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copyright © 2001 While it had been love at first sight as far as Shadow was concerned, Melanie had remained cautious - but not for long. As reported in the first story where Shadow presented Brett's wonderful old dog, Red with a bone to beg forgiveness for his jealousy, Melanie was deeply touched by this gesture for not only did it clue her into Shadow's nature - which was blatantly possessive of her - it revealed his intelligence. The love affair began. In a few short days he had her twisted around his curly tail. A tail that promised to be full and wonderful in spite of its puppy appearance of being related to a rat. Talking of his background, solid on his mother's side, his paternal lineage was dubious. It seemed in no time at all that Shadow was able to leap four times his height from a standing start. This created a great deal of alarm with Melanie's visitors who were startled to discover they suddenly had a pup lob neatly behind them and then sit next to them - but only when Melanie was sitting alongside her guest. Melanie judged from this that somehow a kangaroo had jumped the queue with Shadow's mama. The shocked guest was further bewildered when Melanie laughed. 'You'll have to train your dog better' was the stern admonishment, greeted with amused eyes by the hostess who had no intention of heeding that particular bit of advice. Shadow's golden eyes were alive with mischief and a love for life and all it offered. As a for instance, Melanie's pockets offered endless delights. He would muzzle in, poking his dear little head around till he burrowed in to find the contents which were mostly tissues as handkerchiefs soon bit the dust, one way and another. Bounding off with his priceless booty, Shadow's busy little head would proceed, with great delight to scatter his treasures all over the place. Tissues? Well Melanie laughed and picked up the pieces. Hankies? The chase was on between young and old - and I mean old - Melanie was certainly past her prime as her seventieth birthday swiftly approached. Of course Melanie was a great and natural disciplinarian. Scraps from anything that could be chewed were scattered around the home - much to her son, Brett's, disgust. Red had never been like that when he was a puppy. Between the two of them, the mess was collected, vacuumed or swept whichever was the most appropriate and Melanie's discipline consisted of laughter for she adored him digging into her pockets. The discipline? Don't put hankies in your pockets. Of course shoes, bras, panties etcetera, were all fair game for Shadow was a born 'chewer'. It was with great diligence Melanie learned to be tidier. The high cost of clothing was beyond her Pension. Her attempts to be more careful and prevent Shadow from taking her clothes in his busy jaws did tend to help the general situation - of course there were times when she forgot... However he quickly learned that Melanie's open wardrobe was taboo. This was quite something as in Shadow's eyes it was chockers with booty. But he came to understand and realise this area was taboo and amazingly he didn't touch her shoes once they were inside that invisible barrier. He had toys. He had a toy box but he liked variety. However he loved burrowing busily into his box of goodies with a gay abandon that brought laughter to everyone's eyes. His ears flopped around, his golden eyes challenged all and sundry when he had found something naughty - and made Melanie chase him. Well, you don't have to guess who won those chases do you? Of course from the first night he slept on Melanie's bed. Where else? Higher than the norm, it took him a suspiciously long time before he could jump up on to it, so he would plead with those wretched golden eyes of his for his mistress to give him a shove up. He certainly had no intention of sleeping on the floor or his own bed. Oh no, he intended to curl up into his mistress. Readers, I have a strong suspicion Melanie never intended for him to sleep anywhere else... 'Will you sleep with me tonight Shadow?' was her nightly request, their eyes meeting in mutual laughter - as if either intended anything else - HA. At three every morning he began his laundering, as Melanie thought of him cleaning, licking, scratching and generally rocking the bed until he was satisfied with his bod. Her children beheld the patience of this old woman with great interest. In response to any criticism Melanie reminded them that this was how she had brought them up too - some fifty years earlier. 