Travels with Jolly (An occasional Series)
This one should actually be called Travels without Jolly, or perhaps Jolly’s travels without us. We disappeared off to lands of vacation. The first time we’ve been away together, for more than a single night, since Jolly arrived. It’s a sign of how far she has come and also on how much she has grown to love Frances and Steven and their back garden farm.
Some of you already know Jolly. To those who started following the blog more recently let me give a little in the way of introduction. Jolly came to us 4 years ago. She was a rescue dog and had got into some very bad habits including ferocious barking, biting and pulling. We saw her on the web-site and rang up to express an interest only to be told that she was settled and that there were others on the list if her re-housing didn’t go well. It was late at night when the kennels rang to say she’d been returned, and were we still interested. The short-list of available homes had disappeared. I was put through to her original owner. A woman who cared deeply for the little dog but had found her more than a handful in a house full of husband and children.
When she arrived at our house, she settled under my chair, accepted some roast beef discreetly passed down from my plate and didn’t bat an eyelid when her carers left. She was a dog with issues. A dog in need of some serious anger management, some consistent love, patience, affection and knowing she belonged; a place where she wouldn’t be plagued, mithered, ignored or given a crack. The sight of another dog would set up barking to match Cerberus. She hated everybody outside the family and held a particular fury for children and tall alpha males. Something in her background had made these her especial enemies.
Slowly, very slowly, with the aid of every know-all dog person in the neighbourhood telling us what we were doing wrong and every genuine dog person telling us what we were doing right, she settled. She stopped pulling on a lead, stopped her apoplectic rage at every person or dog we met, then every other, then every third. She started making friends with people and dogs who shared our routes. It took time. A lot of time. She got poorly and in her weakness managed to persuade us that her bed ought to be in the corner of our bedroom. It went upstairs and she got better. Still more time, time and attention. But there is a real reason for people or dogs needing attention and the cure is in the diagnosis. Give it to them!
She continues to dislike the macho-male; has frightened a few in her time. She continues to lack trust in any children or young people. It’s four years. You’d think those scars would have healed by now. Not if you know collies. They have the intelligence and sensitivity of a human. They come in all sorts; from as tame as a maiden aunt to as fierce as a tiger. They are bred to do a job. Jolly is amber-eyed. Amber-eyed collies were the ones who looked after the flock on the hillside; the ones who could sooth a frightened sheep or scare off a wolf. She’s now as gentle as a kitten in 95 out of 100 situations. David and Charlie have looked after her at home a few times when we’ve gone on short jaunts. This is the first time she’s gone to stay with anyone. I was aware of what could go wrong but I had few real worries. Steven and Frances are fantastic with animals. Jolly spends her weekdays with Dotty (their spaniel) who gets dropped off on their way to work. They have a big garden with chickens and quail and rabbits and a duck called Phillip. This is her holiday photograph album.
Just out of shot is Minnie, one of two cats in the house. Jolly struck up a particular friendship with Minnie and would watch her with rapt attention.
Phillip came from school. He was an egg that was incubated so the students could watch the process of hatching and to enjoy the fluffy little duckling. Once he had started to become a real duck and develop some independence he’d served his educational purpose. He needed a place to live. He couldn’t have found a better home than with Frances and Steven.
And he couldn’t have found a more curious new admirer than Jolly. She followed him round the garden. Sometimes she tried to herd him and sometimes she just lay flat and tried to work him out.
Jolly and Dotty have become very good friends. They are chalk and cheese. Dotty is still a puppy, hasn’t an aggressive fibre in her body, is full of bouncing energy and need to be at the centre of things. Jolly is slowly entering a more sedate adulthood where she can still run like the wind but is often happy to sit and contemplate.

The garden goes on and on. There’s as much and more beyond the little summer house. In fact, that is where the real garden begins.

Collies need plenty of exercise. They need their minds stimulated as much as their bodies. Helping Steven round-up the chickens (out of shot) is almost perfect for both.

A nice chuckle under the chin while watching Poirot on the telly.

I’m proud of you son. Helping Charlie celebrate finishing the Leeds Half Marathon.

Hard to believe this dog was the terror of the Dogs’ Home.

At her happiest in wide open spaces

Ready to help with the hay harvest.

Duck hunting on her holidays.

