The description of Robo and Biggy on the website indicated that they were purebred neutered male standard poodles who were 1-3/4 years old (born Nov. 2004). They weighed approx. 45 lbs and got along well with other dogs. Biggy and his brother, Robo were adopted by some people who abused them. So, now, they are initially shy with people, but once they have learned they can trust you, they are extremely loveable!
When I met both dogs at a park in Lewiston it was clear that this description was accurate. They were shy, but you could tell they would be lovable. Their original owner had been taking care of them for about six months, nursing them back from the terrible situation they had been in. After asking several questions, I decided to take Robo home with me.
Biggy, Robo's brother
August 27, 2006
The ride home
There he is! The ride home was relatively uneventful, though Enzo was clearly scared and unsure about what was going on. His defense mechanism was to just stand still. He didn't want to eat a treat or drink water. In anticipation of his future social life in Portland, we stopped at a brew pub in Waitsburg, WA with outdoor seating. Enzo just stood the whole time. We got home about 9 pm that night. He was reluctant to go in the door to the house, and I had to carry him in. His tail seemed permanently glued down and head was often down as well. He was very shy and nervous, but eventually fell asleep in the living room.
Once again Enzo started sleeping in the living room last night, but eventually wandered to his bed in my bedroom. And, he woke me up again asking to be petted. This time I caught a glimpse of his tail wagging for the first time. Yeah! He seemed excited to start a new day. A few minutes ago I heard him playing with a squeeky toy for the first time. The tail's still down when we're out walking, but his head's up and he's clearly more interested in observing what's going on.
Evening update: We took our first long walk today, to the Beaumont Village area on Fremont, about 3 miles round trip. He did well, except when we passed by a construction site and the nail gun went off. He got spooked and was pretty skittish for the rest of the walk. I tried taking more pictures of him, but it's hard. He rarely will look at the camera. But, here's one of his new collar.
The new collar
Enzo and I just got back from visiting some friends in Vancouver, WA who live near a great off-leash dog park . Enzo first got to meet Charlie (a setter) and Lilly (a spaniel puppy) along with humans Jeanne and Barry. Then we walked to the park. He did great. He met several dogs of all sizes and looked like he was enjoying wandering around the park. He was shy, but receptive to the dogs and people. There were a couple other black standard poodles that really wanted to play with him. He wasn't quite ready for that, but given a little more time I think he will be. He was good at coming when called. It's only our fifth day together and with his new name, so I think that's great progress.
He does not like the car. I have to pick him up and put him in. But, hopefully after we go in the car more times to fun places like the dog park, he'll get used to it. He also seems to hesitate going through gates and doors.
And his tail is wagging more!
Sept. 1, 2006
Today is a day of ups and downs with Enzo. The major events of the day included lunch at the Rogue Brewpub (outside seating) and a vet appointment. Here are the ups:
- He got in the car himself three times without much hesitation.
- He did fine at the vet. At the end of the appointment he kept putting his head in her lap, wanting her to continue petting him.
- He was quite happy to get back home, wagging his tail with excitement and relief.
And the downs:
- He threw up twice in the car.
What I learned:
- Leave plenty of time in the schedule to clean up messes in the car and avoid rushing to an appointment, which can cause another mess in the car.
- Keep the camera batteries charged so you get the picture of Enzo at the pub to post on the blog.
To do:
- Get a cover to protect the backseat of the car. The blanket I was using slips off the leather seats!
- Get some non-drowsy dramamine, per the vet's suggestion.
I had not realized that "Enzo" is also a model of a Ferrari, named after the founder, Enzo Ferrari. So far, my Enzo bears little resemblance to the Enzo Ferrari. According to wikipedia, "Eric Clapton , guitarist , took delivery of the first Enzo imported to the UK. Parisian police also stopped Clapton when he was reportedly doing 145 mph on a highway in Paris while driving his Enzo." Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, also owns one. He also owns the Portland Trailblazers, so there's a connection.
There are also Enzo shoes, one of which is pictured at the right. There's another dog named Enzo that shared the role of Skip in My Dog Skip and portrayed Eddie in Frasier after his father, Moose, retired. There seem to be several restaurants named Enzo, and a cartoon, Enzo and PoPo. It's hard to tell, but I think that Enzo might be a dog (right). Again, no resemblance to my Enzo. There are a bunch of Italian men named Enzo, including a film director, musicians, artists, a writer, and others. Apparently there's also a gorilla named Enzo at the Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden. I think that's him at the right, but since I don't speak Swedish, I may have misunderstood the website.
I think that's enough googling for now.
Other Enzos
