Good 'Dog in the Garden' stories

I was talking to some people yesterday when I was poet in residence at the Mallala Hotel. We got talking about dogs, because I had showed them a copy of my 'Dig It! Gardening Tips for Dogs' book.

One of them told me about how he came to get his dog. It was not a nice story, but it had a happy ending. This man, Philip, lives in Singapore, and he had noticed a dog on a wire, so it could run 'loose', but there was no shade at all. This wasn't a once off situation, he saw it for some time. Philip was unhappy about the situation, and offered to buy the dog.

The owners refused, and said they couldn't bear to part with their dog. Philip said, what if I tell the authorities about how you are keeping the dog? The people backed down and sold the dog to Philip. The dog now lives a much happier life, with plenty of shade, and shelter when it rains. This dog is a kind of child substitute, much loved and cared for. Philip and his wife are happy to have saved the dog from distress, and thrilled to have the dog in their lives.

The other person, Scott, had a different story. He has a cairn terrier, which he takes hunting. The dog is a very good hunter, and Scott likes him for his hunting abilities.

Last winter Scott's dog was doing some 'pruning' of the creeper going up Scott's pergola. The dog chewed the plant right down to ground level, and Scott felt like shooting the dog, he was so angry. But he calmed down and the dog was allowed to live. Then, come spring, that creeper crept up and over the pergola, thick and lush and healthier than it had ever been. Scott is a firm believer in letting his dog get involved in the gardening now!

I was happy to hear both of these stories, it shows how beneficial it can be if you get your dog out there in the garden, and how much joy a dog can bring to a person's life.