#1-Roscoe

Blog world meet Roscoe our #1 dog. Now, he's not #1 because we love him more than the others, he's #1 because he's the oldest. Rescued to be a friend for the first #1 Bull Henry. Bull Henry was lonely while My John and I were away and working, so we began the search for a friend. The newspaper ad said "Free Great Dane to a good home." He was delivered in an Escalade, and I remember opening the back hatch, and seeing him for the first time. Since Bull Henry was a 140 pounder at that time, we knew we needed a big boy to be compatible, but oh my goodness we were awfully surprised at how big he was. So, he became our #2. He filled the role of buddy to Bull, and worked his way right into our hearts. The lady who brought him told us his original owner had joined the military, and was going to be away a lot, and that he had been living with her and her 5 little dogs, but she felt he needed more attention, and wasn't much experienced with big boys, so she had been searching for him a home. As with most rescues, they tell potential rescuers only the "good" parts. We eventually learned the probable reason he was adopted out, was well, he's a Houdini of sorts. Literally, the smartest 4 pawed escape artist we have ever experienced. This one can turn the door handle and set off on adventure any time he chooses. He loves to go on an excursion, and it wasn't to the last 2 years, that My John finally built enough fence, and latches on the outside to keep his roaming to the bare minimum. We always questioned the Great Dane. We knew it wasn't quite right. The veterinarian finally nailed it once when he broke his toe on an escape run, and told us he was a Catahoula Leopard Hound, and one of the most beautiful ones he had ever seen. After research we found he had hit it right on the nose. There are two types of Catahoulas, Catahoula Currs, and Catahoula Leopard Hounds, thus the spots like Roscoe's. A normal gate latch for Roscoe is a joke. Remember the five little dogs that he originally lived with? Well he has forgotten them either, so when Houdini escapes, not only does he run the neighborhood, but he also goes around and um, well um, he sets free all the little dogs in the neighborhood by nosing the latch up, pushing the gate open, and then he and little dogs start a doggy train around the neighborhood. Try figuring out which dog goes in what gate before the owner finds out they're gone.

Roscoe can also smile, see up there in the first picture. Also when I post the Katrina story in the future, you will never guess who ran away in 120 mph winds, and Daddy had to dodge metal roofing and chase him with the truck, smack dab in the middle of the hurricane. Our best guess is that he's around 7 years old, but he's still healthy as an ox, and can still out run any Greyhound you care to pair against him. When Bull Henry passed away, in 2005 he slid from #2 to #1, and we added a friend for him, to fill his empty buddy role.

Come back for the next post, and your gonna meet Mamma's Ninny Baby! See you then!

Love,

The Bumpkin