TEDDY
Sarah Airey
Hill Rise Field, Old Woodstock
50 x 50 cm
A dog has always been a big part of our life in Old Woodstock. When we moved here in 2000, we came with our two girls Natasha and Alice as well as Sam, our old Yorkshire Terrier. He was soon joined by Simba, our golden boy who loved exploring his realm – the wide-open plains behind Hill Rise.
We were all bereft when Simba died in July 2018 and so Tony tracked down a litter from the same family line and we picked Teddy up from Loughborough.
Feisty from the word go, he settled in quickly and taking him on long walks was the only way to stop him from chewing any tasty treats he could find – computer cables were his particular speciality. Now aged four, Teddy still likes to steal glasses and flick switches to keep us on our toes, chasing him round the house.
He is exuberant, friendly, and so full of bounce that he can jump up high as my head (five foot six since you ask) to seize a ball. He leaps well above the long summer grass and wheat in the field like a gazelle. He has a fierce ability for finding balls, and while Simba left the field strewn with shoes, Ted’s preference is to stuff two balls into his mouth before he leaves the garden – and yes, he does try three at once (so far without success). He drops them for me to throw before hiding in the field – he is especially well camouflaged in summer – before insisting both balls are thrown for him to find. He understands the instruction to ‘get the other ball’ and on the rare occasion he loses interest, he will go straight to retrieve it on his next walk.
This is a game of two halves, and in case I feel left out Ted leaves the ball for me to find. One of his favourite tricks is to get a ball, drop it in the water and then bark furiously until we get it out for him to do it all over again.
Ted is friendly – too friendly for some – as many locals have ‘been Tedded’ and bear the muddy marks to prove it. Here is a public ‘sorry’ for the extra washing.
Ever the good retriever, Ted’s proudest moment is when he donned his sleuthing hat and tracked down two lost dogs who had slipped away from their dog walker and been out overnight. He found them near the drama school and returned them safely to the owner.
Ted loves his walks and will always choose a walk over food, just like Simba used to. He tells me when he is ready to go out with a gentle (hard) nudge (kick) with his paw with increasing urgency.
What have I learnt from Ted? Never try to get three balls into your mouth at once! And yes, to take joy in living life in the moment. Taking him out, when I might not feel like it – but still have to – always me feel better. Perhaps I shouldn’t say it, because the pandemic brought so much pain and distress, but for me and the bear, the simplicity of life during lockdown was a time to treasure.
Sarah Airey