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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Open Thread: Look at this Sweet Thing

Open Thread: Look at this Sweet Thing

by | 78 Comments

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A few days ago, Aleta asked us to keep good thoughts for her pup

I am happy to report he is home and recovering. As she waited for him to come home, at my request, she put together some photos of him. His rescue story is heartwarming. Let’s wish him continued good recovery and hoping Aleta gets some rest.

=======================


2014  First few months 

He’d never been on a leash or asked to do things, but learned quickly. He blew away all our low expectations and proved the opposite.


He went into a trance when touched gently—a new feeling.   He got a certain look when fussed over.  Still true.  
  

Kid soon fixed him up for an imaginary birthday party and he took it in stride.  

He was like an exchange student who didn’t know the language or understand the culture.  He trusted his host family to shepherd him around, but stopped to study every extraordinary thing in our neighborhood.  

Walking with him was like beginner’s mind.  Man vacuuming out his car.  Black garbage bags that landed in the night,  lining the entire street one morning.   A dog running back and forth doing some strange thing together with a person.  


He didn’t know what to make of reflections on water or surface flow patterns.  

I think he hadn’t learned to process heights or reflections yet, having never lived in a house.  The water and  its visual complexity unsettled him for quite awhile.  He’d watch the river intently, his mind engaged.  After a few years he figured out he could drink from it.   After that he carefully made a point of it. 

We took things slowly, putting several days of absolutely zero stress in between each new experience. 


He enjoys tearing apart a good egg carton.  His teeth were worn down and cracked from chewing wire so I couldn’t give him hard things.  The 3-D and the contours seem to interest him intellectually. 


The first summer walking around, whenever we came to a halt no matter how briefly, he acted like a soldier on an endless march who dropped and slept any time he got a chance. 



===================================

What’s everyone up to this afternoon? Open thread.

Reader Interactions

78Comments

  1. 1.

    Mary G

    So glad you have him home! He looks like an old soul. Such beautiful eyes. And beautiful places, with the snow and trees and water.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    What’s everyone up to this afternoon?

    Unexpectedly at work. Minion emailed to say that there was a tiny leak in one of our systems and could I please come give her a hand finding and fixing. So much of science is knowing how to be a rather specialized plumber and electrician.

  4. 4.

    satby

    Very happy to hear he’s doing better Aleta!

    He was like an exchange student who didn’t know the language or understand the culture. He trusted his host family to shepherd him around, but stopped to study every extraordinary thing in our neighborhood.

    That’s a good description of the late Biggie and his rescue buddy Rosie. Both seized from unscrupulous puppy mill breeders in raids and neither knowing how to be a pet. Both became extraordinarily great companion dogs. Seeing them blossom is truly a reward.

  5. 5.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    What a good dog. The idea he should be startled by kindness is heartbreaking.

    ETA: As for what I’m doing this afternoon, I’m reading Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson. Good book about a hacker in an unnamed Middle Eastern security state who stumbles on an ancient book and a hidden world.

  8. 8.

    Raven

    Sweet pup! I’m getting ready to cook the red and bluefish I caught on my last day. Then back down for that sunset fishing. I don’t know if my bride is going to push the dogs down again tonight. We know we’re luck that they are still with us and hope this isn’t either one of their last trips. I know I probably shouldn’t be posting pics of us but, the hell with it, I’m short! https://www.flickr.com/gp/ravenillini/W3jo10

  12. 12.

    susanna

    He’s a love! Good to hear all of you are in a good place and will be enjoying one another’s company for many, many moons, and sun rays.

    Keep us posted.

  16. 16.

    Steeplejack

    Good news on the doggo, Aleta!

    The socialization process sounds very similar to what my brothers go through with their rescue greyhounds. Not necessarily abused, but just generally clueless about “normal” life and interactions with humans.

  20. 20.

    Raoul

    Maybe this isn’t anything BJ site fixers can do anything about, but an ultra-spammy “Comcast Communications” in air quotes because I don’t trust its authenticity, takes over the whole page with a pop over.
    And I refuse to hit the red OK button as I might be authorizing a takeover or trojan. So I have to close the tab and start over. Has happened twice in rapid succession while scrolling the BJ home page.

  25. 25.

    SiubhanDuinne

    What a lovely dog. Those pictures and anecdotes just melt my shrivelled old heart.

    Today was the final Met Opera Live in HD of the season, and a great (if shattering) opera it was: Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. The music is glorious; the plot, about a flock (gaggle? pod?) of doomed Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution, is disturbing on several levels. But did I mention the music is glorious? And the singers were stupendous.

