This scary looking toy was given to the dogs on Christmas Day by our next-door-neighbour who brought them a whole carrier bag full of toys that her own dog had been given over the holiday period but that he refused to play with, preferring a fluffy banana to the array of squeaky, chewy, tug toys that people had bought for him. In a spirit of ‘waste-not, want-not’, she brought them round for Rosie and Archie who have delightedly chewed two of them into shreds and the rest are gradually going the same way.

For whatever reason, this one has been different. It has sat, untouched, while all of the others have been thrown around, chewed, cuddled and dribbled over. It has become known as ‘the vicious circle’ in our home because of its spikes. Actually, they are pretty benign, just a series of semi-hard plastic mouldings around a very colourful toy.….it’s bright green but I desaturated it to make it look nastier than it really is.

I’ve been fascinated by it for a number of reasons - firstly its shape, secondly its apparent lack of utility to the dogs and also its lurid colour. Archie and Rosie on the other hand have treated it with total disdain. What is it they don’t like? Is it because all of their other toys are softer? Well, it could be but they don’t have any worries about the hardness of the knuckle bones they were treated to on Christmas Day. Is it the spikes? Maybe, but again, the knuckle bones have plenty of sharp edges. Is it the colour? Well, they’ve not shunned green toys before. Is it the fact it doesn’t have a smiley face on it like many dog toys seem to? Possibly but they don’t all have faces and others have not been left like this.

Whatever the reason, this toy has not been touched once by them. Strange. Mind you, as I type, they are both curled up side-by-side on the sofa, in more-or-less exactly the same position as one-another. They are asleep. The exhaustion of playing all day and eating dog-chocs is rearing its head. It’s a tough life being a dog - well, being one of our dogs. Archie has just emitted a huge sigh in his sleep. I’ll bet he’s dreaming of romping on the moors and watching horses go past our house while he’s atop of the wall. As for Rosie? Well she’s probably working out her next plan for world domination. Yep - it’s a dog’s life all right!

BTW a four mile walk resulted in a cache of milk so I’m less panicked tonight.…but we still have to find a way to get the car fixed tomorrow.