Eastlife Autumn 2020

It’s been a while since I recalled Fletcher’s
tales of mischief. Lockdown for us was tough.
Not only because Fletcher was restricted
to one walk a day but for personal reasons,
which were made a hundred times worse
when lockdown boredom got the better of
Fletcher and he munched on some stones in
the garden.
It broke my heart to hand him to the vet in the
car park, petrified that I might never see him
again. However, surgery went well. A stone
was removed from his intestine. Recovery was
tough as he refused to eat at the vets, but back
home he couldn’t resist the chicken trail I left
around the house to tempt him to eat. If you’re
a regularly reader, you’ll remember last year
that Fletcher ate a kebab stick. Two surgeries
in 10 months – I’m a terrible mother! I’m sure
Tesco Pet Insurance are going to be thrilled
with us. I’m not looking forward to the renewal
fee!
Thankfully, Fletcher bounced back quickly and
he was soon up to his usual tricks. Once he
was fully healed, we treated him to a morning
of kayaking at Grantchester. It wasn’t the
peaceful experience I had in mind, as Fletcher
insisted on jumping on and off and swimming
the length of the river. No one else was soaking
wet in their kayak, just us – thanks Fletch!
Tails About
Town:
“Hello, my name is Fletcher, and
I’m a swimming addict!”
It’s no secret Fletcher loves to swim, but his
obsession is creating some awful behaviour.
He screams; a high pitch shrill while in the
car when we approach a familiar place with
water. At Mersea Island, he ran a mile down the
beach so he could get to the incoming tide.
My husband and I ran after him while frantically
apologising to people for the carnage he was
causing to their beach set ups.
He will no longer sit quietly near water either.
No matter how long he has spent swimming,
he will squeal and screech until I let him swim
again. It’s embarrassing and annoying to
everyone around. He spent two solid hours
swimming at Mersea, which involved my
husband and I taking shifts to watch him. At
one point when we tried to leave, Fletcher
protested and plonked himself down in the
sea. He just sat; waves bobbing around his
head. His little black face looked like a seal
popping up from the water.
This isn’t normal doggy behaviour. Swimming
has become an addiction. It’s stopping me
taking him out for day trips to the beach
because the noise is unbearable. Fletcher
needs professional help – I can’t believe I have
just written that sentence, but it’s true! I need a
dog behaviourist to fix the problem. If you have
any recommendations, please get in touch at
emma@eastlife.co.uk
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