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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Percy, for Persistent

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Percy, for Persistent

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A respite from politics, from frequent commentor, gifted gardener/photographer, and general Friend of the Blog Ozark Hillbilly:

I thought people might like to meet the newest member of the Hillbilly family Ozark, Percy.

Percy first showed up at my neighbor’s “B” house with a friend, and the pair soon picked up the nom de guerres “Beavis” and “Butthead” (he was Beavis). “B” was really unsure about taking in 2 dogs, one of which was very hyper (that would be Butthead, a very sweet female of unknown heritage, lanky and loves to run). I was helping her get them settled in, with crates, proper food and sufficient living arrangements (“B” also has 2 older and very much fatter house cats) and helping her to understand dog behavior better. From time to time the 2 would show up at our place and hang around chasing various critters.

Then Hurricane Gordon came thru with a two-day soaking and Beavis just refused to leave. I set him up on the porch with a dog bed, food bowl, and water, knowing full well it was a mistake. Sure enough, after 2 days he had pretty much decided he liked things here and just refused to leave.

So we changed his name to Percy, short for Persistent.

The top pic is as he showed up, the long hair tangled in burrs.

Living where we live the long hair was impossible, so we got his hair cut short where it will be from now on, as in the second pic. You can see 2 of the 3 scars he has on his forehead. The signs of abuse have piled up till I can no longer deny it. He is a very sweet dog, loving and not aggressive (except towards chickens) in any way, but he cowers when I bend over to pet him, tucks his tail when getting petted, hates getting into vehicles and hates staying in them even more, is very insecure especially when it comes to me (he always has to be near me)(except when chasing a rabbit, then fuhgeddaboudit), etc etc.

The 3rd pic is not a very good one (they wouldn’t sit still competing for my one available hand) but it pretty well captures the Woofmeister’s attitude about all this.

Having had experience with Beagles I had sworn I’d never own one. Percy seems to have just enough Spaniel (?) in him to temper the urge to chase anything and everything till the cows come home as he tends to chase for only 10-15 minutes.

Due to Woof’s congestive heart disease I have been trying to convince my wife to adopt a 2nd dog as a bridge for the post Woof days but she was resistant. Percy took care of it for me.

Reader Interactions

109Comments

  4. 4.

    Cermet

    Wow, that looks like two totally different dogs – that is, the before hair cut and after pics!

  6. 6.

    Anne Laurie

    @Cermet: Our 17-year-old rescue papillon has a (totally breed-incorrect) heavy, water-resistant undercoat. He’s also got a chronic skin condition where he develops random cysts all over his body. Since he’s never been patient about getting brushed out, and his aging joints make it impossible for him to stand for very long, at the beginning of the summer we took him to a groomer renowned for dealing with ‘difficult’ dogs for a serious summer cut.

    The Spousal Unit may not have been entirely clear with his instructions (and English is not the groomer’s first language), so he dropped off a mini-wolf (heavy mane, thick body coat, plumy tail) and picked up… a leggy pomeranian puppy look-alike! Exquisitely groomed, but with his mane missing, his lovely tail reduced to a fluffy club, and his sideburns trimmed to make his head look perfectly round…

    Zevon *was* a lot more comfortable in the heat & humidity, but it was a bit embarrassing for all of us at first.

  7. 7.

    Tinare

    Congrats to Percy and Ozark Hillbilly for finding each other.

    I had commented a couple of days ago about my dog’s nosebleed. The test results came back and he has a fungal and bacteria infection. So, a good result from scary symptoms.

  8. 8.

    Immanentize

    Hello All.
    Great addition to the Ozark clan.
    Does he bay like a beagle? Or bark like a spaniel? And I like to see Woofmeister too! Thank you.

  9. 9.

    Immanentize

    Also, Ozark, O have a trades question — Why do plumbers get the cheapest most useless shut off valves that never ever fully shut down then take the time and effort to sweat them in? Why not spend the extra friggin dollar and get ones that work before all that soldering effort?
    Signed, Frustrated Under the Sink

  10. 10.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Anne Laurie: My little sis used to get her Siberian Husky shaved at the beginning of our hot humid STL summers. You’ve never seen a dog so embarrassed.

