In my twenties, I often used to visit a friend who had become a builders’ merchant. He started out with nothing except an old factory building and a large mortgage which was surrounded by an acre plot of land in a superb location. The moment the open sign went up and his inventory began arriving, so did the lowlifes and thieves. The solution, he thought, was to invest further in a high fence. So he surrounded his property with a ten-foot-high fence which he topped with razor wire and still the thieving continued.
He was slowly going broke! So, the next step was to invest in a guard dog and Genghis (even his name was frightening!) came ready, trained and fully grown. He was the BIGGEST Doberman I have ever seen and terrifying. He did everything my friend Peter told him and was an extremely intelligent dog who perfectly understood his job from the moment he arrived.
He took his duty seriously, and although he knew me, he didn’t trust me or seem to like me. He would almost march me from the main gate to my friend’s apparent with his nose touching my backside. If I slowed down, then he growled to make me speed up again. Their accommodation was a few converted and convenient rooms above his business. When I visited them, Genghis would watch me with the enthusiasm of a store detective watching a shoplifter. If I looked at him, his eyes would widen and his lips curl to display an impressive mouthful of teeth I wanted to stay as far away from as possible. He was an expert at intimidation and a little bit of a bully with most people. With my friend and his wife, he was a big softy.
If he heard a noise outside he didn’t like or of which he was suspicious, then he’d cock his head in concern and begin to rumble like a volcano on the point of eruption. After a second or two of consideration, he would either relax or race to investigate further the origin of the noise.
The first night he arrived, he caught two thieves and badly bite them and then guarded them till the police arrived to take them away. Nighttime robbery became a thing of the past.
Then my friend and his wife had a baby boy, and the dog fell in love. He still did his duty but spent as much time around the new baby as possible. When the baby cried, he became concerned and prodded him with his nose. Or would fetch the parents to see to his needs? As the little boy grew, he would swing on his ears and pinch his lips without complaint. Genghis took it all and, as he didn’t have a tail, he used to wag his rump in delight.
I was there as the little boy became a toddler and started to take his first few steps. He would pull himself up on the sofa and then take a few uncertain wobbly strides. His head coach was Genghis, who keep prodding him with his nose and drooling encouragingly.
Then the funniest thing happened!
He went for it and attempted to cross the room. It was a long way for a first timer and the dog knew this and so walked alongside of him. Halfway through his journey, the little guy lost his balance and looked for something to grab hold of, but there was nothing. Except for Genghis without a tail, and the little boy, not knowing any better, stuck his fingers up his butt for support. It certainly got the dog’s attention who did nothing but whined in surprise. It was hard not to respect him for that.
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