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| Pic by M Bleckly at DDO |
I get loads of kisses from my family, all over – on my head, behind my ears, top of my nose; and mummy even blows raspberries on my tummy. It’s wonderful.
I give back lots of kisses too. I particularly like it when we go walking and the little children come running over to give me a pat. Some of them are a bit scared of dogs so my mummy shows them how to pat a dog by first asking the owner’s permission and then gently putting their hand in front of my nose as an introduction.
If the children are gentle I give them soft little kisses on their hands. Oh, they love it. One little girl counted 9 kisses! Mummy says to the children: “Nigella has given you a little kiss because she likes you.” They beam with happiness.
Kisses are usually fleeting things, but not the one I got from Mayor Gillian Aldridge at the Mawson Lakes Photographic Exhibition. This is what you would call an ‘everlasting kiss’.
Gillian is a dog-lover and on this occasion she gave me a big smooch on top of my head. She was wearing bright orange lipstick with lots of sticking power and it left a lustrous outline between my ears. She offered to wash it off but I said: “No way. This is a ‘Mayoral Kiss’ and I’m going to wear it with honour!” And I did, for two days, until it faded away.
Yes, sometimes I do worry about the transfer of germs. That is, human germs to me. All those humans who sniff and cough and have runny noses and touch me, and little kids with dirty hands; you just never know where they’ve been. Then there’s the issue of bacteria in the mouths of humans . . .
I take reassurance that human germs are not transferable to dogs; and I’m fully vaccinated, so I don’t let the fear of germs stop me from kissing and being kissed.
To me, licking is loving.
