Famous Author's favorite dog Bodie
November 26, 2011 | by Border Joy! 
So I decided to fulfill a longtime ambition, to own a Border terrier. I had loved this breed, with its whiskery face, ever since I had come to work in Yorkshire. but there had never been a litter around when we had wanted a new dog.
This time, however, I was very fortunate to find the last of a litter not far away in Bedale, and so Bodie joined the Herriot household. I don't think any of my other dogs would be too upset if I said that no dog has ever given me so much joy as Bodie--who is lying beside me now as I write. From the moment that I reached down and lifted up the puppy, and he curled his little body round, apparently trying to touch his tail with his nose, I was lost to him.
He has been a wonderful companion to me, especially since I retired and have had more time for walking. He is getting on now, and his coat is almost more white than brown; this has its advantages because I can see him when he is running through the autumn bracken when it is on the turn. When he was younger, he was almost the same color as the russety-red bracken and sometimes the only means I had of knowing where he had got to was by the high-pitched yelps emanating from the thick undergrowth, which meant that he was after another rabbit, which he very rarely caught. I know the chase gave him immense pleasure, however, because he would return to me, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth and a look on his face as if to say, "Well, there's always another day!"
He is a bit too old now to chase rabbits for real but he still whiffles in his sleep so I am sure he is chasing them in his dreams.
- James Herriot
The Artist .....
The beautiful painting is by Cliff Spohn - Fine Artist, Shelton, CT -
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Reader Comments (3)
What a lovely story! Made me smile :)
This segment of text was what made me go, "What is a border terrier?" Do some research, and then go to a dog show and see them... And fall in love.
Now we're about 13 years, 5 borders, and 2 litters later.
Yeahhhhhhhhh!!!!!