Before I left to take Brynn to WSU's veterinary teaching hospital last week, we received an email from an employee at the Josephine County animal control shelter in Grants Pass, Oregon. The shelter had taken in a blind and deaf stray dog they thought was a Dachshund/Beagle mix. No one had come to claim him, and no one was interested in adopting him. The employee, Kelly G., asked "if you guys could help out, because of limited space we cannot keep him here."
Our first thought on hearing "Dachshund/Beagle mix" was ... Widget! Could there be another one out there?
It was Thursday morning, when I was bathing Brynn before loading her in the horse trailer, that we connected with Kelly on the phone to find out more about the dog and to discuss logistics. Since I was heading to Pullman, I would be already 5 or 6 hours closer to Oregon. Could the shelter find someone to meet me in Portland or even Bend on Friday? Kelly set off to try and find a volunteer who could transport the little dog.
A few hours later, while I was en route to Pullman, I noticed on my BlackBerry that Kelly had emailed us photos of the dog. I can't open attachments on my BlackBerry, so I called Alayne to have her check the email on my office computer. She opened the photos and said, "Well ... that's NO Widget! But he's cute, I just have no idea what he is!"
By Thursday evening Kelly hadn't found anyone yet who could pick up the dog and meet us somewhere. On Friday morning, I still hadn't heard anything. So I checked out of the hotel in Pullman and drove back to the veterinary teaching hospital to get the horse trailer and hit the road for Montana. It was just before 9 a.m. as I was reaching the university when my cell phone rang. It was a volunteer for the animal control shelter, Barbara D., who had just learned a few minutes before about the need to transport the dog. Yes, she could meet me in Bend. "Today?," I asked. "You bet," she said.
We worked out our coordinates, determined the relative driving times for each of us to Bend, and I turned the truck around and headed for Oregon.
Several hours later, about 5:30 p.m., I met Barbara and her husband Ron at the PetsMart in Bend. Incredibly, we had arrived within 5 minutes of each other. They are a wonderful, delightful couple who had dropped what they were doing that day to make this trip.
And there he was in the back of their car, the little dog the shelter had named Mr. Bumps because he was always walking into things.
I took one look at him and realized that I couldn't figure out what he was either... yes on the Dachshund part (maybe ... or Corgi?) but what else? No Beagle, I thought. But while his breed mix may be a guess, I did know one thing for sure about him: Here was another member of the short-leg club!
With another 8-hour drive still ahead for Shorty and me, we climbed back in the truck and drove north to Pullman. I finally pulled into the hotel parking lot at 1:30 a.m., dead tired and grateful I had my Jimmy Buffett CD for the last hour of the trip! (Okay, so that would have been a terrific line if only I could have said instead, "dead tired and grateful I had had my Grateful Dead CD for the last hour....")
I digress.
On Saturday morning I piled Shorty back in the truck and went to the teaching hospital to get the horse trailer. After another long day on the road, we arrived at the ranch about 6 p.m. yesterday evening.
I took the photo of Alayne holding this lovable youngster late this afternoon, along with the other photos of him in our isolation yard. He is brimming with self-confidence, adores attention, and likes nothing more than to be picked up and held in our arms. He is totally blind and deaf, just like Spinner. He seems very puppy-ish still, and has a soft, Lab-like mouth. (Dachsund/Brittany spaniel?)
And no, we are not going to name him Shorty, but I wasn't going to call him Mr. Bumps, either. So let's have a "name this dog" contest! Please post your suggestions for a new name in the comment section. If we select your proposed name, we'll send you a custom Rolling Dog Ranch hat or a set of our greeting cards (your choice). But along with the name, you also need to tell us what you think his breed mix is, okay?
(Click on photos for larger image.)
It looks as if the Good Lord took the tip of a paintbrush and dotted his little mouth and then added some color to his hind side as he was heading off to tip-toe through some grass looking for something to discover. So I think that Tippy is a fitting name for this sweet little guy! I also think Heinz or Sir Heinz is cute because he is definately a heinz 57 breed. Also the little dot on his lip reminded me of a gustaupo mustache from the 30's era. The rust colored spots with the white remind me of a Brittney and so it's possible that he is Brittney with some Beagle and Daschund. Whatever he is and whatever his name will be, he is blessed to be part of the RDR family now and I am sure he and Widget will be fast friends! Thanks for all you do!
Posted by: Lynn | July 02, 2007 at 11:15 AM
What a handsome boy he is! I also thought of the name "Jimmy" for Jimmy Buffet, but see that has already been suggested. How about Charlie? I of course think that is a fantastic dog name since that is the name of my dog. :) I also like the names Rudy and Tucker.
Big hugs to you all and thanks for all you do for our furry friends!
Posted by: KCBORRS | July 02, 2007 at 10:59 AM
What about Tracker? He certainly looks like he's a scout. I think there is definitely brittany spaniel in him, maybe mixed with beagle? Jeez, he's really really hard to figure out what he is! I do know one thing, he's adorable!
Posted by: jen | July 02, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Hi, what a great guy!!! He looks maybe like he has LEMON WHITE BEAGLE/BRITTNEY/DACHSHUND???
