Bob. The family fellow. 2013-2019

• He was the dog from central casting - fluffy, affable and a magnet for mischief.
• He made us laugh all day, every day.
• He was as stubborn as a mule. He could - and would - ignore commands by feigning complete and absolute deafness.
• He viewed the post lady as his nemesis.
• He would always look you right in the eye.
• He understood that if you stare at a door long enough it would open.
• At 5.55 every morning he would place a cold wet nose in his masters ear. A signal that the best day ever was starting and that we shouldn't miss a moment of it - together.
• He steadfastly refused to stay up a minute later than ten pm.
• If he wanted something he would come and rest his chin on your knee. 
• When he was really happy he would snort with delight.
• He loved Brussel Sprouts.
• On dry mornings he would sit with his flock on the storm drain and put the world to rights. He was a better listener than communicator but his role was none the less valued.
• Squirrels were to be chased with 100% head back, ears flying, tail waving enthusiasm.This was not a good hunting technique but he believed stealthiness to be vastly overrated. 
• We pretended he'd been well trained. He pretended he'd been trained. His independence and doggedness were never in question. 
• By mutual consent the puppy hood adventure in the shoe cupboard was never referred to again.
• Somehow he never quite understood that his nose was soft and a hedgehogs spines hard.
• He had a stump seat by the gate from where he'd view passing travellers. Most would be greeted, some would be ignored and a few would be growled at. It's as if he could judge the kindness in their souls, or lack of it, and respond accordingly. We came to recognize his skill in these judgments.
• At bath times he would hide under an upstairs bed. The thwack thwack thwack of his tail always gave his place away. 
• The vacuum cleaner was the devils spawn and had to be avoided at all costs.
• He always employed a ' Why walk when you can run ? ' philosophy to life.Sometimes he'd get so excited he'd trip over his own feet. We called this his soft shoe shuffle routine.
• C-A-T-S required constant vigilance.
• He knew the word for biscuit in 84 languages .
• He employed an aw-shucks farm boy charm with the girls at the bakery. Sometimes he got choux pastry slivers. He was often told he was handsome. This is a great endorsement for the aw-shucks routine.
• Horse manure was always to be rolled in.
• Fishing for minnows in the small stream required intense concentration and a confluence of mind / motor coordination he lacked. This never deterred him.
• A shared croissant end was the height of sophistication.
• He was known by name to the local rugby club, the man with the hot dog caravan, all the village pre-schoolers and most of the villagers. Quite an accomplishment for a six year old Polish sheepdog boy.
• He liked to sit at the front door head out, rump in. In winter this was a position designed to let warm air flow out of the house and cold air to gust in.
• His single greatest joy in life was a power walk round the lake with 'The Font'. A time of complete fulfilment when he could both guard and herd. A true multi-tasker.
• The idea that 'it's too wet to go out' was a notion he completely failed to understand. 
• There wasn't a puddle he wouldn't drink from.
• He would sit under the large oak and watch the sunrise  and sunset.
• He loved and was loved and will be missed.