    @Immanentize: He gives a yip when he gets on a scent. Most times it will be a single “Yip.”, then 5 minutes later I will hear another “Yip.”, then 5 mins later… Every now and again he will get on a really hot scent and he will go, “Yip. Yip. Yip. Yip.” but he has yet to do a “Yipyipyipyipyip…” He is generally a very quiet dog. Thank Dawg.

  12. 12.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Immanentize: They have to work with what they can get. Seriously, it shouldn’t be that hard to make a quality shut off valve but it seems the manufacturers value repeat sales more than satisfied homeowners. It’s a business model, I guess.

  19. 19.

    Heidi Mom

    @Tinare: Happy to hear it’s something treatable. I’ll keep this explanation in mind to forestall panic if Heidi ever has this problem.

  22. 22.

    MazeDancer

    Ozark Hillbilly, you are such a good man. What a sweet pup.

    For those inspired by OH, this Saturday, Oct 6, Bissel Foundation is sponsoring their “Emoty the Shelters” day across the country. All adoptions are free. Check your local listings, as they say.

  24. 24.

    SFAW

    Anti-blech? Un-blech? Something like that.

    Thanks for the pics, Ozark! Perhaps Percy will reduce your own FOB? (Frequency Of “Blech.”)

    Beautiful puppy!

  27. 27.

    debit

    What a sweet boy! And the dog is cute too! (ducking)

    Seriously, it did me good to wake up to a pet rescue post and for a such a deserving dog.

  30. 30.

    Elizabelle

    Welcome, Percy. What happened to Butthead? Still living large with your neighbor? Percy is one smart dog, too. He sized you up but good.

    @Tinare: Glad your dog’s condition turned out to be treatable.

  34. 34.

    satby

    And for those who remember the not feral cats I trapped at an advanced stage of pregnancy, Turtle was finally ready to be put up for adoption after the last of her kittens was adopted. She was only at the PetSmart adoption center for an hour before a family applied to adopt her. Happy ending.

    Becky tells me that Dervish Casper Tunch 1 continues to live up to his name. He’s scheduled to go up for adoption when it’s my group’s next turn at Petsmart.

  37. 37.

    Kristine

    Sweet Percy. He decided where Home was.

    Detecting signs of abuse is heartbreaking. The late, lamented Mickey didn’t bear physical scars, but I’ll always remember the time I bopped him on the butt with an empty paper towel tube. When I did that with King, he would grab it and play. Mickey practically curled up in a ball–it took a boatload of comforting to settle him. And until the end, he left the living room if a certain type of male voice sounded from the TV, as well as if I even whispered a swear word.

  40. 40.

    Emma

    In my usual half-zombie morning state I read it as Percy for President. I’m ready to vote. Better a dog than a jackass.

  42. 42.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Elizabelle: Butthead is now Missy and has been successfully integrated with B’s household and feline companions. She is still a 40-50 lb bundle of nonstop energizer doggie who runs just for the sake of running. B had her spayed so now she doesn’t have to worry about that.

    Percy gets tutored on the 12th.

  43. 43.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Uh…

    Having had experience with Beagles I had sworn I’d never own one.

    Our new 1-1/2 yr adoptee is a beagle mix. Currently going through puppy training 101 in a formal training program as he has apparently (my guess) never been a pet before.

    What exactly is behind your rather ominous comment?

  44. 44.

    zhena gogolia

    Sweeties! Very wise of you to get the bridge doggie. Having lost both our cats at once, we are feeling the sudden loss still, nine months later. I know that feeling of, you have to carry on for the sake of the still living pet(s).

  46. 46.

    Kobekid

    Due to Woof’s congestive heart disease I have been trying to convince my wife to adopt a 2nd dog as a bridge for the post Woof days but she was resistant. Percy took care of it for me.

    Lots of wisdom here

  49. 49.

    Baud

    Watching the news coverage about Trump’s rally, I can’t help but wish that Democrats would practice some civility.

  52. 52.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: They like to run, especially on a fresh scent, and will disappear for hours at a time. I like to hike with my dogs so that can be a problem. They also like to bark especially if on a tether (not a problem out here) and some take to howling. That’s all. Otherwise they are very sweet tempered affectionate dogs that love to play.

