Yesterday, I was expecting a package from Amazon– a new bin system for our dog food. For the past few months, we’ve been giving Arran the same higher calorie food we’d been giving Noyzi. It’s resulted in some unnecessary and alarming weight gain, so I decided to put Arran back on his senior dog food while I continue to give Noyzi something with more oomph. I bought a two tiered bin that allows me to separate their food while taking up little space under the counter.
I heard Noyzi bark, so I thought maybe the delivery had arrived. I went down to check and found Noyzi standing by a pile of dog toys. Among the toys were two stuffed monkey legs. They were originally part of one of Arran’s favorite and longest lasting fluffy toys, a monkey that had long legs that threaded through holes on either side. The monkey’s torso was long ago obliterated by our resident hunting dog, Arran. But the legs had survived, and they had working squeakers.
From the day Noyzi first arrived at our home last October, he’s been a friend to the toys. Instead of attacking and chewing them up, like Arran does, Noyzi tends to treat them like his pals. He stacks them in his bed and uses them as pillows. So I was a little surprised when I came into the living room and noticed that one of the monkey legs had been amputated at one end. I couldn’t find the stuffed fabric paw or its squeaker.
I emailed Bill to let him know. Bill called the vet and they advised him to bring him in to be seen. Even if I wanted to take Noyzi to the vet, it would not be possible. I drive a Mini Cooper and Noyzi will not fit in it. It’s illegal for dogs to ride up front, and I doubt I could convince him to get in the car, anyway. As it is now, he has to ride in the back of our Volvo SUV because he won’t get in the backseat, which he probably could fit in if he was more cooperative.
Just as Bill was about to leave work, he got a frantic work related phone call from the States that he had to take care of. He ended up getting home about an hour later. We wrangled Noyzi into the SUV and Bill took him to the vet’s office. Noyzi was given an emetic, which made him throw up. Sure enough, we found the offending piece of the monkey toy, although no squeaker was found. It’s possible that Noyzi swallowed it, but it’s equally possible that Arran ripped it out ages ago and I tossed it. If it did end up in his intestines, we may find it in his poop in a day or two. If there are other problems, he’s sure to let us know. We’re lucky enough to have great vets in the next village, as well as the excellent Tierklink Hofheim nearby.
Yuck. That’s the part of the toy he swallowed.
We’re keeping an eye on Noyzi, but so far, he’s back to his old self. In fact, if I hadn’t noticed the amputated leg, I would never have known what he did. He was acting totally normal yesterday until he was forced to puke and given an antidote, which wiped him out for a couple of hours. By dinner time, he was right as rain… and then Arran threw up. But I think in Arran’s case, it was a case of too much salmon. He had a little of our dinner last night. He’s fine today, too, but we have to get him slimmer. I never thought I’d say that about Arran, who has always been athletic and sleek. But he’s twelve now, so he needs to watch his figure.
By the way… anyone want to guess how much this emergency cost us? It was a mere 89 euros. The vet was able to squeeze us in during regular office hours. Several of my friends gave me tips on how to make my dog vomit, but I prefer to let the vets handle that, especially when it’s not that expensive. God bless German healthcare costs. America could take a lesson or two.
Here’s a quick post to update my last one about how our neighbor’s puppy has discovered a breach in the fence. A couple of days ago, we had a glorious and rare sunny day. I let the dogs out, and sure enough, we soon saw Tommi the lab puppy sticking his head under the fence. He’s very determined! He’s still growing, though, so I don’t know how much longer he’ll be able to do this.
I’m actually surprised Noyzi isn’t standing right by the fence to greet him. He actually backed away a bit as Tommi continued to engage. I suppose it’s time we got some cinder blocks or something. In other news, Noyzi just let Bill his harness on without any help from me, whatsoever! This may seem like a small thing, but he’s been terrified of Bill ever since we brought him home and until very recently, there was no hope of putting him on a leash without my assistance. So that’s another breakthrough. We’ve really been enjoying his personality, lately. He’s starting to show us who he is.
The last forty seconds of this video show Tommi, the cute Lab puppy, trying so hard to visit. It almost feels like a metaphor for the whole COVID-19 nightmare.We all want to visit, Tommi.
Aside from the cold, rainy, depressing weather and Noyzi’s antics, not much else is going on. The crappy weather continues. The lockdown continues. My beer gut keeps expanding. I watch more bad TV and dream of the day when I can post some more adventures that involve actual travel. The one consolation is that I know we’re all pretty much in this shitty boat right now. I’m just grateful I had the opportunity to see a lot of Europe before the pandemic started. I would hate to be a young bride coming here for the first time, eager to travel, and forced to stay at home for months on end. It sucks. At least the weather is bad enough that I probably wouldn’t want to go anywhere anyway, even if we weren’t locked down.
Here are a few more photos of Noyzi, who is learning that the iPad won’t kill him. He’s learned to strike a pose and is quite handsome. I think he knows it, too… and uses his charms to score people food. I love giving him bites of food. It’s like dropping letters in a mailbox. His mouth is so big, and he opens it like a maw!
And here are a couple of photos I took on our most recent walk together. As you can see, the water is HIGH! It’s gross in the backyard… totally sloppy and messy.
The soggy weather continues here in Germany. We’ve had nothing but rain and snow since the new year. The weather is a bit of a bummer, especially since everything is still locked down here. We’re running short on fun lately, which is why it’s so great to have a new rescue dog around. Especially one from Kosovo!
