This is my wonderful Australian Shepherd, Mr. Gypsy, the best dog in the world. He came into my life on July 3rd 2010, as an 8 year old rescue. Prior to that he spent seven months with Bill and Kathy Smith who are two amazing people with great big hearts. Bill and Kathy, even though, they already had two other Australian Shepherds took Gypsy in and fostered him as they looked for a good home for him. The Smith’s were very picky in letting Gypsy go to a new home. Two other folks were turned down by the Smith’s. After several back and forth emails the Smith’s decided to visit me in Savannah (they live in Jacksonville, Fl) with Gypsy and then decided to let me take Gypsy in. They made me promise that if I wanted to part with Gypsy anytime in the future that I would return him to them. I said that I would certainly do that but I was lying.
The reason I say I was lying is because there was no way I would ever part with this dog.
I connected with Gypsy very quickly. It was as if there was this mystical bond between us. Gypsy fit very nicely into my life and he quickly began to open up to me and trust me.
Mr. Gypsy at the dairy farm this fall
For the first six months that I was with Gypsy he was very afraid of other dogs and did not like to go into the backyard by himself nor, did he like being left alone in the yard. Now, though, I’ll leave the door to the backyard open when it’s a nice day and Gypsy will go to the backyard and hang out for awhile and then comes back in. He is no longer the fear-stricken dog that he once was. He is now a beautiful, intelligent, confident blue merle Aussie.
Gypsy is about the sweetest dog you will come across. There isn’t an angry bone in this dog. Speaking of bones, he loves rawhide bones! Every two weeks I buy him one and he will proudly carry it everywhere he goes, even during our daily walks. He has also buried so many of them in the backyard. Every now and then I stumble upon raw hides that he haphazardly buried in the yard. It’s really funny.
with his buddy, Lyza, in the car
Mr. Gypsy gets incredibly excited when ever I ask him if he would like to go for a walk. He will begin barking incessantly in his very high pitched bark even if he has a bone in his mouth! The bark can be quite piercing and annoying but I always refrain from showing any displeasure in that bark because it is obvious that he is so very, very happy. I can in no way come down on Gypsy for just being happy.
with Lyza in the kitchen
The first 8 years of Mr. Gypsy’s life were not very good. His purpose in life was to produce puppies and his living conditions were terrible. He was always in such a state of stress that he literally wore down the majority of his teeth by gnawing on things. He was chained up and malnourished. When the Smith’s rescued Gypsy he had heartworms.
walking his bone
Today, though, at almost ten years of age (January 26 is his birthday), he’s a happy beautiful Australian Shepherd who seems to be living out the puppyhood he missed out on earlier in life.
What to know something interesting? The past two Christmases that Gypsy has been with me he has gotten more gifts than me and from many different people. People that know me love my dog more than me! Yeah, that’s true! Ha.
Everyone that meets this dog immediately loves him. He’s got personality and I guess I don’t.
Ha. It’s all good. Gypsy deserves a good life and I work hard to make sure he does. I love this dog so much!
And, I am so thankful to God and the Smith’s from bring him into my life.
at the dairy farm
Mr. Gypsy rocks!
Thank you so much for stopping by.
All the very best to you and yours.
peace,
dh
01/22/2012
We love Mr. Gypsy!