Meet Rowdy, a very quiet yet rambunctious 10 week old Kelpie/Border Collie mix who is sure to keep us on our toes and, if trained properly, will be a faithful companion and protector for us and especially the grandson.
His very first night was spent sleeping with the grandson on the living room floor...not a peep or a boo out of either of them that night. No more nights outdoors for this little guy.
Rowdy has quite the appetite, he eats, and eats, and eats some more.
The boy and him are inseparable...literally.
I'm not exactly sure what his living conditions were but Rowdy was a real stinker when we got him...he enjoyed his bath. We are still working on getting the smell out.
51 comments:
I can only imagine how happy your grandson is... I bet he is over the moon :) Wow...
I came by today with the intention of leaving you a quick message "The recipes are up in my blog!"...and then...and then...this???? Oh can I just leave a one-liner in light of the recent addition to your family??? WHAT A HANDSOME PUP THAT IS!!!!
I am so jealous (but in a good drooly way)...we have been toying with the dog idea for a while now but we are planning an extended trip also and don't want to leave a pup behind without us for that long...ugh...but I want one!!!
I shall continue to live vicariously through your blog Mr. H! Congrats on the pup... oh and that pic of your grandson and the pup sleeping is priceless!
Oh, my. The very very best dog I ever had was an Australian Shepherd, and Rowdy has that look. What a wonderful wonderful addition, and what a wonderful life for your dog -- and grandson!
GetSoiled, we're doing the same thing -- waiting for a trip to get the dog that's missing from our lives right now.
Welcome, Rowdy.
He is just gooooooorgeouuus! I might just twist my other half's arm with those pictures... I want one! (Or a panda bear...)
Oh, what a cutie! Such lovely chocolate and toffee colors. So smart looking. How lucky Rowdy is to have found you. It sounds like you rescued him from a less fortunate situation, lucky lucky boy and hooray for you.
Very cut -- both the puppy and your grandson. Any chance you named the pup after Rowdy Yates, Clint Eastwood's character from the old tv show Rawhide? Probably not, as you don't watch tv! But maybe you have a soft spot for old westerns. :)
Soooooo sweet!!
What a doll! And a great companion too!
Wishing you all 17 years with this one. His odor should improve with good feeding, if he is being fed right, his coat should smell fresh.
I'm missing puppy breath right now, but will live vicariously through Rowdy for a while :)
Boys and their dogs. Jules had the same issue with getting our pound puppy. His old dog was his college roommate and first child, and I don't believe will ever be able to be replaced. Skyler was the perfect dog and is constantly compared to our new dog who is far from perfect (except in our son's eyes).
But who can refuse a puppy!? They are specifically designed to be so cute so that you can overlook how much work and trouble they are. :)
Puppy breath and puppy love - my heart couldn't swell any bigger - thanks for sharing! Peace
What a doll! He's just fantastic. Those eyes! He'll pull them on you, he will. Just watch out.
how adorable, love those hypnotizing eyes, one of my favorite breed of dogs
beyond cute, the both of them! You do know that dogs don't even come close to fully 'mature' behavior for a couple years,haha!..I predict some great blog posts from the gardens and the great hikes your family takes next summer starring 'the boys'. And, reading between the lines, I think Rowdy has experienced a serious upgrade in his living arrangements.
Mr. H. - I see no one has reviewed my book yet at amazon.com. Would you mind helping me by being the first? Peace
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Through-Cracks-Place-Start/dp/0557071879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263425426&sr=8-1
Oh, Mr. H, I KNEW a puppy wasn't far away for you! I had a feeling... He is the cutest ever! And seeing him and your grandson together makes me think it was meant to be. Growing up with a dog is the best ever and will teach your grandson so much. And that puppy love is just the best ever!! Winslow approves whole heartedly!! :) Silke
Mavis - The puppy and boy played for hours on end. We had to pull the mattress out of our fold out couch and put it on the floor so they could spend the night together. Yep, he was very excited.
GetSoiled - We are going to try your recipe out tomorrow night.:) Take your time with the dog, patience is the key. My wife and grandson have been seriously looking for this puppy for almost 3 months now...ever since I caved in.
Stefaneener - I have had three wonderful dogs and the one that I miss the most was a rottweiler that only lived 8 years...If the puppy is half the dog that he was I will be delighted.
Heiko - I hope you find one as cats don't make the best hiking partners.:) So far two of our three cats have adapted to the puppy...the third one is none to happy.
Michelle - We are far from perfect but I will say that ,yes, Rowdy is better off with us and will enjoy a life of freedom, have a full belly, get plenty of exercise, and stay warm at night. He does have the most interesting colors.