    One of the things I most love about opera today is that almost all of the singers are also really good actors. It’s a very far cry from the old stereotype of the tenor woodenly declaring his undying passion to the last rows of the balcony, or the soprano jerking mechanically during 15 minutes of death throes. I have to say, I love opera as much for the theatrical components as I do for the music.

    I’ve re-upped as Met Ambassador for the 2019-20 season. Even though there is (IMO) an over-reliance on Puccini in the Live in HD transmissions next year — Turandot, Butterfly, and Tosca — it’s all good stuff, and those are for sure the operas most likely to hook new audiences. They’re warhorses for very good reasons.

  26. 26.

    Another Scott

    @Raven: You two don’t use Comcast, by chance, do you?

    I know this place is https, but maybe your ISP is responsible for that?

    I’m on Cox, and use Ublock Origin, so I don’t see the ads you’re talking about. (I send JC some money every year.)

    Here’s hoping you can get rid of it, whatever the cause. Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  27. 27.

    geg6

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Yes, me too. Continuously. Super annoying.

    On topic, Aleta! So glad he’s home! He looks like a sweetheart and your story fills my heart.

  29. 29.

    mrmoshpotato

    Watching extra innings at Wrigley Field vs the Brewers on TV.

    The Good Place season 3 mini marathon later on.

  30. 30.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Raoul:

    I’m getting that a lot, except it’s “AT&T” rather than “Comcast.” Beyond annoying.

  31. 31.

    Another Scott

    @geg6: Ok, understood.

    It’s the ad-serving-service, whatever that is.

    Websites that rely on ads will always be at the mercy of whatever the service provider decides to permit to be sent down the pipe. I know ads pay the bills at most places, but I have no compunction about blocking them because I never click on ads anyway and if they’re agressively in my way then they deserve to be expunged with extreme prejudice. Serve up content that is worthwhile and I’ll pay for it. Like here.

    My $0.02. YMMV.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  32. 32.

    MomSense

    Well this brought a tear to my eye. Sweet pup and story.

    I just made raita and am about to put baklava in the oven. Next is Moroccan chicken with green olives and lemon. It’s actually a menu for using up odds and ends.

  33. 33.

    NotMax

    @Another Scott et al.

    Yup. Wouldn’t venture online without advertising defenses.

    For those whom the ads rankle, while don’t know how often anyone checks it, but there is a Report Misbehavings [sic} Ads link in the sidebar.

  35. 35.

    Bill Arnold

    More on young Ben’s interview with A. Neil, fun (not long, 2m20s):

    The BBC panel's reaction to the Neil/Shapiro interview is just as good as the interview itself. To say they were all unimpressed with Shapiro would be putting it lightly. American MSM should take notes, these people do not bite their tongues. pic.twitter.com/IOpd1CMkk5— Tuxedo Mask (@TheLoveBel0w) May 10, 2019

    …his intellectual carapace is kind of so thin…

  39. 39.

    Yutsano

    I’m out getting a wheelchair ramp for my apartment. The rhabdo really knocked out my left leg something awful. But at least I’m just renting it. It won’t be a permanent thing.

    At least not as stubborn as I am.

  42. 42.

    J R in WV

    @Raven:

    That a great beach picture! And I’ve been on lots of gulf coast beaches from Key West to Mississippi, and never seen that much surf unless there was a hell of a storm out in the gulf somewhere!! No wonder you’re hurting from standing out in that action!

    And what’s with your calf? Did you wound yourself? Take care, there’s more to life than fishing, though I know you would argue that point all evening!!

    We pretend we’re anonymous using our ‘nyms and all, but really, no one is anonymous anywhere!

  43. 43.

    White & Gold Purgatorian

    @Raoul: Ditto. Twice today from the BJ home page and just a couple of minutes ago right after I opened this comment thread. I never look at ads so have no clue which one might be causing this, but it is annoying.

  44. 44.

    Steve in the ATL

    What’s everyone up to this afternoon?

    I’ve had enough of the time zone snobbery on this no upvoting, no threaded comments website. It’s well after midnight, and I may or may not be guzzling Stella (not Stella Artois) and feeling no guilt about drinking during Ramadan because I’m Episcopalian.

    Salaam alaikum!

  45. 45.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steve in the ATL:

    feeling no guilt about drinking during Ramadan because I’m Episcopalian.

    Wherever you find four Episcopalians, you’ll find a fifth.

    #Rum’n’Catholics
    #WhiskyPalians

  46. 46.

