07/19/2022
The German Shepherds were barking with intent, not the usual commentary barking that’s common with them. I raced outside to find them in a muzzle-to-muzzle confrontation at the ranch fencing with a pack of medium-sized all black dogs, one female and two males. The intruders were dazed, confused, and searching for something. As I came around the corner upon the fence standoff, the trio of black dogs ran off, hugging the fence line, looking around nervously, completely panicked. Before I could gather my senses, the trio has disappeared into the desert. They had been dumped by their former owners to die in the desert.
Wish this wasn’t common in this paradise west of Tucson’s Gates Pass, but it is. We went looking for them, to no avail. Four days later, the female reappeared on the dirt road common drive. She was staggering a bit, obviously dehydrated and hungry. The desert is brutal that time of year as it hadn’t rained in months. We tried to call her in, but she ran off again. We put a large stainless steel bowl of water in our driveway, and hoped if she came back, she’d find the water. We didn’t see her the rest of the day.
As my husband, Don, was leaving for his customary evening stroll, the female was back, and this time she was sitting at the yard gate. When Don opened the gate, she scooted inside and hid under a plant stand. Don fetched her food and water, and then left for his walk. When he came back, both dishes were empty, so he filled them again. Wiggles, as we came to call her because she wiggles all over when you talk to her, has been with us since.
Luckily, mild temperatures were still in play at night, so Wiggles stayed outside. We weren’t sure how the pack of German Shepherds living inside would handle an interloper. We also had no idea if Wiggles had lived in a house, was house-broken, was aggressive, or had other issues. When the third evening came round, we let her inside, introduced her—again—to the pack who had checked her out during her outdoors stay. Wiggles was overtly grateful to be inside and very accommodating of the nosy Shepherds giving her a once-over. She hid in a corner, warily eyeing everything for most of the evening.
The next morning I went to look for Wiggles, and while walking by the guest bedroom door, I found her. She was nestled into the plush duvet on the bed, her head on one pillow, her paws resting on another. She noted my appearance by wagging her tail, but went back to sleep almost immediately. I whispered to her, “Nice job, kiddo. Desert to duvet in three days!”
But of course, that’s not the end of the story. Wiggles was pregnant when she arrived. She’d been in the desert for at least four or five days, so we had caulked up her voracious appetite to near starvation. Two months later, eight healthy, happy, gregarious, mischievous puppies were born on June 3, 2022 in the early morning. They will be ready for adoption on July 29, 2022, after they get their eight week old shot.
According to the vet, Wiggles is about four years old and weighs 40 pounds. She’s all black with a small white patch on her chest. She’s very long legged with wide paddle like feet. According to the app we used to scan her for a breed match, she’s predominately a Spanish Farm Dog, a generic, non-AKC breed. If you do a search, the closest look is a Perro Majoreo farm dog from the Canary Islands, Spain. She has a pleasing face, expressive eyes, and a superb, gentle temperament. The Shepherds have taken her into their pack without issue, and she’s a relaxed member of the household.
Of course, we have no idea who sired the litter of two females and six males. Five are all black. Three have black and tan marking similar to a Rottweiler. At four weeks old, the puppies ranged from 5 to 6 pounds in weight. We'll post a weight chart we've kept since they were born.
The litter is being raised in our home. Yup. In my used-to-be-lovely living room. The downsides are many when it comes to the need to constantly clean, but the upsides for the puppies are numerous. They ride on my Bissell CrossWave X7 like cowboys on a bronc. They are surrounded by the sounds of a household, so they are comfortable with all sorts of noises in a modern kitchen from the coffee bean grinder to the garbage disposal. They are loved, petted, have toys to play with, and are gregarious, trusting munchkins. The German Shepherds aren’t particularly in love with being assaulted by a flock of teeth-forward puppies, but the puppies are unafraid of the Shepherds. One of our Shepherds has become adept at gathering them up when it’s time for them to nap in their pen.
The puppies get their eight week vaccinations on July 29, 2022 at 4:30 in the afternoon at the Marana Clinic. They will be ready for adoption to loving homes immediately afterwards. Let us know if you are interested in getting in adopting one of these amazing little survivors of their Mom's journey from the Sonoran Desert hinterland to the guest room duvet. Wiggles is not up for adoption. She's part of the pack.
