Home Visit

Saturday morning started out with a scheduled home visit on behalf of Texas GSP Rescue.

We have a family that has applied to adopt a puppy from the rescue, so that requires a home inspection and visit.

I love performing this service for Texas GSP, mostly because I love the breed, and of course, I love people!  And this visit certainly didn’t disappoint.

I drove up to a beautiful property, text the potential adoptee and drive through a remotely opened gate.  The wife met me at the garage, and led me into the house, where I met her husband, and precious little girl, as well as their rescue lab mix. We all sit at the kitchen table. I look outside, and see two other smaller dogs, and a chicken.  There’s a cat out there somewhere, but I never see it.

I love how all these animals co-exist!  It makes my heart smile.

As I’m interviewing the family, I find out they have a donkey, and share a community horse.  The horse is one they were caring for on behalf of a friend. The neighbors fell in love with the horse, so now it’s become a community horse.  We talk about their property, their fencing, and their plans for their property as they move forward.

About this time, one of the teenage sons walks in, and meets me.  He goes to out to feed the larger animals.  While we’re discussing the ins and outs of rescue and GSP characteristics, another teenage son comes in to greet me.  I knew before I got here they had a blended family of his, hers and ours.  It’s a very vibrant home, but there is no doubt about the peace that reigns within these walls.  This family has been knit together with love, and you can feel it the moment you pass over the threshold

It was an absolute joy to visit this family, and one of the high points of my weekend.  They will be great GSP adopters.  I look forward to seeing their match develop.

Snuggle Buggle Dex The German Shorthair

Classic GSP love...all this sweetness and sugar makes up for AllTheCrazinessThatIsDex.  #gspsrock #becauseDex#whenyouleastexpectithehastosnuggle

Beautiful Weekend Morning

It's a beautiful morning.

The temperature is about 70 degrees.  There's a slight breeze.

The birds are singing.  

My day is complete I have seen a hummingbird.  I see a few weeds that need plucking in a flowerbed.  I need to go to that before it gets hot.

And...ooooooof.  Hang on for a second...

Forget about the weeds.  I'm going to be stuck in this chair for a bit.

Baby Huey Dex The Wonder Rescue needs some loving.

It's never boring around here.

It's 5 a.m. It's Dark...And So Is Dex.

ThatManILove left early Tuesday morning to go out of town.

Like at 4 a.m.

And Dex the Wonder Rescue wanted to go outside.

We don’t let him go outside at 4 a.m., because the sprinklers are set for 4 a.m.  And he is more than a little sprinkler crazy.   He’s killed them more than once.  (He’s a little mixed up for a hunting dog.  The closest thing I can get to is that he thinks they sound like a rattlesnake when the water first starts to go through them.  But, I digress.)

So, a little after 5 a.m., when I’m sure the sprinklers have finished their run, I finally acquiesce.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

I’m stepping into the shower when I hear this crazy, shrieking, kind of screaming bark.  What’s so funny is that I recognize it.  It’s Dex.  We call it “His Injustice Bark.”

It's the one Dex uses when there is something he wants, really badly, and he just cannot have it.  Or reach it.  Or Zanna just.won’t.give.it.to.him. 

That kind of bark.  And we live really close to the neighbors.  Who are going to think somebody might be dying. 

And Zanna's not even outside.

Zanna?  Is in the bed under the covers.

I get chill bumps.  The kind that run up the back of your neck.  Then down your arms.

Yeah.  Those.

I run outside.  But it’s dark.  And I can’t see.

So I don’t know if it’s a skunk. (God, I hope not.) Or a fox. Or a snake.  Or what.  I have no clue.

I go to the kennel.  I can hear him, but I can’t see him. 

I run inside to get a flashlight.

I did tell y’all I’m in my pajamas, right?  No shoes?

I grab the flashlight, and head back outside.  I head to the kennel.  Again, I can hear him, he’s rattling the kennel, but I can’t see him. 

I shine the light that way.  No Dex.

I shine the light inside the kennel. No Dex. 

I can hear him.  And the kennel is shaking like there’s an earthquake.   I think, oh, no – he’s inbetween the kennel and the fence.

Nope. No Dex.

And then…something moves to my right.  Right beside my head.

Y’all, our kennel is 8’ tall with the cement footer.

I jump back.

I shine the flashlight up there. I look.  I look again.

DEX IS UP ON TOP OF THE KENNEL.

And all that is on top of the kennel is netting.  And a 60+ lb. German Shorthair.

Needless to say, the kennel is quickly is losing integrity and quickly folding in on itself, because the netting is zip-tied to the sides of the kennel.

I try to get him to the edge of the kennel, but the netting is giving way.

I grab a lawn chair, stand up on it, and try to entice him to the side.

He gets to the side, puts his paws on the bar, and looks down at me, then at the ground.  He looks at me like, “Are you KIDDING ME, MOM????”  and backs away from the edge.

I’m praying.  Hard.  And thinking.

“Want a treat, Dex?”

Here he comes again.  I grab his collar.

Then, I think.  Ruh-roh...If he comes right at me, I could really get hurt.  We could both go over in this chair.

Or he could take me down to the ground.

Oh, no!  Here he comes!

Dex launches off the railing.  He sails over my head.

He lands without incident, trots around my chair, and heads back to the kennel.  I got down from the chair, grabbed his collar, and somehow got him back into the house.

I didn’t kill him.  He didn’t kill me.

The kennel, though leaning and seriously damaged, is still standing.

I have zero idea how Dex climbed up there.  He was one small step from walking over the fence to freedom.  One step from getting into the wires that are hooked to the telephone pole.

Y’all want to know what he was barking and yelping about?

Itty bitty geckos.

Yup.

Lizards, y’all.

LIZARDS.

It’s never boring around here.

Christmas Gift - The Best Part of Rescuing German Shorthairs

Wednesday night was eventful, to say the least.

I picked up a female GSP from a local rescue/vet.  Since it was Christmas, the vets closed on Wednesday, so she had to stay the night with us. Thursday, we ferried her to Fredericksburg  to meet her new foster family.  They’re going to call her Zuzu, because, you know, it's Christmas - and "It's a Wonderful Life".  I love it!

We brought Zuzu home, bathed her, and let her get accustomed to Zanna and Dex the Wonderdogs.  Dex was in her face, wanting to play, wouldn’t give her one second to breathe.  Zanna was a little more standoff-ish, but somewhat welcoming.

 

Snoozing with Dex after a hard day!

Trying to get Zanna to play!

In the end, they all got along just fine, and soon wore themselves out.  Zuzu crated like a dream.  She didn’t wake up until 4 a.m., at which time all three dogs decided they had to go outside.

It took me a while to figure out Zuzu was hungry again.  So I fed her.  Then she got that just-fed burst of energy.  It’s 4:30 in the morning, peeps.  But there’s no telling what schedule she’s been on at the veterinarian for the last 30 days, so…grace.

Zuzu and I escaped the rest of the dogs and repaired to the guest bedroom, where she snoozed up against me for a couple of hours.  It’s a good thing.

She had another big day with travel.  She did so well!  Before she got to call it a night, she had more adoptive siblings to meet, and even a horse!  I believe she’ll settle in well.

Traveling day.  She did so well!

Zuzu’s not even been here and gone 24 hours, and I’m already missing her.

Zuzu in her new foster home.  Isn't she beautiful?

Godspeed, sweet girl.  I’m praying your life is all roses and pig ears from this point forward.

It’s never boring around here.

If you’re interested in adopting this sweet girl, please contact Texas GSP Rescue for a consultation/house visit.  They are the greatest people, and we love working with them!