Dobermann Welfare: Caring Hands

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Caring Hands - The Kodi Files

The Kodi Files
Hello, Kodi here again. Well summer seems to be finally over, and the evening walk is now taken in the dark. As you may be aware from the last file, I was spayed. Recovery went very well, and I'm glad to report that all my boyfriends have stuck by me in my hour of need. I've even increased the group with an Italian Merema and a German Short Haired Pointer. George, the black Labrador, became a proud father of two in the last week.

I came back from our regular evening walk the other day, and knew immediately that there had been an infringement on my territory. Mum seemd totally unconcerned, so it was down to me! I had seen wildlife programmes to understand the basics of the stalk; head down, nose out in front, back straight, check of wind direction, then a slow motion walk forward trying not to fall over whilst balancing on three legs. Mum still seemed oblivious, even when I did my classic point indication! It wasn't until I had my nose 2 inches away from the offending object, that mum at last took note. Her reaction was to laugh, and I was gently told not to terrorise the local 'daddy long legs'* population.

As you may well guess, swimming lessons have been put on hold until next summer, so I thought that I might try my paw at a spot of golf. Initially it seemed a boring game; a group of people hit a small ball from one end of a field to a small hole at the other end. I thought the least I could do was to liven up the middle section. This is best done on a dog leg hole (ha ha), preferably with cover close at hand. Wait until someone is brave enough to cut the corner with his shot, then rush out onto the fairway, grab the ball, and return to cover before you are noticed! Then from where you are you can watch the resulting antics of desperate golfers looking for a non existent ball.

On the film front, Steven Spielberg has finished up with the film 'The life of Private Ryan', but we now have George Lucas filming the Star Wars pre-cules, and the James Bond crew are in the area filming 'Tomorrow never dies'. I thought of applying for the role, I could be Pierce Brosnan's sidekick 007 ½! Admittedly, I would find it a little tricky disarming a 20,000 tonne nuclear warhead set up to destroy the world by the latest in a long line of megalomaniacs with only my paws, but at least I could get our hero there in one piece, and just imagine the field day that 'Q' would have fitting all those gadgets into my collar and lead!
Cookery classes are going very well indeed now that I can see over the kitchen table and discover exactly what goes on up ther. It smells good. Mum is vegetarian, so I have got used to sampling a whole range of exotic vegetables and fruit. My personal favourite is cake and biscuit making, as I manage to vacuum the odd currant or sultana, and I also get to lick the empty margarine tubs. These are murder ro tie down when you are trying to get the last the last scrap of butter out of the bottom.

Gardening is also going well. I decided that it was time for the cabbages to be harvested, having heard on a radio programme that they are liable to shoot if they are not taken care of. Having assessed the situation, I concluded that those cabbages had to come up. Midway through the operation, I heard a scream come from the house, and moments later, mum decided she had better salvage what she could from the remaining carnage in the cabbage patch.
Local wildlife sightings, in our woods, with 'Muntjac'* deer having done very well this year. They seem unconcerned about all the dogs around there, and will stand up against any who try to give chase or are fast enough to get away into the numerous bramble bushes.

At last I have some good news on the badger front. Having discovered the tragic scene of one of the main setts having been dug out, and some very worrying spots of blood in the surrounding area earlier in the year, mum and I have now found three other large setts nearby, all with resident badgers. There is definate badger spoor* and bedding trails. We may catch a glimpse of them in the spring, you never know!
I'm afraid I've been in the wars lately, and when I do something, it is with style! Having just had a wonderful walk through fields and woods, mum put me onto the extension lead to go across the last bit of field to the road. I decided to go one way round a bramble bush, and unfortunately, had a small argument with a piece of glass, and I came out of the other side a totally different colour from when I went in. I was red! I had hit the artery in my lower left leg, and I was leaking red stuff all over the place. Mum had to think fast.

Yes, my mum stripped off in a public place! her bra was the only thing she had on her at the time to staunch the flow of blood. Having wrapped the thing round my leg, we made to the road, but nobody would stop for us. By this time we were both covered in blood, so we must have looked quite a state. We made it back home which was 8 minutes away, and after a quick telephone call to the vet to warn him we were on our way, we made it over to the surgery at top speed.
After mum explained what was wrapped arpound my leg, the vet said "Oh! I haven't had my hands on one of these for a long while! Needless to say, I required an operation to re-attach everything. Luckily I missed all the tendons and nerves, and because mum had acted so quickly, I didn't need a top up. Mum now carries a pad and bandage around on all our walks, just in case! I suppose I should be grateful that she didn't use her knickers instead!

Well, it's time to sign off now, as I have gone on for long enough. I am now fully fit again, and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

*Daddy long legs is an insect 'The Crane Fly'
*Muntjac - a very small Asian deer, now living wild in the UK following escapes from deer parks.
*Spoor is another term for footprints

Submitted by Sue Henschker

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