Portrait Of A Dog – Grace (Kelly)

Grace is an Irish Setter bought by my father’s partner about ten years ago, so she’s the oldest of the crew. She comes from Scarna’s Red Dream, a dog breeding centre specialized on the breeding of Irish setters (it is in fact one of the biggest in Europe). Born from Cordarragh Sebastian and Cordarragh Titania and originally named Aisha, Grace was among the first dogs my father’s partner got, as she switched to adopting them instead of buying puppies from breeding centres. I think this is a great option, especially because you give the dogs a chance to have a better life and escape from traumatic experiences.

As some of you may know, Irish Setters are usually very intelligent, loyal, affectionate and energetic. Grace embraces all these qualities, even now that she’s old.

She was already nine years old when I met her, so I learned through my family’s tales that she was hyperactive and vivacious when she was younger; she once destroyed the living room when nobody was home, because of her inclination to play and run back and forth in the house.

This image is quite different from the Grace I came to know; now that she’s an old lady, she spends the majority of her time sleeping on the floor or waiting for food. She is gourmand like Jolie, with whom she has a mother-daughter relationship, as I mentioned in this article about our Pomeranian mix.

You can’t imagine how much Grace is interested in food. She is always present every time we are in the kitchen, and one needs to be careful because she may literally steal you the food from your hands! I was told that she once stole a piece of Parmesan cheese from the kitchen counter and escaped to the garden to eat it by herself 😁 she loves food so much that sometimes she is the only dog showing interest for salad, too!

Even though she is less active than she used to be, she still has her glimpses of wildness. Being surrounded by other eight dogs, she likes to play with them and interacting with the younger ones like Dolce and Jolie, as she’s always been a “mom” to them. I was just thinking about that time when she stole a bone covered in meat, one of the pet treats you generally find at the super market, from the pantry and wanted to eat it in front of the other dogs. I was scared it was going to end up in a group fight, but thankfully we managed to retrieve it from her (after allowing her to eat some in isolation!)

I love walking Grace because she is a nature enthusiast and loves exploring, she still has a quick step and her name suits her perfectly, as there is an aristocratic aura around her. I love taking photos of her, even though she is the hardest dog to photograph because she often turns her head around very fast. She is a perfect companion for human beings, and when we sit in the garden she is usually standing beside us, sometimes sniffing the air (looking for food, I guess!). She likes to eat in the garden in a sitting position, which makes her look very elegant.

She is not a loud dog and barks only to greet us when we get home. We humans are sort of an extended family because we all get along quite well, loving and respecting each other, so you won’t be surprised to know that my mother also appreciates Grace’s company when she’s visiting the house. The dog even allows my mom to pat her on the head, when she generally dislikes it.

Grace adores my father and his partner, and she always waits for them by the door (she’s used to their daily schedule now, so she’s at the door by 1 pm, knowing they are on their way home for lunch).

My appreciation for Grace grows day by day and she makes me laugh with her funny ways and her insatiable appetite for food! I always miss her when I’m away and I’m looking forward to seeing her when summer ends (they shaved her in July because of the high temperatures, so she looks quite different but we expect her to be long-haired again soon).