Tenzing, king o' the mountains



When I was a newbie blogger, I wrote this post about my little buddy Tenzing. As my blog now has a far wider audience, and my little guy is so loved by everyone who meets him, I think it's time to re-introduce him - according to him his territory is every mountaintop around Hout Bay, plus a few beyond. He's the boss, he knows!

Meet my informal running partner, Tenzing.

And yes, he takes after his sherpa namesake – not that he carries anything, of course, but he hungers for heights. When I got him as a six-week pup in 2004, I promised him a lifetime of adventure, and he snatched up the offer as he would a juicy chunk of biltong.

He’s the most enthusiastic running partner imaginable, game for a trot any time of day or night, and even more so if there’re puddles on the route. He’s a sharp little guy – not only is he able to distinguish between normal clothes and running kit, but road running shoes and trail shoes. Give him the option, and he’ll head for the mountains faster than even I can turn from tar.

Those of you who’ve not formally met him might be wondering what type of dog my Tenzing is. Well, that’s a tricky one...   Officially, he’s a purebred Staffie. But someone forgot to tell him that, and he focused all his growth on length rather than breadth. The result was a rather unique blend of Staffie Wannabe with a-bit-of-beagle and a-dash-of-something-else.

Who cares – he’s my purebred Happy Dog, and he's the best running partner on four legs!