    Comrade Colette Collaboratrice

    @mrmoshpotato:

    The Good Place season 3 mini marathon later on.

    How are you getting it? We have Netflix and binged on seasons 1 and 2, but 3 won’t drop until August, as far as I know, and I’m reluctant to pay twice over to get it from Amazon Prime or whatever now.

  49. 49.

    J R in WV

    Aleta,

    Thank you so much for rescuing this wonderful puppy.

    Our current dog, Alice (as In Wonderland) I found at the shelter in town. She was a 9 month old white lab mix, sitting in her cage wondering what was happening. When I took her for the required walk on leash, when we reached the end of the pavement she stopped to investigate the grass with nose, as she didn’t know what it was.

    Our then senior dog, Happy, taught Alice how to climb on the boulders, to jump, how to catch chipmunks (Alice’s favorite prey, we used to have so many, no more!) to run the woods a free dog. Now Alice is an only dog, til the next rescue comes home.

    Thanks again for taking your puppy in and teaching about being a member of your family!! So sweet!

  50. 50.

    lamh36

    It’s a work weekend for and everyday up to when I leave for my trip on Tuesday (the actual day of flying to London is Wednesday overnight red eye).

    So I only have the evening to catch up on things before I’ll be too busy with the fam

    I’ve been hella tired lately with school, but now that I’ve finished classes (just waiting on my grades in about 2 weeks) I’ve got less to take up my time in the evenings, but that’ll change in June when I start summer classes. Then I’ll have class M-Th when it’s NOT online (it’s a “hybrid” class, 1/2 online, 1/2 in classroom).

    So I’m soaking up all the fun I can!

  51. 51.

    lamh36

    Even if I didn’t love the John Wick movies…I love Keanu Reeves.

    He just seems like such a genuine nice guy who happens to be a big star.

    Notice how he remembered his stuntman’s name or his action coach…

    Oh and his answer to Colbert’s last question, esp if you know his history!!!! OMG…I LOVE HIM

    “What do you think happens when we die, Keanu Reeves? – I know that the ones who love us will miss us”

    Keanu Reeves: What It’s Like To Fight On A Horse https://youtu.be/oNu6NyMkp8k via @YouTube

  54. 54.

    Suzanne

    Just got back from Costco. On a Saturday afternoon. Ehhhhh. Costco on the weekend is so exhausting, and it is crazy-ass hot. So now I am lying down on the couch with the lights off.

    Mr. Suzanne and I are going to take the Spawns to see “Detective Pikachu” this evening. It looks like very silly fun.

  57. 57.

    Another Scott

    @Steve in the ATL: Dictionary of Christianese:

    1979 The Christian Moral Vision VI. 71 : Friend and foe alike have tirelessly repeated witticisms about “whiskeypalians” and stale jokes like, “Wherever there are four Episcopalians, there is sure to be a fifth.” Episcopalians have taken a perverse pride in such remarks, which seemed to testify to the sophistication of the church and its freedom from petty moralism.

    Hehe.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  60. 60.

    CaseyL

    What a wonderful story, and I’m so glad the surgery seems to have gone well. You’ve done a great good thing, rescuing and loving that sweet doggo.

  65. 65.

    Bex

    How many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb? One to call the electrician, one to clear it with the vestry and two to argue about how much better candles were.

  66. 66.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Bex: that’s good, though I have usually heard “One to call the electrician, one to mix the cocktails”

  67. 67.

    Steeplejack

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Well, allow me to restore modesty by pointing out that you wrote:

    The correct phrase is “where two or there are gathered, there’s a fifth.”

    What a maroon! Zing!

  70. 70.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Steeplejack: merde!

    @MomSense: looked it up, liked what I saw, have not been there (or three) yet. I did have some popcorn-flavored potato chips (or “crisps” as it were) earlier.

  74. 74.

    The Lodger

    @Steeplejack: It’s actually a butchered quotation of Matthew 18:20, “where two or three are gathered in his name, Jesus is with them.” In some Episcopal circles, that’s why the joke works.
    Let’s see if this resurrects the thread…

  76. 76.

    karen marie

    @Gin & Tonic: It is a shame they don’t freeze and remain edible (I’ve tried – horrible). I love bluefish more than any other. The idea that they’d be tossed aside gives me a huge sad.

  77. 77.

    karen marie

    @Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: You can watch the current season on NBC. The last season is about to expire there. I dropped Netflix as I simply do not watch enough TV to make paying for it worthwhile. Is it on Prime? I have Prime but haven’t looked for it there.

Comments are closed.