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The Story
of Napoleon
Several months ago I received an email from a man who
had adopted a TT from an animal shelter. He showed so
much excitement and enthusiasm for our breed that I
asked him to share his story of the little guy they
adopted. It seems to me that because our breed is often
labeled as a different breed by animal shelter workers
that some how these beautiful TTs sometimes end up in
homes that are not even familiar with our breed! I am
happy that those people often contact me after seeing
the Tribune.
Here is the story of Napoleon….
A
year ago my daughter Rebecca, 16 then, and a year after
losing our malamute/Shepard wanted a small dog as did my
wife Christina. I finally agreed when she found on a
small dog rescue website this adorable little dark fur
ball, three months old. The hosts of this rescue site
suspected, (as it had arrived via the pound) that he was
a Pomeranian mix and a pom is what she was looking for.
Well, after a phone interview in which I happen to
mention that I had rehabbed a lot of wildlife in my day
and had a good sized house and yard we won out over
three hundred applicants for this little cutie.
Didn’t take long to discover why that rehab might have
meant something to them in their picky placement of this
little guy whom Rebecca named Napoleon, (we didn’t know
he was a TT). Turned out he'd been left alone from
around two months old while his first host's went to
work and thus developed this temper problem and was not
housebroken and ended up being given to the pound whom
apparently had been told by the donors that they'd paid
a large sum of money for the puppy. Didn’t make sense to
me that anyone would put out that for a mix breed and so
I dismissed it.
Well, after a month of 24/7 love and cradling with two
fingers holding down that tiny little chest until
vicious turned to whimper, (albeit a growl was heard
when released) soon kept him in that generally loving
nature he was so predisposed to. Not to say I managed or
ever wanted to break that independent spirit of his, he
still is an ornery little cuss if I attempt to move when
he's sacked out on my legs.
Like the cute little French girl at the bakery
exclaimed one day after having known him awhile, when he
had himself tugging at his leash under the counter for a
treat, ( Cambria, Calif. is very much a dog town), "He's
not like a dog...he's like a.......little creature."
Yes, he is I thought; that pretty much described my
thoughts about what I'd been observing with total
amazement as I'd studied him night after night. That
keenly aware stare and remarkable intelligence, loving
to everyone and the most interactive dog I've ever seen;
leaps to great heights, attempts puppy land speed
records around the large L-shaped couch. Crazy dog we
call out as he glances over on the way by, which causes
him to dig in that much harder as he zooms off with
streamlined fur a-trailing.
Smart, knows the names of all his toys and gladly
produces the one requested in your lap, (after tiring of
having ones hands mauled).
Even
gets his own brush, but more often than not gives you a
hard time about using it on him, but he's game none the
less. Beggar, wow can this guy put those teddy bear paws
to work. And work it does every time for attention.
Here's how really strange he is---he smiles at people.
Seriously, I'm constantly being informed that my "dog"
is smiling at them, go figure?
After seven months of watching him grow and learning
all his traits I was informed by two separate people
that he was indeed a Tibetan terrier and was shocked to
read all about the breed on the internet. What a little
character Napoleon is, seemingly so wise and playful.
Not a day goes by that I don’t smile on account of
something he might do. How lucky are we to be able to
share our lives with him. His coat lightened extensively
over the year and my daughter claims that I stole him
from her, hah!
Steven Kensrue
www.stevenkensrue.com
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