Sunday, June 20, 2010

Blame it on Dh............

Yesterday was Buffalo Gap Flea Market. We enjoy going and usually go eat Chinese after we walk the flea market. We sorta stay together, but leap frog along as someone finds something to look at we don't always wait, but will go until we find something to look at. I had been in the lead, and when DH caught up with me I told him he should be proud of me I resisted looking at some fox terrier puppies. His commit, "Why, I kinda miss having one." Now Hank has been gone for 3 years or so. He slept the last 10 years or so of his life on the foot of our bed on DH' side.

So..... we wondered back that way and looked. They had three. They assured me they were fox, not rat or worse (to me) Jack Russel's. :) I know lots and LOTS of people love them. I grew up with fox and rat terriers so that is where I love most. Two had very little color. One I immediately picked up. I discovered it was a male. I cuddled it and it cuddled back. I held and held and it was totally happy there. I finally put it down, only to have it climb up the cage toward me. I picked him up again. My DDs were NO help! They stated, if you don't you will regret it. My dh was NO help, he still missed having an ankle biter.


So.......


I think in 31 years of marriage we have been without a fox or rat terrier maybe 5 years. Most of that was with 2 dogs. But, my love didn't start there. Last night I was thinking about the terriers of my past. I had Penny from the time I could remember. My brother had Sissy. They were sisters. Penny was more white, while Sissy was more black and smaller. At the same time my other brother had Saddle. Those that read my blog and knew Saddle will smile at his name. I don't know that he was full short legged rat terrier but he was part I'm sure. I don't think you can claim he was a "good" dog, but he was memorable. He could procreate faster than rabbits ever thought of and he bred true! For 20 years after he was shot or died you could still see "Saddle" pups around town. He also was terribly afraid of thunderstorms. He would tear a hole in the first screen door he found. Remember this was at a time when most people didn't have AC but screen doors. He wasn't picky who's house he sought refuge in. Since fences meant nothing to him he was seldom "home" when these storms happened. He was busy procreating. Once he was gone the next dog my brother got was Penny. :) I really think he had 2 or three Penny's over the years. While my other brother got Odie. Now Odie loved freedom much like Saddle, but he couldn't procreate. My brother tried hard to contain him. Even adding an electric fence inside his chain link. At that Odie would walk back and forth a bit then back up start yelping and RUN through the electric fence and under the chain link! He would then hang out at Grandmothers or one of the rest of the family's until he got took home. By that time Dh and I had Brownie. He was a toy fox. He looked more like a chichwaa. He had lots of spitfire and fight. We had him 12-15 years. While both boys were born and young. Once he died we found another rat terrier. The boys named him Hank. Yes, I know Hank was a cow dog and Drover was the ankle biter, but ..... :) Hank lived 18 years. Even my first round of adoptive kids remember him. After that we went through several "older" puppies and adult rat/fox terriers, but none of them stuck. They would roam and disappear.
I haven't came up with a name for this little spit fire yet. He had claimed my lap as HIS. This morning we were sitting outside and he was in my lap. The big pup I like came up and this mean growl came out of my lap. Big pup backed off some. In a few minutes pup stuck her head in my lap and SNAP! Little pup established territory! She sat back and barked at him.
Yes, he slept on the bed last night, ALL night! No whining or fussing. I didn't even get up with him until 5. As I type this since my lap is full of lap top computer he is sleeping draped across my shoulders. He already is my shadow. He will play with the kids but when I leave the room he does too. My older boys would find me by looking for Hank. They knew he wasn't far from me.
Hank loved to play balls. He would find his ball for you if you ask. This pup seems to like to play ball. I have one of those ropes with balls on it that are made to tug. This morning I would toss it a couple of feet and he would go get it and bring it back where I could reach it.

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