him a useless hunter. We found him through Saluki Rescue’s website (he is at least half saluki) we drove up to the Droitwich Dog Show to collect him from his kindly foster family. He was great friends with the boys in that family and would greet the youngest, strapped in his pushchair, with a ‘Saluki kiss’ - a lick in the ear. He retains a fondness for this greeting we watch carefully but many a pushchair-bound toddler in Barnes has been surprised by the affectionate greeting.