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August 17, 2015

A Dog Becomes A Dog

There’s a so-bad-it’s-good early 90’s movie called Encino Man. It’s about a caveman living in modernity. The well intentioned cave man is of course ignorant of all social customs and he struggles to fit in. This weekend we hosted Doc, my brother’s 8ish-year-old pointer rescue, and it felt like we were filming
There’s a so-bad-it’s-good early 90’s movie called Encino Man. It’s about a caveman living in modernity. The well intentioned cave man is of course ignorant of all social customs and he struggles to fit in.

This weekend we hosted Doc, my brother’s 8ish-year-old pointer rescue, and it felt like we were filming a movie called Encino Dog.

We don’t know much about Doc’s history, but we do know Doc unfortunately had no socialization or training

Now, there’s no doubt Doc is a dog. However, he still needs plenty of help learning how to be a dog. This weekend’s sleepover provided Doc with the perfect opportunity to brush up on his burgeoning skills as a born-again pup.

Doc slept right alongside his cousins, and Emily and I were happy to tip-toe between pups in order to accommodate our guest

Doc doesn’t have much experience with novel environments so our apartment was a bonanza of new sights, smells and experiences. Throughout the weekend I’d find him marveling at some new piece of furniture or causing some hilarious puppy-esque mischief.

At one point I found Doc in the tub, taste testing our soap

Just about everything is new to Doc so I often found him lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do next. This was doubly true when it came to interacting with Eko and Penny. Playing with other dogs is still something Doc’s working on.

“So, you’re saying they do this for fun?”

Penny, shy as ever, decided to test Doc’s mettle 

“Okay, now I jump on her and bark? Got it.”

I think Doc is going to be just fine!

Doc may not quite understand the way of the pup-world, but his heart is certainly in the right place. And my heart? Well my heart melted every time Doc jumped on my lap, nuzzling closer for affection.

I think he’s making up for lost time

The best part of the weekend was undoubtedly my brother’s return. Doc practically jumped into his arms with joy. This was James’s first time away from Doc, so my brother was so happy to see Doc so happy.

Doc may have a lot to learn about being a dog, but he knows his loving home is with James. The rest is just details!

Comments for A Dog Becomes A Dog

  1. I think Doc has come to the right place! That photo of Eko & Penny bitey-facing with Doc looking bewildered is the best!

  2. meANXIETYme says:

    This was an awesome post. I love how Doc is learning all kinds of new fun things from Eko and Penny. And I love that he has such a wonderful owner and extended family to teach him all about the joys of being a well-loved and happy dog. 🙂
    This post (and all the great pictures) made me happy. Thanks for that!

  3. Emmadog says:

    It is sad he didn’t have the best life the first years, but now with his new home, he not only has a new home, he has a whole new world to discover and figure out. He is one lucky pup!

  4. Bravo Doc, that was a good start :o) You ate soap? my mom did that too as she was a puppy and scared her granny to death with her foaming mouth :o)

  5. Neeta says:

    Thanks Wil, as always a wonderful read. I look forward to all your posts/pictures every week. We lost our rrmix 2 yrs ago and havent found the right fit with another pup since. It will come one day….and in the meantime,
    We have lots of “Pennylike love and antics” in our extended family. My cousin and his partner adopted Rufaro who he swears is Penny’s double. And our Pino was more like Eko. A wonderful blend of kindness, warmth, and friendly wrapped up with wisdom and a gentleness of an old soul. We miss him dearly. Whenever we need a fix…we look to Eko. And ofcourse Penny keeps us entertained just like our rufie dufie.
    Thanks!!
    Until next week.

  6. PigLove says:

    So very cute!! You are right – he fit right in with the others. Love his markings! XOXO – Bacon

  7. Kismet says:

    If you want a really bad movie that’s funny, find “The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”. Spoiler alert: the theme song is an ear worm.

  8. Doc is one lucky boy to have such a wonderful family to teach him all the things he has missed out on. I’m so glad he found James. My daughter met a man who rescued a puppy mill lab, who had never seen water before outside her water bowl. Her first experience was Lake Tahoe. It took a very short time before she was jumping in. Brings goosebumps at the thought. Doc will be jumping into the RR fray before long.

  9. Marcela says:

    Doc is very handsome. They are all so cute. Years ago, Alex helped Bailey, a rescue dog boarding with us, learn how to play. Unbelievable, but Bailey did not know how to play. There are things that only a dog can teach another one so I am really happy that Eko and Penny taught Doc how to be a dog and enjoy it:-)

  10. Abbie says:

    Although I’m not generally a pointer fan, Doc is adorable! Those eyes…melting my heart through the screen! 😀

  11. fredrieka says:

    momwithoutpaws says she lives with a caveman, I am not sure if I met him but sounds interesting, wonder what he would smell like if I sniff him, Momwithoutpaws said, beer farts.

  12. coastingnz says:

    Doc, Doc, Doc – absolutely gorgeous. Brilliant photos capturing the antics and the wonderment. Love your blogs and following the adventures of Eko and Penny but Doc certainly takes a special place in my heart having GSPs ourselves 🙂 Thanks to James for finding him and loving him and to you all too of course.

  13. Wendy says:

    Loved Doc’s expressions in your photos! He just looks so politely uncertain of the accepted behaviour.

    The bath / soap chewing incident reminded me of this little song from my childhood:

    I had a little dog, his name was Tibby Tim,
    I put him in the bath to see if he could swim,
    He drank up all the water, He ate up all the soap,
    I took him to the doctor but the doctor said, “No hope!”

    Which could seem a bit grim except, of course, in Doc’s case he does have hope. He must have felt like the luckiest dog in the world when James came back to him.

  14. Cupcake says:

    OMG! Doc’s face! What a trooper!

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

  15. Love this post! Doc in the tub going after the soap + his face while Eko and Penny wrestle- SOOOOO funny!

  16. kimberlygauthier says:

    This is adorable. This weekend we took Scout and Zoey to my friends house to interact with their 6 dogs and 3 puppies. We have 4 dogs and it’s easy to think that our dogs don’t need socialization (they have each other), but I’ve learned better over the years.

    It was a little rocky at first as the dogs got used to being bum rushed and sniffed, but by the end of the time we were there, they were playing and having a great time. We’ll be going back soon.

  17. you are so right! The most important thing is that Doc knows that he is loved and is safe and secure and he sure seems to know that!

  18. harrispen says:

    Spending time with Eko and Penny is like a crash course in doggie play. Glad to hear Doc did so well. We hope he wasn’t blowing bubbles after licking the soap! hahaha

  19. Mango’s like Doc, learning how to dog (omg am I rhyming HAHA). Took him about 2 years now, before he started to engage more with other dogs. Baby steps! <3

  20. If only Penny wasn’t so shy…ha!
    Lucky Doc – he has some good teachers.

  21. what a great stay with Doc, he was playing so nice.

  22. Ogee says:

    What a beautiful, soulful face. If only they could tell us their stories. Thanks to James et al for loving him so well.

  23. Mom LOVES that movie…speaks volumes regarding her taste. We want to know if Doc enjoyed the GRINDAGE at your place?? Get it? GRINDAGE? Yes, we’ve watched the movie with mom…several times.
    Wally & Sammy

  24. LifeLoofah says:

    The picture of Doc just sitting there while the other two pups play says it all! Adorable!

  25. Ha ha! You are a great writer! Fantastic pictures and text! 😀

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