Dog Squad Blog – Pip, A Giant Amongst Dogs

This week my good friend John Wolsey writes a moving tribute to Pip.

The Passing of a Friend.

I feel quite uncomfortable writing about Pip, our beloved Parsons Russell Terrier, because he was very much part of our life and he passed away on 3 May 15, leaving a massive void. So, I thought about what I should write, and in doing so I welled up uncontrollably. Quite irrational really, but the act of remembering Pip was so profound and the memory of him still so raw. Emotions eh! Non-dog owners would tell you that is silly. But to those, who have been fortunate enough to have had the companionship of a dog in our life, well, it’s a whole different “ball game”, so to speak! They are family, in a way non-dog owners will not fully understand. You see, to me, Pip wasn’t just a dog, he was a giant amongst dogs.

Pip came from a farm, in Dorset, and his Mum and Dad were working dogs. When we asked his name, the farmer said, in a broad West country accent, that he did not have a name, they just called him “the little sod” because he was so mischievous. And so it was. He was mischievous to a fault,and energetic, and playful, and happy. He loved digging (all terriers do) and when you tried to stop him, he would run around the garden in circles at high speed, with his bottom tucked up under his back legs, swerving and dodging and side-stepping. He also had that classic terrier trait of running on 3 legs, especially down stairs!

And slowly our life changed, to accommodate Pip. The once tidy sitting room was semi littered with toys and his teddies. Blankets covered the sofa. Water and food bowls filled the kitchen, and assorted towels, brushes and leads hung in the hallway.

Despite his size, Pip was as brave and fearless as a lion. Once, when attacked and bitten by a much larger dog, he would not give up the fight despite the odds stacked against him. But he had a soft side too, and would paw you for more, when you stopped stroking him. And at night, he would cuddle down (usually on my feet, under my duvet) with his favourite teddy.

We moved to Austria in 2011. Pip took to the move like a duck to water and grinned at everybody (he had always “smiled” at people from early puppyhood). Indeed, Pip helped our integration into Village life, and we were often asked “Ist das der Hund, der grinst?” (Is that the dog that grins?). The move also coincided with one of the coldest winters, often minus 20, and Pip would return home covered in icicles and snow balls. What have I come to, he must have quietly thought as his garden was covered in snow for half the year.

It was with some trepidation we adopted a kitten, given Pip’s penchant for chasing anything small that moved. But the kitten loved Pip, and Pip tolerated the kitten. In time they became the best of friends, and Pip gave up sleeping under my duvet in favour of snuggling down on the sofa with the kitten. They would often happily stare out of the window together, watching the world go by. And the kitten would practice her attack and pounce moves, on his head, when he was sleeping.

Pip was always busy, and had a character that could melt your heart. He was loyal beyond question and loved our family unconditionally. He never judged us, but always met us, tail wagging and grinning from ear to ear. As time went by he did slow down and would sleep more and more. And then came the heart-wrenching day when, quite out of the blue, he had a stroke. It simply broke my heart. But that is what dogs do to you, don’t they? You don’t own them, but they fill your very heart and soul. And so it was with Pip. And I realised at that moment that I, too, had loved him unconditionally all along. I was there for him at the end, in the same way that he had always been there for me.

The house is now very empty without Pip and his leads and towels and bowls lie redundant in the dusty attic. His teddies are there, too, in a box. And all his memories. But in some ways the process of writing this blog has been both cathartic and uplifting as we remembered him, and laughed and cried out loud, all at the same time.

So, keep your dogs in a special corner of your heart, and love them dearly, for one day, too, they will be sadly gone. But never forgotten.

What a moving tale, thanks for sharing John.

The characters in ‘The Island Dog Squad’ novellas are featured earlier in this blog series. Click http://smarturl.it/ru5uyeto learn more about the first book in the series.