Another New Friend – Hollis

Moonracer Farm’s newest misfit is Hollis the potlicker, Recona’s successor. Tom and I have had enough dogs die on us over the years that we know the best way to get over the grief of losing a much loved pet is to get another. The new pet isn’t a replacement, but when you already have four dogs, adding another to the pack is a definite distraction.

Hollis is a very good distraction, and a very good boy. We weren’t expecting much since he pretty much just lived loose with Julio, and with our neighbors and their chickens we don’t want to risk having a dog that will wander and “kill” the chickens like Recona did – and we worry that the death warrant our neighbor had on Cona might have been transferable to Hollis. We started keeping him on a rope outside until we rid him of fleas, and then we let him in the house. He’s been perfect in the house so far, and even though he was never house trained, he hasn’t had one accident and he asks to go out. And, when we take him out and watch him, he doesn’t need to be leashed. He’s so delighted that he gets to come in the house and hang with the people and the Jacks that he really doesn’t seem to want to go too far from the door.

He’s not very big – only 24 pounds – and he’s very gentle. Even at eight months, he’s the master of sitting quietly beside you with his head on your leg and just gazing at you like you’re the most wonderful thing he’s ever seen. He doesn’t fight with Lou and Nock – which is part of the reason that unlike Recona he can be in the house – and he’s great about just staying in the dog areas of the house. I haven’t taken him out on a trail ride yet – too rainy with the passing of Ida – but he’s been helping us take the horses down the road to graze every day, and he seems to understand that it’s his job to just stay with us and the horses. I just gave him his monthly ivermectin to prevent heartworm, so we’re crossing our fingers that he doesn’t already have it and the ivermectin will make him sick or kill him, but at his age we figured it was worth the risk, and most of the vets here consider this the test to see if a dog is infected. He doesn’t quite have the joy of life that Recona had, but he’s such a happy pup that he’s already secured a place in our hearts.