Saturday, March 29, 2008

Marvelous Macy and the Three Stooges

This is actually two stories, not one. The first is about my afternoon with Macy, one of Caleb’s littermates who is currently looking for her forever home with the help of BullyBuddies rescue. The second is about my three nutjobs who are having about as much fun as three senior collie-type breeds can have without having their sanity questioned (collies and shelties are supposed to be dignified, after all - especially in their senior years!). They never fail to make me laugh when they play together.

But first, Marvelous Macy:
Macy on the dike

Since I’m not in a position to adopt Macy, I’ve opted to help out by taking her on outings, to the vet, to meet potential adopters, etc. until she finds her perfect-fit forever home. This was my second outing with Macy (See my earlier entry entitled “Meeting Macy”), and this time it was just Macy and me.

First we went to the Serpentine wetlands to walk the dikes. It was very quiet there today, so we met only a few other people during our hour's walk. I put her on a 30-foot training leash so she could roam, and she was very excited to be "free", sniffing every blade of grass, alternatively dragging behind and running ahead. She was such a busy girl she paid absolutely no heed to other dogs, people, or the many ducks and other birds in the wetlands. She had a blast!

Check out those ears!

Macy running


Next we headed out to White Rock to visit my 89 year old mother who lives in an assisted living retirement home there. Macy nicely greeted the seniors who ooohed and aahhhhhed over her as we headed to mom’s suite. She stepped into the elevator as if she'd done it all her life (many dogs don't like elevators!), she greeted mom nicely, and then lay down on the rug in front of the fireplace. Macy gently shared bits of ginger crisp cookies with us and in no time at all had mom convinced that she was the cutest, nicest, best behaved dog ever. When I rose to leave, and picked up her harness and leash, Macy jumped up and wagged her tail with a happy goofy grin on her face: “Ahhhh gooood, we’re going back out again!!!!”

I’ve come to the conclusion that Macy is really two dogs in one. The incredibly lucky person who adopts this girl will be getting a happy, bouncy, energetic pup who loves the outdoors, loves to explore, loves to run, loves to ride in cars, and has a grin that stretches from one side of her cute floppy earred face to the other. But that same person will also be getting a sweet, quiet, couch potato snuggle bug who is gentle with seniors, well behaved indoors, happy to curl up for a nap in a strange place, and knows how to give the very best kisses.

She’s pretty good at coming when called (especially if the call word is “treat”!), and knows sit, stay, ride, over there. On the other hand she does NOT understand “Ohhhhh Macy noooooo don’t roll in the smelly dead fish!!!!!!!” (My apologies to her foster mom!!!)

Macy sitting nicely


And then there are my three canine companions - the three stooges. They have decided that the most fun thing in the world is to act like clowns each time we go out in the pasture. Playing leapfrog, rolling, crouching, play-bowing, chasing, sneezing, running, wrestling, dancing, woofing, sniffing, trailing, bumping, barking - there is no end to the antics of Charley and Sadie. And then there is little Belle who mostly just barks, but today decides to chase after her slightly younger but much bigger sisters and to mimic their actions – rolling, running, dancing just out of range of their big clumsy paws. Until, that is, she gets bowled over and rolls “a$$ over teakettle” right into an indentation in the ground and lies there on her back, paws scrabbling at the air like a turtle trapped on its shell, unable to get up.

Belle gets into the act

Princesses aren’t supposed to be laughed at however, so she was quite indignant when I finally stopped chuckling long enough to right her, and she haughtily did her model’s "runway walk" down the path, head held high, feet daintily stepping one in front of the other as she steadfastly ignored me and the others while she made her way back to the house to recover her dignity.

I have no understanding of what it is that people see in the so-called “reality shows” that are so popular on television. Dogs are so much more real and so much more entertaining. I can’t imagine my life without them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad you had a fun day with Macy... She is absolutely delightful as are your 3 romping, stomping, precious Stooges.

E.

Anonymous said...

Poor Belle! I live with a Sheltie "princess" too and they have huge dignity. Please don't tell Belle I'm chuckling at her misadventure......

Good luck finding the perfect home Macy, you look like a very nice and good dog.

Sharon

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story about Macy and her day. If they put that in her bio she should find a home in no time. I'm so glad you have taken her under your wing and giving Macy some life experiencs she never had before.

Poor Princess Bella playing the clown. That surly wan't her intention.LOL
Else