Not all the news is bad. There was an item in The Guardian this week noting that the urban bird population is increasing and is more diverse because of the popularity of bird feeders charged with nutritious and tempting food.
Another improvement is the almost complete elimination of dog poo on pavements. This was a menace when I came to London 43 years ago. In the past the problem was not confined to dog messes. The History of Parliament has a piece about arcane parliamentary appointments in the 17th century:
Commissioner for
annoyances (or nuisances). While it’s tempting to imagine that this was about anti-social behaviour, it actually concerned the kind of nuisance that you wouldn’t want to step in. Seventeenth-century sanitation was fairly basic by modern standards, and ‘noisome’ waste generated by both people and animals tended to pile up in the streets. Commissioners for annoyances helped ensure that the problem didn’t get out of hand.
Robert has become Commissioner for annoyances at home. The vacancy arose this week when walks with Reggie, Bali and friends’ dogs persuaded us there is room in our life for a dog. On Wednesday we drove 175 miles north to Stoke-on-Trent to meet Bertie, a beagle puppy born on 18th March. Puppies have the power of hypnotism and by teatime he was exploring our kitchen. I have a job too:
Commissioner for perambulations. That’s the same root word that gave us the modern ‘pram’, and it’s about walking. The closest modern equivalent is the ceremony of ‘beating the bounds’ of a parish, which still happens in some parts of the country. Commissioners for perambulation were more likely to be checking on the boundaries of a forest, to ensure that the special laws pertaining to them were correctly applied.
I agree with Freddie Threepwood: the modern dog needs a good diet, rich in bone-forming vitamins. It makes “a dog that glows with health; a fine upstanding dog with eyes sparkling with the joy of living and both feet on the ground” (The Go-Getter, Blandings Castle). This is a dog fed on Donaldson’s Dog Joy. You will recall Freddie was a salesman in Long Island City for Donaldson’s Dog Joy (“Get Your Dog Thinking the Donaldson Way.”) Bertie likes Purina Pro Plan, made in Missouri since 1926. I expect PG Wodehouse was thinking of this brand when he invented Donaldson’s.
https://youtu.be/oKwSGovRACk
Congrats on the arrival of Bertie to West London. I look forward to pre-season ‘new entry’ training. ‘Ware rabbit!’
Congrats with Bertie ! Have complete faith in your most important early puppy training abilities ! But in case of need have a look at http://www.alesyadogtrainer.co.uk
I hope Alesya will not be needed. So far Bertie is eager to learn and very good-natured.
Welcome to Bertie . The decision is made when you start to research your favoured breed …. no escape when you actually see the puppy and Bertie does look particularly sweet. Reggie has taken it well so far and looks forward to being introduced and promises not teach Bertie any of his many bad habits.
Puppies can, indeed, hypnotize. Congratulations, he looks delightful. (Hide your good shoes until the chewing phase is done?) As a boy, I had a beagle-mix dog, so I have a particularly soft spot for them.
Look forward to more “click-bait” pictures of Bertie.