We had a couple of Pekingese woozles, but one died of old age at 19. That breed tends to be smart, but are virtually untrainable. They know exactly what you want, but they won’t do it unless they want to do it. The last one was an escape artist. If someone went to the door, he would hide behind furniture, then try to dart between your legs to get out. The second Peke darted out and into the street. Got hit by a white van that sped off when they saw me coming down the hill to the road.
After that, the Lassie and Mama decided they wanted to get a Pug. I thought that was a bad idea, but when the two of them wanted something, resistance was futile.
They watched the classified ads, and when a local dog breeder advertised they had puppies, Letha called the number. They had a couple of pups left, so the Lassie and I drove up to Mountain City to see them. AKC registered and seriously expensive, but as I wrote above, resistance was futile. I could get that set of new tires next month. One of the two puppies was black and the other fawn colored. The Lassie called Mama on her cell phone and they discussed which one to get. They agreed on the fawn color as the best choice.
We went home with my wallet substantially lighter, and a new puppy. He had the required shots, but we went to the vet the next day for a health check and for a couple more shots.
If there is a job description for the Pug breed, it is “Lap Sitting.” Unlike the Pekes, who tended to be aloof, the Pug sat on laps. That’s it. He sat. He did more lap lounging than any cat I ever saw.
The Lassie was in school at the time, so he sat on Letha’s lap. She had an inner ear disturbance, causing her to have a problem with balance. She could no longer drive safely. As a result, she stayed at home, mostly reading, watching TV, and playing on the computer. That was fine with the new woozle. She sat in the recliner, and he sat in her lap. He grew from a tiny pup into a muscular young dog.
Pugs have a behavior I had not seen before. When excited they whirl. When anyone took him outside, he never liked to get far. He loved to run at breakneck speed, but only in a ten-foot circle around whoever took him out. He loved to get a bath in the bathtub. When he got out and dried off, he would race around the house, whirling now and then, usually ending up on the couch. Our Lassie took this video of him on the couch after a bath.
For those who don’t have tissues handy, I suggest you get them before clicking the video.
You will hear the Celtic Lassie’s voice in the video, talking to Percy, in her mix of Mississippi and East Tennessee accent. You will hear her laugh…...
She writes:
“Percy my 9 year old pug going wild after getting a bath. He’s the funniest dog ever.”
In the notes she writes:
“My sweet little babybug Percy is 10 years old and loves the snow. I love him to death.”
When the Lassie fell in her bedroom as her pelvis fractured, her cancer was discovered. For those who missed it, her story is here: CelticLassie; 1988-2015
We brought her home under hospice care, with a hospital bed set up in the living room. There was no way Percy could stay here with her, because he would be jumping up all over her. We have a dear family friend who works for one of the larger veterinarian clinics in town. She said she would see that Percy was taken care of. He was more or less adopted by one of the animal people at the Robinson Veterinarian Clinic in Johnson City.
On a sad note, an article just appeared in the news:
Co-workers remember veterinarian James Robinson's compassion, dedication
Dammit all to hell! Pancreatic cancer. Have I mentioned how much I hate this awful disease?
Percy has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I can imagine him being able to run again, free of arthritic joints, running in circles once again.
His spirit is reunited with Mama and the Lassie.
I can imagine Dr. Robinson standing there with them, wearing his usual wry grin at the sight.