It's Hip To Be Square

One thing I find totally adorable with the likes of Malte - the well-built, sturdy, robust, self-confident Norfolk terriers - is that they're built like logs. Apart from me having an especially soft spot for scruffy, shaggy coarse-haired dogs it was the compact physique - or cobby as we say when it comes to British Shorthair cats - and the easy manageable size - boy was I wrong about that bit... - that agreed so well will the cats plus the friendly - or perhaps intrusive is in reality a better word for it... - nature that made me get me a Malte in shape of a loaf when it was time for a doggie addition.

When I met him the first time - at the tender still-very-much-a-peeing-sleeping-meatball age of four weeks - he and his two brothers were of the same size. When five weeks later it was time to pick him up, along with one of his brothers who also moved to Stockholm from Scania, it turned out he was twice the size of his wee black-tan brother. With one pup just thriving the other one looked somewhat underfed - and whilst the wee brother was anxious and peed an enormous amount of piddle in my lap, the thriving one slept happily most of the long journey home.

I haven't met the miniature brother since we left him at his new home, but I somehow seriously doubt he grew the way Malte did. Now and then we meet other Norfolks, I love it when we meet the sturdy, compact built ones but sadly most of them are of a lesser log shaped, robust kind and for some odd reason those ones seem to have a matching, less friendly, less happy disposition -

and as a finishing touch they most often have a less than discreet or well informed owner who find it appropriate to point out that the sturdiness of one loaf shaped doggie isn't according to breed standard. Such remarks are of course completely, to say the least, annoying and equally ignorant. Yes, he is log as well as loaf shaped with a broad back, but let me point out that he also has a visible waist and discernible ribs and yes, a seemingly never ceasing amount of energy, thank you very much.

I wish those untaught would realize that it's just completely and utterly hip to be square.