Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Trigger

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

When I heard Mummy was going to go for one of those hospital trips again, I thought I'd invite a couple of friends over while she'd be gone. Her being gone would mean it would be just me and Daddy for a while. Well, the squeaky things in cages would be here too, but they won't come out and play with me, so they don't count. I love my Daddy best usually, but he's not the best at playing ball, because he won't play for as long as Mummy does. Anyway, I figured asking some of my friends to come tell you about themselves would pass the time until Mummy can play ball with me properly again.

Except, there were lots of friends I wanted to invite over, and they were all happy to come for a visit. So this is going to be more than just something for while Mummy is going to the hospital place again. In fact, Mummy says we can do it after she's home too, if there are any writers' pets who want to come over for a visit. Although, because we'll need to be able to do our regular "Furkid Friday" posts some weeks too, there will only be one spot a month available as from March (February is already all filled up).

So, if you're a writer's pet - regardless of species - and you want to come over and talk to me, or one of the squeaky things in cages, you can get in touch with us, and we'll send you the questions you need to answer to do it. Send us an email to keroberous2004@gmail.com with the subject "Friends of Furkid Friday" (you have to do that bit, or Mummy might think it's junk and delete it by accident). Just be patient with Mummy while she deals with the hospital thing, because it's going to make her slow doing things on the computer.

Today though, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Trigger.

Hello Trigger. For the benifit of anyone who doesn't know you... What species and breed are you?

I am a brindle Labrador/retriever.

I haven't met many of those. Describe your appearance.

I am a large, brindle Labrador/retriever. My father was a black Labrador while my mother was a golden retriever, which accounts for my brindle colour. The brindle is present on my legs and tummy, while the rest of my body is black.

You sound like a nice looking dog. What sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

I live in a 2-bedroom flat with a hall and a large living room. My bed is in the living room. There is a large garden and a park just 2 minutes walk from my home.
I share my home with Kevin Morris, a poet and author who is originally from the city of Liverpool but has lived and worked in London since 1994. Kevin is registered blind and I am his guide dog.

Sounds like a nice place. My Mummy is blind too, but I'm not her guide dog. What’s your favourite thing to do?

I enjoy going for walks especially in the park or woods where there are lots of interesting smells for me to investigate.

Oh, I love walks! Most of mine happen by the big water the humans call the ocean though. Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

I have a squeaky bear which I love to squeak as it drives Kevin mad! Kevin once found a “squeaky dog toy sound” on something called Youtube, which really confused me as I spent ages trying to find that toy!

It would have confused me too! Also, your bear sounds like a great toy. What’s your favourite food?

I eat a complete dry food. However, I love to vacuum up tasty morsels on the street (although Kevin does his best to prevent me from doing this)!

That must be frustrating. I hope Kevin doesn't always manage to stop you... Humans drop some great stuff! Speaking of Kevin, what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?

That is a hard question to answer. I love it when Kevin scratches my belly or behind my ears, but my greatest love is (apart from eating) going for walks in the park and its almost always Kevin who takes me there.

Those things all sound really nice. What’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?

Sometimes he puts anti-flea spray on me and I shake vigorously to get it off me. I hate that flea spray!

I don't blame you! By the way, you mentioned that your human is a poet and author. Has he written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think he will in the future?

Kevin has written several poems about me, including the below piece entitled “The Hungry Hound”:

“I am Trigger.
My stomach is bigger
Than you think.
Your lunch will be gone in the blink
Of an Eye.
Then away I fly.
Should you ask “who stole my lunch?” I reply
“Nnot I
But, dear reader, I lie …!..
I have been known to eat plastic.
My reach is elastic.
You think your food Safe?
My friend brace
Yourself for a shock
For I will gobble the lot!
Be it ever so hot!”.

Nice poem. Thanks for sharing it with us. So, what do you do while your human writes?

I sleep or (just for fun and to break his concentration) I come into his study, wagging my tail and push my cold wet nose against his hand. Sometimes I present him with one of my toys just as he is deep in thought!

Well, you have to make sure he takes breaks, don't you? It's not good for humans to stay sitting at their computers for too long without breaks, after all. Before we say goodbye, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

I think eating, walks in the woods and playing with my toys are far more interesting than poetry!

You and me both! Don't tell Mummy though... She writes poems too, and might get upset if she learns I'm really not interested when she reads them to me, but only pretending in hopes she'll give me a treat, or play ball with me for a long time, to reward me for being a good dog and listening.

***~~~***

Author bio, links, etc:

Kevin Morris was born in the city of Liverpool on 6 January 1969. Having lost the majority of his eyesight at 18-months-old, Kevin attended Wavertree School for the Blind and Saint Vincents School for the Blind, both of which are located in Liverpool.
Kevin went on to study history and politics at University College of Swansea. Being a glutton for punishment he stayed on at Swansea and completed a Master of Arts (MA) in political theory. In between his studies Kevin enjoyed sailing in Swansea’s Oyster Mouth Bay and falling in the water …!
Kevin moved to London in 1994 to live and work. His fulltime job is as a civil servant and in his free hours he writes poetry, which he began writing in 2011.
Being visually impaired Kevin uses Job Access with Speech (JAWS) software which converts text into speech and braille enabling him to use a standard Windows laptop/computer.

Author’s website - https://newauthoronline.com
Author’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/drewdog2060_
Author’s Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/newauthoronline

“The Writer’s Pen and Other Poems”, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GD1LBMV/, is A collection of 44 poems encompassing the passing of the years, nature, man's place in the world and politics. “The Writer’s Pen” is available in multiple formats at the above link and you can find “Summer”, one of the poems in the collection, reproduced below:

“Summer unlocks
Youthful passion.
Now ‘tis the fashion
For short frocks
And tiny socks.

Some girls barefoot go,
For of a summer’s day,
They little know
That Winter snow
Is on its way”.

***~~~***

I hope you enjoyed meeting Trigger, and getting to know about him and his human, Kevin.

Lots of licks,
Lilie