These are our latest animals. We had wretched luck with 4-legged creatures for a while but these ones have been with us for at least a few years.
This is Bosco. He is our 3rd and last Pug. It can be difficult to find a Pug without costly health issues. This guy was 1-1/2 years old when I bought him. I could check his limbs and joints to ensure there was no hip dysplasia (which resulted in the 1st Pug, a puppy, to be put down). Bosco is 3/4 Pug and 1/4 something else which is why his nose isn’t shoved in as much as classic Pugs. He is a happy, friendly fellow who LOVES children and is a definate lap dog. He weighs in at 30lbs ~ the high end of the Pug scale! Pugs come in Fawn, Silver, or Black. Black is not as common as the Fawn or Silver variety.
Jasmine came to us as a fluke. We had lost our 2nd Pug and his 16-year old companion and I was looking for a new, small dog for our home. The kids and I drove out to a rescue farm to get a dog I had seen on the website. Once there however, the Society’s president and I had a chat and I told her I wanted a quiet, easy-going and friendly dog who was equally happy as a couch potato or going for long walks. She walked past the kennel with the dog I planned to buy and took me to the saddest, dirtiest dog I had ever laid eyes on and proclaimed her to be the perfect dog for us.
I tell you, it took some convincing on her part for me to give up what MY ideal dog was and go with her suggestion. Since my luck in picking out dogs had ended disastrously so far I eventually went with her advice and bought the sad dog called “Ghost”. She was so-named because she was so quiet and hardly “there” in spirit. She was a rescue from the fields of Alberta; some fellow took her in when he realized she had been injured in some kind of a fight and was about to have puppies. After giving birth to a litter of healthy, rambunctious dogs he brought her to the rescue society. The puppies had just been weaned and the only time I saw a spark in her eyes was when she heard them. They escaped their pen while we were there and went running, pell-mell for their mother. She whined and tried to get to them. I felt terrible taking her away.
My husband’s reaction to Jasmine was less than enthusiastic. Her face was still healing from her injuries, her tummy dragged to the ground and having 6 sizeable puppies and she was filthy. You could count her ribs she was so thin. She was extremely timid and nervous. She didn’t know how to walk up stairs, refused to enter the house and was terrified of linoleum. For the first couple of months we laid down carpetting for her to tiptoe over. She cowered in the corner and scarfed down every bit of food we gave her. The first couple of weeks she was petrified when we took her for walks. She slunk along beside the walker and as soon as we got near our home, she’d pull at the leash to get back there.
Gradually, over time, she relaxed a bit and put on some weight. A bath or two and some brushing, she started to look like a real dog. Jump forward four years and you have probably what is the perfect pet. She is quiet and loves her walks as well as relaxing as a couch potato. She is a gentle dog who adores kids and she stays in our yard, untied. She now will “talk” at you if you talk to her and she actually has to be gently disciplined from time to time for s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the rules somewhat. After she learned about water and watched dogs swimming for a good month or two, she discovered the joys of water herself. She loves water, snow and cooler weather. The lady at the rescue was 100% right about this girl and I wrote her, thanking her for her advice and sending a picture of our beloved dog. About the only thing that terrifies this girl is the coyote’s yipping. I suspect that is what attacked her, judging by the way she reacts to their sound. Jasmine was estimated to be about 1 year old when she came to us so that puts her at approximately 4 years of age now.
Last, but certainly NOT least, is Spook. He came to us by way of the SPCA. There was a special poster advertised for him; he had been at the shelter so long the staff was concerned about his mental health. Daughter was looking for a replacement for a cat we lost and she decided to help guy out. The SPCA named him King and my daughter now believes his name should have been left as that and not changed to Spook.
Spook walked into our home and took right over. He was not shy or cowering. He investigated every inch of the house and then settled down for some food and a nap. It was as though he was demanding to know what took us so long to get him! About a month after we adopted him every last cat at the shelter had to be put down when a devestating virus swept through the cat section. The SPCA had to sterilize the area and spent a week cleaning everything out. It was a terrible time for them, putting all those cats down. Spook squeaked through his appeal of life….but the way he shreds our carpets, furniture, etc… you just know that modesty is NOT a virtue of his! Spook is around 8 years old now and adores living on a lake. Oh the mice to visit! The frogs and slugs to catch! The birds to chase and the water to drink!
So now you have met the 4-legged brood that inhabits our home. So if you should ever visit us you will expect to see little friendly faces at the door and crazy, wagging tails.
