“Hi
Karen!
Many,
many belated thanks for the kind hospitality you showed Grant and
me while we were in the process of picking up our pup between Christmas
& the New Year, progeny of the late Paahuma and the still vital
Mecosta.
You
were so very kind to put us up on such short notice and, not least, you
were a gem to help us get through customs -- I thought for a while for
sure that Grant would end up in some sort of jail, as the inspectors
were so suspicious and, er, uncompromising... But at the end of the day,
we were home with the pup, and grateful.
Of
course she cried for the first couple of nights, missing her mom and
litter-/play-mates, and my heart went out to her so much that I
cried with her, cradling & comforting her as much as possible for a
couple of hours at a time. She howled so pitifully and long... I hurt
with her. Didn't anticipate how hard it was going to be on her...
But
now, at just over 4 months, she's a little Spitfire of utter confidence.
Has her attitudes. Challenges us at every opportunity (to which we say, "Oh,
yeah? Dream on...") Yet she's so willing, and smart. Sits
& stays nicely on command and so on.
Ok,
so housebreaking was a pain for a short while, until we hit on a
sure-fire system: I put a set of left-over Christmas bells by the door
and taught her to ring them to get our attention. It only took 3 or 4
times of showing her to get the idea and ever since we've had no
"accidents." It works so well -- the dog is so happy to have
perceived "control" over going out, and we're very very happy
that she "tells" us via this method.
We've
named her Siouxie (pronounced "Suzie") -- in part to
acknowledge her Indian Dog-ness, and in a nod to one of my favorite
singers and her band in the 1980s, called "Siouxie & the
Banshees." That's partly because, after living this pup for a
couple of weeks, we saw the "banshee" part of her starting to
emerge -- a really willful critter bent on wreaking havoc with
everything within range of her teeth & claws. To our delight, of
course...
Every
day she looks more and more like her grammy, Whitney, crossed also with
Ultimate Ukiahya or even Hakata We, in addition to Paahuma. Most of
Siouxie's coat is now mostly a classic "spirit dog" black
& white pattern, but is also coloured with the tortoise-shell
that you saw in her even as a tiny pup. Kudos -- you know your dogs!
And,
as per the testimonials you post on your website, all the responses
we get when people see Siouxie run along the same lines: "She's the
prettiest/ most gorgeous dog I've ever seen." My nearest
neighbours out here (about 1 mile away) are totally in love with Siouxie,
always stopping to tell to me so... And my best friend who lives in
Arizona
, a dog-person too
who's desperate for canine companionship, wants one of yours too
-- if it can stand the heat. And even my vet, who gave Siouxie her
rabies shot, was blown away by Siouxie. Said she'd seen a lot of dogs in
the course of her practice,, but none so "pretty."
I
attach pictures of Siouxie, to which I give you free access for your
website, if you want them. I'm going to have her spayed soon (at 6
months), which partly makes me sad -- she's so gorgeous a dog -- she should have progeny.
I see now why you wanted to keep her...
Many
thanks again, Karen, for all the services you provided. Your kindness
and hospitality were and are much appreciated.
E.”
_________________________
“Hi Karen,
Long time! I haven't been to your site for a while but bazaar
circumstances brought Siouxie and I to the Canine Cafe that popped up in
our
Montreal
neighbourhood called Mile End. We have not brought Siouxie to the city
since she was a puppy and were curious as to how she'd go from running
her miles of bush and river trails to walking salted sidewalks on a
leash and going for a coffee with dozens of other dogs. I hardly knew
her! She was modest and shy; didn't jump on anyone and the puppies that
annoyed her only got a polite show of teeth. But the admirers! She
settled for two couples at a table and lay down among their feet for
shelter. Anyway, Nobody knows what she is, and everybody wants to know
so the cafe owner goes to your site to find out. Wouldn't doubt if you
get some enquiries from
Montreal
. This is her first adult winter and a curious habit emerged . . . the
colder it is, the more time she spends outside. The first night it went
down to 30 below (C) she didn't ask to come in. I finally went to look
for her, expecting a tight ball of dog braced against the elements, but
there she was on "her" couch on the deck, splayed out as if
for a tummy rub and fast asleep! Here in the city she sleeps on the
guest (sorry, her) bed just as comfortably. No wonder she gets so
frustrated when we spend half our lives getting in and out of our big
clothes. Also, it was great to see all the new puppies ready to come
home with us. Here's a couple of new pics from Siouxie.
Take care,
Grant”
