Alice’s story

If there was ever a dog who was just born to be part of our lives, it’s Alice. The youngest of the pack at aged 3 (and a bit), this little piece of dynamite has captured the hearts of everyone. Especially Arry. She may have started her Stewart life as Daddy’s girl but has become Mum’s ‘bedhug’ and all around spreader of positivity.

Alice was never meant to be my dog. Tony had a fondness for Border Terriers ever since we had begun looking after a certain family of them. Effie, in particular, had charmed T so much he always said if we ever got another dog, he’d like a BT so after his beloved Ash passed away I got to thinking. With his birthday looming and it being our 25th wedding anniversary later that year, what better present than a little girl of his own? In July 2017, I introduced Tony to a litter of Border puppies and he chose his gal – interestingly he had already named her Alice which happened to be the same name her breeder had given her. A month later, I drove to Somerset along with Arry, my son Callum. my niece Kate and Yogi Bear to pick up the newest member of the gang and boom! Someone fell hook, line and sinker and it wasn’t me. Her heart had been stolen by a dog over ten times her bodyweight – she was the size of Arry’s muzzle – he was totally smitten. Three years later, nothing has changed – he still lets her literally walk all over him.

As I mentioned in Arry’s blog, I bought Alice for Tony and he persuaded me to keep the foster pup that was Arry. This makes the relationship between them that much more special to me. Alice was only a year old when Tony died so didn’t really know how her world was changing but her positive outlook on life has given me the support when I needed it most. I made a promise to Tony that I would have a litter out of her, Covid has stalled that thus far but here’s hoping for next year. She will make the perfect mum if her obsession with my shoes gives any indication, always taken to a safe place and never damaged. However, her dislike of getting out of bed before 9 a.m could be a hiccup.

Alice completes the pack. She loves everyone be they man or beast and is noisy with it. I’m an over-protective Mum with all my dogs but with Alice, it goes a step further probably because of her association with T. A tracker, two identity tags and bells on her collar may be a bit overkill but I’m a worrywart. Most are possibly unnecessary as Arry will round her up if she wanders off (a typical Border trait I’m told), the two are inseparable. Tony’s girl and Mummy’s boy……