NORWEGIAN BUHUND
Every day we read about dogs being stolen, at least now the police seem to be taken it more seriously, although there still more needs to be done to it a more serious offence. There is a Petition out there at the moment saying that ‘Pet Theft should be a Specific Crime in the UK’.
A friend of mine who is an animal nurse at the local animal hospital, says they are still having a number of dogs in that are not microchipped. It is of course now the law that all dogs must be chipped, this was meant to help reunite a lost dog with its owner if it went missing. Apart from dogs not being chipped, sometimes owners forget to update the records if they move. Occasionally they can also stop working, so if you take your dog to the vet do make sure that the vet checks the chip, apart from anything else to make sure it is still working. Years ago, we had our own reader as we were showing abroad several times a year, and to return to the country the pet passport and chip were checked. To my horror on one occasion Flekke’s was not working, luckily, I had checked it before we travelled, the chip company said they would pay for it to be removed and another one inserted. I did not want him to have an operation to do that, so as they are so small we just inserted another one, the vet was worried that the first one might start working again, but it never did.
While looking back in old Bu News (1988) I came across an article about a Buhund that went missing from home, in those days we did not have to worry about them being stolen but still very distressing, as anyone who has lost a dog even for a short time knows.
The write wrote-: I was awakened by the usual sound of a Bu dashing upstairs. He knew the way, even though it was dark. One almighty jump and the bed felt like a trampoline. I almost kissed the ceiling. He wakes me up with scratches and kisses as if to say, ‘Wake up, Mum, I am here’. He settled back to sleep, as usual. Sometime later there was one almighty bang, and of course he had fallen off the bed! We decided to get up and face what was a horrible day. Rain, as if it had never rained before. Bu went out to explore the garden, chase the birds and the neighbour’s cat. Every post, the gate and all links in the fence were examined.
By now it was time for some serious chores -wood and coal, these are jobs that Bu always loved as I am outdoors with him, he would trample over the coal and always tear around with anything he could lay his teeth on. It was great fun for him. But sometime later, I realised my Bu was nowhere around. Where had the rascal gone. I whistled and called but no Bu. My first thought was the road. With trembling knees, I crept into the road. Nothing. Thankfully, he had never learnt to jump. Then, it was the field at the back of the house where there were sheep. They looked at me as if I was crazy. By now I was! The next-door cat sat on the fence with a look of great pleasure. She seemed to be saying ‘I hope you do not find him, then I can occupy your garden in safety’
I suddenly thought about going indoors to look. Had I closed the door leading to the stairs? Being crazy I had not I tore upstairs and there he was. I was relieved but also angry, he was not on the bed, but in it! Head on the pillow and the two prick ears were all I could see. He looked at me with those dark eyes, as if to say, ‘Do not be cross, Mum I am lovely and warm here,’ but the bed linen!! That is another story and another job, I forgave my little cream dog -until next time”.
I think several of us can relate to finding a Buhund on a bed if not actually in it!
Stay safe everyone.
Margaret Deuchar margaretdeuchar@gmail.com
The views expressed in Margaret’s Breed Notes are hers and hers alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Buhund Club of the UK.