You may remember me, my name is Henleygrove Hamish Davar and I am a black Scottish terrier, born on the 14th April 2003. I live with Jim and Jean Clegg, Lucy the Westie and Bonnie the adopted Scottie. Call me Hamish and this is my continuing story of life on the rescue front.
Can you believe it, another rescue arrives in April 2008 and he’s called Hamish, perhaps it’s a message, should I change my name?
The phone went one Sunday afternoon, Jean was at work, Jim was destroying my environment, by cutting the back grass and I was asleep in the front bedroom, on alert for any passing Dalmatian. Nick Sanders was on the phone speaking to Jim when I hear the words “another Hamish”, the danger bells began to ring, another threat to my well established harem was arriving.
Well what of Hamish 3. He was a hefty 20kgs, in need of some extra tlc, a haircut and manicure. I met him on the driveway and he seemed less aggressive than Hamish 2, so to put him to the test. I gave him the Scottie equivalent to the Muhammad Ali shuffle and went into attack mode. Jim intervened, he always does, and after some ‘laying down’ of my territory, I was ‘top’ dog. Where I went, he followed and we soon gained a mutual respect for each other. It’s a dog’s life but simple and far less complicated than the human kind.
Hamish 3 went off to the vets, had a haircut and nail trim and then fell into life at my home. He was on a diet so my food chain was unaffected, he followed Jim around but unlike Hamish 2, when I was around he respected my ‘top’ dog position and kept away.
It was whilst Hamish 3 was staying with us that I notice some strange behaviour. Every morning Jim would disappear into a small room for sometimes as long as 30 minutes. This room contained a white porcelain ‘device’ with a hole in the top and a seat on its top. Normally the door was always closed however I started to notice that sometimes Hamish 3 would push the door open and sit alongside Jim. Eventually Hamish 3 would come out and then Jim would appear a little later.
One day I pushed past Hamish 3 and took up position alongside Jim. Jim remained seated, gave me a pat on the head and I suddenly realised that this was a sanctuary from every day dog life, no females, no noise, no telephones, no TV’s, just a strange smell! Well now I regularly sleep in this small room, Jean does not appear to like it though, she ‘tuts’ at me and goes into a similar room, off the main bedroom. Who said you can’t teach old dogs new tricks?
Back to Hamish 3, he stayed with us for about 2 weeks, losing weight, helping me in my quest for a Dalmatian free environment, before going off to a new home by the sea with three other dogs and a family of four. We built up a mutual respect for each other, he knew his place and my place was home, easy really. I have overheard the regular updates Jim and Jean have received from the new owners, he is doing well, perhaps I’ll see him one day and share some of his experiences.
July 2008 and the phone rings again, its Jeannette from STECS, I like her, she’s my kind of woman, but I think I have said that a few times before. Would Jim & Jean look after a female Westie for 4 weeks whilst they are away on holiday, well yes of course they will, what a silly question, increasing my harem membership, great!
Jeannette arrived with Meg one afternoon, what a pretty woman, no not Jeanette, Meg! Well I rubbed by paws with delight, tried to express my desires and promptly incurred a Westie surprise! Why are all Scottish women so difficult to win over, I will never understand the fairer sex! Meg quickly settled in to the Hamish way of life. She had had a hard time on a puppy farm and you could see that the evening walk took her by surprise. She was a bit slow but this did give me more time to ‘mark up’ the area, show off my harem.
Meg had a few health problems but she slowly picked up her pace on these walks and began to turn into a real ‘looker’. My sort of woman really, blonde, plenty of spirit and there for ‘back-up’ in my quest to deal with the Dalmatians next door. She stayed with us for some four weeks and everyone wanted to keep her. Nick and Jeanette arrived one afternoon to collect her and we all missed her but STECS, as usual, found her a good home and no doubt our paths will meet again, perhaps at a garden party.
Lovely name and what a cracker! Nine months old Scottie, lovely coat, nice teeth in perfect working order, but only staying one night? How could they do this to me but I suppose I can say I slept with four females that night! Flora also had a few health problems but as usual STECS managed to find her a good home, lovely people with this STECS Scottie ‘attitude’ of caring for us with no conditions or limitations, just love. We Scotties must be ‘special’ to attract these ‘special’ people and I also liked Flora new ‘mistress’, my kind of woman again! Why am I so lucky?
August arrived and off we all went to Lancashire for the annual STECS garden party. The weather could have been nicer but the rain stayed away and there was plenty of ‘talent’ and even some large dogs to have a go ‘at’. Jim took the camper van and I navigated as usual. In the van he always calls me ‘Tom Tom’, I think it’s his age, over 55, over-weight and losing his hair, must affect your memory! Jean kept us feed and watered on the journey there and back but always gets ‘bad’ tempered’ after about 2 hours into the journey. Jim blames a lack of nicotine what ever that is. All I know is that as soon as we stop, Jean takes us out for a walk straight away, has a cigarette and she’s fine. Humans are strange, they smoke, hide in small rooms and collect dog poo!
Late August and we all travelled to the Highlands, with the grandchildren, in the camper van. We travelled around staying with loads of the others humans, sleeping in camper vans, caravans and tents in big fields. The van has the same small room, beds appear at night and they walk me and the girls four or five times a day. Whilst I enjoy the new smells and the occasional walk, I wouldn’t call it a holiday, no where to escape from the humans, too much exercise and a moving home!
I have attached some photographs of Hamish 3, Meg, Flora and the holiday. From some recent telephone calls Jim and Jean are about to come something called a ‘Re-Homing Co-ordinator’. I think that means that more and more Scotties will appear, no bad thing when you are in my ‘top dog’ position.
I enjoy helping other Scotties, we all do, so I guess the line I used at the end of my last ‘report’ still applies. The ‘beat’ does go on, so thank you and well done, to all the members of STECS, thank you for the garden party and to all the ‘rescues’. On behalf of all Scotties, we love and thank you.
Hamish