Snoopadoop, I undervalued you

[nineveh_uk]

Two things occurring a lunchtime massively improved an otherwise wet, dark, and exhausting day at work.

(1) The impulse purchase in Tesco of a bottle of Parma Violet Gin. It was cunningly positioned between the escalator from where I had been buying chocolate (not in this case for me) and the tills. I like gin, I love violet flavoured things, how could I resist?

(2) On returning to the office I found that we were about to be visited by a nine week old Cockapoo puppy. It was beyond a doubt the most adorable dog I have every met*, ridiculously cute, sweet natured, bouncy*, and yet very, very happy to be held and curl up. I want one. I'm not going to get one because I don't want to look after a dog all the time, but my God if I knew someone with one I would dog-sit! I have to admit that I am reevaluating the character of Cabin Pressure's Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, having never quite realised what a cut and ridiculous dog she did indeed possess. I do however understand how useful they would be to get you out and talking to people, no-one could resist!


*It looked pretty much like this.

**Apparently they are extremely bouncy. A colleague has looked after one for a close relative and found it exhausting.

Comments

[ruric]

There's a site called Borrow My Doggy where people who would like to dog sit or dog walk are matched with dog owners who would like their pooches walked or dog sat :) It may be of interest!

[nineveh_uk]

What a brilliant idea! I don't honestly think I've got time for it, but it sounds great.

[perennialanna]

One of N's best friends lives with two cockapoos. The family have installed a special door under the stairs to the Dogs' Bedroom, from which children are banned (there are four children, nearly as bouncy as the dogs).

[nineveh_uk]

I am trying to imagine what it must be like inside that house. I cannot!

ETA: In fairness the children and dogs are no doubt very happy. I thikn I would go mad.

[perennialanna]

Their mother is a teaching assistant in a junior school. After spending all day in a classroom, to only have to deal with four children and two dogs probably counts as a rest cure.

[antisoppist]

One of Son's friends came home from a camping holiday with seven more spaniels than they went away with. Miscalculation of due date. In a camper van on the Gower.

[white_hart]

I am so jealous of the cockapoo! All my lunchtime held was the purchase of yet another set of fairy lights (now up to 4, only one of which is on the tree).

[nineveh_uk]

I had a headache and it was just what I needed to relax me before an afternoon of GDPR work (i.e. sorting out the filing, which meant being able to not use the screen).

Enjoy the fairy lights!

[clanwilliam]

My colleague V, who is a cat person to the extent that she wrote several novels starring her cat (urban fantasy, rather than weird), has just moved into a house with two cockapoos and she is utterly smitten. Despite not being a dog person at all.

[nineveh_uk]

At one point there were five us in the office, of whom four* including the owner were going "I'm normally a cat person, but..." It was as if it had been genetically engineered to reduce us all to goo. In 20 years time they will probably be our overlords.

*The fifth already owned a cocker spaniel.

[clanwilliam]

I am more of a dog person, which means that I am a lot better at spotting blatant manipulation. My usual approach to adorable dogs with heartrending faces, after I’ve had consent from the accompanying human, is to sympathise with their plight and rank their patheticness on a range from terrier to spaniel to Staffy. There’s a couple of levels above Staffy, but we do not reveal them to the uninitiated.

[perennialanna]

I am also much more a dog person, and the dog of my teens was a black cocker spaniel who only did not end up President Of The World because her immense intelligence was only matched by her all-encompassing laziness. She also liked to eat raw potato peelings.

[nineveh_uk]

Do intelligence and eating raw potato peelings really go together, even in dogs?

[perennialanna]

Compared to what some dogs eat...

[antisoppist]

Now there is a much better idea than an enormously fluffy cat.

I met a miniature dachshund the other day. I couldn't imagine why if you'd got a dachshund, you would want to make it smaller but it was very cute.

[clanwilliam]

Because they’re better at infiltrating the enemy?

[antisoppist]

It is true that it was so small and new that it was being carried inside someone's jacket. Stealth dachshund.

[nineveh_uk]

Are you sure it wasn't a ferret?

[antisoppist]

Positive. Middle Sister once owned a ferret.

[nineveh_uk]

Gosh. That's speaking from authority, that is.

[perennialanna]

Mustelids are simple to identify - after all, a weasel is weaselly recognised, because a stoat is stoatily different.

(When I was very small we had ferrets called Cassius and Rasputin).

[nineveh_uk]

I hope that nominative determinism doesn't apply to ferrets!

[legionseagle]

And then, on the otter hand...

[nineveh_uk]

Less hoovering than an enormously fluffy cat, but more Dog Smell.

I hate dachshunds, but that's because there was a very barky one near my house when I was little.

[alithea]

There are some very cute cockapoos in our local park but I have discovered my ultimate puppy weakness is husky puppies - there's a chap with a really young one called Roxy and she's like the softest, fluffiest wolf pup ever!

[carbonel]

When it comes to cats and dogs, I am very much a cat person. But Other People's Dogs are fine for short periods, and I will admit that puppies can be adorable. I just don't want one to come home with me.