Country mouse salutes terriers
A new addition at home has melted our country mouse's heart after generations of Labradors and collies - a Jack Russell


The terrier is in charge. After generations of labradors and collies that lived ‘professionally' in a kennel at night and were not allowed onto chairs, my mother's new acquisition, a self confident Jack Russell puppy a quarter their size, has already cost more in fancy accoutrements than all his predecessors put together. His bedroom is the kitchen, where he hogs the rare patches of sunlight coming through and sleeps soundly in a basket by the Rayburn.
This is due a service, but that will have to wait until the weather is warmer because he would disapprove of it being turned off. He's already been microchipped because outings-lunches, hunting, cheering up the old people's home- now revolve around his enjoyment. His travel cage in the car is arranged so that he has an unhindered view of passing scenery.
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Toys, with varying levels of ‘squeak' left in them, have been purchased for his amusement and the sofa provides the perfect vantage point from which to enjoy watching television, especially Songs of Praise, Mastermind or a spot of Channel Four Racing, although only David Attenborough or a sheepdog on Countryfile merit getting down for a closer look. He should probably be running the country.
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Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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