Pekingese

Tricki Woo, Mrs. Pumphrey’s cherished Pekingese, is both the object of lavish care and a patient whose health suffers from it. His exuberant greetings and gentle, forgiving temperament make him more than a recurring complaint: he becomes a distinctly affectionate presence in James Herriot’s veterinary life.

Identity and Household

Mrs. Pumphrey is an elderly widow whose late husband, a wealthy brewer, left her a large fortune and a beautiful house on the outskirts of Darrowby. She lives there with a substantial household staff, a gardener and a chauffeur, as well as Tricki Woo, the apple of her eye. In the drawing room, with its expensive furniture, magazines and books, the little dog belongs to a world of comfort sharply unlike the hard routine of farm calls.

Mrs. Pumphrey treats Herriot as a member of the household’s affectionate circle, introducing him to the dog as Tricki’s “Uncle Herriot.” Herriot accepts the honorary relation, recognizing its advantages. His visits also offer a welcome change from farm work, and he times them for half an hour before lunch, when he can enjoy the warmth of the drawing room and Mrs. Pumphrey’s sherry.

Temperament and Bond with Herriot

Tricki’s welcome is physical and wholehearted. He bounds from his cushion, leaps onto the back of a sofa, plants his paws on Herriot’s shoulders and licks his face before retiring, exhausted. That fatigue is itself part of the problem: he receives roughly twice the food needed for a dog of his size, and the food is not the right kind.

Herriot is struck by the dog’s good nature. Despite being handled in an uncomfortable way during treatment, Tricki never shows resentment; instead, he remains remarkably even-tempered and displays what Herriot regards as abundant intelligence. Herriot is genuinely attached to him and takes pleasure in being his personal physician. The relationship is therefore not only a routine exchange between veterinarian and client: Tricki’s trust and continued enthusiasm give it a warmth that his ailments alone would not explain.

Feeding and Recurring Complaint

Mrs. Pumphrey’s devotion repeatedly conflicts with the dietary advice Tricki needs. Herriot notices the dog’s increased weight and extra padding over the ribs, and reminds her to stop giving him pieces of cake and to provide more protein. She protests that Tricki has grown tired of chicken, a response that exposes how readily affection turns into indulgence in this household. The dog’s exhaustion and weight gain are not incidental details; they are visible consequences of being fed far beyond his needs.

Another recurring problem is what Mrs. Pumphrey calls Tricki’s “flop-bott”: discomfort from impacted anal glands. When they fill, he sits down suddenly in the middle of walking, and she telephones Herriot in great agitation. He lifts the dog onto a table and empties the glands by applying pressure with a pad of cotton wool. The episode is both an ordinary clinical procedure and a measure of the trust between them: Tricki is pleased to see the veterinarian even though their meetings can involve an unpleasant treatment.

Narrative Significance

Tricki’s episodes bring the domestic world of a wealthy pet owner into the same veterinary practice as the demanding work with farm animals. His case turns on a small but telling contradiction: Mrs. Pumphrey’s care is lavish, yet her feeding undermines the dog’s health; Tricki, meanwhile, meets both his owner and veterinarian with unguarded affection. The contrast makes his character legible through repeated, concrete encounters—his leap onto Herriot, his exhaustion, the extra flesh over his ribs, and his unresentful acceptance of treatment. Through Tricki, veterinary care appears not only as diagnosis and procedure but as an ongoing relationship shaped by attachment, habit and the difficulty of persuading a loving owner to change.