Little Odes to Tancredo

1
When Tancredo runs on the beach
He runs with such joy.
It is as if this beach is the whole world
And running is all there is to do –
Just run in great circles,
feeling the air through his fur
and the sand through his paws –
each circle finished off
with a dash into the clear cooling water.
This is the one moment.

2
When Tancredo sits at my knee
He sits with such devotion.
He rests his chin on my thigh
And with his big, brown almost human eyes
He fixes me with his loving gaze.
Is he thinking, I wonder,
That I have almost canine eyes?

3
When Tancredo learns to obey
Some new command,
Or when he remembers an old one
He seems so proud.
His head tilts up at an ever so cocky angle
As if to say,
“As beautiful as I am, I am also quite smart”.

4
When someone throws a ball or stick
For my dog Tancredo
He glances in the direction of its trajectory
And then looks at the thrower
With such quizzical pity.
It is as if he is saying’
“Can’t you see my heritage?
Can’t you see I am bred for minding sheep?
I don’t do chasing,
And I don’t do fetch!”

5
Tancredo - Curly coated canine –
Bred for English winters,
For long cold days and nights
on the rocky hills of Derbyshire
or the bitter moors of Lancashire.
Poor panting Tancredo!
What are you doing in a hot
Australian backyard?
Come to me my faithful dog
And let me trim your woolly coat.
Then to the beach we will go
So you can walk in the cooling waters
Of the Southern Ocean.

6
When Tancredo meets an aggressive dog
He looks a bit perplexed.
One can almost see him
shrug his shoulders as if to say,
“Why would you want to fight
when all I want to do is play”.

7
When Tancredo is given a bone
He looks from it to me
And back again.
His eyes are full of reproach
As if to say,
“You give me a bone because
you think I am a dog.
You are mistaken.
I am your loyal companion,
Tancredo, your wise protector,
And I would rather have smoked salmon.”

8
When Tancredo gets to know you
He is the softest dog.
He will lie at your feet
All curly flowing hair
And look for all the world
Like a large but cuddly toy.
If he really likes you he will
Give you his huge paw
And spread his toes
So he can hold hands with you.
He will nudge you with his nose
And demand a chin scratch.

9
Tancredo is free and he runs and barks.
Even above the bellow of the breakers
I can hear the sharp squeak of his huge paws in the fresh sand.
Ever mindful of his role as my wise protector
He never goes far before he swoops back in a great circle to verify that I am well and safe.
The tide is in so we can’t go to our favorite place.
The ocean is engulfing the rocky outcrops
Today there will be no rock pools to explore and splash.

10
Tancredo is a goofy dog,
He is shaggy and klutzy and
Despite his size he is still a puppy.
Do not be misled!
He is bred to defend his sheep
From wolves.
If he thinks you are a threat to me
He will rise up
and with those great paws
and his strong body
he will pin you to the wall
or floor without a moment’s hesitation.