Jo - As Clint is one of my childhood idols I should have named the dog after him. I have never had a chance to watch Rawhide but, yes, I love any good western. I grew up being enthralled by Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. Rowdy was the only name that we could agree on and it seems to fit the little fellows personality...although so would Dirt Harry.:)
Hopewell - Thanks, and he really is...as long as your not a cat.
Mr. H.
Congrats on the new addition to the family. Perhaps his herding instincts will be put to good use keeping the grandson out of trouble.
Looks like a fine dog indeed.
Throwback at Trapper Creek - I think he is going to be really great and can see that some serious training will be necessary as he is a very smart little guy. I might have some questions for you on diet though.
Our last dog was a pound puppy, a Sharpe/Boxer/Pit-bull mix, and the nicest dog anyone could ever want. She was healthy and happy up until her last few months and actually died of old age.
Granola Girl - Considering how attached I was to my last two I just could not see them being replaced. I am over that now and will give this little guy my full attention. He is going to be a handful.
Ruralrose - He's a gem for sure.
I will be more than happy to give your book a review as I enjoyed every page of it.
Ribbit - The eyes...he already has, every chance he gets.:)
Lorena - I grew up with a Border Collie and have nothing but fond memories of her. That was in the back of my mind for sure.
Randi - You should see him (the puppy), he struts around like a little macho man and acts so very brave...we just laugh and laugh. I'm laughing right now because this is the second time I have typed something to you and had this little puppy chewing on my toes.:) I promise to include him in the occasional blog post and, yes, he is much better of with us.
Silke - It was all my slobbering over Winslow that gave it away right.:) Our grandson does need a puppy in his life, for many reasons.
I hope this little fellow grows up to be as cool as Winslow. Sometime when you get a chance take a look at the Kelpie breed, the eyes and the ears will remind you of Winslow.
http://puppydogweb.com/gallery/australia
nkelpies/australiankelpie_sortor.jpg
Rick - We hope to turn those same energetic instincts into that of a fine trail companion for us as we hike and forage in the mountains and also as a protector for the grandson. I remember the Border Collie I grew up with would never leave my side and was one of the bravest little dogs.
I wanted to take a quick second and telling you how nice it is to see that even when you get tons of 'fan mail/comments' you always take the time to respond to everyone! So...Thank you!!!
Awww we have a Rowdy too, but he's our gentleman rooster.
Rowdy is adorable! Every boy needs a dog, your grandson and Rowdy look like they were meant for each other :-)
Oh Mr H...he is just lovely. Well you know how I feel about dogs! I'm so pleased you gave in and added him to your family...you won't regret it. And already there are signs of a wonderful relationship growing with your grandson.
Puppies do seem to eat an awful lot don't they? My Milly and Monty never stop eating...it does subside after a while.
I wish you all years of happiness with Rowdy.
Awwww, he is gorgeous! We have three outside dogs; 2 maremmas that live with the chooks and a kelpi that lived inside before we moved to a farm with all sorts of smelly things for her to roll in, now she is strictly an outside dog. My girls have been begging for a pet dog and you should have heard the sqealing when I showed them your Rowdy. Hmmm I might have to give in sooner than planned.
Absolutely darling pair. The picture of them sleeping together is priceless. We recently had to put our elderly dog down and we are choosing to stay "dog less" for a while. Seeing your beautiful new family member makes me question that decision.
What a handsome young pup! and a gorgeous boy too :)
We'd love to get a pup for the girl, but our lovely old Girldog is just too old now to have to put up with a puppy, she is about 14!
Animal companions are important for kids I think - they provide a connection and warmth that is very healing and soothing (or has been for my DD).
And would you believe we had a hiking cat? She would come with us bushwalking into the forestry behind us, and do the whole trek :) a most unusual cat!
GetSoiled,
Thanks, I appreciate that and do enjoy responding to the comments...although I am starting to get a bit nervous.:)
Erin,
Rowdy is a great name for a rooster. One of the names we considered for him, the many names, was "Rooster." Rowdy really fits him though.
Annie's Granny,
Thank you, he is a funny little dog...so curious. The boy and dog make a good team and it will be interesting to watch them grow up together.
Ayak,
I knew you would like him. I forgot how much puppies eat, I just hope we can keep him from eating to much of our furniture....and clothes.:)
daylesford organics,
Wow, it sounds like you have your hands full. One of the things that we will be using the dog for is a protector for our chickens.
A kelpie that rolls in stuff.:) Ours has already started exhibiting that behavior...something to look forward to.
KitsapFG,
I'm sorry to hear about your dog, that is always hard. Getting a new dog is a very tough decision, especially after you have just lost one. I think we made the right choice though and this is very good time for us to take on this rewarding challenge.
