I could have got sad,a couple of times I've had a twinge of sadness looking through her photos,but ultimatly she had a wonderful,long,happy and healthy life,and I am very satisified knowing that. :)
I got Minstrel..also known as Mini,when I was 17.I wanted a Collie,any sort it didn't matter to me.I did things the wrong way,saw a litter of Rough Collies advertised in our local newspaper ( I still have the clipping of the advert) and went and bought her.
I bought her home,she met her new friend Rags the Rabbit,whom she used to play with!
Over the next 14 years we had fun....and LOTS of it.
The luxury of having only one dog is it gets to do everything with you.I didn't drive when I first had Mini and so we used to walk together everywhere.In those days you could safely leave a dog outside a shop whilst you popped in,and Minstrel would wait,off lead till I came out.
I wouldn't do it now,but I was young and maybe you would say naive,but Mini hardly ever got put on a lead.She simply didn't need one.She would trot along at my heels,ignoring distractions,wether they be dog,cat or squirrel.I don't recall training it,I kinda just expected it,and that's what I got.
I think she was kinda like a homeless persons dog.You know always on the move,just travelling with their owner,and not excited by much because they are wise,they've seen it all before.
At the time I was working in the town centre in a pet shop and grooming parlour.Minstrel would just trot along with me through the crowds and traffic,she really truely was like a real life Lassie.
She was an incredible girl,so knowing,SO loyal,and so much fun.She lived with different dogs,walked with dozens of dog,she had a real sense of right and wrong when it came to other dogs,she knew the law,she knew what was fair and just,and she taught many other dogs it.
My Boxer Boo,a big uneutered male,was THE most respectful of other dogs Boxer in the world I reckon,down to her teaching.So many dogs who's owners would tell me their dogs hate Boxers,would like Boo,Minstrel had taught him very well had to behave around other dogs lol.
Minstrel lived with Boo,and then Wilma his sister when she came to live with us.Wilma was very dog agressive when we got her,and Minstrel was 10 years old by then.I thought Minstrel may be about to lose her 'crown' as Queen Bee amongst the dogs,and knew if that was the natural way,I'd have to support that.
Well I needn't have worried.Wilma once tried to steal a biscuit from Minstrel about a week after she had joined us.It was funny to watch Wilma so cocky and confident think she could bully it from Minstrel.
One very well timed and placed air snap sent Wilma scuttling to her bed,where she stayed,shaking for over half an hour.
There was never a single dispute after that,and I had to laugh at how I'd underestimated Mini!!
When she was 13 and after sadly losing little Wilma,Shady came to join us.He was to be Mistrel's 'replacement' as the Hering breed around here.They got on wonderfully,just naturally drawn to each other.
Shady has certainly inherited her sense of fairness and justice,and is amazing with other dogs too.
Minstrel with her first friend she lived with.Raggie the Rabbit who I had rescued from the wild as a tiny baby.
The last new friend she lived with.Minstrel is 13 years old here,still happy,healthy aside from some arthritis which medication controlled well.Her and Shady hit it off from day one.
Over 10 years old here,but still FULL of fun!!!
It was so funny when we bought this pool.We bought the pool really for the Boxers,who can be prone to over heating in the warm weather.
The Boxer liked it for a while,but Mini LOVED it.We played with her in it for ages,then went in for dinner.An hourlater I glanced out of the window,and there was Minstrel,standing in the middle of it still :)
With the lovely Bronson.
With Roxy my ex's SBT.
Of course being so hairy she LOVED loved loved the snow :)
When I was younger and before I was allowed a dog of my own,finally aged 17,I used to walk any neighbourhood dog I could get my hands on!!lol
I used to knock on people's doors if I knew they had a dog and din't walk it,and simply ask to do it,for free,obviously not many people turned down the offer!
I carried on once I had Minstrel,and at my peak used to walk 12 dogs EVERY day,for free,often the easier dogs came for more than one walk per day.I used to walk for around 4 hours each day,no wonder I could eat all sorts of crap and never put on an ounce of weight hehe.
In this pic is Minstrel,Shane and Kilty the Irish Setters,Amber the Goldie,who I affectionatly called Amble as she was so overweight!Daisy the SBT,and Beanie Boxer who was mum to my Boxers :)
Minstrel had lots of friends :)
This was the last photo taken with these 4 together.Poor Tasha had a lung tuomour and died just a couple of weeks later,and Minstrel just a few weeks after that.
Minstrel really loved life right till the end,she was still playing the night before,and on the day I had her put to sleep we went for a tiny walk,and I groomed her gently,so it was just a normal day to her.:)
She loved to be groomed,I always groomed her with her lying on the floor,and she used to go to sleep whilst I grromed.
Photo taken at Dobbs Weir in Essex,she was such a stiking looking girl :)
Aged 11 in this photo,still gorgeous!
With one of her gang of friends at the kennels around 2001 I guess as Boo looks puppyish.
She had to put up with a lot of abuse from me! ;)
Minstrel with the original bad dogs lol.The herding breeds always look so well behaved compared to the Bullys :)Minstrel must be around 12 years old here.
Minstrel with baby Boo in mine and Pete's first home together.This was very much a one of situation,neither of us could believe she'd allowed it! :)
I know that its not 'fashionable' to use the word dominant these days,but towards other dogs that's exactly what she was.
She used to be with dozens of other dogs,and she was the boss of ALL of them!All sorts of breeds would bow down to her,and she didn't need to be agressive,her body language could control the most unruly or pushy of dogs :)
Here with some of the gang around 97ish.
Left to right,Minstrel,Hooch (x breed),Bomber (GSD),Suzie(SBT) and Nobby (Mastiff).
Minstrel was just simply a fantastic girl :)Who I was lucky to have in my life for so long.
No comments:
Post a Comment