Totally Terrier

Ever noticed that there is no such thing as an ugly puppy? I don't think the same can be said about the human species - there are, without doubt, ugly babies. Oh ya, no one ever says it out loud - 'Wow, that is one ugly baby..' but we definitely think it. Not so with puppies... with those wee floppy ears, rolie-polie tummies, and black button noses, they are 100% certified cute. And even better? They grow into dogs rather than teenagers - a decided plus.

When our Fox Terrier first came home with us, I was of the opinion that he was pretty much the cutest dog in the world. That was, of course, until he had spent 15 minutes in our home. There is a reason why terrier owners are more apt to refer to themselves as 'terror' owners.

Not to say that Saddler is a true terror, but there is an intensity to this dog that is alarming.  Any newcomer to the house will find themselves confronted by a quivering mass of white and brown fur exhibiting textbook OCD symptoms. And woe betide the unsuspecting guest foolish enough to acknowledge an offered toy. That is just opening a big ole' can of 'tell you what - you try to grab it while I try to stop you. Ya, so don't stress the hand getting caught in the teeth part - totally normal - ignore the blood.'.

Terriers are often unfairly maligned as being stubborn and difficult to train. Nothing could be further from the truth. Saddler, a model of canine behaviour, comes immediately after the twelfth time he is called, sits on command when you use a gentle karate-chopping motion behind his knees, and has only dislocated my shoulder twice while 'walking' on a leash. He has lived peacefully with our ginger cat for many years, and the times I am required to remove orange cat fur from between his teeth are extremely rare.

One thing I do find somewhat surprising is the amount of hair that is produced by this animal. The mathematics behind an 18 pound dog producing 40 pounds of hair in one day defies my generally-mathematically-sound logic. Rather than wasting time vacuuming, we simply celebrate the additional insulative value the layer of hair provides on our floors and clothing. While I have never had the energy to complete the experiment, I am fairly certain that if I brushed long enough, I could turn Saddler into a Mexican Hairless.

And then there are his quirks. For example - his fear of buzzing insects - the day I found him on the bed barking maniacally at the ceiling. Canine delusion? No - a bumble bee caught in the skylight. He is painfully sensitive to the 'F' word, exclamation of which will send him scurrying, tail between his legs, to another room. And let's not forget the chocolate thing. He LOVES chocolate - picture Christmas, an entire Whack-em Chocolate Orange missing, chocolate and kibble on the breath and me Googling 'induced vomiting'... not pretty.

All that said, though, I still maintain that my Fox Terrier is significantly less trouble than a teenager. And waaaay cuter than a lot of babies....