This week, my family had to deliver the sad news that one of our two Scottish Terriers had passed away.

We were very grateful for all the comfort in reflections that Members of the London Scottie Club provided, as many of you knew my dog personally. The WhatsApp Convo group where all Members can write in, was abuzz with memories of the “gentleman”, as some wrote. It is a very fitting observation and chimes with our own impression of this kind-hearted soul.

Black Scottie Pikush was the joint founding Very Important Pooch (VIP) of London Scottie Club, along with my slightly younger Wheaten Scottie, Pudding, in March 2016.

Pikush was just 10 years 3 months when we lost him on 3 October. His profile has now been transferred to the In Memoriam section of the website. It is what we do when an owner confirms a loss. A difficult decision, I know, but one we value so that we can properly mourn their loss too.

As many of you know, my wife Anchalee and I have always tried to be sparing in our sharing of photos and stories about Pikush and Pudding, however tempting, because our ethos was that London Scottie Club should become YOUR club. A real community where members can express themselves and celebrate and promote this wonderful breed of dog, the Scottish Terrier.

When Pikush came into our home on the bank holiday of August 2014 we had just returned with him from Trefaldwyn, north Wales, where both our boys were born.

A tiny black ball of fur who was cradled in my wife’s arms for a more than a 3-hour drive back to south west London where we live. It was almost not meant to be.

When we collected our puppy bang on the two-month release date, Pikush was crying for the first 15 minutes of the drive as he was sorry to miss his litter and by now familiar surroundings. We almost turned the car around and practised our lines for how to tell the kennel that we had changed our minds!

But instead we kept on the road and realised we had a very sensitive soul in our care. We were going to be more than guardians for this, my first-ever dog. Being childless, we were going to be his parents.

The decision not to make a U-Turn with the car is also synonymous with the Scottie breed – stay on course! We all know this to be a very loyal and stoic breed.

Thanks to our “Scottitude” Pikush came to London and a wonderful family experience was enjoyed. And a club was born.

How Pikush inspired LSC

Very often walking Pikush locally people would stop me and say how rare it is to see a Scottie but that their grandma had Scotties years back. Pikush had a mild manner and he was a great ambassador for his breed. So much so that his manner convinced me to get him some company, another Scottie.

When Pudding arrived the following year it became even more amusing as people would say Black and White Whisky, or the less informed would say Whyte & Mackay! Of course they were wrong because the white dog in the label is actually a West Highland Terrier, not a Wheaten Scottie!

No harm. It was interesting to hear people’s misconceptions. As Pikush had made such an impression, I thought, how many Scotties are there in London then? Are they really an endangered breed as the Kennel Club of Great Britain has invariably claimed?

So I decided to form a meet-up club for Scotties to find out. That is how London Scottie Club started in 2016 and Pikush and Pudding became the first two VIPs.

Since then, we have welcomed hundreds of Scotties to the club, so much so that we had to change admission to the club to four times a year in 2024. And many members now come from beyond the M25 orbital motorway. Some members have also moved away from London, some to Scotland, and some to Australia and New Zealand. But none are orphans. If they have a Scottie they remain members. Members are for life.

What is a lasting legacy already is that the club has become a real community and with a website, podcasts, video channel, directory of resources as well as the regular walkabouts that we run. And our WhatsApp group has become Britain’s biggest Scottie conversation.

Walkabout 2021. Photo: Maxine Watkins

Is Pikush French?

A few people have asked me from where does the name Pikush derive? Is it French, as one sophisticated wordsmith once proposed to me?

It’s actually very different.

Pikush is a fudge because we wanted to call him Pikus with an accent on the s, but the pet insurer pronounced it pike-as. I wasn’t sure that something that sounds like the posterior of an aggressive fish was apt for our young and seemingly mild-mannered Scottie.

So, in the middle of getting an insurance quote on the phone we decided to add the “h” to the end of his name so that people would pronounce it the way we had intended!

