Rascal Edition

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We got Rascal about a month before setting out. He came from a friend of a coworker of Jessica's, who runs a rescue service. She had another dog that Rascal was likely to have a personality clash with, so she was looking intently for a home for one of them. Hearing that we were about to take off on a road trip, and were looking for a dog to take with us, she offered Rascal.

As it turns out, he's a great traveler. He props his paws up on my passenger seat from the seat behind and leans out toward the open window, his nose working overtime. He goes into the back and curls up on the bed there, napping and peering up front to check that we're okay. Sometimes he comes up into the driving area and hops up into my lap. (He tries hopping into Jessie's lap, too, but is quickly shoved off. He's not a useful driving accessory!)

He loves going to beach and chasing sandhoppers. He goes out to sniff at the retreating breakers, and then comes bouncing back away from them when they curl back up the beach. He really loves snow, and he romps and rolls all over it. He stops to chew on little chunks of it, or to try to pull out a buried branch.

If he sees a squirrel or a chipmunk, his attention is instantly riveted. He strains against the leash, desiring to chase them. He runs after flies, moths, and butterflies too, running in crazy circles trying to follow their darting flight paths. If he sees a large animal, he stares at it, then growls really low under his breath, like he's trying not to attract its attention but can't stop himself from making noise.

He chased our cat at home, so we've kept him from tabbies on this trip. (Incidentally, my dad reports that after we left, the cat reclaimed all his territory by spraying, something he hasn't done since he was an obnoxious teen.) He likes to play with other dogs, but sometimes he scares the timid ones with his hyperness, and sometimes he growls at dogs that are a lot larger than him.

His coat is really soft naturally, but when it's cold out, it begins to feel like eiderdown. Cuddling him when it's chilly is really pleasant. When it's really hot out, his fur is coarser, and the insides of his ear turn bright pink.

He will eat almost anything. Our other dogs are pretty much carnivores only, but Rascal will happily devour carrot peelings, cucumbers, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, bread, pancakes, pasta, apples, strawberries, bananas, top ramen, oatmeal, and pudding.

People love him. When we walk down the trail or sidewalk, passerby smile at him. Kids and adults stop to pet him. He licks their fingers, or their kneecaps (which are right at head height for him.) Everyone says "What a cute dog!" or the ever-popular "What breed is he?", to which we have to respond that we don't know. Suggestions include corgi, terrier, spaniel, golden retriever, and duck hound.

He likes to chew on toes. If I am sitting down barefoot, he comes over, lies down next to me, and begins gently nibbling on my feet. He also nibbles fingers when he is feeling playful, so one of his favorite games is getting up on my bed or his chair, and have us dangle our hands in front of his face, then jerk them away when he tries to grab hold.

He really loves his leash, and when we pick it up, his ears perk up, he smiles, and his little tail starts to wag. If we take too long getting it on, he may start whining, or uttering tiny "hurry up!" yawps. When he's out on his long lead in front of the motor home, and he's bored, he may start chewing on it. Thus, it has all kinds of knots in it, over spots he's almost chewed through. We keep telling him he's not doing himself any favors, since that means the leash keeps getting shorter, but he chews anyway.

In sum, we have a wonderful little dog with an outsize personality and a wonderful traveling companion.

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Photos

Where's Your Seatbelt?
Hmm... Obviously I need more dog photos. I've used up most of 'em already.