It’s a Dog’s Life: The Mixed Blessings of Easter

Teddy loves an opportunity to indulge in celebrations, but Easter has some limitations to a canine, as human interpreter Helen Stockton explains 

Easter is late this year. I’m not about to launch into an explanation as to why this is, what can I tell you, I’m only a dog. However, the bank holiday weekend falls right at the end of the school holidays so all the children can go back to their studies suitably primed with a sugar rush. 

Easter is a mixed blessing for dogs. In a cruel irony, chocolate is poisonous for us. That assumes, of course, that the chocolate has significant quantities of cocoa in it. If ‘Her Indoors’ mumblings are correct about what has happened to some of our historically favoured chocolate brands, the amount of cocoa and/or the size of the products seems to have shrunk. 

Of course, this could just be her middle- aged rose-tinted perception of things being better when she was a girl, but as I am not party to those particular treats, I couldn’t possibly comment. 

Another ‘not for dogs’ part of the Easter celebrations that ‘Them Indoors’ enjoy are hot cross buns. The presence of dried fruit denies them to us too, which is a shame. I suspect ‘Them Indoors’ are a bit staid, but they prefer the traditional as opposed to the modern variations that have appeared on shop shelves in recent years. 

‘Her Indoors’ once had a go at making them and, although they were a bit of a fiddle, they came out surprisingly well which means they didn’t last for long... 

Fortunately, there are a few aspects of Easter that myself and the apprentice, Bear, can partake in. Easter Sunday usually involves a roastdinner and ‘Him Indoors’ is generous in finding scraps of meat that accidentally wend their way into our bowls. 

To be honest, we are quite happy with whatever kind of meat they fancy, but roast chicken seems a particular favourite and that gets a big paws up from us too. 

Another aspect of Easter that is most intriguing to us furs, particularly 

those of a terrier disposition, is the Easter bunny. We have lots of those hopping round in the field behind our garden. ‘Her Indoors’ wages a constant battle to keep them out, as they eat her plants, but they are cunning little blighters. They have been digging tunnels under the fence from next door. 

We have also got two-rail ranch-style fencing with chicken wire across 

the bottom segment and the rabbits have leant how to jump onto the bottom bar and then into the garden. They might be cute, but they are also crafty, a bit like terriers in fact! 

I deploy the apprentice to do the bunny chasing, but we might declare an amnesty over Easter. We don’t want to upset the Easter egg delivery!