My wild child
Sounds like there are more than a few of you who are familiar with that special something found in brittany spaniels. Some call it crazy, some call it wildness, we like to call it “a lust for life”.
Frogger’s vet once told me that he will probably still be acting like a puppy when he’s 12. When he was going in for chemotherapy treatments, he would drag the poor vet tech down the hall to get his IV infusion (and cookie) and then drag her back down the hall to me. How many dogs out there are excited about chemo? Probably only mine. And no, the chemo didn’t slow him down a bit. It barely phased him.
I am told that when Frogger gets to daycare, he picks a dog to play with and plays with them until they are exhausted. Then he finds a new dog to play with. This goes on all day. He never stops playing the whole day. When I come to pick Frogger and Bowie up, Frogger almost always makes a flying leap over the door. More often than not, he is running around the office when I come in, with my stubby-legged Bowie peering over the door at us.
Don’t get me wrong, Bowie is a nut. But it’s a special border collie brand of nuttiness. Border collies aren’t really crazy, they are FOCUSED and INTENSE. Bowie is focused on two things in life. Tennis balls and mommy. Since daycare is sadly lacking in both tennis balls and mommy, he is pretty mellow most of the day. As soon as we get home he races around to round up his tennis balls, and he spends the rest of the evening staring at me with tennis balls in his mouth.
We love our dogs. They certianly make life around here fun and interesting. Our pets are all rescues. If you are looking for a good pet I urge you contact shelters and animal rescue groups. It breaks my heart that people shell out big bucks for a dog or cat with a pedigree when there are so many wonderful, deserving animals in shelters. If what you’re looking for is a companion and friend, doesn’t it make sense to seek out an animal who is in need of a lifelong family and home? I couldn’t imagine a more perfect match.
Ok. I can’t handle that topic anymore, it’s making me all weepy. The contest winner is Jen. Your fabulous prize includes a special, one of a kind skein of yarn, a pair of Yarn Pirate knitting needles, and some other goodies too.
thursday wrote:
I’m glad you have rescues! My four cats are all from shelters (ok, we found Chester outside, but I figure that’s rescue, too). I keep wanting to adopt more. *sigh* It’s too bad my house (and wallet) aren’t bigger.
I love the descriptions of your dogs’ personalities! I don’t own dogs, so this is all quite interesting.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 8:52 am | Permalink
lyndsey-jane wrote:
We have a rescue hamster and really really want to get a dog (specifically a rescue dog) but after a talk with my hairdresser I’m not sure we would qualify as she was turned down by our local shelter. My boyf works full-time and I study but I am home a lot but it would mean the dog would be on its own about 10-15 hours a week, which is apparently too long for the shelter to give you a dog. I know its not good for the dogs to be left alone but 10-15 hours a week is nothing really! When are people supposed to get their shopping etc. We are still considering applying but it appears their rules are there to stop young professional couples getting dogs and in favour of older retired people. Are the rules as strict in the US? Love the description of your dogs personalities, they sound great fun!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 9:00 am | Permalink
Michelle in SE AZ wrote:
My sweet Brittany is 10 years old and he definitely still acts like a puppy! Our rescued shepherd has the intensity of the sheep herding dogs and is much more serious about life. We fostered rescues for a time when I was unemployed and stayed active in transporting them or checking prospective homes even when I was not at home enough to have a foster ourselves. It is such a joy to see them find love and safety their forever homes. Dang, now I’m getting weepy!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 9:23 am | Permalink
loribird wrote:
Ha! I love the Santa photo - the jolly man in red looks a little… overwhelmed? What awesome dogs you have!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 9:27 am | Permalink
Sue J. wrote:
What a wonderful post. We are Weimaraner rescuers and just adopted our new boy, Milo, on July 1. I couldn’t agree with you more. Rescuing is absolutely the way to go. Your pups are adorable and having a dog in one’s home makes life richer.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 9:33 am | Permalink
Camille wrote:
We got our first resuce dog, a mini poodle, about 4 months ago. I have to say he is the love of my life. He was just crying out for attention and took to our family, including standard poodle, right away. It has taken some work but i have really enjoyed seeing him coming out of his shell. He now has a spark in his eye that he didnt have when we first got him, he used to look so sad… He and our standard play so hard its crazy. He has really helped our standard as well, she has addisons and since we got him she is now acting like she used to before she was diagnosed. I tell everyone i know to get a rescue dog when they are looking for a pet because you know dogs from breaders will get a good home. Also rescue dogs add as much joy to our lives as we add to theirs.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 9:34 am | Permalink
Alicia wrote:
I just adopted my first rescue dog a few months ago. He’s a great dog, we’re happy to have him in our life, and he’s just as appreciative to share his life with us!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 11:19 am | Permalink
Dawn wrote:
We used to have a collie/barador cross when I was growing up, who never stopped being a puppy. We lived next to a river and he’d delight in jumping in then chasing after kids to watch them run as he shook mud everywhere. Your dogs are lovely!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 11:33 am | Permalink
Tonia wrote:
Oh I guessed right. I just knew it had to be Frogger.
