Candace and I are Chutneys people. We are her pack, along with her chickens. She loves the little Bantam roosters and hens and she lords over them like a concerned parent. When she goes out in the backyard, she will make a trip down to their coop to visit. She will sniff and check everything out, but the best part is that she talks to them. She will whine and beep and cry, and they listen, and I am sure they say something back to her, because she will bounce around like small dogs do in that play mode, with wild eyes, ears cocked back and a big smile on her face. At some magical signal, she will race back up the hill and on to the deck. It is a sweet thing to watch. It always makes me laugh.
The interesting thing is, Chutney is a hunter. She is a Fiest, and her focus is seeking and destroying any and all varmints.She has zero tolerance for other dogs. Actually, she doesn't like any animal. We have to keep her from other dogs because she will attack and it has happened before. I ave no idea why she is like this, but she came to us this way.
About ten - eleven years ago, Candace saw a TV ad for the local animal shelter. They showed several pictures of dogs and cats, and this one dog caught her eye. She wanted to go down to "just look" at the dog. We weren't in a position to have a dog, had not discussed getting a dog any time soon, so I went along.
Well, we got there and the dog on the TV was quite large and not at all what Candace had hoped for. As we walked along the rows of cages, all the dogs were barking and pawing for attention... except for this one dog. She was a tiny little thing with coloring like a dingo. She had big german shepherd shaped ears, but didn't look to be even 20 pounds. She was sitting in the back corner of the cage looking like a picture on an Egyptian carving. She was quietly watching everything with her big dark eyes. A worker walked by just then and Candace asked to see her. In moments we were outside with this little dog on a leash and when she was put down on the pavement, she hopped around like a bunny, and yodeled, tail sticking straight up in the air. She was darling, and Candace looked at me with those eyes... This little dog was going to have a new home.
One thing led to another, and we decided that it wouldn't do to have just one dog. She should have a playmate. (sigh) So back we went to look for a suitable companion for this little dog. In the cage right next door was Chutney. She was not yet a year old, or so they guessed. She was cute and had very smart eyes. We took her out of the cage and out to meet the other dog. They seemed OK together, so after negotiations and planning, we signed the papers to adopt them both. The one we brought home that day was Kenya, and Chutney wouldn't come home for several days. She needed to be spayed.
As we waited for Chutney to come home, we went to dinner one evening with a group of friends, and naturally we talked excitedly about the little dogs we were adopting. We hadn't chosen names and someone had the idea to go around the table, and each person would call out a name. We started with the letter "A". A wonderful friend named Torii had the letter "C", and in the next round, she had "K", and that is how Chutney and Kenya were named. It was perfect!
Kenya passed a couple of years ago, and that is another story in itself, but we gave her everything we could to make her happy and comfortable. She had a rough beginning up to the point where we adopted her. She had buckshot or BB's under her skin from being shot at. She had many ailments, but was the sweetest most angelic little dog. It was hard to say goodbye, but isn't it always a terrible day when you lose a pet, regardless of the reason? This is why I ask you to support The Pet Project. It doesn't cost you a thing but your vote means everything!
So Chutney came home a few days later, and while they got along most of the time, every now and then they would brawl. It was scary and ugly and what we think may have been the issue was that Kenya was learning disabled. She did not understand life as a dog. She didn't understand that her postures meant aggression and she would challenge Chutney without realizing it. Bless her heart, she was a few sandwiches shy of a good picnic. It took months just to teach her to sit... For all her problems, she was a sweet and special baby, and we treated her that way. When she passed away, Chutney wanted nothing to do with any other animals, so she is very attached to Candace and I. I cant imagine having to give her up. Can you imagine having to give up a beloved pet because you had money problems? I don't never want to find out, and that brings me back around to The Pet Project. Vote for it so that pets and their people can get help to stay together if they need it. You never know when you may need help in some way, and if it ever happens, the last thing you want to have to do is make hard choices with your dog or cat.
Please enlarge the video for better viewing!
So it is mid day and I will get dressed and go out into the world. Not because I am burning to go out in the cold, but because Chutney needs playtime. We will hang out, and she will explore. She will say hello to her chickens and warn predators to stay away. I will walk with her, and she will walk with me. It is all about love, the love you can only have with a dog... or a cat... that you have vowed to care for its entire life. I remind myself each day that all she gets, all she experiences is through Candace and me, and I don't want to let her down. Her life is important. Most pet owners feel this way too. So if you haven't already, go vote on that link above. Try to look into your pets eyes if you don't. Go ahead, try.