'If you want to remember your childhood this is how I was with you'. Now what can children (even in their late forties) say in response to that sort of remark? Getting back to their cot life, Shadow was breathless with anticipation and knew the second Melanie was due to resume consciousness. He leaned his precious face across her neck, wriggled away and then washed her face with his sweet smelling breath and rather rough tongue saving her the trouble of having a shower - so she would inform the rascal. From the very beginning Melanie had always talked to Shadow and he understood some pretty amazing stuff. When he didn't he would cock his head on one side, a slightly puzzled look in his glowing eyes which would be satisfied when she repeated the statement. Ears would flop, he understood. A unique bond existed between these two a fact that was noted by all and sundry who also fell victim to Shadow's many charms and mischievous ways. He never walked along the bush track to the shopping centre, he chose to bound through the bushes like a kangaroo. A game of hidings wasn't out of bounds either, as Melanie would hide behind a tree Shadow hot on her trail then a game of chasings would ensue - the old girl puffing somewhat. With all his energy and love of life, he still curled around Melanie's feet as she wrote her Quartet on her computer. One paw, or a scrap of his tail, or his adored face resting on one of her feet. He soon learned the bleeps and bips coming out of the computer when she'd closed it down, then off for chasings in the grounds. Then finding sticks, balls, whatever, and going for a walk. There was so much to explore so many smells. Then he'd fly off, ears floating backwards, ah yes; there's greyhound in him too. Training him to a lead was a problem. He had long since been thoroughly checked out by a top vet. Been vaccinated, wormed, immunised, pilled, stuff for heartworm then the dreaded harness. The lead. This was essential as Shadow was showing signs of growing into a big dog. The harness. First of all Melanie had to learn the intricacies of the gadget, then get her wriggling pup, full of animosity, into the darned thing. Now this harness was fool proof. No puppy could get out of it. Oh yeah? Shadow wriggled and jiggled, twisted and squiggled and Melanie's thirty minutes of getting the fool thing on him was gone. The harness was forgotten. So it was back to lead and collar. Leads and collars that were chew proof and replaced if successfully chewed. That year the manufacturer made no profits... The battle was on. Shadow had a mind of his own and so did Melanie. Okay, he could walk up the track or bound in the bushes. A shrewd creature, he would pick up the lead in his mouth and run free. At the end of the track world war 3 began. Cheeky golden eyes met startling green eyes as Melanie, determined, held her puppy in check and (im)patiently taught him the horrors of walking sedately on a lead. HA. While Melanie was besotted with this creature, there were certain safety features he must learn. Crossing the road, understanding what was the road, cars coming, 'shplatt Shadow, if that hits you. Heel, sit, there's a car coming, look before we cross the road,' were all situations he soon came to understand and heed. But he would not obey Brett. He would only obey Melanie. Brett became quite white haired through this period for Shadow had wriggled, charmed and cuddled his way into Brett's heart. Much to Red's dignified indignation. Shadow was a contradiction. He was aggressive if another animal came near Melanie and he wasn't too keen on the human race getting close to her either. However, if the dog he chased away turned around and chased him back, Shadow's greyhound background came out and he swiftly, oh so swiftly, belted back to the safety of his mistress. Standing safely between her long legs, he would bark at the aggressor who would have originally have ignored him. The other owners would be upset, but we know what Melanie did. She laughed and assured the owner it was her fault. Then the owner and the Old Girl would have a chat about their respective animals and harmony was preserved. One of Melanie's many favourite moments was gauging when Shadow would return from his walk with his Uncle Brett and Red. A large area of bushland had been cleared for a posh new housing estate and so they all safely wandered through this tract of land. Melanie would stand at the beginning of the track beside her home and call out to Shadow. He would stop his explorations. Listen, then gallop to greet her, ears flying, mouth laughing, long tongue lolling out (border collie) and skid to a stop between her legs, hug her, kiss her. Heavens, he hadn't seen her for half an hour! Five minutes, two minutes, "she's back!" His unalloyed joy at finding her back in his life. To say nothing of the pleasure this gave the Old Girl. 'He's the best bloke I've ever slept with.' And everyone believed her. Well, nearly everyone... except the 'odd bloke... H. Benbow Return to Helen's Work

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