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Some of you might have felt it coming... "When will she get a dog?" 
I like dogs. And somewhere in my heart I have always wanted one without getting one, knowing perfectly well that it would be unjust to a dog to live in an apartment with me away and cooped up in some office all day long. In Crete, things would be different. But I thought that when the time would come for that decision, it would be a dog choosing me and not the other way around.
And that's exactly what happened. Some ten days ago a dog was running around on the parking lot beneath my house, a bit confused but not sad-looking, rather like an escaped prisoner, happy about the freedom but with no clue about where to go. After a while I met her when I went out with the garbadge and we had a little chat, hi-doggy-what-are-you-doing-here-all-alone, etc. She decided to follow me back home and - just by coincidence - I had a nice bag with bones in the fridge. The butcher gives me the bones, and I give some to the cats once in a while. And now, naturally, I gave one to the dog. After some happy cheewing she lost interest in the bone and I led her to the gate, telling her to scoope out and get back home. Off she went. An hour later I found her in front of the gate barking to let me know she was back. OK, come in doggy, let's see if we can find somebody that knows you....
At first, she was quite scared about getting too close, but it was obvious that she wanted to. Finally we got around to the nosing hands, wagging tail, jumping up to show her happiness to find a friendly soul. I wanted to make her play a bit and picked up a small stick from the firewood, but then she started creeping and crying, she had surely been "tasting" a stick like that on the bag for a long time. In fact, she has two bad scars on her bag where the hair is not growing anymore. So we don't play throw-the-stick....
We've walked many chilometres in these last days, asking around if anybody knew the dog, had seen her before, knew to whom it belonged (with me naturally hoping never to find the owner who had mistreated her), but nobody seemed to know anything. My daughter told me that since the dog was female somebody might have gotten tired of her, females are troubles, they get pregnant and then you have to get rid of the puppies, etc. so she had probably just been let out of some car by the road for her to get killed by some passing car. Saves money for the vet...
She's a beauty. Some kind of wire-haired pointer, very young, I'd say about 7-8 months. When let loose on the beach she runs with the speed of a missile. Her craving for movement will be very healthy for me too, since I'll have to take her out for a couple of hours every day.
Some of the cats on the terrace didn't agree to this new companion, so they've decided to spend their days elsewhere, popping by just for dinner and then disappearing again. But most of them have already discovered that there is nothing to fear. As soon as the dog turns its back to the bone they come running to steal it from her. Well, when she sees it she runs towards the cats, barking, but as soon as the cat pumps up the fur to look scary, doggy stops immediately, not wanting to get her nose scratched. :-)
I didn't know how to name her, thought that an appropriate name would pop up sooner or later, but members of my family have already decided based on the circumstances. Her name is Lucky.
I like dogs. And somewhere in my heart I have always wanted one without getting one, knowing perfectly well that it would be unjust to a dog to live in an apartment with me away and cooped up in some office all day long. In Crete, things would be different. But I thought that when the time would come for that decision, it would be a dog choosing me and not the other way around.
And that's exactly what happened. Some ten days ago a dog was running around on the parking lot beneath my house, a bit confused but not sad-looking, rather like an escaped prisoner, happy about the freedom but with no clue about where to go. After a while I met her when I went out with the garbadge and we had a little chat, hi-doggy-what-are-you-doing-here-all-alone, etc. She decided to follow me back home and - just by coincidence - I had a nice bag with bones in the fridge. The butcher gives me the bones, and I give some to the cats once in a while. And now, naturally, I gave one to the dog. After some happy cheewing she lost interest in the bone and I led her to the gate, telling her to scoope out and get back home. Off she went. An hour later I found her in front of the gate barking to let me know she was back. OK, come in doggy, let's see if we can find somebody that knows you....
At first, she was quite scared about getting too close, but it was obvious that she wanted to. Finally we got around to the nosing hands, wagging tail, jumping up to show her happiness to find a friendly soul. I wanted to make her play a bit and picked up a small stick from the firewood, but then she started creeping and crying, she had surely been "tasting" a stick like that on the bag for a long time. In fact, she has two bad scars on her bag where the hair is not growing anymore. So we don't play throw-the-stick....
We've walked many chilometres in these last days, asking around if anybody knew the dog, had seen her before, knew to whom it belonged (with me naturally hoping never to find the owner who had mistreated her), but nobody seemed to know anything. My daughter told me that since the dog was female somebody might have gotten tired of her, females are troubles, they get pregnant and then you have to get rid of the puppies, etc. so she had probably just been let out of some car by the road for her to get killed by some passing car. Saves money for the vet...
She's a beauty. Some kind of wire-haired pointer, very young, I'd say about 7-8 months. When let loose on the beach she runs with the speed of a missile. Her craving for movement will be very healthy for me too, since I'll have to take her out for a couple of hours every day.
Some of the cats on the terrace didn't agree to this new companion, so they've decided to spend their days elsewhere, popping by just for dinner and then disappearing again. But most of them have already discovered that there is nothing to fear. As soon as the dog turns its back to the bone they come running to steal it from her. Well, when she sees it she runs towards the cats, barking, but as soon as the cat pumps up the fur to look scary, doggy stops immediately, not wanting to get her nose scratched. :-)
I didn't know how to name her, thought that an appropriate name would pop up sooner or later, but members of my family have already decided based on the circumstances. Her name is Lucky.
It is lovely to hear about the addition to your family; bet you will get lots of fun. If "chase the stick" is not a great idea perhaps one of your grandchildren could donate a ball?
We have been accompanied by various dogs on several occasions when we have been out walking around Kritsa and it is obvious that they would appreciate being taken in but obviously we can't do that. Perhaps one day! Meanwhile, we look forward to more Lucky tales.
Is she Lucky in English, Greek, Italian or Danish?
Yvonne
PS - I thought all dogs in Crete were called Ella.