DIARY OF THE PUG BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Day two in the big brother house… I have been on my exercise bike and it was OK. I doubt I will ever get to the stage where by I say I have loved it, but at least I’m getting on it… And moving the peddles… Hub of course started in our gym before I did and is still in there. Good on him. I only did fifteen minutes but if I had been on a road bike, I would have gone some distance. Gosh my last road bike experience wasn’t a good one. Looking back, as I do, more often than I would like to, it could have been fatal, but it wasn’t. in those days, I still believed I lived as a sighted person in the sighted world. One of my neighbours said the other day when I was telling them I was getting a bike.

“You are not getting a bike. You couldn’t ever get a bike.””

Well I did, I just didn’t tell them it was a static exercise bike. We as blind people have to put up with such nasty comments. People feel it’s fun to make fun of us. Haha, haha, very funny, but if we were to joke about their height, weight or big nose?

 

We have one neighbour and don’t get me wrong, he’s harmless, just not very bright. Every time I pass him, he makes a joke about how I can’t see. He would be a typical school bully. Gosh, there is so much I could say about him, but I wouldn’t I’m more intelligent than that.

 

I’ve been asked to write an article about general misconceptions of how people who are blind are perceived in the sighted world. So, if I get chance this afternoon, I will do that. I could write a book on that subject and experiences but would rather concentrate on life as it is today and if people wish to read between the lines they can. If I had a pound for every time I received an email saying how they didn’t realise, and how now they will treat their relative or friend differently, then I would be very rich right now and would be writing to you from a beautiful warm environment. Instead, I am writing to you from my cosy sitting room getting warm by the central heating as outside is bitter cold again.

 

Our dogs are excited as they are going for a free run soon. They just know when that is about to happen.

 

My boy is at work again, but there is more news I hope on that subject soon.

 

And back to writing a book, to Dear Ian, I will write that story soon, just the past couple of weeks I have had my Husband home so little time for writing and more time for exciting stuff like spring cleaning… I mean, Easter Sunday and I have a mop and bucket ready. It’s just never ending especially with two dogs and yesterday, three dogs.  

 

Our Son and Shamrock brought a little dog home. Sham is looking after him whilst his owners have taken a break to the capital. Oh, of course like every dog, he was cute, though I don’t like the way humans breed this kind and of course he warmed my heart as well as my lap as he was like a big fat hot water bottle. And, of course, he made his mark in our house, just like the last puppy they brought home… That was a colleague of BW’s dog BW was looking after.

 In our, house…

 

He was so lovely, gentle too. Unlike Waggatail. She thought he was a new toy with batteries. The Little Fella was just curious, he took a biscuit so gently, oh, bless him. Guess what he was called? A crazy name for a dog.

 Jeff.

 Oh, my…

 

He was, and still is, a pug. Did you know that they cast really badly? They have a double coat, oh, Jeff’s coat was beautiful, so soft. He is a very light brown with black piggy ears and a matching black piggy nose with a curly piggy tail which Boy Wonder found amusing how he could stretch it straight then it curled back into the piggy tail again.

 

They eat like there is no tomorrow. It goes right on their waist so be careful if you want one.

It’s written that their poor eyes run too and the water that comes from them isn’t very nice. I know Sham kept saying he was spitting on her. Yack with a capital Ya.

They have facial folds that need to be cleaned every day.

Especially because their full face goes into their dinner dish. They can get bugs in their folds too. Oh, I’m off the cuties already.

Their ears need cleaning too, people use doggy ear wipes.

This is one of many reasons I don’t like that breed and think the breed should be stopped. Health. Oh gosh, so many things go wrong with them including they are prone to eye ulcers, epilepsy, skin fold infections, kidney stones, obstructed airways, bad teeth and acne! They may need their nostrils widened and you may ask how they do that? I won’t read about that. And surgery on their elongated pallet.

   They don’t like long walks. Because of the way their noses are, their breathing can be affected by hot weather.

Please like every dog, never leave them tied up outside a shop, they could be stolen or worse, used as dog bait. I did say yesterday that he didn’t seem to want to play with toys. Reading up on Pugs today, it’s said most of them don’t like to play with toys but love to be chased in a fun way.

 

The Pug was introduced to keep Chinese Emperors company so are lap dogs.

So, the long and short of it is, they cost a load of money to keep well and can’t be left for long don’t like to chase a ball and need people around them. Don’t like long walks or water need constant cleaning and attention. So, for a working family this breed isn’t for you. I just don’t like the fact they struggle to breathe. I read that people love to hear their piggy sounds as they breathe or snore, no, it’s not nice, it’s only because they are in some kind of discomfort. But Jeff was so cute. As I said earlier though, which dog isn’t?