... but sometimes I think it's important to catch them at it

[ailbhe]

Linnea: Good dog!
Ailbhe: Have you got that around Emer's neck?!
Linnea: No! [leans offstage to where Emer is, pulls at something]
Ailbhe: [dashed over, gets the curtain tie-back from around Emer's neck] You must never put anything around her neck, never. It's very serious.
Linnea: But she was a dog! she's not hurt
Ailbhe: [Tears running down her face] I know you didn't want to hurt her and she was having fun being a dog but it's very important - very important - never ever to put anything around someone's neck.
Linnea: OK. [pause] I will remember that.
Ailbhe: Thank you. [has a proper cry]

Then Linnea gave me lots of hugs and asked for squeezes and made me so much better. I didn't ask her to - I make a point of never asking them to - but she did.

And I believe her, too.

(We sorted out that guide dogs have harnesses which are not around their necks so in future Emer can have that kind of harness).

Comments

[biascut.livejournal.com]

Ack, that's an awful one. Again, I completely remember not understanding why that would be a bad thing to do, and it's exactly that kind of thing that I can remember thinking of doing myself as a small child that scares me now.

We also used to do skipping-ropes-around-the-waist to play horsies - someone realised that getting the horse to hold each end of the skipping rope meant that the rider had looped reins, which was more realistic and much better from our point of view, as well as our parents' and teachers! But I can't think of one for dogs.

Thank goodness you found them, and I hope you feel a bit less shakey now.

[ailbhe]

The running commentary stage is SO USEFUL. My sister used to live in a house with no gate down at the bottom of the driveway, which opened onto a narrow, footpathless country road with high walls and hedges on both sides.

"My wunning away! My wunning away down a hill!" caused her to drop everything and dash to the gate, where she intercepted the toddler...