IT’S not every day you get the offer of having your portrait painted – especially when you’re a dog.
But thanks to the kindness and generosity of talented artist friend Julian Renouf, Teddy the labrador now has an intimately observed hand-painted record of one of his disarming and very familiar expressions.
This is not so much a look of love or affection, you understand, but more akin to Paddington Bear’s disapproving “hard stare”.
Except that it Ted’s case it’s not a direct criticism as much as a plea for attention, a reminder that once again our priorities appear to be misplaced.
Instead of instantly responding to his unspoken request for a walk, meal or game, we are selfishly pursuing our own agenda: eating, reading or watching TV without reacting to that unspoken demand.
The subtle twitch of an eyebrow indicates an extra nuance of urgency. It’s time. Time for that walk in the woods or extra portion of kibble…
Since his second birthday, Ted has calmed down a lot. He’s still easily excited by new faces, but there’s been slow and steady progress towards becoming more trustworthy off the lead and around other dogs, walkers and joggers.
Just as the double-click harness and Halti were game changers in getting him to walk politely, being able to use a slip lead has helped make it quicker and easier to get out of the car and start enjoying a taste of freedom in the woods.
It would have been impossible to use when he was younger and more boisterous. At 40kg, he was too powerful to control on one, even aside from the danger of any damage to his neck.
But of course it’s a process that’s not without its setbacks. There are still those occasional nightmare moments when he’ll subbornly refuse to obey any instructions or takes a muddy lunge at an unsuspecting stranger.
Yet there are many more good days than bad days, with darker nights and worsening weather reducing the number of hazards on regular walking routes, allowing us to normalise and reinforce those good habits, like the willing return to peep of a whistle or the contented leap into the back of the van at the end of a wander.
Of the various trainers who have encounted Teddy in his short life, Leah, a very competent local obedience trainer and registered veterinary nurse, has been the most supportive and consistent in helping him mature, and we’ve been very grateful for her advice and practical help – even if it means he can’t help going absolutely beserk with delight when she comes to the door.
Leah’s training walks have been paying off in terms of recall, although of course there’s nothing as interesting as a new face and their alluring treats. Mum and Dad tend to appear a lot less interesting by comparison, and far easier to ignore.
Other owners are reassuring about these moments of selective hearing or apparent disobedience. Totally normal, we’re told. And of course later on, when someone’s back home, on their best behaviour and butter wouldn’t melt, it’s easy to forgive those temporary setbacks.
Without doubt, the best part of any day is the chance of a runaround with Ted’s favourite friend, the one-year-old springador who lives opposite. But how to make sure those playful romps are a reward for good behaviour, rather than encouraging the pair to learn bad habits?
It may be a delicate balancing act, but the sheer delight they take in each other’s presence is a joy to behold.
Amid the snuffling and grumbling, the high-speed chases and play-fights over sticks, this is a love affair on a whole different scale, and one that’s totally unique. There’s no other furry friend that generates this sort of reaction from Ted.
He has friends he’ll chase or nuzzle briefly, and even one amorous Jack Russell terrier whose advances he’ll suffer with good-humoured patience.
But Buddy the springador is in a leage of his own, with both dogs collapsing exhausted and contented after a high-speed chase around the park.
The added bonus is that they tend to be so preoccupied with each other that it’s easier to distract them from any passers-by or other hazards.
Which brings us back to those wonderful brown eyes, and that winning stare.
At 28 months, Teddy is still far from being the model citizen. He’s slightly overweight, he’s very bouncy and he still gets so excited on occasion that he can hardly contain his excitement, which can be worrying if you have 40kg of black labrador heading towards you at high speed.
But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you, Julian, for giving us a permanent and very personal memento of such a special time in a young labrador’s life. It’s very special!