Rescue shelters and pounds are always my first place to go when I am looking for an animal. Although our 2 cats I rescued from outside. They were each abandoned by their mom when they were way too young.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 11:44 am | Permalink
Terrie wrote:
I totally agree with you! It is so much better to find a pet at a local shelter. What a wonderful post
Congratulations to the winner, Jen!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 11:58 am | Permalink
pamela wynne wrote:
Aw! Makes me want to go snuggle my rescue kitty.
Congratulations, Jen!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 12:20 pm | Permalink
Aimee wrote:
My cats are both rescues. I did get Rozz from a pet shop, but it was a resuce person that had them there. Eva I got from a crack house. Long story. They are getting older, but they still play like kittens and even when they are acting like monsters, I am still thankful for them. In fact I talked about the 4 things I LOVE in my last podcast - they were one of the 4, of course.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 1:35 pm | Permalink
Wendy in Cambridge wrote:
My kitties have all been rescues, also. They’ve all been wonderful.
I so agree with you about the purchasing of animals when the shelters are so full. Adoption is definitely the way to go.
Bowie and Frogger both sound awesome. And,since a cat lives in this house, we are sure that Max is awesome as well!
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 1:36 pm | Permalink
Jenny wrote:
My dog is crazy too. He’s only 13 lbs though! All our animals have been rescues of one kind of another. Mutts makes the best pets.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 2:28 pm | Permalink
melissa wrote:
that santa picture is so cute! and i agree about adopting a rescue animal - my cat came from a shelter, and i am thankful i adopted him every single day.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 4:50 pm | Permalink
Jennifer wrote:
All my pets are rescues, except for Nemo the fish. Got the club package! I love the colors! I was a huge Duran Duran fan back in the day and you know that the Rum Runner was the club that they hung out in…useless information, I know.
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 5:12 pm | Permalink
minnie wrote:
i had to pick the darker dog. my “wild child” has dark brown hair (and i do mean WILD CHILD. this is the one that would take something apart to find out how it works, then go outside and madly fling weeds all over the place, then come back in and put it back together, then tear through the house screaming “wheeeeeeee” at the top of his lungs (and he’ll be 13 in 16 days!)
Posted on 23-Jul-07 at 8:28 pm | Permalink
Madge wrote:
Aww, I’m tearing up, too. *sniffle* Frogger and Bowie sound like great companions. Rescued animals are the best. We’re a cat family, though are finally in a situation where we can have dogs, and Tom is angling for one daily!
Posted on 24-Jul-07 at 1:03 pm | Permalink
Maritza wrote:
Awwwwwwwww, Frogger! What a sweetie! And Bowie is such a dear, too.
We found our dog as a stray on the street, and we really could not have picked out a more compatible dog for ourselves as the one who landed in our lives. We love our Mali.
