Happy Endings for Baxter
Baxter has decided that his new home is just “r-exellent,” in
Scooby Doo speak, and he is staying forever! His new digs include two
canine sisters that find him sort of annoying most of the time due to
his rejuvenated puppyhood.
The eldest sister is an older Border collie named Molly, who confounds Baxter with her psychotic herding instinct and cow dog stare. The younger of the two is Dice, the “Dingbat Dingo,” an English Springer mix who plays with him when she thinks no one is watching. They wrestle on and on in the yard, and if Baxter gets too rough Dice lets him know it!
Baxter is a very affectionate fellow and loves everyone he’s met.
His desire for attention and shoe insoles is wearing, but mainly
appreciated. Our new companion also has a long stubborn streak, but
we’ve found that letting him think an idea is his instead of 
ours
works quite nicely. Baxter does just about anything for treats, so this
is another way to keep him mindful of proper behavior.
Each morning we trek (speed walking with ski poles) for about 4 miles with the dogs. Baxter is learning he must stay with the pack on the trek and that chasing of rabbits, foxes, antelope and other wildlife is absolutely prohibited. Of course easier said than done! We have to leash him if wildlife is near as he can’t be trusted completely, yet. However, we continue to work with Baxter each morning so he can be off-leash as much as possible during the morning “romp” and his progress for just over a week is impressive.
Details of Baxter’s first ten months of life are quite sketchy, but if he could talk he would likely tell us things were pretty “ruff,” to say the least…But, now he is happy, loving and loved, despite whatever beginnings he endured. We know Baxter is very thankful and appreciative of his new household and home.
Be that as it may, he can’t possibly understand how extremely grateful we are to have such a sweet, loving, and yes, unruly boy to fill the void left when we lost our male German shepherd, Louie, to bone cancer in late Winter. Whoever coined the phrase “happy endings only happen in movies” is just flat full of “r-hooey!”
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