Other dogs

After owning 2 unfriendly terriers it is such a joy that Noodles loves the company of other dogs. He is not particularly picky, everyone is a potential pal and is greeted with real enthusiasm. He always seems so crestfallen when he meets a dog that is not quite so keen on him.

One of the first dogs we met on our evening walks was a Golden Retriever called Paddy. Paddy is rather old and ambles along quite slowly, enjoying life at a leisurely pace. I always know if Paddy is out on a stroll at the same time as us because Noodles starts tracking him along the pavements, speeding up until we're running full pelt to catch them up. He also starts squealing and yipping until we're within sight. Paddy and his owner seemed quite bemused as to why Noodles was so keen to greet them. At first Paddy just used to sit down and let Noodles jump all over him for a few minutes. Both dogs seemed happy with this arrangement and we would then continue on our separate journeys. Occasionally now, we walk together round the block and Paddy  increases his pace to keep up with Noodles. He has also started leaning his head on him a bit and Noodles' back is often covered in drool. I wish I had filmed Noodles' first encounters with Paddy as he seemed so desperate to spend time with another dog. I wonder if he misses aspects of his old life, such as being surrounded by other dogs in kennels?