The Yeti
The Yeti is a mythical creature that is believed to inhabit the slopes of the Himalayas, also known as the Abominable Snowman. There is no irrefutable evidence either way to prove the existence or not of the Yeti
Details have been changed to protect anonymity
Let’s start at the beginning. Trevor ran a building company, he was a cricket and rugby fanatic and given the chance he would happily spend his days watching both. He was a bachelor who lived alone in a flat, was comfortable wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket and would happily spend his evenings in the local pub. He lived the life of a bachelor unencumbered by personal responsibilities. Holidays were spent on a beach in Barbados usually for the purpose of meeting unattached ladies.
All this was his life until he met Barbara.
Now Barbara was a barrister, wore designer clothes, lived in a house filled with antiques, enjoyed the ballet, had inherited wealth and spent her holidays on the ski slopes in Switzerland. She was indeed an educated cultured lady.
It would be fair to say the on the surface they were completely incompatible. As they got to know each other the differences actually became more irreconcilable. When Barbara entered Trevor’s flat she did a swift 360-degree turn and vowed never to set foot inside his flat again. She was horrified that a mug that originally held coffee was now growing penicillin!!
Trevor confessed to me that he adored her from the day that they met and was prepared to make sacrifices to win Barbara. After a difficult start to their relationship, they settled into a routine, maybe it was a trifle unusual but it worked.
Allowing for work commitments they found a pattern that was agreeable to them both.
As Barbara was unwilling to cross the threshold to Trevor’s flat then once or twice a week Trevor booked a room at a very smart hotel plus a meal at a restaurant and in turn, Trevor was invited into Barbara’s beautiful home where she cooked cordon bleu meals.
He kept sets of clothes there so he was able to shower and be properly dressed.
This unorthodox union had been in place for many years, never living together but blissfully happy, however, for Trevor and Barbara their relationship was to be tested to the limit.
As I said Trevor ran a building company, however, he didn’t need to leave his office too often as his crew were under the charge of his foreman.
The Scruffy Stray
All was normal until one day a scruffy dog appeared on the site on which they were working, it was in poor condition with a matted coat and was hungry. Having shared the contents of their lunchboxes with the dog the crew were unhappy about leaving him without shelter that night as there was no obvious place for the scruffy dog to sleep so the foreman was persuaded to take the dog home in the company’s van, feed it and let it sleep in the vehicle. A space was made amongst the tools and general clutter, an old high visibility jacket inside a cardboard box was provided as a bed and at least the stray dog was able to sleep in a dry secure place without being at the mercy of the unpredictable English weather.
This state of affairs continued for several days with the men all clubbing together to buy dog food, the dog spending his days on the building site, sleeping in the van at night and finally receiving a suitable name. In deference to his unkempt appearance, he was called The Yeti
It was on a visit to the site that Trevor noticed The Yeti and inquired about the dog. His men confessed to keeping him as a sort of pet and allowing him to sleep at night in the company’s vehicle.Trevor who had never owned a dog was concerned when he saw the state of the dog’s coat and decided that he would take him to get him clipped and cleaned up. This was how I met The Yeti
Whilst I was a trainer and behaviourist I also had a diploma from the London Academy of Grooming. This had nothing to do with my desire to become a full-time groomer of poodles or the creator of bouffant styles etc but my realisation that a gap in the market existed. At any one time, there were a number of dogs that were banned from the grooming salons due to their bad behaviour or their naked aggression. This was a market that I took and whilst I did not always produce the classic styles associated with the popular breeds my “customers” were made to feel comfortable, they ended up looking smart, they were bathed and returned to their owners in a very presentable condition.
The Yeti appeared to be a Toy Poodle crossed with a Bichon Frise, was pure white and obviously did not lose hair naturally so he would always need clipping.
Trevor didn’t care what the little dog was going to look like only that he was comfortable and clean as let’s be honest despite the best efforts of the gang of workmen days on a building site The Yeti looked dreadful, with a coat matted and covered in building detritus and decidedly antisocial in the personal hygiene department.
Time for a bath
The little white dog was made presentable in a couple of hours, and whilst the result would not have impressed my instructor at the London Academy The Yeti obviously felt and smelt better and Trevor was delighted. There was only one problem, Trevor wanted to keep him but knowing Barbara as he did he knew he was facing the battle of a lifetime.
As I have previously stated whilst Barbara was a sophisticated lady Trevor unfortunately had all the finesse of a battering ram so turning up on her doorstep with an expensive bottle of Chardonnay in one hand and The Yeti tucked under his arm was, without doubt, an ill-conceived plan. A hostile reception led to Trevor departing hurriedly and as he pointed out later to me he was particularly upset as on the menu that night was duck a l’orange, his favourite meal.
Trevor then launched a charm offensive with roses!! Knowing that Barbara adored roses he had them delivered in all their forms to wherever she was and after a fortnight Barbara relented and consented to talk. This change of heart was due more to the fact that she was running out of living space and thought that at this rate she would have to employ a full-time gardener!! The meeting took place in the beer garden of a country pub where Trevor apologised for his clumsiness and expressed a desire to see Barbara again and to keep the dog.
I finally met Barbara when she arrived at my office with Trevor and The Yeti.
Barbara came armed with a list of questions carefully prepared in writing, she was a stunning looking lady but I must confess I found her rather intimidating and wouldn’t have wanted to face her in a courtroom. I suppose that sort of slightly threatening persona was a bonus in her profession whether conceived of not.
Many questions were concerning her immaculate home and what might be damaged by the presence of a dog.
As each question was asked I could see the mute appeal in Trevor’s eyes. “Please give an answer that would keep Barbara happy”
In the end, an agreement was made. The Yeti would be cage trained and would continue to live with Trevor. On the nights of their hotel trysts, Trevor would choose hotels that accepted dogs, a rigorous record must be kept regarding vaccinations and treatment of parasites. Regular visits to the poodle parlour were going to be a priority and there must be no damage to the house when Trevor stayed with Barbara. All easy to promise but not always easy to achieve.
I continued to advise by phone regarding behaviour issues, cage training, repellents to prevent chewing, feeding and travelling when asked to do so for several weeks and finally this rather strange episode ended, I rendered my account which was paid by return with a generous gratuity and after that, I never heard from Trevor and Barbara again.
A Happy Ending
I was in a cafe’ several years later when through the window I saw Barbara and Trevor. They were holding hands. In her free hand Barbara held a lead and on the end of the lead was The Yeti. He was in a classic Bichon Frise clip, he was wearing a very fetching bright red coat embroidered with a rose, a harness which looked to be studded with precious stones and he wore a red ribbon around his neck. I was tempted to try and follow to make contact but decided against it.
They were obviously happy and as for The Yeti he had gone from a building site stray to living in the lap of luxury and for him, I was also happy.
I was left with only one puzzle. I have no doubt that his name was never going to be a long term option as far as Barbara was concerned and I have often wondered what name was finally given to….. The Yeti.
“I wonder if other dogs think that poodles are members of a weird religious cult.”
Rita Rudner