Yep. this has become our term of endearment for our sweet Willy from the GSP Rescue. Can you hear us now, “Stupid….awww, come here STUPID.” Cruel I know, but if you were to spend just a few minutes with his goofy self you would be making the silly voice and calling him “Stupid” too. 🙂
When we first brought Willy home we thought he was deaf. He would run around the house, run around the yard and completely disregard any voice commands. For a while he wouldnt even bark or pay attention to other dogs barking. Once he started to figure things out and get comfortable he would still look at us with this dumbfounded look on his face like, “what? me?? your talking to me???”
As he began to adjust to life on the farm with kids, animals and people coming and going all day long we began to see another side to him. Willy is a lover. That dog I met the first day… the one who leaned into me with ALL his body weight and collapsed into my lap literally head over heels… that is the true Willy. I spent the last few weeks taking care of my dying grandfather so he developed a heartwarming bond with my husband…one that only dog lovers will understand.
As soon as he comes in the house atnight Willy immediately joins my husband on the couch. His dismount still could use some work, but at least now he can get up and find a spot to lay down on the couch like a normal dog. Willy has been spoiled with attention and I’m afraid that has gone to his silly little head. You see, he has decided he is a lap dog… or that he can try to be anyway. He loves to climb up as close to you as he can get and then gently rub his face into you while inching closer and closer then squirming over onto his back with his feet in the air, then next thing you know… there’s a rather large snoring dog sprawled out on your lap.
He is still learning a few things that most dogs learn as puppies, but since he is such a puppy “at heart” we find ourselves having to discipline him when he finds plastic beach toys in the yard. We cant help but turn our faces and giggle when we yell, “Willy, NO!!” from the back window and he looks up, shovel still in his mouth, ears cocked and clearly NO idea why we are yelling at him from the house. He takes a look around, dumbfounded and confused then goes back to chewing on the yummy piece of plastic he found in his yard. (the behavior was later addressed, this particular instance was just too cute to interrupt…it also became a lesson for my children to remember to pick up their toys haha.)
^Willy was staring at his reflection in the fireplace (yes hes UP on the mantle) our other dog Hanna, was clearly not impressed. 🙂
He also loves stuffed animals. Being that we have three children, there is definitely not a lack of them in our home. Willy perks up and goes straight for the stuffed animal if there is one left on the floor in the living room. he picks it up and carries it around like a cherished toy hes had forever. He looks so proud of himself and happy to finally have this wonderful toy. The pure look of happiness on his face and the little prance in his step when he carried them around made me want to go out and buy him one for him to keep…but the family stuff I was dealing with the last few weeks prevented me from doing so.* Note to self: buy WIlly a stuffed animal to take to his new home with him.* I also must add that unlike all our other dogs, he never shredded the stuffed animal; just carried them around and got them all slobbery.
Willy has become a very good hunter. In our yard/home there are LOTS of things to hunt. From butterflies to coyotes, Willy has had his fair share of wildlife interactions the last few weeks. A few days ago he refused to stop barking at the back fence, his nose was down body frozen with concentration…. then he would back up, run in a circle, bark a bunch then go back to the first position…. Finally I walked over there to investigate and I found a LARGE rat sitting on the other side of the fence; nose to nose with Willy the hunter dog! I thought it was dead because it wasnt moving, despite WIlly being right there barking and sniffing in its face. So, like any normal person would do… I poked it with a stick. Suddenly the giant rat took off up the tree and over the fence into the neighbors yard. Poor Willy was apparently in mid spin at the time and didnt see the rat’s escape so for the next day or so every time we let him out of the house he continued to sniff and bark at the very spot where the rat had been. Poor guy was SO sure it was still there…Stupid. 🙂
Anyway, Willy has been such a joy to have in our home. His puppy-like personality is constantly making us laugh. Being that he is an old man in dog years we tease him for being “stupid” when really he is just being the young, clumsy, vibrant spirit that he is.. Silly Willy 🙂
*not the greatest picture but one night Willy stood on the foot of our bed and proceeded to lick my husband’s ears while he was trying to work at his computer desk until he turned his chair around and allowed Willy to climb into his lap. My husband didn’t get much work done that night. :)*
