Harriet and Merry

'Merry is an interesting character because out of all our dogs she is the most temperamental and emotional. She has incredibly expressive ears that go up and down and tell you what she’s thinking, and she makes lots of noises as well. Compared to our other dogs, who are very ‘in the present’, she seems to think about the future and past the most. When you don’t take her on a walk, you can see in the evening that she is unhappy. When our other dog, Nala, had puppies she also became depressed and stopped eating because she wasn’t getting attention. She’s quite needy and contrary: she always seems to want to be on the other side of the door! Dogs on the whole are quite easy going and compliant, but Merry is not!

What’s also quite interesting about Merry is that for most people who come and stay with us, Merry ends up being their favourite dog. She is quite special and complicated. Perhaps she forms stronger emotional connections with people than the other dogs. She can also be very affectionate and enjoys sitting on our knees.'

What do you think your dog would be like if they were human?

'I think she would be quite a complex person. She might have mental health problems or depression … But there’s something about her that people love and which makes you want to look after her. It’s not just that she’s someone with lots of problems, she’s someone you want to spend time with. She would be a very sensitive person. She also has these amazing lined eyes, so she might be rather glamorous and sultry. Maybe she’d be a punk with really black eyes, quite spunky and a little but sulky, but obviously very popular.'

Harriet describes Merry as potentially looking a bit like Siouxsie Sioux:

Photo: Wikimedia Commons