Blue

Part 3 of the Country Canine Companions Collection

A fine dog our dog is glad to call her neighbour!

Blue lives with Bess. As his name suggests he is a blue heeler. Over the year I have watched him grow from a roly-poly puppy as small as a newborn baby into a stocky adult dog. He is boxy, square from every angle. Blue’s dark coat is bushy, which adds bulk to his stocky strength. His fur is surprisingly fluffy, adding volume to his cubic countenance without changing its proportions.

I count myself lucky to be on Blue’s regular walking route: it’s always a pleasure when I see his teenager, in school uniform on weekdays and casual clothes on weekends, leading the pup-come-dog at a casual stroll past our house. Our dog tracks Blue along our fence line, saying hello through the wire. I can only guess at their conversations. Blue is friendly without being overwhelming.

Not long ago a new blue heeler moved into our street. Although the same breed, Angus is a completely different shape: tall and lean, with a very long, skinny tail. He is almost two-dimensional when viewed from directly in front or behind, as if his blueprint paper had been folded and left only the crease of the edge.

Angus is energetic and friendly, he loves giving slobbery leaps when he meets people and other dogs. He even tried to come on our walks when we first met him.

Angus’ teenagers also take him walking past our place. They chat as they walk him. It’s lovely to see a firm friendship in these two competent dog-handlers.

Living in the country as I do almost everyone has a dog. It’s a great feature about where we live!