Sam canoes in to see Bingo
Please say hello to Bingo, the latest crew member to join the Eva Luna.
He joined us from the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre, a somewhat skinny and subdued soul, around 10 days ago.
The picture is of him on his profile is his first sail, in a little doggy life jacket donated by a fellow boater.
Bingo was found straying. He went to a foster home for assessment, then to new family, but he apparently didn’t get on with their other dog. Not the greatest start in life, and we had a massive shock when he disgraced himself at dog training classes by picking on a smaller dog. He is not, apparently, iredeemable and has been put on special measures, not least of which is to put him in his place!
Bingo has changed my life. From a sedentary job, travelling everywhere sat in a boat or a car, suddenly I’m walking for three hours a day, and as I have a little conscience watching my every mouthful, snacking’s out of the window.
He’s an adorable, cheeky little character with loads of personality. Around people, he’s incredibly biddable, and someone has obviously trained him at some stage. The past week or so has seen him turn from a scraggy, skinny little mongrel into a much loved family member, just starting to push the boundaries a little to see what he can get away with.
We’re still a little cautious, of course. As a rescue dog with no history, we don’t know what might set him off, but a friend, Sam, spotted that he’s almost certainly a large part Patterdale.
Having read up on them, his behaviour is certainly Patterdale type. (It may of course, just be any terrier – we’re no experts.) Anything small and furry is fair game (the boys witnessed him catching and eating a mouse at the rescue centre), and once he’s fixated on his ‘prey’, it’s very hard to break his attention. He is constantly after the coots, which sound like squeaky toys to add to his interest level.
He also has that awful young dog habit of rolling in fox poo, but I’m learning the signs now – what’s just a sniff, what’s a fixated ‘I’m on the trail’ sniff, and what’s an ‘I’m about to roll in it’ sniff. I have got it wrong, and he’s been showered several times over!!
Despite these less appealing traits, and the Puppy Class disgrace, he has won his way into our hearts, and we are delighted with our new crew member, who has given all of us hours of fun, and extra something to love, less money in our wallets, but a sense of having done something really worthwhile by giving this poor little scrap a new life. Seeing his painfully thin ribs cover over, his confidence growing, his fur turning all soft and silky, is an absolute joy…. and I wish humans were as excited to see me as he is.
He even gets his own visitors. Sam Rippington, a friend and fellow boater, canoed in just to meet him!
