An Unlikely Friendship

Sandy is a beautiful, gentle, three-year-old golden retriever. She was our first dog so I was careful to read all the information about choosing the right one for our family. We watched the pups carefully at the breeder and noticed that while her siblings tended to cling together for comfort, Sandy wandered around the enclosure on her own, curious and interested. “Ah, a confident and independent dog,” I thought to myself. Little did I know that she just didn’t like other dogs.

On the plus side, she has yet to meet a person she doesn’t like. The postman is a special favourite. Recently when he came with the mail, Sandy raced around from the backyard with a sock in her mouth, hoping to play a game of tug-of-war.

In 2008, while we were overseas, our friends looked after Sandy, They had just brought home a new puppy, Daisy, a Jack Russell terrier-Papillon cross. She’s a tiny dog with the heart of a lion. The two dogs bonded instantly and they’ve been friends ever since. Daisy is Sandy’s self-appointed protector, barking at any pigeons that dare to drink out of Sandy’s bowl. On a recent sleep over at Daisy’s, Sandy’s large kennel was placed next to Daisy’s. Imagine our friends’ surprise to find that Sandy had squeezed herself into Daisy’s tiny kennel, and was peacefully sleeping there as Daisy sat outside, guarding her giant friend.

Eveline Chazikantis