Page 35 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW Special Edition 5

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 3 5

To Tasso, all this was self-evident as were his peculiarities, which I had so far not
experienced from any of my dogs. Tasso apparently hated the straight line. With him
everything went in arcs. If he had taken a seat in a club chair with benevolence, he would
jump over the banister out of rest. Rarely did he go through the garden door, but very
simply over the hedge, which to my regret I could not imitate, because the hedge was
almost two metres high. If you let him run free, it was necessary to get a map, otherwise
you couldn't continue his walk, which took place at a D-train pace. As long as this walk

lasted - and it sometimes lasted almost two hours - one had to fold one's hands and pray
that nothing would happen.

Not because Tasso was a brawler or an evildoer, certainly not, but he faced all kinds of
things in his own way, he had such a special way of setting out and getting over them,
word for word. Tasso didn't like detours, he did not move out of the way of children that

encountered him, but simply jumped over them, which looked very chic, but scared the
children. On the carriageway, a car came right in front of him. He would simply jump over
the radiator, which presumably always delighted the drivers.

When Tasso returned after a while, he would stroll through the garden with great dignity.
There was no sign of fatigue; he wanted to make a good impression and didn't let on.
Without a sound, he would lie down in his corner and look around in amazement when I

scolded him, as he did not see anyone he thought deserved to be scolded.

Every day I became more powerless towards my Sloeqi. His being, after first becoming
somewhat at ease with me had come more distinguished from day to day. If he wanted to
go outside, he would come to me and gently nudge me as if to say: “Sir, I would like you to

do your duty now”. If he spotted something tasty on the table, something that would
please his aristocratic palate, he would slowly come to my place, sitting down nicely at an
unbeatable pace. If I saw him sitting like a kangaroo and laughed about it, he would go
back on all fours without any noticeable movement and leave.

Never did I hear Tasso bark, as he seemed to think this is only done by street dogs; never
could I reproach him for not showing affection, because he is where I am, following me

like my shadow. I never saw anything inappropriate from him, nor any direct attempt to
that effect, but in all cases he stressed that he wanted to live his life his way and not be
disturbed by it. Everything I did for him, he took for granted, a payment for the right to
own him. He resembled a beautiful woman without a heart, who is faithful because it is
easiest.