Flossie sometimes becomes fixated on certain people. It can be awkward.
Her latest habit is staring at women in parked cars outside our local doctors’ surgery.
We pass the surgery on our daily walk. It’s not busy but due to the pandemic there are people outside sitting in their cars, presumably because they’ve driven somebody to an appointment or they are waiting until they are called in for their own.
We walk on the other side of the road to avoid close contact with anyone getting in or out of their car. Flossie scans the cars until she sees someone she’s interested in. She fixes them with a stare, plants her bottom on the pavement and refuses to move.
I have no idea how she chooses her victims. They are almost always female, aged between 40 and 60. I wonder if it’s because she thinks she knows them. I fit that category myself.
I try and encourage her to move along. I’m sure nobody wants a strange dog eyeballing them while they’re potentially feeling anxious about a medical appointment.
Sometimes I’m successful but occasionally no amount of treat temptation or doing a jaunty voice will motivate her to move. Even a ‘Miranda-style’ giddy-up fails miserably.
On several occasions I’ve had to strike up a conversation with whoever is in the car from across the street. I apologise, with a nervous giggle, that my nosy dog is staring at them.
They usually look bemused as I flap around with treats while Flossie remains rooted to the spot, never breaking eye contact.
It’s embarrassing.
Without exception, they’ve all said that they own dogs. They’ve also all been extremely nice.
I wonder if this is part of Flossie’s selection criteria.
She seems satisfied once we’ve had a chat and then we go on our way.
She’s a good judge of character, my dog.
As published in the Bath Chronicle, 24 September 2020
Suzy Pope is a certified copywriter and newspaper columnist specialising in pets, business and lifestyle. If you would like help with a writing project, please get in touch.
