Red wolf

One afternoon I drove to the pound, because I needed a watch dog. On my mind was a mean, ill tempered schnauzer, who would bark his head off. The pound was closed. Behind the fence were two playful puppies. Black mutt looked like Labrador and another mutt on long legs and a cute muzzle of a terrier. The puppy of air dale noticed me and curtsied. I told it: "I will come to pick you up tomorrow." The doggie pretended to understand and continued in it's play. Second day I filled out adoption paper, payed $30.00 and the dog was mine. The lady gave me a searching look and she said: "She will be a big dog." Betsy (in Texan dialect Betsie) received a pink comforter in the kitchen corner by the table, and because she was my first dog we began to learn about each other. She needed everything: bowls, collar, leash, puppy food, and also toys. We purchased two toddler's gates, because Betsy chewed off kitchen wallpaper, where she could reach and tasted sheet rock. She chewed legs of three chairs and began to work on new rocking chair. She reached kitchen counter,helped herself to plastic jar of honey, broke the lid off, and in one sweet afternoon polished jar spike clean. Housebreaking took four months. After that she dragged me for walks. We had some expenses with the dog. She needed shots, especially rabies shot, and hysterectomy. When she was still under anesthesia, they pulled one spare tooth ($8.00). After we left veterinary office, she opened her mouth wide with the hole after extracted tooth with the look of child who was hurt. I needed a manual how to bring up the dog. She never learned "sit". She laid down instead. The command "come": sometimes she came, sometimes she didn't. Whistling also worked only sometimes. She ran away. What was helpful when the owner of another dog with the help of his dog were able to bring her back. Meanwhile, Betsy grew up becoming taller than coffee table, grew coarse hairy pants and her black tail with the white tip changed into proud flag. She had beautiful colors. Black back, white knee-highs, white chest, and red color here and there. She was not easy to handle. Maybe I didn't know how to handle this dog, but we had a respect for each other. I admired her. She was a beautiful when she was catching and tossing her toys in the air, when she galloped, or ran in the circles; jumped in the tall grass. I felt privileged to have such a beautiful dog. "She needs training." I never got into it, later, later, not this month, maybe next month. Betsy chewed seven leashes and two collars. We purchased a choker and chained leash. She learned "give me five" and I was allowed to pick her flies and cut out grass burrs. Every day she became redder and redder. She new how to shell pecans, lick colonies of worms under the rock and pieces of wood, she shelled the pine cones to eat seeds inside. She still liked to run away. On Thursday, March 6, early in the morning, we went for a walk in the park. Nobody was there, so I took off her leash. I liked to watch her run. She listened to each command. After the walk she went back inside the car. I didn't put the leash back on her. We got out of the car - and she took off. I called her, whistled. She didn't come back. I went to the work and when there was daylight I came back to look for her. I repeated calling and whistling. I returned back to the work. At 8:30 in the morning I received an emergency phone call. Betsy was hit by the car and she was dead. The pound took her body away. I didn't see it. Sometimes I dream about Betsy fighting in big dog fights and she is fighting bravely like red wolf. Note: red wolves are near to extinction. They are as big as German shepherds and their weight is about sixty pounds. Copyright (c) Marie Neumann Staphenville, Spring 2008