So now you are asking why Pikus or Pikush?

Pikus the name is quite common in eastern Europe. My mother was born in Vilnius before WW2. The city was then Polish. In the late 1930s my mother’s family came to own (that was how it was done in those times!) a non-descript cross-bred poodle-like dog that was black. They called him Pikus.

The little cross-breed had quite a story of his own. This wartime dog was born in the worst possible place in the late 1930s. Following a deal by unfriendly neighbours, Poland was to be carved up by Nazi Germany from the west on 1 September 1939, and Soviet Russia from the east on 17 September.

The Red Army landed, later the Wehrmacht made its counter-offensive when Hitler decided to double-cross Stalin and invade Russia in 1941. Then again the Soviets came back as war heroes of the west to “liberate” Vilnius in 1944. Gets a bit confusing but stick with me!

The Soviets told the civilians, this territory was now annexed and they had to move out west into new Poland, or learn Russian.

My mother’s family was dumped into wooden train carriages like the ones in the film Schindler’s List, when she was 9 years old, in the winter of 1944-45 and Pikus about the same age. The train slowly moved through barren fields and woodland in the ferocious snow. The train would stop for people to relieve themselves every six hours or so. And if you were late, the train would go on without you.

My grandfather who went on to be a leading trade unionist and clashed with what he called the “Red Capitalists” after the war, took Pikus for relief. Pikus got lost and grandad had to look for him. He would not leave the dog to die in wasteland and forest where even the wildlife had perished from tank fire. But, of course, he could easily have perished with the dog.

Luckily, Pikus was found as the train began to set off. Grabbing the canine grandad ran for his life. Someone opened a carriage shutter and he threw the dog into the carriage like a rugby ball, before a passenger helped my grandad to pull up and in too. You don’t need Walt Disney. This was for real.

Sadly, Pikus lost his life to a Warsaw Pact military vehicle near the country cottage where the family settled post-war, circa 1952. The dog had a penchant for chasing wheels. Not a smart pastime for a dog who had seen through the war.

We wanted to honour my mother, who had just moved in to live with us the previous year. So Pikush it had to be. He was also her favourite dog of the two, sorry Pudding. But for a good reason or several.

Pikush the Nurse

Sensitive and dutiful Pikush was indeed the gentleman to my elderly mother, now in her 80s. If she was descending the staircase he would rush around from wherever he was on the ground floor to greet her. He would stand like a Coldstream Guard in the stairwell. If she was ascending the stairs he would slowly walk behind her all the way up, never getting tangled. He was protecting her.

This he also showed in more dramatic ways.

On one occasion my mum collapsed in the conservatory. Pikush rushed up the stairs to raise the alarm to my wife Anchalee. She came down and was able to help my mother up.

On another occasion, mother was seated in the conservatory but her walking stick had collapsed to the floor. She could not reach it. Pikush went the one metre to the walking stick and used his nose to push the stick towards her so that she could reach it.

These are not things you can teach a dog.

We know that every owner has some remarkable stories of their pet. And I know that every owner is quite right to sing the praises of their smart as well as lovely pooch. I would be roundly upset if they did not!

Dogs are remarkable creatures. Pikush in our estimation was remarkable too. But that is for others to judge as well.

So when I saw the kind messages coming from London Scottie Club members, it was a chance for me to measure up their recollections with mine own.

Pikush was a gentleman. He was keen to make everyone happy. He liked people but he could also be wary of them, even if they offered a treat. He was just a little less trusting than is Pudding. He hated Champagne corks, but was ok with fireworks. Pudding is the other way around! Very different dogs.

Pikush’s sense of duty and wish to comfort is also something that others have remarked on.

Many of you will remember Sonya. She lost her 7-year old black Scottie Captain. The little lad was one of our first members – I had met the owner and Captain at Black Park in north west London and told them that we were about to open the Club and exchanged email addresses.

