My Christmas Present

I think we have a new addition to the Wren Loop Farm. 

Todd and I have usually kept two dogs around.  One for him, and one for me, although most of my dogs have ended up Todd's dogs in the end.  He is the "dog magnet".  My last true dog was Mack, a Border Collie/German Shepherd/ Husky mix with blue eyes and a learning impairment.  I adored him and he always stayed "my" dog despite Todd's pied piper-like draw for all other canines.

Mack passed away in 1999 from, of all things, food poisoning.  He found a huge cow bone when we were living in Arkansas and apparently the bone had some sort of anaerobic bovine bacteria that killed him a few days later, there was nothing to be done but supportive therapy.

I've tried several times to get my own dog since, but for whatever reason they always end up being Todd's.  The last one was the Standard Poodle that we still have, Nick.  Last week I spotted a German Shepherd cross on the adoptable pet page in the newspaper for the Humane Society.  It was a three month old female puppy.

On Wed. I told Todd about the puppy and got the standard response, "We don't need a second dog...." Hmmmf.  I knew he was right.  One dog is enough mess to clean up after in this wet climate.

I was a little surprised to get a phone call Friday at work from the dog pound.  Todd was there looking for the puppy.  I rushed through some work and raced over there to meet him and look at the puppy.

Unfortunately the puppies were under a Parvo watch.  A dog in the kennel  had died from Parvo and they had to quarantine the exposed puppies.  Sigh.  I did get to see the puppy and she was really cute.  Todd was not as smitten.  He thought she was way too hyper. 

He did want to show me a few adult dogs he'd scoped out in the regular kennels.

We walked along the rows of dogs,  lab crosses, pit bull crosses, pit bulls, several young Blue Heelers, a Husky cross.  It was deafening in the kennel area, the pit bulls and labs were just barking their heads off.  Not that I blame them, but I am really sensitive to loud noises and the incessant barking is like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. 

Then in the very last kennel one dog pressed up against the chain link fence, perfectly quiet.  He just looked at me, with one blue eye.

"I like this one."  I knelt down and talked to the dog.  He rubbed against the kennel and tried to squeeze through the chain to get as close as possible.

He looked like an Australian Shephed crossed with a German Shepherd. 

The next half hour was spent deliberating.  Did we really need a second dog?  Would the Shepherd  herding instinct be too strong?  Would he chew up everything and dig holes in the yard?  Would he run off???  Would he get along with horses??????

We went back out to talk with the lady at the desk and told her about the horses, and that we were a little concerned because the dog was already a year old and a herding type dog, that we might have trouble training him with the horses.  She had a great suggestion, that we do what they call a foster-to adopt.  We could take him home for a week or so and see if he would be able to adapt to our lifestyle.  Perfect!!!!

So, this afternoon we picked up our new addition.  Here are some photos from the afternoon and evening.  Do you think he's going to fit in here? 

Those are some BIG dogs!!!!

Meeting Dazzby

Doesn't he look like a farm dog?

What I found when I came in from doing chores tonight.

He immediately laid his head on my feet when I sat down.

One blue, one brown.

He's already learning to stay on his mat! 

Pinky update:

Thursday we got Pink's bar shoe reset.  Thanks to my farrier's efficiency and a little Acepromazine, it was a blessedly uneventful experience. 

This morning I decided to turn her out, it wasn't raining and some exercise will help circulation and healing.  Here are some morning farm photos.

Sound!

Dazzby babysits

The boys were banished to the barn, so as not to get things to wound up.

Taj

Cartman