A Small Tale

To tell you the truth, I’ve felt a bit embarrassed about Misha. I never thought that I was the kind of person to have a designer-breed puppy, and an “apricot” coloured one at that! Most of my previous dogs have come from dog shelters as adults, and have been a mix of unknown breeds. All were black, large dogs. So little Misha is very different to my norm.

Plus she is ridiculously cute. In the street, strangers stop to gush. Misha greets them standing on her hind legs, paddling the air with her front paws, as if she’s the star of some TikTok video. Her “fleece” coat is so luxurious and silky that everyone wants to pick her up and snuggle in close.

Then, one day last week, at the dog park in Hurstbridge, Misha encountered a large mud puddle. While the other dogs just dipped their paws in, Misha lay down in the deepest part and rolled around. When finally she reappeared, she was brown and completely unrecognisable. “OMG,” gasped a woman just arriving at the dog park, as she frantically tried to pull her dog away from the leaping, dripping, filthy Misha. “Whose dog is this?” she cried.

“She’s MY dog,” I said proudly, and gladly took my little mud monster home.