Meet Thibodeaux! It's pronounced Tib-uh-doe. In Louisiana, where I used to live, it's a common last name, like Smith or Jones. As a puppy, he had a white T on his chest, so his name had to start with T. Thibodeaux seemed just right.
He came from the animal shelter when he was only 2 months old. This picture of me holding him was taken on his first evening in his new home. Wasn't he cute? Back then, he was just a cuddly little ball of fur. Now he's 7 years old and he's a big ball of fur!
What kind of dog is he? I just say "pound puppy." The vet's best guess is a mixture of Gordon setter -- because of his black and mahogony colors and the long silky hair on his back -- plus chow chow -- because of spots on the back of his tongue and the mane of coarser hair on his chest and sides. Plus who knows what else! |
This is Thibodeaux getting his teeth brushed. He loves chicken-flavored toothpaste!
He's an amazingly smart dog. He knows and responds to about 100 words or phrases. Some of them are tricks (wave, kiss, give it a whirl) and some are commands (sit, heel, back up). Some are his toys (Pooh, Quack, Opus) or his friends (Jocko, Karleen, Dianne) and others are about daily activities (eat, water, do you want to go for a ride in the car?). He even knows concepts, like "around." For example, he knows he's not allowed to walk through the vegetable garden, so if he's on one side and I'm on the other, I can say "Around, Thibodeaux!" and he will dash around the end to get to me. If one garden gate is closed and he wants to get in, I say "Around!" and he runs around the fence until he finds an open gate. |
He's really good at playing hide and seek, and whoever has him on their side has a big advantage. If I'm hiding and the person who is "It" tells him, "Find Nancy!" he can sniff me out really fast. When it's his turn to hide, he lies very still.
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Now I have to quit writing about Thibodeaux, because I promised him a walk today and he's waiting for me!