So when a few years later Captain passed away, I visited Sonya and helped her rest Captain, with full honours. I can tell you it was the saddest thing to have to do for this Club, but what’s a Club for unless you volunteer to help other owners in their hour of need? The Club is not only here to meet in happy times – although we crave for those of course. We are also here to help one another. That’s community.

That December we invited Sonya to join us for a Club Christmas get-together. She was between Scotties at this point. When the club was much smaller it was easier to invite Members to our home and Sonya, apprehensively, agreed to join us as she was grieving her loss just two months earlier.

Pikush met everyone, but he made a bee-line for Sonya. And he sat next to her for an hour. She was pleased to join us and I know it moved her a lot that Pikush felt her grief and wanted to be there to comfort her.

When my mother passed away at home in March 2023, Pikush would continue to visit her room upstairs in the hope of seeing her. Every time I would see him going up there, I broke down. It was like that for more than three months. Then he finally accepted she was not there.

That was another example of how special Pikush was to this family.

Sporting and Political Achievements

Pikush had been a headline-grabber just two weeks into his stay with us. It was September 2014 and Scotland was about to vote in the independence referendum. For a gimmick we decided to film him casting his vote. We had no idea which way he would vote. But if an Octopus can predict a Soccer World Cup score why can’t a Scottie decide on the referendum?

The film was done in one take, no rehearsals. It was amusing enough that we posted it on YouTube ahead of the referendum itself, and SNP leader Alex Salmond is among those who viewed it!

You can see it here:

In 2016 we enrolled Pikush and Pudding in an agility course. While Pudding would only walk the dog frame if treats were littered all over the contraption, Pikush needed no such encouragement. He was eager to please, alert and the more athletic of the two dogs.

We had a competition with the naturals for agility – Collie dogs – and this little Scottie called Pikush. We had Cockerpoo and others too. Six dogs in the final.

A friend of mine, also called George, who had a lovely Cockerpoo called Bella, filmed the competition. I am forever grateful to him, otherwise people would never believe me that Pikush (that one time only!) mastered the weave and completed the circuit of 18 obstacles without fault. He won! Still don’t believe me? Watch this:

At Home, Pikush love life

Pikush also had an amorous side. His first love was a Schnauzer at the kennels in north Wales, Daisy, whom he met when we had to travel abroad and the kennel offered a boarding service. We accepted this sell-out to another breed as he was under one years of age at the time!

A few days after Valentine’s Day 2019, aged five, we tried to pair him with lovely Pym, a then four-year old lady in the Club. We were naive and, although we did the right thing of having the dam come to stay with the sire, our household has Pudding, who was rather taken to her too. As you can see in this mini video with Pym on the left:

I am sincerely grateful to Pippa for sharing the video and stills from 5 years ago to include in this obituary.

More recently, this year, we tried to pair Pikush with Bourbon. Alas we discovered it was too late for Pikush to have pups. It was the first blow of the year related to Pikush. But we made firm new friends this way too.

Love item: Pikush (foreground) with Pym. 17 Feb 2019

Today, it is much quieter at home. And I know that unless we find another Pikush, it will remain different. But Pudding is putting in an amazing effort to comfort us. Unlike Pikush who would come over every time you called out his name at home, Pudding about 60% of the time. But today Pudding is much more responsive. He senses his new role and does not need a debrief. Even if he is still confused about Pikush’s absence.

When Pudding comes into the room they once occupied together, he looks behind the door and stoops his head in case Pikush is under the dining table. It has not yet sunk in that Pikush will not be in the room again.

Pikush had an incessant bark, and deep it was too. One plumber came to our house and was convinced we had a bloodhound.

He was also just electric, more like a Jack Russel. Rushing around the house almost to the very end.

He was still fine at his annual check-up and jabs at the end of August.

He could still rush up three flights of stairs in the house to get my attention in early September.

