Manhattan Kelly

by Peter Stockman

Kelly taking a break from playing ball in Central Park

When one owns a Kerry Blue, one becomes owned by a Kerry Blue, as well. This can be a very good, if somewhat exhausting, existence. Here are some short vignettes of life with Kelly, our Manhattan Kerry:

Helping Kelly choose a toy from her basket. This process starts with much soft ‘woofing’ and hopeful glances. One then takes each toy out of the basket and presents it to her for sniffing and consideration of the toy’s unique play proposition. Often, one must unload the entire basket of toys without finding a single one Kelly considers worthy. At this point one gets ‘THE LOOK’: a short glance that communicates accusation, sadness, confusion and the existence of better options.

Feeling the leash vibrate as Kelly, silently growling, encounters an unfamiliar dog on the street.

Feeling the leash vibrate as Kelly, silently growling, encounters a dog she has met and played with a hundred times before on the street.

The alarm clock: repeated rapid flapping of ears and jostling of the bed at 5:15AM signally that Kelly has determined that, less than eight hours after her late evening walk, an hour run in Central Park would be nice. How did she learn this behavior? How can her sense of time be so precise?

Explaining to curious New Yorkers that, no, the sun has not bleached the fur on her back and that Kerry Blue coats are naturally that color.

Leading Kelly to the north side of 95th Street lest she deliberately taunt two white standard poodles who live in the townhouse on the south side. Kelly has engaged in cold war brinkmanship through the poodles’ kitchen window for years.

Having run out of ingredients, getting ‘THE LOOK’ the second time in a row I leave out “additives” from her kibble (hamburger, chicken, turkey). Once is, well, acceptable. Twice is grounds for dog-human divorce.

Kelly prefers bottled spring water…to the extent that she will beg it from strangers carrying water bottles in Central Park. Clearly, her humans have never, ever given her anything to drink.

Peter and Terry Stockman
are owned and loved by Kelly (Blue Chip's Black Pearl of Cheshire)