Bo (aka Boise, #279) and I just returned
from our first long-distance
trip. Went to Duvall, WA (east of Seattle) for almost a month.
Bo is a
real trouper and great traveler. And, best of all, a very thoughtful
house
guest. My sister (and her 12 yr old twin girls) and mother live
on 10
acres with two dogs, 5 cats, and 3 horses, and Bo loved them all.
The dogs
are mother and daughter Rhodesian ridgebacks - both champions.
My other
sister has a West Highland Terrier - little ball of fire - Sassy
would put
Bo in her place, and Bo quickly learned to respect that funny
ball of
fluff! Bo would take her toys away from the big dogsbut let Sassy
have
whatever she wanted.
Bo imitates other dogsRidgebacks have
a certain way they lay on the floor
- hind end straight down, front legs pointed straight ahead (looks
very
uncomfortable). After about 3 days around Kenza & Halle,
Bo started doing
the same thing! I'd NEVER seen her sit that way, now she does
it
frequently. Another behavior which I have never experienced in
any other
dog I've owned is that she won't take treats from a stranger -
or even take
it from me if someone else has touched it first.
During that first cold snap we had, Bo looked very uncomfortable
on her bed
on the floor. So I put a sheet on the sofa and let her up there
to
sleep. She spent much of the winter with her head in my lap as
I napped or
crocheted or read in the recliner. Pretty smart Girl - and so
terribly
spoiled (but, I rationalize that her former life entitles her
to as much
spoiling as I can give her)!!
Bo is also a great actor (or, perhaps,
she's just smarter than me!). For
example, there is a commercial on TV for K9Advantix flea, tick
and mosquito
repellent - two labs are "exposed" to giant ticks and
fleas which they
pretty much ignore, but the giant mosquito sends them into a frenzy.
If Bo
thinks I've ignored her too long, when the first few words of
that
commercial come on she starts whining and crying at my feet and
begging for
comfort. If she's busy playing, or if we have spent adequate
time outside,
she just ignores the whole thing. She did the same thing at
mother's. It's a riot! She also does a frantic dance when she
wants my
attention - particularly when she thinks I've slept long enough
- she acts
like she desperately needs to go outside until I get up, then
she'll grab
her ball and ask to play. I'd swear she smirks at me when she's
fooled me.
I can't possibly thank you enough for
finding Bo for me. This wonderful
dog is so beautiful now, you wouldn't recognize her. Remember
that
"Labrador tail" and the teats that hung nearly to the
ground? Her tail has
grown full and lush (hard to see in the pictures because it's
always in
motion) - and her tummy has tightened up to the point where her
teats
aren't visible. She now has a gorgeous coat, and her "skirts"
are very
long and full. She draws comments wherever I take her. This formerly
shy
and timid girl now welcomes petting and warms up to most people
(both
adults and children) very quickly. I've tried, but can't get
a good
picture of her beautiful tail - it's always wagging! June 2003