What happened

But by 21 September we noticed that he lost his appetite, always a serious point of concern, especially for this food-motivated dog. The local vet suspected an infection because he had mild conjunctivitis, plus green mucous from his nose. He also started to get a swelling tummy. Then it was possibly Addisons Disease, which is totally manageable if not curable. He was prescribed anti-biotics for the infections.

I returned home from my work abroad and by 27 September we realised that his tummy was ballooning. I took him back to the vets and more tests were conducted. He was then referred to the very professional specialist vets service, The Ralph, in Marlow, Bucks.

Just recovering from Covid myself, I drove on 1 October to this out-of-London vet hospital where the staff were impeccable in caring for Pikush. I especially wanted to give a shout out to Hannah the clinician under whose care Pikush was. She kept us updated regularly by text, email and phone. She had a great communication manner to calm parents like us. Being a terrier person herself, she often described him as “handsome Pikush”.

Tests were carried out next morning and it was clear this was cancer. A total of 900ml of fluid had been drained from his abdomen, leaving 100ml because it contained proteins he would need to injest. We all hoped it was a variety of cancer that could be treated or one that would allow palliative care to extend his quality of life by 3 months. Sometimes in good domestic care that prognosis can be extended even further.

On the morning of 3 October, I took Anchalee and Pudding to see Pikush in the hospital. We took photos which now are priceless. I kissed my first dog on the head and told him we were doing everything possible to help him, and how much we love him.

He was wheezing as the cancer had reached his lungs and his liver.

Before we left the visit of 20 minutes with frail and confused Pikush, he sat down facing away from us into the corner of the door. It was his way we think of saying “I think this is it. Please don’t fuss. I don’t want to be remembered this way”. It was the stoic manner that a Scottie is so famed for. Yet it is one that does them no favours when it comes to fighting illness.

At lunchtime, I had another phone call from the vets. Pikush had developed pneumonia and they needed our permission to feed him oxygen. He had done well to regain 92/100 of the quantity he needed naturally, but we learned that his cancer had been confirmed as carcinoma – the variety that cannot be cured even if caught early. It was evidence Pikush was now slipping away.

We returned to the car and drove back to see him. He was now back under general anaesthetic with oxygen being fed. We were told his survival would now be academic. Even if he fought off pneumonia, he would survive maybe one day with the spread of the aggressive cancer. This mild-mannered dog was now fighting for his life.

We had to take the very difficult but right decision. To end his suffering. We remained beside him as he slipped away. Droplets forming in his eyes were part of the anaesthetic procedure, but to us looked like a dog crying. It was a very emotional and upsetting experience.

The last time I saw him looking dapper was on the night of 1 October when I brought him to the vet hospital. His beard was beautifully brushed – possibly by the nurses – and as I was leaving the swinging doors to go home that night, still hopeful that we could save him, I looked back at him as his nurse secured him in a harness. He was on the ground looking at me as if to say “give it your best shot dad.” I didn’t take a photo. But it is an image I will never now forget.

Our family remains devastated and this experience has affected my health. But we all grieve in different ways. If we really love our pets, I know that grieving is long and real. Some people are better at fighting back tears than others. But the pain of loss is real and flashbacks will haunt us for a long time.

Some of you reading this article will have had the terrible misfortune of experiencing the loss of a pet. My previous pet was an albino rabbit when I was 14 and I cried for his premature loss, to throat cancer no doubt from cabbage that contained pesticides before regulations improved in our fields, aged 5 ½.

Afterwards, I lived in places where having a dog would not be practical. I yearned to have a dog for decades.

I had my eye on the elegant Weimaraner and even bought an SUV for their transport. My wife convinced me the iconic Scottish Terrier was a better bet as they cannot sweep food off the dining table.

That is what we settled on. And with the car, my two Scotties had bags of space for their comfort!

As I now reflect on the amazing Pikush, I also know I made the right decision, for our family and circumstances, to have Scotties.

If you have come this far in the reading of this obituary, I thank you enormously. I realise it is not for everyone.

