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Buddy: Who Says You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?
We see bumper stickers like this all the time and little did we know that very soon we would be thinking the same thing.
For whatever reason, I’m not much on signs and portents, having always associated that kind of talk with New Age thinking and pixie dust. No more! Because Buddy came to us after two unmistakable signs in the space of a few hours and we have thanked our lucky stars ever since. Here’s Buddy, our new resident and family member for a little over a week now, sitting next to My Lady, his new best friend:
Here is the inexplicably strange set of facts which led Buddy to us. Very briefly, Sign One involved the fact that I never, never watch television of any kind during the day, probably a remnant of the days I was working all the time in the salt mines of the Law Practice known as George and George, Ltd.
My Lady, on the other hand, watches a lot of old movies, etc., and one day I became interested in a charming movie about a mean-spirited old curmudgeon who eventually — very long story short — was reminded of how much he had loved a dog in his younger days. The movie, Dean Spanley, ended with a poignant scene of the old curmudgeon (played brilliantly by Peter O’Toole) playing in the snow with his brand new puppy.
Having talked for some time about getting a dog — here in the Florida panhandle almost everyone has at least one — as that movie ended I told My Lady that I was just about ready to head for the Rescue Center and see if they had a “War Dog” I could take off their hands. (For reference, see my post titled “This Is My Hill: Saving the War Dogs of Afghanistan Abandoned by Biden” here.) A few hours later, My Lady was checking the neighborhood news site and up popped this message, and Sign Two made it clear that I was destined to have a new little friend:
We are trying to find a home for a small dog we saved who doesn’t appear to have an owner. He is an older neutered male. He is very quiet and well mannered. Does not beg or bark. He just wants to be near another human. He would make a wonderful little lap dog for someone who is looking for a loyal companion. If you or anyone you know who might find a place in their heart and home, for this sweet little dog, to live out his golden years, it would be greatly appreciated.
Our fate was sealed! As it happens, Buddy, My Lady, and I are all in our Golden Years, so our mutual rescue was a classic win-win for all!
Of course, as with everything in life, there is a bit of a rough spot, so to speak, and his name is Leonard, My Lady’s very large cat who has been with us for years, and who is none too happy about his new “housemate.” However, they seem to have settled into something of a standoff so perhaps it will work itself out as things in Nature have a way of resolving themselves. Here’s Leonard, with an expression which if put into words would not be printable, to put it mildly:
Summing up, it seems that thanks to Dean Spanley, the old curmudgeon who rediscovered his love of dogs just before it was too late, My Lady with the Eagle Eyes who spotted the notice for Buddy, our wonderful neighbors, Susie and Jerry, who gave him a temporary safe space, our adopted Granddaughters who kept insisting (who can resist that?) that we “Get a Dog!,” the patience of Leonard and, of course, Buddy himself, a number of highly improbable signs lined up for a safe and hopefully good life for one more lost pup.
I might have to rethink all that New Age and pixie dust stuff! Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
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A very sweet dog.
You will be much happier now than you were before he found you. :-)
Nice story, Jim. You opened your arms and allowed more love to enter your lives. It’s a wonderful thing.
Is there a sign in there for me? We are Susan and Jerry, too! Really can’t adopt, but Buddy sounds adorable.
Susan, it was quite remarkable how many years passed and how many signs were either missed or ignored or, probably more accurately, rationalized away (work too demanding; travel schedule; there was always a reason not to do it!) but when this “double-whammy” hit, we knew this had to be the one we were meant to have. He has really been a joy! Maybe I should give you Susie and Jerry’s contact information and you can see if lightning will strike twice; worth a try, for sure!
How true. We were happier the day he was carried into our front door! Thanks for the note, Jim
As I told Susan, the big regret I am feeling these days is of all the times we had so many reasons we couldn’t have a dog; so glad those days are a little over a week behind us!
How absolutely wonderful!! Thank you for sharing your home, your heart, and this story; it made my day.
Thank you from all the Georges! Much appreciated! Jim
There are a lot of good stories about “rescues,” like this one told here, but with the removal of pets from pet stores and draconian laws for selling dogs, “rescue” has been the refuge for puppy mills. Clearly your dog is not from a puppy mill, but others seeking to rescue should be alert to that danger.
I believe that those who open their hearts and homes to an older pet have a special place in Heaven. Congratulations!
Beautiful. Thank you.
Nothing better than an undemanding dog who just wants to be near you. Even the demanding ones aren’t too bad:
Undemanding Pepper (left) and Demanding Bitsy (right — whose official name is Princess Buttercup and, trust me, she believes in the perks that come with the title!). “As you wish.”
Glad you found a friend.
They must be an absolute treasure! Congratulations! Princess Buttercup looks amazingly like Buddy!
How many years have I used the old, time-worn phrase “Live long enough” and now I learn that one of the things you can experience if you live long enough is the unalloyed love of a little animal who you had at least a hand in saving. Thanks for the comment and, especially, the photo of your Royalty. Jim.
Our dogs. Got them both from South Charlotte Dog Rescue. Dobby, on the left, is a Chinese Crested/American Hairless Terrier mix. Freckles, on the right, is just Chinese Crested (as far as anyone can tell). Both mostly hairless. (Freckles has an inordinate amount of faith in Dobby’s digestive tract in this picture.)
Well, she’s a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, so she has a little more heft and a lot less tail than Buddy, I would guess. Pepper is a pure bred Border Terrier (yes, we’re Anglo-canine-philes), but everyone mistakes her for a mutt. We kind of stumbled into the dog world many years ago with our second Samoyed and we’ve always gotten our dogs through breeders since then, although one was a rescue after her family couldn’t tolerate her Samoyed hair. What did they think they were getting, I have no idea!
Buddy looks great! I am so happy for you. (We now have two dogs coming into the office, Magpie and now Bamboo.)
Gonna need pictures Gary.