This was once an impossible dream: that she would settle down with another dog. Two very special dogs: Jolly and Dotty.
That was thoroughly enjoyable and the perfect way to relish my post lunch cup of tea. Thank you, Simon and Jolly
Thank you Pat. I always find a cup of tea too wet without something good to read!
What a lovely story! My sister recently rescued a dog, so I’m sending this to her. I know she’ll appreciate reading it.
My very best wishes to your sister. She has done a wonderful thing and I hope it works out well for her and the dog. I’m sure it will.
Lovely Jolly and Dotty! Enjoy reading the story of your two very special dogs. They remind me of our sweet dogs we had, Evan and Mackenzie.
Very Celtic names. I’m intrigued as to how they came by them. On our part Jolly needed a new name on re-housing and, despite her tendency to attack everything, was a remarkably jolly dog. Dotty is named after her colouring. She has a big black spot on her back. More noticeable when she was younger but still there.
We adopted Evan from our neightbor, he was used to his name. A few years later, my daughter bought Mackenzie from someone, she named this little sweet King Charles Cavalier. Evan thought he’d be our only child forever, so he didn’t accept Macken… She had to put up with Evan, eventually they got along well. After Macken died, I cried everyday when I drove home from work for 12 months or so…
We’ve lost two dogs over the years. I’ve been close to people and missed them terribly when they passed on but I’ve never been as heart-broken as when Sally and Bella died. I continue to miss them daily even though they died in 1999 and 2011.
I’ve always enjoyed your dog photos and accounts of your joint escapades, but I never realised that the bond with your family was so well deserved, on both accounts!
She has been very lucky in coming to live with us and she shows her appreciation on a daily basis. We are very, very lucky to have her.
A yapping good yarn. I never knew the full history of Jolly. Each creature certainly has its own personality. My dog, is a collie-springer cross, and I can see Jolly bits in her – both in looks and some behaviour. Protecting the cat from other cats, chickens, cars, and neighbours, is a full time and exhausting responsibility. You have more patience than I would in re-training Jolly. Well done!
I forgot to mention that I owe my current independence to Jolly. I simply couldn’t stand leaving her to go to work. One of them had to go. So I gave up work.
A teacher friend of mine would take her dog to work! She taught “the ruffians” and with the dog making a fuss of each she never had an ounce of disciplinary problems!
Bella came into school with me a couple of times and had pretty much the same effect. The roughs took it in turns to sit by her and make sure she was getting the attention she deserved. A deputy head pointed out that we were probably in contravention of some statute.
I knew of Jolly from previous posts but didn’t know her story. Such great patience you had and what benefit Jolly has gained from that. She’s a lucky dog.
I absolutely love that profile shot taken on the rocks.
That shot is taken on Froggatt Edge in the Derbyshire Peak District. It was her first time among grazing sheep and she was brilliant. I’m a very lucky person. She gives me every bit as much as I give her.
She is beautiful, and such a happy story. We have a “Dottie”, too, but ours is a cat. A rescue also, along with our Misty, and we SO adore them! 🙂
She is a wonder. Dottie and Misty sound like a couple deserving of affection too. Nice to hear from you.
How nice that Jolly is happy at last.
We’re all settling into a contented stage of life. Now is the time for glitter lips in the snow!
What a delightful dog vignette,dear friend.Allegorically speaking,it sounds like “The Taming of the Shrew”.All Jolly needed was love,patience and time,and you generously gave them all to her.I love all animals,but I have a weakness for dogs and especially for the abandoned and stray dogs.I celebrated the 2015 Christmas earlier,as a rescue dog became our new family member last December.I put up a post before Christmas to share my joy with my blogging friends.And,when our beloved Lab,Edward,crossed over the rainbow bridge in 2012,I had a long hiatus from all my social sites,I couldn’t forget his wide glazed eyes at the moment of separation … I lost interest in all my pastimes and I could see only vanity behind everything.I so much enjoyed the photos and your emotive approach to those wonderful companions whose love never lies.T.S.Eliot supported that “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself”.
Jolly is truly delightful and would play the part of Kate very well in a Clowne production of The Taming of the Shrew; cunningly re-named 1o Things I Like About You. Welcome to your new rescue dog. I love the TS Eliot quote and find myself in compete agreement. Best wishes to you. Simon
Thank you for appreciating my thoughts on your moving dog post.All the best, Doda
So glad Jolly found her proper place!! She’s living a full and happy life. What could be better?
She agrees with you Susan. Is smiling across the room as I type.
Beautiful dog. I would not mind having one like her.
There are few things that love, patience, exercise, and time spent outdoors can’t cure, in dog or man. Wonderful story!