I thought I’d update you on how our internet rescue English Setter Gaspare (Gassie) is doing as we’ve had him three months now. It’s difficult to remember life without him really.
He’s had the latest set of bloodtests and his anaemia is now cured, which is a great relief as they weren’t sure if this was something more sinister. He’s put on more weight so is now almost 25 kilos, which is a hell of a lot better than the 18 kilos he weighed when he was found. I’d like to see him even heavier though as I don’t like dogs to be too skinny, even thogh that is the trend in Italy. (I noticed recently that the feeding instructions on our imported dogfood had been altered in Italian to give the dog less than in the other languages!)
Gassie is very lively, especially in the early morning. He wakes me up by sitting on his haunches and putting both very long front paws on the bed. This wakes the other two dogs and so I have now taken to just giving in and getting up. I have been downstairs by six o’clock in the morning for the last week. I’m knackered! I like early mornings but that is a touch too early even for me.
He gambols around the garden like a demented foal chasing all manner of insects and things up trees, which can include birds and squirrels and butterflies and lizards. You can see him on a lizard hunt in the photo. He pounces like a cat and I have never seen a dog do that!
Talking of cats, the war goes on against our little tribe of felines, although Jimmy the youngest has now started coming in at night and sleeping in the tower room, slipping out of the open bathroom window first thing. I suppose it’s a start. Gas won’t touch them when I am there, but I can’t be everywhere!
He is big buddies with my other two dogs, although ZsaZsa does get fed up with him sometimes, but it’s all good natured. He and Maia zoom around the garden chasing after balls. He can easily outrun her on his ten foot legs but he often slows down just so she can chase him properly.
This morning I sat down on the two seater sofa in the kitchen to try and read (ha!) and was followed by Zsa Zsa and Maia. That filled it up pretty much, but Gassie doesn’t like to be left out so he proceeded to climb onto my knee and curl up with his head on Maia’s back. I think you can safely say he has settled in OK and is now well and truly a (large) part of the family!