Caninecommunications withJulia Collins

Parlez Vous POOCH?!

Blogger andqualified‘DogListener ’ Julia Collins discusses thewisdomand practicalitiesof clothing fordogs.

Increasingly itseems to be à la mode to putclothes on our dogs. Iamcertainlyguilty.It beganwithazip-up fleece for chillywalks, progressing to a duvet-style‘turn-out’rug for seriouslywintry weather.Before springarrivedweweresporting aonesie! Infact,ofthelatter,we possess two. Following messy, cold morning walks we canpeel outofone,haveaquick pawwash andslide effortlesslyintoonesie numbertwo,ready foraday’s gardening.Snug,windproof,and ideal forsitting on damp grass, especiallyasIeither addthe fleeceunderneath or theduvet ontop! Ihavelongwonderedabout thewisdom,orkindness,of taking adogfrom acentrally heated home outintothe cold weather.Especiallywhenwe humans getall toggedupin coat,hat,scarf, gloves,etc. Ifully comprehendhowkennelleddogs of oldwould have stupendous coatsandthermostats to match, enablingthemto cope, but when you’vebeen snoozingin yourfleecy bed oneminuteand e expected to face bleak o openfieldsthenext, to m mea coatofsome sort makesperfectsense. Another reasonisthe dreaded clean-up. Not possessing asluicedown area,for usthis has to take placeon thepaving outside thefront door.We allknow thehorrible feelingof abreeze on wet skin. Well,imaginethat amplified on acoldday when youhavefourlegs to wash, plus bitsoftummy! You see where theonesieiscoming from. Nowadaysmypooch watches throughthe French doors from thecomfortofthe hall, whilethe onesiereceives the clean upthat wasformerly hisfate.In addition,less warm waterand towelsareneeded. Thathasgot to be aplus. Itcanbedraughtyaroundthe Barn. Iboughthim asweater, andthismustardyellownumber proved terrificallydashing, somuch sothat anavypolo followed closely on its heels. Handy too, when rainmakesthe temperatureplummetandnights aren’tsobalmy. Justlikehorses’rugs,the varietyofcoats fordogsseems aslimitlessastheoccasionswe candreamup fortheiruse. Itell myselfthat practicalityisthe watchword. We dress forpurpose here –notappearances,although thosebandanascan look very cool–perhapsif we received one as apresent?!

Parlez Vous POOCH?!articles arealsoavailableonthe Oracle, anaudioinformation magazine forvisuallyimpairedlisteners, whichispartof Wymondhamand Attleborough Talking Newspapers. To accessallthe Talking Newspaperrecordings, go to

www.watn.org.uk

Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk