It is a dogs world

It is a dog's world

 If you haven’t seen or come up against a Boerbul the bugger is the same size as a lion, has the same yellow coat, with a head larger than a bowling ball. Achilles is a South African breed all muscle and brawn with drooping jowls and gentle eyes. How he came on the scene was by accident. A litter of puppies were born. The kid next door came to call me. I went and counted fourteen puppies. I didn’t know which one to pick up first. They were all fluffy and frisky but he was the largest. When I picked him up his eyes begged me to keep him. I brought him home and fell in love.

 

Master of his domain

Within three months Achilles outgrew his kennel and my son got another one. Within another three months a new house appeared on the property to accommodate his size. The dog has every comfort and like kids we argued over who the dog loved most. My son buys him the best food on the market, the biggest bones – so big and clunky that people think he eats human beings. He has all the freedom he wants except for one rule he cannot disobey; he cannot come into the house and lie on the furniture.

 

Loving your dog

 When he was first trained he refused to budge and three people would have to lift him. Muslims keep a house free of dog dander, dog hair and drooling spit and he has the grounds to roam on but must not put his foot one inch beyond the doorway. It took a few months to get this right and Achilles now lies in the doorway but does not put his big fat paw beyond the wooden ridge. The domestic worker complains that she has to clean up after him but she too is now under his spell. Achilles has six towels washed every week. His house is swept out and wiped, his spongy mattress aired out every day. Twice daily his mountainous droppings get picked up.

 

 Biggest canine on the street

One morning I got up and could not find Achilles. It was raining outside and I imagined that he had gone to his wooden brown house for a nap. I went into the sun room and there was Achilles lying on the new suede chaise like the king of Egypt with wet paws, a pint of spit drooling from his mouth. It was just too funny. I laughed, took a picture; he dismissed me with one eye. He got up but I patted his thick strong neck and let him know that it was all right. What is a piece of furniture, I thought. With Achilles on his chaise he has the best view of what goes on in the street. The first sign of a human being and he is on his guard. It is a dog’s world and Achilles is king.