The Tale of the Terrible Terriers

I apologize for being away and really not posting anything of any importance….but I have been a busy girl. Really busy.

The mister had some surgery and I was charged with his care and prevention of exacerbating any issues that he might already have. He just couldn’t hurt himself by lifting anything, nor could he drive or ride in a car for three weeks. Thank goodness that the weather has been exceptional and we were able to spend time outside. Certainly lessened the dread disease of cabin fever.

Meanwhile, our beloved Dashiell passed away suddenly on December 23rd, 2012. Initially, I was adamant that there would be no more dogs in our home. Not that I had a bad experience or wasn’t really a dog person…but it was quite stressful and heartbreaking and I wasn’t sure that I was up for it again. Time passes and it does not heal wounds, but it does change your perspective. I simply couldn’t imagine living the next 40ish years of my life without a furry friend to greet me at the back door or lay in my lap as I watched tv or curled up next to me when I was ill.

So the search began.

Not just any search though. This time I wanted the same breed that I am so attached to….Wire Fox Terrier….but I also wanted a rescue dog. Terriers are such misunderstood and underappreciated animals. They are smart, charming, cunning and did I mention smart? Additionally, they are also hard-headed, single-minded and difficult to train. But this would be my third wire, so I knew what I was getting into.

I began monitoring a rescue site for a sweet boy that would be a good fit for our home. The Wire Fox Terrier Rescue Midwest was the focus of my search and I quickly sent in an application. I wanted to provide a good home where there had been none. But I also understand how this comes to happen. People see dogs or puppies that they think are cute without knowing the first thing about the breed. I have to admit, that is pretty much where my mind was when I brought my first wire home. I adored the Thin Man series of movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy….and of course Asta.

My first terrier was a character. I named him Asta after his Hollywood role model.  He had spent the first 6 months of his life in a kennel or at a pet store, his feet rarely hitting the ground. By the time he made it to my house he was terrified of thunder and lightning, obsessed with water, would leave me a “package” out of pure spite and liked very few people. He was however, very smart and loyal to a fault. He adored me…..totally, wholly and thoroughly. If I had died he would have mourned my grave kind of dog. So, in spite of his quirks, to me he was an awesome soul.

Before Asta passed, we brought a wonderful Labrador Retriever into our home. Remington was such a fantastic creature that it just defies words. Awesome is just not an ample word to even begin to describe what he was to us. When Asta died, we felt profound sadness and we thought that Remington did too. We quickly decided to bring another wire into our world. We found a puppy offered by a “hobby” breeder and we were thrilled to bring home this sweet six week old bundle. I decided to name him Dashiell after the author of the Thin Man books, Dashiell Hammett. Ugh! What a handful. The first three years he never slept through the night. Never. He woke me up to go out at least once, if not twice a night. We don’t have a fenced yard but we do have an underground fence system around an acre and a half. The downside to that is that you can’t keep other animals out and we have lots of wildlife around here. I would never just turn him out and he was never in a hurry. It could take him 30-45 minutes to do his business. He ran in circles, always counter clockwise and earned the nickname Circle Dog. He stole dishtowels and forced his way onto your lap. He chased the school bus and all loud vehicles. I often said that it was a good thing that he came to my house because the average Joe would have lost patience with him and taken him to the shelter. He could be a frustrating little bastard but he was equally sweet, kind and gentle and I feel that my life is better for having known him.

I was devastated at Dashy’s passing but when it was time to bring that WFT humor back into the house, it was time. The mister and I both missed having a dog to greet us and love us just for being, well, US!

We began working in earnest with the administrators of the rescue. We had a phone interview, a home visit and they spoke with our veterinarian. Now this might seem like a bit much, but it isn’t. Some of these dogs are already on their second or third home through no fault of their own. The goal is to place them with someone who is terrier knowledgeable, in a stable setting with strong leadership and lots of love. They want these animals to have a fur-ever home….forever.

We were jazzed when WFTRM featured a pup that had been purchased on Craig’s List in San Antonio, Texas. This little boy was named Charles Winston Fox and he was 7 months old. While his prior family decided that they didn’t have the time required to raise this sweet boy, we were grateful to have the opportunity to bring him into our home. Once the adoption was approved we made plans to drive to Iowa to pick him up.

Charlie made quite a journey….born in Missouri, lived in San Antonio, stayed in Austin for a week and then flew to Minnesota, ending up in Iowa. Then across Iowa, back through Missouri, the edge of Arkansas, and then finally home to Tennessee.

Now we were on our way from Tennessee to Iowa to bring this sweet boy home. We picked him up in northeastern Iowa and then headed to western Iowa to visit with my mom for a few days. We were fortunate enough to be there for her birthday, so the timing couldn’t have been better. Back in the car, we headed south to Tennessee. Charlie was an excellent passenger and he made the trip with no incidents or accidents.

There are so many dogs (and cats) deserving of a loving, forever home. Please consider adopting your next friend! We are so glad that we did.

 

Many thanks to the rescue for helping to bring me and the mister together with the next great love of our lives!