Meet my Cabinet: Bertie

TODAY WE ARE PLEASED AS PUNCH TO INTRODUCE YOU TO
BERTIE, 
DIRECTOR OF THE SCIENCE OF TAIL WAGGING

1. Please introduce yourself(selves), tell us your age and a very special trait.

Bertie, aged 3. It is not well known amongst those who have never met me that I have a particularly (some have said irritatingly) piercing and high-pitched bark. I rarely deploy it inside the house, not even when the postman arrives, but rather I save my best efforts for when I am in the car with my flat-coated retriever friend Jake, being driven by Jake’s mum or dad, when I try to position myself as close as possible to their ear before vocalising my thoughts.

  

2. If you had and alter ego, who would you like to be and why:

Well I am pretty happy with who I am, but if I had to swap, oh, I think I would like to be my PON friend Bob  (http://bobnsophie.blogspot.com) in France, ‘cos he has a cool name, a lovely playful sister Sophie, he gets fed croissants every morning and he meets a wide range of fascinating people, included the chiffon clad turban wearing Madame Bay.

3. What do you like best/least about where you live

Best is that it is only a five minute walk to Duthie Park, where I go every morning and can run free and meet all my pals.  Also good, I have come to appreciate from reading blogs from all around the world, is that it never ever gets too hot for comfort in Aberdeen.

Worst is that I have to share the house and compete for attention with Gail’s three bicycles. And that we are too far away from Human Granny and Grandad.

4. Who are some peeps/furiends you'd like to meet and why

Oh so many. Like just about everyone in Blogville. But most of all I would of course like to meet my beautiful girlfriend and fellow tank enthusiast Addi (http://jazzis-world.blogspot.co.uk). If I am allowed a historical figure too, I would love to meet Charles Darwin, who, by his meticulous and insightful research revealed the relationship between humans and animals in all its fascinating richness and glory. Oh and also he is known to have absolutely adored his pet terrier Polly.

If you could give one piece of random advice what would it be?

Be aware that both Gail and I have in common that other folk have described us as ‘advice resistant’.

6. What do you do for fun

I love to go for walks in the Scottish hills, but most of all I love to visit Human Granny and Grandad in England and to try to make them happy.

5. What is the first thing you do each morning

Stretch and roll over for a tummy tickle.

6. What is the first thing you notice about a new friend

It used to be that I would have bounced all over them before observing anything at all, but now that I am older and (a bit) more sensible, I do first make a brief assessment of their size and demeanour .

7. Tell us how you came to live in your family and how you got your name.

Fate. I was born on the same day that my predecessor Hamish died. I am named after P.G. Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster. We are both guaranteed to make you smile.

10. What is your absolute favourite food\

Bits of kidney from Human Granny’s home-made steak and kidney pie (the pastry is pretty good too).

BONUS:

Bertie over the months it has come to our attention that you have a very, very, very HAPPY Tail. Said tail has captivated Mom's heart. She gets all gaga when she sees your videos or heck even when she sees a picture with your precious little tail. SO Bertie do tell us is that happy tail a characteristic of Wire-haired Terriers? OR is it a Bertie trait? We are quite sure there is a scientific explanation for the mechanism controlling it. So here and now we invite you to expand on this Physics of tail wagging...beyond what goes up must come down!

BONUS Answer:

Well Madi and Mom, I am sorry to disappoint you, but for once my best explanation is going to be political, not scientific. I think that the reason my tail is so happy and waggly is that it is pleased to be there at all. You see, had I been born a few years earlier, my breeder would have had it docked. Yes really, can you imagine, depriving me of my best means of expression? I once met an older WFT who had a meagre stump of a tail. But thanks to an EU treaty (yes, fellow Brits, there are some good things to come out of the European Union), since 2006 tail docking has been totally banned in Scotland.

MADI HERE:  EVERYTIME WE SEE A PICTURE OF BERTIE MOM SQUEALS BUT OMCS when she sees a video with tail in action she hyperventilates.  

If you have not met Bertie, click here to visit him.