Roody Joins the Ranch

One of the many joys of having McNab dogs is their nurturing, protective nature. Whether they're licking the face of a newborn calf or crawling onto their owner with concern because of a cough or sneeze, they're attuned to the well-being of their family members.  Today I celebrate that tendency as once again our McNabs help us through a challenging time.

Yankee Doodle Roody

Recently my mother - 88 years old and challenged by ill health and disability - made the difficult decision to no longer live independently. I opted to bring her geriatric, corpulent - nay, obese - Dachshund, Roody, to live with us on the ranch. After my father's death, we bought Roody to keep Mom company. I ordered him from a rancher friend in Oklahoma, a horse-hauler, who brought tiny, wiggly six-week old Roody all the way to Arizona in the cab of his semi. Despite having been born on a ranch and of working ranch Dachshunds, Roody has never been around livestock since. To my knowledge, he has never seen a cat up close.  At Mom's house, squirrels sent him into a frenzy of yappage.

Despite my trepidations, Roody has fit in beautifully. Now on his third day of ranch life, he has already gotten into the routine of doing chores such as feeding, cleaning stalls, and collecting eggs. Now, Roody has been a bit spoiled throughout his life, deeply loved and rarely told "no." He is a bit .... barky. Incessantly barky, really. Barky when he wants a treat, or attention, or just to be heard. I dreaded Roody's bark: our dogs are exuberant and rowdy as they prepare to do chores or greet visitors, but quiet otherwise. I was concerned Roody would bring his barky nature to our home and disrupt the quietude I cherish. When I texted my brother that I was bringing Roody home with me, I wrote, "I'll keep Roody," and he replied, "You're a saint for taking the hound." Yesterday, I updated him:  "I'm on my way home with Roody. Pray for me." He wrote back, "I love you." Roody has something of a reputation.

Roody returns from feeding the cows

To my surprise, Roody has let out nary the random bark since his arrival. He has not barked for treats. He has not barked at the cats. He has not barked in play. He did not bark at horses or cows. He barked briefly at the ducks, but otherwise he has been a quiet, happy, busy dog.

Molly invites Roody to romp

Best of all, the McNabs Molly and Earl have welcomed him generously. Our Papillon-in-chief, Mattie-Kate, already knew Roody well from visiting Mom, as did Earl. Molly, though, immediately greeted him gently when they met. She checked on him constantly during his first couple of times doing the morning chores - making sure she'd run back and touch his nose as he struggled to keep up, short legs churning, lumpy long body bouncing. As she grew more confident in him, she tried to entice him in a game this morning but Roody was too breathless to exert any further.

Earl and Roody

As for Earl, he is a quieter sort. During morning coffee on the porch he lay beside Roody in silent communion. He has accepted Roody pragmatically, with no fanfare. He is a good boy.

Roody rolling in Stinky Things

Roody weighed in at a whopping 2l.6 pounds on his arrival two nights ago. I expect him to slim down quickly thanks to the chore routine. Just feeding hay - not counting stall-cleaning, grain feeding, or other care - is over half a mile of walking, and Roody stays right with the pack as we made the rounds. For the first time in his life, Roody learned the joy of Rolling in Stinky Things. (One of Earl's favorite activities, that: in fact, one of Earl's many terms of endearment is "Poo-hound.")

Tuckered out Roody

He came in exhausted but happy, tongue dragging almost as low as his belly, and I gave him a healthy, low-calorie dried cod stick to gnaw on. Although he still runs to my car each time we go out, looking for Mom, he should soon blossom as he adapts to his new life and healthy routine.

Molly, happy to have another creature to tend

As for the McNabs, they're thrilled to have someone new to watch over and tend.












If you're looking for cod twists for your own weight-challenged pup, here's a link (affiliate):
 Healthy Cod Twists


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