Posted on 24-Jul-07 at 1:44 pm | Permalink
elizabeth wrote:
I have had purebreds and rescues both. As far as cats, our purebreds are much better personality wise and behavior wise-the rescues(and I have had more than my share) have always had psycho twitches to deal with-along with unbelievable health issues from day one-all of which we lovingly took care of with out a question. The best dog I ever had was a stray we adopted from the local vet(he had been found in another town and was going to be put down)-we had him until he was 17-had to put him down 4 days before Xmas. The new puppy is a sweetie but will never replace Teddy. The issue should never be whether we choose to go to a breeder or a shelter-the issue in the first place is to #1)spay/neuter your pets & #2)take complete loving care of them until they leave this world. The last stray cat we had for 10 years had a sign on her cage saying they had too many pets and couldn’t keep her. The real problem was that they never bothered to spay her so she was having litters of kittens and they got sick of taking care of her. We all have the right to choose our pets how we please-the problem is that so many people don’t follow through or commit to lifetime care. ‘Nuff said.
Posted on 24-Jul-07 at 7:21 pm | Permalink
gabriella wrote:
Okay so I TOTALLY missed your pregnancy announcement post! wow!! congrats congrat congrats to you and the mister (and your canine friends, haha). best wishes
~gabriella
Posted on 25-Jul-07 at 8:29 am | Permalink
Kelly wrote:
awwww he sounds like a breath of fresh air….. 24/7 hehhehe
Posted on 25-Jul-07 at 11:45 am | Permalink
Rennagayle wrote:
Your Frogger is adorable. His soulful expression reminds me so much of the golden retriever mix we lost a little over a year ago to complications of diabetes. She remained a playful puppy practically to the end.
We finally did get a new playful doggie (our first rescue dog!) a couple of weeks ago, a little Min-Pin. What she lacks in stature, she makes up for in attitude. Can you imagine family life without a dog (or two or three..)? I can’t!
Posted on 26-Jul-07 at 7:59 am | Permalink
Scribbles & Bits wrote:
Good on you for talking about rescue animals again! This is a subject that is really close to my heart!
Posted on 26-Jul-07 at 10:31 am | Permalink
sarah wrote:
i work with a cat rescue in philadelphia. http://www.ffur.org in case anyone is interested!
Posted on 26-Jul-07 at 12:23 pm | Permalink
violet wrote:
Oh, hell yes. Shelter dogs are the best, in my limited experience. ALL of my dogs have been rescued in one way or another — the three that own me right now, in fact, are all rescued. (Two from a shelter, and one from someone who was going to put him in a shelter, and he came here for “a few days” while she got everything ready, and sure ’nuff, here we still are two years later with Cash the wonderlab.)
Even those people looking for the purebreds — there are TONS of breed-specific rescues out there that are more than thrilled to find homes for the dogs they’re caring for. One quick google for “(breed) rescue” will usually find a long list of them.
I don’t understand the need to find pet store dogs with papers or whatever — especially with all the puppy mills and irresponsible breeding going on out there. They just busted a *huge* puppy mill out here in Nebraska — more than two *hundred* dogs were taken from inhumane conditions, and the mill owner? Slap on the wrist. A fine. That’s IT. I wanted to run around to pet stores with pictures and make buyers look at them and tell them “THIS IS WHAT YOU’RE ENCOURAGING WITH YOUR PURCHASE, YOU DOLT.” grrr.
Posted on 28-Jul-07 at 8:36 am | Permalink
Gillian wrote:
My Sam was a collie cross and he too lived for tennis balls and his family. When I had to go away he stayed with my parents and went to his bed for three days. He would have nothing to do with anyone - not even the tennis balls.
Posted on 29-Jul-07 at 5:32 am | Permalink
Jen wrote:
Oh huzzah! Nothing makes being without the interweb for a week better than winning a prize. Thank you much! Love the puppies!
Posted on 30-Jul-07 at 7:25 am | Permalink
Sonia K. wrote:
Dang, I missed the contest…My border collie Tully loves doggie daycare and used to come home tired. Now he paces himself, cause he is full of beans after “school” BOL!
Posted on 30-Jul-07 at 1:25 pm | Permalink