We had a trip to the vet about 10 days ago, because Peggy had a bit of a tick problem. The receptionist was initially dismissive and tried to fob me off with an over the counter solution. That changed when I explained that I'd already removed 23 and there were others around her nose and eyes that she was reluctant to let me remove, as she was clearly fed up by then. I'd removed 6 from her lips alone. They were hanging like bananas. Most unpleasant.
Needless to say, suddenly, I had an appointment for 2 hours later. The vet had not encountered so many on such a small animal before, with the grand total reaching 31. We concluded she'd found a nest. In typical Peggy fashion, she shrugged it off as just another day at the office.
Peggy is a complex character for a dog, full of contradiction. She doesn't play much, never has, loves attention but only when it suits her. Sometimes she can be the model of indifference, almost cat-like in attitude.
Always independent, intelligent, inquisitive and intense. As a pack dog she leads, and others tend to follow. She has different moods, and can switch from compliant and obedient to stubborn, disinterested and disobedient in an instant. She's tough, resilient, incredibly brave and can be surprisingly fierce. Yet on the flip side, she's very affectionate and adores young kids.
She can be a social butterfly, little miss gregarious, a friend to everyone. At other times an embarrassing reactive antisocial thug and an overbearing bully. As a rule, she's not vocal, and usually calm to an extent that belies her breed.
Training has been a challenging, continuous and ongoing endeavour, even now at 3 years old. Although, quite often, I feel like I'm the one receiving it. I've had several other dogs (mainly spaniels) before, but not a working terrier, and initially attempted to train her like I'd trained them. That was a huge mistake as it simply didn't work, and I ran into problems quite early on. Now I sometimes wonder if she owns me. That said, she's an amazing creature and I wouldn't have her any other way.
