Well, wonders will never cease. I’ve got some exciting news to report: Bertie’s morphed into a ‘dog that cares’. Yes, yes, I mean, I know he cares about dinners and walks and wags his tail when we get home and everything, but greyhounds aren’t generally known for their outlandish displays of devotion. Okay, he sleeps across Hubby and me on the sofa but this is actually a calculated and selfish means to a comfy warm bed whilst getting your ears scratched, rather than actual affection. It could be an axe wielding homicidal maniac on the sofa, and he’d still lick his ears, we fear.

Last night then, we graced the local Pumpkin Festival which came to a spectacular climax with fireworks over the loch (which I missed because I was on the way back from the airport, but hey, I got there in time to go to the chippy) with C, D, L and Little C (who was a star in the parade but don’t mention it EVER AGAIN, OKAY?). When we came back, Hubby and D decided to go down the pub to carry on the festivities, seeing as it’s Halloween Bank Holiday today (yep, they have a day off especially for Halloween!). Bertie was not impressed that one of his family wasn’t in their proper position come bedtime and paced annoyingly up and down the hall like some furry Sergeant Major inspecting his troops. I finally fell asleep but was woken at 3am by a noise that sounded a bit like an embarrassed cough: ‘humph’. Then another: ‘hruff’ and finally a full blown but very tiny ‘woof’. I sat bolt upright. Firstly because it was 3am and I realised that the bed next to me was still empty, but secondly and more importantly, this was the first time that Bert had ever barked in anger. A real bark! My baby!

Anyhoo, it turned out that he was barking at a very tired but remarkably sober Hubby who was walking up the drive, obviously looking menacingly burglar-like and Bertie had taken it upon himself to clear his throat and for the first time ever, protect his family. Well, dear reader, I was touched. And not a little emotional, I can tell you.

This morning, Hubby was well impressed that Bert had taken it upon himself to be family defender in his absence. Who’d have thought eh? Behind that silly face, cute floppy ears and those balding, gangly legs, there’s a scary guard dog just waiting to get out. Well, kind of.

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