But for the dog who inspired our Club I wanted you all to know who he was. I hope you feel your attention was rewarded. I am grateful to you and will have exciting news of how we will mark his memory by the end of 2024. So bookmark this website!

As I began this obituary of Pikush, I mentioned the many messages which the club’s Members have sent via WhatsApp as soon as the news of Pikush was announced. While many have also reached out bilaterally to me or via other social media, we are very grateful for all the collective comments, which I have decided to share with you below.

Messages (In the order in which they arrived. Some Emojis retained):

So sorry George, what a loss to our club and to you and Anch.😔

(Zelda M.)

Oh George. I’m so very sorry to hear this. You and Anch must be devastated. Thinking of you both and of Pudding.  😔

(Hannah and Louis S.)

Oh George, I am so sorry to hear that. You and Anch must be devastated. I remember when I first met Pikush. It was at the dog show when he and Ben were puppies and you told me of your plan to set up the London Scottie Club…

(Jann G.)

So sorry for your loss George. We only met Pikush once at Bushy Park earlier this year.

(John B.)

We are so sad to hear this George. 💔

Fly high over the rainbow 🌈 bridge sweet Pikush with all the other Scotties. 💔

(Janine H.)

George, Anch  and  💔Pudding so sad . Forever is not long enough.Lots of love to you both. Jo xx and woofs from Pippa

(Josephine C.)

Dear @George M @Anchalee Matlock and Pudding 🐾 So sorry and so sad to hear this. He touched our hearts and won’t be forgotten, x

(Heather M.)

Very sad news George, so sorry to hear this, he was an inspiration for the club and will always be a bright star shining ❤️

(Pedro N.)

Very, very sad news George. Our thoughts are with you, Anch and Pudding. Pikush made a great impression on us all and will long be remembered ❤️🐾

(John W.)

I am so sorry for your loss George, thinking of you at this sad time 🌈💙

(Karen R.)

Bless his dear Scottie heart. ❤️

(Laura M.)

Dear George. I’m so sorry for your loss. Pikush was such a lovely gentleman. He will be missed. ♥️

(Pat W.)

Dear George – I can’t add anything to all the lovely messages people have sent about your much loved (and wonderfully named) Pikush, except to say that i am so glad to know he left this world  peacefully, and that my thoughts are with you and Anch at such a sad time 😢  🌈

And thank you for setting up this group, enabling us to enjoy and get to know so many Scotties and their owners 🙏🙏

(Catherine C.)

Oh George, I’m so so sorry to hear this news. Such a beautiful, precious boy. Sending love to you, Anch and Pudding

(Clare M-B, moved to New Zealand)

We both had a real soft spot for Pikush as he was such a character! Remember him especially from Epping

(Glyn L.)

Pikush Matlock 2014-2024 Rest In Peace But Never Forgotten

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  Abbey Road sessions Aug 2023

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  At source of River Thames nr Cirencester, Aug 2022

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  At source of River Thames

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  Barbarian at the Gate 2014

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  Birthday 5 July 2024, day of election results

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  Birthday 2019

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  Born in Wales, after all

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  Demolishing chessboard, Inverary Castle, Scotland, 1 Jan 2024

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  Eileen Donan Castle, Scotland 1 Jan 2024

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  Halloween c. 2019

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  He loved our garden conference pears, 2023

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  July 5, 2021 with postcard of their official portrait by Stuart Medland

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  Loved a belly rub

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  More Abbey Road sessions Aug 2023

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  one half of dynamic duo c 2018

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  standoff c 2018

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  Walkabout 2021. Photo: Maxine Watkins

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  With Anchalee 2014

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  xmas 2018

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  Cairngorms nr Balmoral Aug 2020

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  John O'Groats Aug 2020

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  St Marys Bay, Kent July 2021 with Pudding

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  St Marys Bay, Kent July 2021

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  Land's End Sept 2017