  58. 58.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @OzarkHillbilly: Ah. Sammy is never off the leash, but it’s because I see how he pulls my arm out of the socket after every squirrel, rabbit, human, other dog, and for some reason doves. He has no conception of streets or traffic so my main concern is that 5 seconds after getting off leash, he’d be a Sammy pancake.

    Definitely into tracking. On walks, his nose is on the ground as he clearly tracks a squirrel’s movements around and then up a tree. Can not be deterred when on the hunt.

    Our yard is not wholly fenced, and I’d have to redo the fencing anyway as he’s a demonstrated high jumper and escape artist. So he doesn’t even get let loose in the yard.

    As for the barking, he’s a pretty quiet guy except when confined in a place where he can see but not get to his humans. We had some sleepless nights with him in the kitchen (that’s when we learned about his genius with latches and gates) till we figured out to crate him at night in our bedroom.

  59. 59.

    Emma

    @Baud: All the “Democrats” are over at Slate whining because Obama got lots of dosh to speak to a corporation. I swear to the almighty if I hear the word “optic” again outside of physics I’m going to pitch a hurricane-sized hissy.

  60. 60.

    satby

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: @OzarkHillbilly: and behind that “like to run” comment is that they’re very high energy dogs that need an outlet for all that energy. We (my older teen kids and their college aged keeper while I traveled, really) had a foster beagle for about two weeks. He dug a hole in a brick wall out of boredom while everyone was away at school and work. The kids found him a new home before I got back, but the evidence of his stay was harder for them to conceal.

  61. 61.

    MelissaM

    @OzarkHillbilly: I’m betting you’ll hear his voice after he settles in and realizes he’s Home. Very sweet and thanks for the good news to combat all the rest of the crap going on.

  62. 62.

    TS (the original)

    @rikyrah: Got to know their place – can’t have uppity people being wealthy as well

    I hope they make billions – get listed in the Forbes 400 list while trump falls out the bottom

  66. 66.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    I was alerted on the news last night that we have a serious problem here in Los Angeles, dogs are getting stoned since the legalization of pot. I guess that owners are taking their dogs for walks and folk are leave “their leftovers” out and about and the dogs are eating it.

  67. 67.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: They are amazingly strong for being so small. Percy is on the large side at 34 lbs but he still has the beagle musculature. Mama OH found out the hard way how strong he is. Somebody in the valley below us has what sounds like 7 or 8 when they get going at 2 am but is probably just 2 or 3.

  68. 68.

    Kay

    @rikyrah:

    Lots of them haven’t. Anyway. Doesn’t matter. He’s brilliant. BRILLIANT. All the people who are exactly like him say so- they are also brilliant. The NYTimes described his nutty, ranty testimony as “highly skilled”. I have no idea why. Does “skilled” mean “inaccurate to the point of downright lying”? They have a set of words they use for these people and they just pull one or two out and plug ’em in.

    A system is only as good as the players in the system. If the players are dishonest and unethical the system will be, too. There’s no way around this. It’s guaranteed. Low quality hires = low quality entity. There are no exceptions.

  69. 69.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @satby: We often speculate about his past. All we know is that he was picked up as stray in WV around Aug 1 and shipped to PA, possibly to improve his adoption chances.

    I don’t know how he would have survived around cars, but perhaps it was a really rural environment. The only thing he’s shown any fear of is big engines (trains, buses, trucks) but only when they’re idling. Won’t go near.

    Will happily try to run in front of a fast moving truck though.

  70. 70.

    jackmac

    Occasional contributor and owner of Balloon Juice calendar pet here. Since this is an open thread, I’m sad to report that our our precious dog, Daisy, has passed on. She suffered from colon and lung cancers but we were able to have a bonus six months with her following the grim diagnosis.

    If you happen to have a BJ 2018 calendar handy, she’s one of the September pets.

  71. 71.

