Porche-Dog Update

I should have said Destructo Dog the Second. When Mari came to live with us, she earned that designation with her penchant for chewing things. Porche is no slouch in that department, either.

And I will get back to that in a minute. Let me remind you that Porche came to live with us after Colten witnessed her unfortunate encounter with a vehicle that left her with a broken leg (“Colten Brings Home Another Dog,” January 9, 2013) and us with a hefty vet bill.

Seven weeks and six casts later, she was healed and almost as good as new. When she gets too tired or has run hard, she gives to that leg just a little, and probably always will. But I assure you it has not slowed her down.

She has methodically removed and chewed all pieces of wood, bones, antlers, and ceramic trinkets I painstakingly arranged for artistic effect in dish gardens, She rearranges and demolishes  pieces of wood, anthers, and skulls that I used for hardscape decorations in the outside cactus garden. And she digs holes the size of bar ditches when pursuing gophers, or just because it looks like a good place to dig.

But she is a sweet, ingratiating little dog who is hard to stay mad at. I shouldn’t say little, however, as she has gained 12 pounds and several inches in height since coming to live with us. We were told she was a pit bull/Lab cross, and I guess the Lab part is beginning to show in terms of her size. She can cover ground like a greyhound and reminds me of a thoroughbred horse as she trots about the pasture.

She is also a bit spoiled, spending more time on the sofa and our bed than the floor. But she is good about retiring to her kennel for the night, as does Mari. I suspect part of that is knowing she will get a treat when she goes into the kennel.

The only downside to her being a part of the family is Mari’s jealously of her where I am concerned. And I am afraid Porche has caused more wear and tear on Mari’s one back leg than is good, but Mari’s leg could be showing the effects of general use and strain from being three-legged. We will never know, but Mari gets extra special attention to make up for it.

So Porche has become a valued member of the family. Even if she has wreaked havoc on the yard. With time that behavior should wane. At least that’s what I’m counting on!

But I think we will keep her.