Names: Laser
Lemon (not that he is sour, he is anything but...)
Posted by: Angela | July 02, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Steve - That is an amazing trip to help out the puppy. He's a lucky pup indeed. No idea on the breed but pretty sure he has the luck of the irish to have found Rolling Dog Ranch!!!
Posted by: kimmer | July 02, 2007 at 10:28 AM
I'd say primarily Boxer - especially with the white blind/deaf combination. I think there's a good amount of beagle in there too, and Spaniel quite possibly too, especially if he's soft.
My name vote is Goya, the famous Spanish painter who was also deaf.
Posted by: Morgan Skilling | July 02, 2007 at 10:19 AM
What a lucky and happy boy he is!
The last photo, especially, makes me think he's a Dachund & Brittany Spaniel mix, just as you said.
When I first saw him, these are the names that came to mind:
Bogart
Bojangles (Bo for short)
Hunter
Herbie
Skippy
Hope y'all like one of these too; I'm a bit partial to Bogart and Hunter.
Posted by: Boundforglory | July 02, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Curley (for the tail) certainly comes to mind!
Posted by: Joyce | July 02, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Wow, what a pretty boy! Definitely looks life a sport breed in there, You know the English beagle is taller and broader than the American cousin. Those ears look like lab. How about Skylar!!!!
Posted by: Linda Lee Balkin | July 02, 2007 at 09:15 AM
WOW quite a trip...he looks adorable and very bright and loving. I think he may have some bird dog in his family history -which looks to be totally American with dashes of Lab and Corgi- in that last picture he seems to be stalking something like a bird dog would.
I'd suggest Little Bit as a name possibility....because he is a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Posted by: Mary Ware | July 02, 2007 at 08:44 AM
A big, warm welcome to "Shorty"!
He looks so sweet, I believe "Muffin" could be an appropriate name for him (or is it too feminine?).
Possible mix: Dachshund/Pointer?
Give him a BIG hug for me, will you please?:-)
Carla in Italy
Posted by: Carla Polastro-Nigro | July 02, 2007 at 08:23 AM
A big, warm welcome to "Shorty"!
He looks so sweet, I believe "Muffin" could be an appropriate name for him (or is it too feminine?).
Possible mix: Dachshund/Pointer?
Give him a BIG hug for me, will you please?:-)
Carla in Italy
Posted by: Carla Polastro-Nigro | July 02, 2007 at 08:22 AM
Hi Steve! the new puppy is adorable.. and I'd agree your guess- some kind of Dachshund/ Spanial Cross! I'd like to suggest "Jimmy" for his name! In honor of Jimmy Buffet, of course! Ya'll are an amazing couple, and so inspirational! Take care!
Luzie
Posted by: Luzie Benavides | July 02, 2007 at 05:59 AM
Hi Steve and Alayne,
Well as your new arrival is deaf and blind, I thought he might be using his nose a fair bit thru his life with you.
So some suggestions for a new name came from that.
Scout? Tracer? Nosy Parker (Parker for short!) and my last thought was Ollie. Short for Olfactory.
Good luck with him, he looks like a great little dog.
best regards
Kae Norman
Rescued With Love. (Australia)
PS. I check your site daily!
Posted by: Kae | July 02, 2007 at 04:29 AM
Well this little guy is blind and deaf and seems to have a mighty spirit. Since he is a boy you couldn't call him Helen, but you could call him Keller. It's very nearly 40 years since she died and she did so much for disabled people's rights.
Posted by: Anne | July 02, 2007 at 01:51 AM
We have decided on the name "Rogue" since he comes from Southern Oregon where the Rogue River is long, rising and the heart of the region!! Jury still out on breed. I'll get some good suggestions on a name and breed mix from a few of my dog aficionado friends.
Posted by: Shirley & James | July 02, 2007 at 01:31 AM
Well, that little guy is sure cute! My name for him would be "Hunter" as he looks in the second photo that he is hunting something. Can a blind and deaf dog hunt? I don't know much about dogs as I am owned by three cats from The King County Animal Shelter in Kent, WA. As always, thanks a million to you and Alayne and the RDR for your unending love and devotion to all these wonderful creatures!!! Hoping to come out for a visit during open house in September!
Posted by: Carolyn Kupferschmid | July 02, 2007 at 01:14 AM
i think he is a doxie-pointer mix.
(he appears to be 'pointing' in that last photo.) so, since he is blind and deaf "hunting dog" (oops, that's almost funny...) you could call him "Radar."
Posted by: Darla Magee | July 02, 2007 at 12:20 AM
he's a tough one to name...and to identify breedwise!!! but what a cutie! he does look like there is some lab in there somewhere.
jimmy??? bc he made it to the ranch with a little help from jimmy buffett!!
:)
Posted by: maggie | July 02, 2007 at 12:11 AM
He looks very much like our Beagle, Bailey.
That is a very cute dog. Thank you for that exhausting rescue. Bless you.
Posted by: Bruce Small | July 02, 2007 at 12:05 AM