    Feathers

    @Immanentize: @OzarkHillbilly: Blame Home Depot & Loews. To keep prices low, and not hear customers complaining about how much of a “rip-off” the stuff that lasts is, at some point they stop worrying about whether what they sell will actually do the job. And by now most of the local stores that stand behind their products are gone.

    My ex basically lost a portion of his business because he would only install overhead equipment using mounts rated as safe for overhead use. Home Depot stopped carrying them, because lots of people don’t know and/or think that Home Depot doesn’t sell unsafe stuff. That said, he did pick up better customers who then trusted and recommended him.

  76. 76.

    Immanentize

    @Feathers: Thanks for this. I know there are better cut off even at Home Depot. In fact, in the same job they put effective lever cut offs on my kickboard heaters but weak ass turn handle cut off (made of pot metal?) Under my sink. The hot doesn’t shut off and leaves about a pint a minute leaking. The part that I’m obsessed about is all the time the plumber spent soldering good copper pipe to crap cutoffs….

    I know, first world problems….

  79. 79.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I know the news is usually pretty stupid, but that’s painfully ignorant – par for the course for those Rita Skeeters when it comes to a topic like marijuana.

    No one can get high from eating “raw” (unheated) marijuana, including dogs. These “leftovers” would have to be prepared/cooked edibles for them to have any effect.

  85. 85.

    Mandarama

    Percy looks like a good boy! Yard dogs are the best (When I was a girl, all of our dogs just wandered up into the yard one day. Yard dogs!).

  91. 91.

    Citizen Scientist

    @jackmac: sad news. Condolences and strength to you and your family. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do when our furry ones cross the rainbow bridge. :(

  98. 98.

    The Moar You Know

    I’m sad to report that our our precious dog, Daisy, has passed on. She suffered from colon and lung cancers but we were able to have a bonus six months with her following the grim diagnosis.

    @jackmac: It leaves a hole that never heals. We have a new dog now, he is wonderful and he is nothing like our old dog…but I still miss her and think about her most every day. If there’s an afterlife, which I doubt, and a heaven, which I also doubt, they will be there waiting for us. Because to both us and them, they were everything.

    I am truly sorry.

  100. 100.

    J R in WV

    @jackmac:

    Sorry you lost your calendar model puppy… they are so good for us that when they go it really is an adjustment. Our first reflexive response is always to rescue someone new… but now that we’re older, that reflex may need adjustments.

    I have pics in to On the Road of one of our precious puppies, now probably 14 or 15, still in good health, a little less active, not as interested in SQUIRREL chasing. Still loves to bark when on the other side of the door.

    If we leave her in when we run and errand or go to a show, when we get home she barks continuously until we open the door and come in. If she’s outside (at her specific request!) she will bark at the door until we come to her in. Except at night, when we’re in bed she taps the door quietly to let us know she’s done lying on the back deck, smelling the breeze and listening to the owls. And I get up and let her in asap.

    They are so good to us, all of them! Cats too!! Of course!

    Take care, I hope you do well, and when you are ready, I hope you find another best dog in the world !

  103. 103.

    jackmac

    @zhena gogolia: Daisy was a wonderful dog and I felt blessed to have her. She loved our whole family but really bonded with me. So I was with her at the vet when she passed, her head in my lap.

    We had a second pet in the calendar this year (actually my daughter’s cat). Precious, an all-white puffball, appeared in July.

  104. 104.

    jackmac

    Although I suspect this thread may be dead, I hope some people still come back to check it out. So allow me to thank so many of you who offered condolences and positive thoughts following the passing of my dog, Daisy. What a wonderful, caring community this is.

  105. 105.

    daize

    @jackmac: So sorry to hear about your precious Daisy. Her photo on the September calendar gave me such joy — she was a beautiful girl with a such a sweet expression. Thinking of you and your family.

  106. 106.

    daize

    Our dear Oyster kitty passed away over Labor Day weekend. He graced the April Balloon Juice calendar page. I submitted the same photo to Alain again for next year, just because it’s my favorite…

  109. 109.

    Mohagan

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I’ve read that because beagles were bred for a long time in England for formal (i.e. fox) hunting, where they ran in packs and lived in kennels, they are hard to housebreak, since nobody ever cared about that until relatively recently. But they get along with other dogs!

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