We Shall Overcome

The dog who fears water

Named Number Eighteen and Lizzy she became.

Lizzy has joined the pack of water dogs...finally!

Lizzy is still not a joyful swimmer even after four years but she braved chest deep.

We're proud of you, Lizzy!

Long Time Coming...

You've watched Lizzy avoiding water like the plague.  She will go out of her way to find a crossing that only wets her toes.  In the heat of last summer she laid in an inch of water to cool off one time.

 Today after a long walk/run

she waded in belly deep like an old pro.

It wasn't an extended soak

but Lizzy is finally a semi-water dog.  Way to go, Lizzy!

After much enthusiastic rolling and some beach time

Lizzy dashed through again!

Some of you may remember when Lizzy came home with me Labeled Number Eighteen. Lizzy has grown and changed much from the young rescue that came home with me.  She is many things...the farm announcer, the snuggler, the cat companion...but never a water dog. Finally, after almost four years she has discovered the joy of water on a very warm day.

Welcome to Nirvana, Lizzy Number Eighteen. 

Lizzy

thinks she's a big dog.  Actually she is the announcer.  The other dogs sleep as Lizzy keeps watch. She announces if one strange thing enters the valley.  After rousing the pack she runs the sidelines coaching them.

Only one problem...I have a difficult time keeping her groomed.  Poor baby. She goes every where the big dogs go but that's okay.  We all are family.

Here is the tale of her beginning with us.  

Lizzy is a good dog.

Lizzy should be a lap dog.

She travels 

 with the pack.

and does her job.

Lizzy is happy here and is very brave if anyone looks at her bowl.

Now if I just had time to give her a hair cut...

Poor Pitiful Pooch...

Drenched in Eau de Armadillo, quite an aged fragrance, it became necessary to fill the DREADED bath.

It is a natural thing for a dog to find the most hideous smell and repeatedly roll in it. Beginning with the tip of their nose and sliding down what ever humanly offensive putrid piece of deceased animal they are lucky enough to discover. They will delightfully roll and wiggle on their back in this same aromatic pile of...stuff.

They're not crazy.  This is natural for them.  They are preparing for the hunt and in a funny perverse way we do the same when we groom to go out.  Rolling in this perfume allows them to sneak up on their target without the smell giving them away.  How many victims in the animal kingdom would shy away from the smell of a rotted carcass??  Pretty smart in my book.

Poor Lizzy repeatedly did this while we were gone.  This earned her a place of honor in the outside pack.  She joined the nightly raids chasing the scary critters out of the valley, joined searches with the strange smell patrol and had even joined in with the snake patrol squad. All the time she blended right in with her wonderful scent.

Then we came home.

Hubby did the dirty work

'cause he knew Lizzy would be mad at the bather

Poor Lizzy!  After the bath she ignored Hubby 

even as he offered her boneless fried chicken.

She will never come to his call again!!

She loved me til she was dry and then went back outside.

I suspect she has reapplied her designer cologne.

At least she smelled sweet for a while.

Lizzy...

Do dogs dream?  I know they do because Lizzy's legs move while she sleeps and her dream voice quietly barks.  I certainly hope she is the pursuer and not the pursued.. I certainly hope she doesn't have nightmares..

Ah, gee!  Enough already with the camera.  I had that snake by the middle...or did he have me?  I forgot.

Many of you may remember when I weakened the last time and drove a very long way to choose Number Eighteen.  It was a good choice.  Lizzy or Number Eighteen as she will always be on record was and is the perfect choice.  That was six months ago and I haven't had any urges to acquire more strays.  Could it be I have all I'm going to rescue?

Lizzy is an in and out dog.  She's in when it's cold and out the rest of the time.  She herds cattle with the big guys and is quick enough to avoid the cow's kick and the bull's swinging head.  She observes the snake patrol.  She is a good spotter but has not graduated to the pest control team yet.  Lizzy is also on constant guard to incoming strangers, animal or human.

I hope Number One through Number Hundred Plus all found a great home like Lizzy did.

Lizzy is not a whiner nor a yapper.  She is not clingy nor sissy.  She cuddles when I want but does not beg for the attention.  She listens even when I am just talking to myself.  What a good dog.

With all these perfect orbs showing up, I like to think all the family likes her too.

When the time comes for another dog...and that time will come...it always does....I'm getting something a little bigger.