February 22, 2010 - Gretchen

Wow, back to blogging. It hardly seems like I was gone! Anyway...onto Gretchen. So there we were with my three dogs, Wrigley, Harry and Dawson (this was pre-Charlie, Tucker and Barney) and my friend Jeanne called and asked if we could foster her aunt Connie's dog because health concerns had landed her in a nursing home. Jenni (my roommate) had been kicking around the idea of getting a small dog so we figured this would be a good trial run. So I drove over to Portage and was handed this chunky little weiner dog, a kennel and a food bowl. I was told by Jeanne's cousin that the dog's name was Gretchen and not much else. I knew right off the bat that Gretchen had some issues. She was timid and seemed afraid of her own shadow. But we took her home and she quickly adjusted to us and slowly adjusted to the cats. (She still doesn't like them, but she does tolerate them.) About 2 weeks after we began fostering Gretchen, I got a phone call from Jeanne. The conversation went something like this: "Hey! How are you? How is it going with Gretchen?" "Great thanks! How are you? Gretchen is great. We just love having her around." "Good! Because my aunt Connie died and Gretchen needs a home!" So from that point on, we have had the neurotic weiner dog.

At one point in her life, Gretchen was a trucking dog so she LIVES to travel. In fact, I took her to North Carolina with me to get Barney last August. I thought she would keep me company but she slept most of the way. I have many funny pictures of her in various positions in the front seat. Once she knows you, she is the most affectionate little dog on the planet. But one sudden movement and she runs away, screaming. Sadly, I think the person who had her as a puppy before Jeanne's aunt adopted her, was abusive. But, she is safe and loved now and will be for the rest of her life. Her favorite person is my brother Robbie who buys her hot dogs every time we go to Kwik Trip (a.k.a. the Hot Dog Store). She just worships Uncle Robbie and he enjoys babysitting her once in awhile to give her a break from the other dogs.

So that is my Gretchie...my neurotic weiner dog...my dachalina...one of the great loves of my life. Tomorrow I shall tell you about my favorite beagle, Charlie.

Have a blessed day and thanks for reading.