Huckle is, believe it or not, a pedigree Irish Terrier; admittedly they are usually stripped and look a good deal more aristocratic, but Hucks seems to prefer his ‘just got out of the surf’ look, with 1st World War fighter pilot style moustache. He looks like a teddy bear.

The breed was developed in the 18th C to accompany Irish gentlemen and their families; the dogs were bred to hunt, to rat, and generally make themselves useful. In the 1st World War the Irish Officers took their terriers with them to the trenches, where they made themselves useful as messenger dogs. There is the famous story of Larry the Irish Terrier, who made it across all the shell blasted lines before dropping dead at his masters feet, message delivered.

I’m not sure Huckle would be quite that brave but he is, nevertheless, exasperatingly pleased with himself – and that is meant to be another feature of the breed. He appears very happy with his lot, and lives outdoors in a barrel.

He was given to us as a wedding present 10 years ago and was also, I can now admit, our first ‘child’. He insists on coming everywhere with us - sailing, climbing, camping, running, fishing – even if he’s not really enjoying himself, he is so desperate to be included. When we have left our children asleep in a buggy he will wait with them until they wake. He has a strong sense of protecting and shepherding the children, and even joins in with all their singing and dancing, in his own way. So he is a great family dog.

Huckle is also a terrific farm dog, and his desire to be included and useful at all times has led him to become an accomplished gun dog – he will flush and retrieve pheasants and rabbits but not always on my command, just when he feels like it! He is actually quite frightened of rabbits, and when chasing one the closer he gets the more his stride becomes a bounce then, God forbid and if he is still catching up with it, his boings become ever more vertical – thereby giving the mixi rabbit a sporting chance of slinking away!

But it is as a stock dog that he has most impressed. He will work cattle, pigs and sheep; he works out what I want the livestock to do and uses his melodious bark to “speak” and his powerful muscling to persuade them to go where he thinks I want them to go. He works on whistles and command, but most of the time he thinks that really he knows best – he is, after all, the boss.

Huckle and the other dogs:

Huckle clearly experiences real emotions, and when Hemp, the old sheep dog who had taught Hucks all about the stock, died 3 years ago, Huckle went into a visible decline for several weeks if not months. He has since had to put up with a succession of puppies, which he suffers with a mixture of fear and resignation. He is terrified of small fluffy dogs – the more benign the more terrifying, and the thing that really scares him is toy dogs on wheels!

He now has Bash, a lanky Border Collie teenager as a companion and work mate, and Skye (also Border Collie) who is a bit more of an exocet missile, but really just a bundle of fluff who spends most of her time hanging off Huckle’s distinguished moustache.

He is also capable of being very happy, and literally sings with joy.

 

Huckle now has his own page on facebook......click here to join him as a friend!