The Story of Savannah - unloved - Andersonville Blues

Apparently, the line in the Waterboy is correct..."You see son, you lack the social skills...that's why no one loves you, 'cept your momma."
Apparently that is the same vibe I am getting when it comes to my little Pekinese Dog named Savannah, or as I like to call him, "Saint" Savannah.  Seems that although Savannah may lack some social skills, he is loved by me - his daddy.  And I think it ends there.

Bath day is rough

First, let's be straight, Savannah is the coolest dog ever.  Like the picture above clearly shows.  When ya gotta go - ya gotta go - and he does.  Quite frequently in places where he shouldn't go.  But look, is this not the perfect place to baptize the lawn of a brand new house?  And now - the poor little guy can't find his bone so he is sitting at the edge of the bed - AND IT'S ONLY MIDNIGHT - and barking.  He will not stop barking until someone gets up and gets him his bone.  

Blessing Day

That means in the corporate world he would be a Lion of business because when he wants something he is going to get it and won't quit till he does.  So how is that bad?

We did have him blessed by the way.  The picture of him with the blue scarf is his blessing day picture.  (Some people say the blessing didn't take).

Andersonville - 1864

So where did this bundle of joy come from?  We were living at Fort Benning, GA and decided to take a trip over to Andersonville for a parade they were having.  (ADHD Moment coming)  Andersonville is the site of the notorious Civil War prison camp the Rebels of the South built.  They built the prison camp on a wide open field, 26+ acres, no shade, meant for around 5,000 Northern Prisoners it held up to 32,000 at one time in August of 1864.  In just 14 months 14,000 Men of the Grand Army of the Republic died.  Wonder where their water came from?  A stream ran through the lower end of the camp - problem was that also served as the latrine.  32,000 men?  A running stream?  And to top it off, UPSTREAM from the water was where the rebels corralled their horses.  So guess where the horse dung is going?  Right...prisoners used to say that if you wanted to live through Andersonville you should never go near that stream.  http://www.nps.gov/ande/index.htm.  Ditto for me on that one.  There's a huge cemetery there now and the National POW Museum also.  (Back to Reality - Squirrel is gone)

After the neutering

So after the parade we're walking around and darned if there is a lady with some puppies in cages in the park where they were also selling food.  I see these two little guys in a cage on the ground and go over to check them out.  One really little one sees me and gets on his hind legs and licks my hand like he just found his new master (he did).  But we already have a pup named Noel who really is a Saint.  So what to do?  Nothing - I had to be realistic.  But the obvious forlorn in my eyes must have gotten to the blessed lady because she put the call in and believe it or not found him - we didn't know the people - just some random calling.  So where was the boy?  Americus, GA.  Whole different city but we call, get directions and that next Saturday after Breakfast at Sloppy's downtown Diner where they have the best fried potatoes ever - we go to the address given and of all places it's a gas station.  But there in the back is my boy.  He remembered me of course.  (I have that way with all the animal world).

Gender issues at the RV Park in Maryland

The tongue is always present

 We pay  the money and the lady says, "by the way, he's a pedigree Pekinese."  Shazzam!!!  My boy has papers!  I had no idea but knew there was greatness in him.  We get him in the car and he's the happiest thing ever.
He does have gender issues since we named him Savannah.  I couldn't think of anything to name him except maybe Charlemagne, Napoleon or maybe Prince William owing to his pedigreed background.  We end up naming HIM Savannah because we had just paid a visit to Savannah, Georgia and had a good time - did NOT eat at Paula Deen's although I did get a picture of the place.

In the "Zone"  

The Pekingese has a colorful past full of superstition and folklore. Legend has it that the little dog was born to a lion and a marmoset. The Chinese believed that the breed was an earthly manifestation of mythical Foo Dog that drove away evil spirits. The Foo dogs that were around during that time resembled miniature lions, which was a religious symbol of Buddhism. The breeding of these “lion dogs” was a principal concern, and the resulting dogs were treated as royalty and continually pampered. They even had their own servants. The Emperor’s dogs were sacrificed and buried with him to join him in the afterlife. The Pekingese were so treasured by the royalty that punishment for stealing one was death.  In 1860, the breed finally made its way out of the palace, although even today it retains its need to be pampered.  This feisty little dog is independent and courageous – sometimes getting in over its head. It is opinionated and stubborn. The Pekingese will readily get into power struggles with its owner. It has even been known to stop eating as a way to show authority over its owner. It can also be difficult to housebreak. The Pekingese is devoted towards its family although it may not outwardly display affection. It does not like to be disturbed while sleeping.  The Pekingese is wary of strangers and tends to bark, making it a great watchdog.  That's my boy...