Charlie

Charlie was a stray so nothing is known about him -- perhaps I should have renamed him "Mel" (Melchizedek). But when he grazes grass, I want to call him "Ned"  (Nebuchadnezzar).

He had been in the shelter for so long that he was to be euthanized after this weekend. The shelter put him out on a Chow network - I think that must mean Vicki DeGruy who notified Myrna Wacker, a breeder in Missouri, who notified me. On Thursday, 08/17/06, the shelter emailed an application to me and I faxed it back. The shelter estimated him to be five or six years old but my vet thinks four years (as of August, 2006).

On Friday, 08/18/06, Jack nearly blew the adoption interview for me. Finally I said, "I think we can make this work," and they said, "OK."

Charlie is a mellow fellow. He seems to love everyone. Aggressive Pit Bulls don't bother him and he charms little dogs, Jack excepted.

His personality is much like my late buddy Bruno, although Charlie is more social. He is more likely to wag his tail at strangers. Like Bruno, Charlie takes treats with his tongue and lips rather than using his teeth.

I expect that Charlie will be able to participate in Greenbelt Dog Training demos. The heat seems to bother him, so no summer parades for now. Update: Charlie is positive for heartworms so that might be a factor in his heat sensitivity.

Question: I have never seen a smooth Chow. Are they rare?

Answer: It seems to me that I have heard that 10% are smooth. A really quick Internet search yielded no data.

Question: How does he get along with Jack?

Answer: Maureen says, "Maybe Jack will not terrorize Charlie as much as he did Bruno."

What do you think? <rhetorical question! grin> Jack is always the boss! It's interesting to watch them dance around each other when we go for walks together.

Maureen think that all dogs should be exactly like her  Golden  Retrievers.

11/17/06 update:
Charlie is a real treasure. I can't fault him in any respect. (Except that he is blowing coat.) A recent incident illustrates his sterling personality:

As you all know, Jack is a little (big) monster. Don't know if I should admit this or not, but Yorkies attack each other as they exit to the outdoors; I've even seen it on Animal Planet. Well, on Saturday Jack bit Charlie hard enough that Charlie yelped. When I yelled at Jack, Charlie planted himself between Jack and me.

Charlie is such a forgiving fellow! If it were not out of style to be a Christian, I would say that Charlie has a regenerate heart.