My First Day

Koobuss tagged me and asked me to regale you all with how I came to live with Mom and Dad in Philadelphia. It began thus...

Oh, before I begin, a shout out to Di, Mom of Gracie - if you are reading this please email Mom cos she emailed you and your address bounced. Thank you.

And now back to my story. As you know, Mom grew up with a wire in South Africa named Georgie. In her honor, G is my second name. Axel G Chocholoza. Mom loved Georgie with all her heart and soul for the wonderful 15 years she graced her life. The year she died, Mom left home to live in Israel and then 6.5 years after that, she came to America. She knew her life was not stable enough in all those years to get another wire, so she held off until she met my dad in 2002 and they moved in together a year before they got married (shhh, don't tell anyone), to a little rented house next to a very big park. At that point, Mom said to Dad. We are ready for a dog! Dad was into it too, but he had NO choice in the decision of what breed of dog to get. Mom had her heart set on another wire fox terrier.

But how to find one? Mom, being a web person, went online first and located what seemed like a decent breeder in Mass. She even paid the deposit. Around the same time, Mom joined the Fox Terrier Network and leart from them that this breeder was not "Kosher" if you get my drift. So taking their advice, Mom bailed on the deal and yadda yadda yadda, found a good breeder named Bob, through the Fox Terrier Association of America. Bob told them that in about 2 months there would be a litter, and there was a good chance we could get one of the pups. Mom was overjoyed. I do believe she did a jig that day.

Fast forward to July 16, 2005 - a day before Mom's birthday. The happy parents-to-be drove to Valley Forge to meet me. I was one of four pups, the only boy. My Mom's name is Pompi and my Dad is Sir Walter Raleigh. Here I am with my sisters - I am the one on the far right, I was always bigger than my sisters:

Of course it was love at first sight for Mom and Dad. But it was touch and go whether Bob would part with his only boy - but I think he liked Mom and Dad so much, that he relented. Before leaving, Bob stripped me on the grooming table.

One thing I do remember, that when Dad was holding me on the way to the car to go to my new home, I wiggled and he dropped me...on concrete, on my head. The parents were beside themselves, though I was absolutely fine! From then on, Mom and Dad held me very tight!


So that dear friends are my humble beginnings. Not that exciting I know, I was lucky, I was never a rescue and I've always had a safe and loving home. Hey, in that photo above, see my tail, it's straight...yet somehow within 6 months, it had curled and noone can explain it! Maybe it's the same curious thing that gives me skin allergies...something in the air here makes me itch and my tail curl? Hmmm.

AGC