Naomi,
Thank you, our grandson was there to see our last dog pass away so it is good for him to be at this end of the spectrum now and have a chance to witness the little puppy growing up.
A hiking cat, how neat..hmm, I will have to tell our three lazy cats all about that one.
I applaud your ability to wait, Mr. H. Only a weekend separated our old dog's passing (a German shepherd, greatest dog ever) from our getting our new, crazy one (an Australian cattle dog) ONLY BECAUSE the floor under our daughter's high chair became filthy. In hindsight, we should've waited, AND gotten a puppy. But, three years of hard work, Penny is pretty fantastic too...it just took longer.
I loves me some herding dogs, but yeah, they're work, because they NEED to work. Just like us. You don't work, you go crazy. He looks like he'll be a great addition to your home. Better get him introduced to the chickens right away, though!
Lovely! Now you need some sheep as well : ) for him to keep engaged!!
I love the puppy.We bought a pure bred Kelpie for our son when he was 1.(27 now)Being an only child,he and Cody(the dog) spend so much time together playing games.Ben would throw a towel over Codys head,tell her to wait and then run off and hide.Cody would find him in seconds..but they played that game for hours :0)We had Cody for 14 years.
Your photos did bring back so many happy memories.Every boy needs a good dog!And I can see they have already formed a very close bond.
Good on you Mr H...your grandson has many happy years ahead with his faithful friend :0)
El,
I was working him around the chickens today...it's going to take awhile. So far he knows how to role in smelly stuff, wants to chase cars and cats, and loves to chew on everything. So far so good.:)
WeekendFarmer,
Oh yeah, a few sheep, goats, some cattle and we'll be set.:)
Thanks granny,
I will have to tell him about that game and see if we can get something similar going.
The grandson is back with his dad for a few days and the puppy has really bonded with us since then. It will be interesting to see how it goes when they meet up again in a day or so.
What a beautiful puppy! Our 13 year old border collie has been wonderful, in fact he is looking at me right now with 'those eyes'! Just make sure you find him a daily 'job' to do before he finds his own. Maybe his job could be to run around the lake with you! I can't WAIT to see him in person! Paige
40 comments on this post!! puppies and kids will do that - puppies and chickens not so much, have to be so strict about the chickens being a no kill zone, it was tough for us at the beginning we lost a few girls but now the chicken can eat out of the dog dish (not that that is a good thing) in front of him, i know you know to nip it in the butt the first time so there is no question, i wavered the first time and it took months to gain control
am delighted, humbled and honored by your words, thank you very much :)
peace
Thanks Paige,
Part of the plan was to find a dog that could have the endurance to go running and hiking with us. We have been wearing him out with long walks and the poor little guy is exhausted every evening. He more or less learned how to fetch today and is pretty good at it considering his age.
Two of the cats have even adapted to him now that they realize he is just a puppy. The chickens on the other hand think he is a weasel and go nuts at the site of him. That will take some time.
RuralRose,
Yes he appears to be a popular puppy and the grandson too. I have brought him out (on a leash) to visit the chickens numerous times already but will not be able to do much until they stop freaking out. I am surprised because they have been around dogs and cats before with no problems but seem to think the puppy is some sort of terrible predator. Time will change that though and soon they will be walking all over him and pecking at his tail thinking it a giant worm.
We got the chickens just before our last dog died and they thought she was thier mommy. Picture a pitbull with baby chicks following her around...poor old dog:)
Oh, and you are more than welcome.
Message to Rowdy:
Dear Rowdy, I respectfully request you let your master take a few moments to post something in this here blog. Some of us are undergoing withdrawal symptoms. You do not want your favorite toy taken away now, DO YA???
Sincerely,
The blogging crowd
GetSoiled,
Rowdy says that he will give me some spare time soon...
By the way, did you know that little puppys like eggs cooked with grated carrot and parsley (he loves parsley), small bites of extremely delicious leftover pea soup, kefir, cooked parsnips, frozen saskatoon and blackberries, spinach, and kale? Pretty cool...don't worry he also likes regular dog food, were not trying to turn him into a vegetarian.:)
Au revoir
Way too cute ... both grandson & the new puppy!
rowdy is too cute! and his coloring is beautiful! i want a puppy! =)
Mrs. Mac,
Thanks, they are are something else that's for sure. Both are keeping us very busy.:)
kelli,
He does have really interesting colors...brown, orange, and white with hazel eyes. Right now the poor little guy is fast asleep after a very long day...a good one though.
Ohhhhhh, he's beautiful!!! Congratulations on your wonderful pup and great fit for you guys...and your grandson :)
Thanks Robbyn, he is a great little dog.
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