Don’t touch the grumpy dog!

We were delighted to meet the Mastiffs, crazy Daisy and bonkers Lulu while on holiday in South Africa. Mastiffs are similar to Boxers. Boxers were originally bred from the German Mastiff breed. These perfectly placid dogs belonged to the Resort and were equally at home in the dining room, in reception or sitting on my foot at tea. Honestly, I loved it. I missed the Boxers terribly and enjoyed a bit of doggy company. A third dog, an old black Labrador, was less engaging, a bit grumpy with a bad reputation. We understand that she has a cyst or a tumour in her mouth, so that’s understandable. She stayed in a sunny spot on the lawn, watching the comings and goings, from underneath a sign warning ‘Don’t touch the grumpy dog’!

Daisy and Lulu, however, were very keen on the short walks up the mountains, especially going to waterfalls and pools; standing in the water, gulping in the fresh, cool stuff. When she had had enough, Daisy’s bark signalled that we were to move on. They could follow the scent of the baboons, bounding up and down the hillside, barking excitedly, barging past us on the narrow path. Watch out, dog coming through! It wasn’t difficult to see the evidence of baboons. They are pretty indiscriminate about where they leave their deposits.

One evening, after dinner, we were enjoying a quiet time in the lounge, strictly ‘no children or dogs’. Lulu, in true Boxer style, sloped into the room and gently sat on my foot. Another time, the ‘grumpy dog’ was lying next to me in the quiet lounge, but I didn’t touch her.

Back home in Surrey, the Boxers were enjoying the hospitality of the boarding kennels and the company of the dog walker. They were absolutely fine when we collected them on Sunday. What a relief to have found an excellent dog care solution so that we can enjoy our holidays again.

The only downside is that the burglary rate has increased in the Village again. Two more properties were broken into while we were away. It does make us rather nervous. At least, having the dogs around provides an early warning system for intruders.