When we lived at Falcon College (a boys boarding school some miles south of Bulawayo) we came into possession of a Rhodesian ridgeback-cross-Doberman from a farmer in Filabusi. He was really very beautiful (am I prejudiced?) and loving, and exuberant and strong - we called him Mandla - which means strength in Sindebele. His tail was never docked and if he came into the living room to greet us there was always a mad scramble to grab things off the side tables... I came home from work one day to his usual more-than-effusive greeting. He got caught up in my skirt (I used to wear only long, flowing skirts in those days - green and twiggy stuff in the 70s, you know). We both got caught up in this mad, whirling Dervish-type dance and I fell straight onto my pregnant (with Jonathan) tummy. It wasnt painful, but I was terrified! I went to bed for the rest of the day, sobbing and praying that things would be all right. (Of course they were). Once the baby was born, he took possession. It was he who alerted us the day the snake crawled up over the babys pram. On my afternoon walks with the pram he was particularly alert. If I stopped to speak to anyone he would stand - rigid - at the side of the pram - not distracted by anything. No one was allowed to get too close, and if they bent down to peer into the pram... On a particular afternoon we went down to the office block to collect the post. The Headmaster and the Sindebele teacher were chatting on the pathway. Mandla took off and attacked the teacher for no apparent reason whatsoever! I was mortified! The Head told us that (in future) we had to keep the dog at home. This was difficult: the staff quarters were not fenced in. This gave free reign to dogs, cats, children and (quite frankly) anything that moved. So Peter tied an enormously long wire between two trees in our very big garden. Mandlas collar was tied to the wire and he could move only between the two trees. He yelped. He cried. He moaned. He howled. He had no access to the baby he LIVED to protect. The agony lasted only a few days and then we had a bright idea: maybe the police could use him? I took off in the car for Bulawayo - Sean and Mandla on the back seat. A young policeman from the Dog Unit said: Well, we have to test him, you know. Test him? What do you mean? He must be able to attack on command. Well - I didnt know about THAT...this was a family pet! Someone dressed up in full protective gear emerged and started to tease Mandla. Here! Heres my forearm. Come and get me!...advancing, and shoving his arm in Mandlas face...Tsa! Tsa! Bite me! It wasnt the most successful test ever made. Mandla was distracted by the other dogs in the kennels...the new smells...this idiot wanting to play with him... But they took him. Simply for the breeds capabilities, I think. As I drove away I saw them leading him into a kennel. I broke down completely and had to stop the car. Sean asked what was wrong and I had no way of explaining this terrible pain in my chest...
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:33:24 +0000
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