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Terrier Puppies

Yesterday's visit with Tim Brown made me start thinking about terrier puppies, or more specifically, what may be wrong with terrier people. I am a little ahead of myself, so let me explain. Tim was impressed with Jada because of her bad, sassy little self. During our visit, she was all over the place - attacking and getting beat up by our 20lb orange cat (she would always go back for more), trying to steal chewies away from much bigger dogs, attacking our pant legs, running through the house with toys, and when he would pick her up, she would relax into his hands and look him straight in the eye - before she decided that she had enough and would wiggle and bite his hands and fuss until he let her down. Tim said that her attitude was what he looked for in pups.

I was reminded of something that I read a long time ago about terrier puppies - that if you wanted something that would run right straight down a dark hole in the ground in hopes of finding something that would fight it to the death, well, a terrier puppy probably isn't for you. While Rat Terriers aren't anywhere near as intense as a Jack Russell can be, I still direct folks that are interested in a puppy to the JRTCA website to read their Bad Dog Talk.

And so I am led to wonder about terrier people. Folks who talk about their puppy say in the same breath, "She is awful and into everything and I just love her!" People who relish the toughness and hardiness of a breed that will never be for just anyone. People who love them for what they are and what they are not. It is why so many terriers end up in rescue; very few people can appreciate a terrier in its "natural state."

And as I type this, I am missing my dogs. I wish I was back at home or in the field with them, just enjoying them for themselves and appreciating all the happiness that they bring me.

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