Tuesday 30 September 2008

My First Papillon

Chip was the first papillon I owned. He was of Glenscot breeding. One of my daughters had previously bought one which had died as a result of an accident, but I had taken a liking to this breed which was quite unlike the border collies I had been used to around the farm. This little fellow turned out to be quite a character and an expert escape artiste. Little Lacey, my daughter's dog had never gone out the garden gate, which was always open, but, from the arrival of Chip, things had to change. First of all we closed the gate but he squeezed underneath and set off up the hill road, sniffing here and there. The man with the fish van came up with the solution---he brought us a piece of fishing net and that was tied to the gate so that it hung nearly to the ground. Chip never escaped again.
Once he ran in among the sheep and chased them but after being severely reprimanded (that was a definite "no no" in sheep country) I could walk him off lead through a sheep field and he would never so much as look at them.
He also went outside in all weathers without persuasion, quite unlike all the others I have ever had. Mind you, he had a coat like a little husky, not the required silky show coat.
The wee fella lived until he was 16 years old.

Chip


In the hayfield


On the beach


Thursday 25 September 2008

PYATSHAW


Pyatshaw Wood

How the affix name came about.

The name, Pyatshaw, comes from this group of trees in the Lammermuir hills in East Lothian. The dogs and I walked by them frequently when we lived on a farm nearby.

I have read that it means "the hollow of the magpies", which seems fairly apt as a few of my papillons are, or were, black and white and they love to steal anything, shiny or otherwise.