We've been dog-sitting for the past week, and enjoying the company of Dude, our youngest daughter's dog. After howling the praises of Buck, our late yellow Lab, enter a different kind of dog. Clancy has mixed feelings about the visit, but he's holding up.
Dude is a rescue from a Mississippi shelter. He was once was a sad little face behind the wire just waiting for someone to adopt him. His dream came true, and now he's a well-traveled dog, who rode shotgun across the country to end up in Arizona. The West suits his personality, because Dude by all accounts is a Feist. The Feist dog is peculiar to North America, a mix of terriers and most likely American Indian dogs. They've been around for over 200 years. The Feist has been mentioned in writings by George Washington, Lincoln, Faulkner, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling. The dog is known for its bravery and hunting skills. I'll get to the hunting skills in a moment.
Dude is typical of this breed, that's not recognized by the AKC, but is by a couple of other Kennel Clubs. He's a small brown dog with white paws. He's around 30 pounds, short-haired, athletic, and loves to play. He's rather territorial of bones, food, and anything else that maybe slightly edible. Clancy, our 11-year-old black Lab (and about 85 lbs), despises confrontation, so he allows him to run roughshod over his sleeping area, food, bones, and anything else Dude might desire. But, the dogs do get along and even sleep together some.
So here's the hunting part. We have many tales of Dude's hunting achievements in his short three years. He's snagged a hummingbird (thankfully not at my house), decimated several doves, ripped into a few rabbits and deposited some of his trophies on Emily's carpet, and probably has "taken care" of a few rodents in Emily's backyard. He was thwarted yesterday when he could only observe the rabbits meandering through the gardens out front. Shaking like a leaf, he zeroed in on the bunnies, following their travels behind windows. I have to make sure he can't jump through a screen, since he's already tried that on a previous visit. He was introduced to the air rifle this week, and found that to be terribly exciting, especially when a dove was dropped from a branch. No he didn't get to eat it, but he wanted to.
Dude is always ready for action, so you have to be on your toes with open doors and wastebaskets with Kleenex. He's also had a brush with death, actually digging into a handbag (on a closet shelf, no less) and consuming some Advil that was in a bottle. After a couple of very expensive vet visits, he came through. I have to say that I've never prayed for a dog as much as Dude. He's now highly monitored as to bedroom and bathroom access.
Another interesting factoid about the Feist dog is that the word itself comes from an obsolete word "fyst" which means "breaking wind." How utterly appropriate! This is another not so endearing Dude quality. He's a wonderful little companion, but he is rather gassy. He's allowed on the bed while I'm reading before going to sleep. He's been banned a couple of times this week for excessive stinkiness.
Despite all of the challenges of a Dude visit, he's a loyal, playful, portable, and lovable house guest. Smart as a whip, he's always scheming and looking forward to his next walk with Clancy. The house will be quiet when he leaves on Monday. Maybe a little too quiet.
For more info on the Feist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_(dog)
http://www.dogster.com/dog-breeds/Feist
 |
| Dude's Birthday Celebration |
Dude is typical of this breed, that's not recognized by the AKC, but is by a couple of other Kennel Clubs. He's a small brown dog with white paws. He's around 30 pounds, short-haired, athletic, and loves to play. He's rather territorial of bones, food, and anything else that maybe slightly edible. Clancy, our 11-year-old black Lab (and about 85 lbs), despises confrontation, so he allows him to run roughshod over his sleeping area, food, bones, and anything else Dude might desire. But, the dogs do get along and even sleep together some.
So here's the hunting part. We have many tales of Dude's hunting achievements in his short three years. He's snagged a hummingbird (thankfully not at my house), decimated several doves, ripped into a few rabbits and deposited some of his trophies on Emily's carpet, and probably has "taken care" of a few rodents in Emily's backyard. He was thwarted yesterday when he could only observe the rabbits meandering through the gardens out front. Shaking like a leaf, he zeroed in on the bunnies, following their travels behind windows. I have to make sure he can't jump through a screen, since he's already tried that on a previous visit. He was introduced to the air rifle this week, and found that to be terribly exciting, especially when a dove was dropped from a branch. No he didn't get to eat it, but he wanted to.
 |
| Dude's a great hiker. |
Another interesting factoid about the Feist dog is that the word itself comes from an obsolete word "fyst" which means "breaking wind." How utterly appropriate! This is another not so endearing Dude quality. He's a wonderful little companion, but he is rather gassy. He's allowed on the bed while I'm reading before going to sleep. He's been banned a couple of times this week for excessive stinkiness.
 |
| Let sleeping dogs lie. |
For more info on the Feist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feist_(dog)
http://www.dogster.com/dog-breeds/Feist
Comments