Ever since Noyzi, the Kosovar street dog, and Tommi met a couple of weeks ago, Noyzi has been obsessively watching the fence that borders our neighbor’s yard. I see him sniffing the air, as if to catch a whiff of his new friend, Tommi the Lab. I let him and Arran outside for a pee break yesterday, and they both went nuts at the far corner of our little yard. I kept seeing little flashes of movement under the fence. I have seen mice, hedgehogs, birds, and the odd cat or squirrel on or in that fence. I thought maybe there was a cat or something there, making the dogs react…
Bill is not too pleased about having to upgrade the fencing. He was in the middle of something work related when this excitement happened.Party pooper!
But then I saw a blond doggie face and the happy eyes of our German neighbor’s cute little puppy. It turns out he’s been as interested in hanging out with Noyzi as Noyzi has been interested in hanging out with him! He was trying to wriggle under the fence. I wasn’t able to get the best video, since Bill came out and broke it up before I was able to catch the scene. But later, we let them out again, and Tommi tried again.
Noyzi and Tommi are desperately trying to find a way to be buddies, even though they are separated by a tall fence!
Pretty soon, I reckon Tommi will be too big to even try to go under the fence. And Bill will probably fortify it with something to prevent a breach. It was still pretty cute to see Tommi’s little face. He was very happy to try to come play.
Later, Noyzi came up to me while I was sitting at the table and I started scratching his butt. I have now created a monster. Now, not only does he show up like a silent canine taxman whenever I’m eating something, but he also wants butt rubs. Every time I rub, he drops a ton of hair. But it’s worth it, because look at the big smile on his face in the featured photo.
We’re seeing that silly grin more and more often, since he’s joined us from Kosovo. In four months, he’s gone from being so scared he’d pee on himself whenever Bill took off his jacket or belt, to begging for butt rubs, table scraps, and walks around the neighborhood. Maybe he’s not the best behaved dog around, but he sure is enjoying life. And he’s made this COVID-19 nightmare easier to bear. I have never regretted taking in any of the dogs we’ve rescued… even the tragedy of Jonny last spring ended up doing some good. But Noyzi has been especially rewarding to watch. And I’ve even made a couple new friends in the process.
Tomorrow, Arran will get his stitches out, having had a mast cell tumor removed on his left hind leg. Maybe the vet will be able to tell Bill the results of Noyzi’s DNA test, too.
Our German neighbor used to have an adorable Labrador Retriever named Levi. Levi had been adopted from Americans who were leaving Germany and couldn’t take him with them. Levi recently got very sick and passed away, so our neighbor acquired a new puppy, name of Tommi. Tommi, like Levi, is a lab, although it looks like she got him from a breeder. I adored Levi, and was very sad when he died. He was a very sweet, friendly, and gentle dog, who always wanted to say hello. He was also well behaved and well trained, and would come over to visit us. Tommi looks a lot like a young version of Levi, and is just as friendly and outgoing. It looks like he’ll be a lot like Levi when he grows up.
A few days ago, I had Arran and Noyzi on their leashes, ready to take a walk. Our neighbor was outside with Tommi, packing up her car. It looked like she was headed to the barn, where she boards her mare. I once tried to have a conversation with her about horses. I spent most of my childhood showing my Appaloosa. But she seemed doubtful that I knew anything about horses and, in fact, even doubted that my horse had been an Appaloosa. The picture I showed her was of us mid flight over a fence and his spotted rump evidently wasn’t so easy to see. When I showed her another photo of us winning reserve champion at a state 4H horse show, then she realized I knew what breed my horse was. In that photo, she could see his spots.
Yes, that’s me when I was a horse person. Rusty, the Appaloosa pony, was my best friend.We won over 200 ribbons , a medal, and several trophies together, but the biggest prize was getting through high school unscathed and many years of companionship.
I think this is a common thing with some Germans. Sometimes they act like they know better about certain things, even when it’s clear they don’t. 😉 But rest assured, I did spent years working in barns and taking care of horses and, at least in those days, I knew what I was doing. Someday, when we settle down, I would love to have a horse in my life again.
Anyway… I think our neighbor distrusts Arran, mainly because Arran’s a bit high strung and bossy. When we first moved to the neighborhood, he didn’t seem as friendly as our other dog, Zane, was. Zane was a beagle with a touch of lab in him. He never met a stranger. Arran is a beagle with, I think, a healthy portion of German shorthaired pointer, and possibly a touch of coonhound. He’s very sweet, but kind of cranky and emotional.
Arran showing off his junk.
Noyzi, by contrast, is very nervous around people he doesn’t know, especially men. But he LOVES other dogs! He’s only about two years old, and still wants to play. Arran will play, but Arran is eleven and doesn’t have the stamina he once had. And he’s only now, after three months, starting to come around to liking Noyzi at all. Consequently, when Noyzi and Tommi first touched noses, I think Noyzi fell in love.
A couple of days later, Bill took the boys out for a walk. The neighbor was outside with Tommi again, and he came over to greet Arran and Noyzi. All three of them started trying to play. Bill had Arran on a long Flexi-lead tape leash, while Noyzi was in a harness and two regular nylon webbing leashes. Tommi was off lead. Bill said it was clear Noyzi liked Tommi and wanted to play some more. After their walk, he kept looking over at the neighbor’s house, eagerly searching for his new friend.
Noyzi loves snow, too.
As you can see in the video, he now knows Tommi’s scent and seems to want to leap the fence to get to him. I think he’s more likely to try to climb the fence than jump it, and he’s big enough that I think it’s possible he could clear his obstacle. However, I have not seen any indication that Noyzi wants to run away from us. He doesn’t charge the door when the doorbell rings, and he seems very attached to me… and to his bed and food.
We may have to find him a younger playmate, though. It’s so nice to see Noyzi acting more like a regular, goofy, funny dog. He’s really settling into his life in Germany, and making life during a pandemic a lot more interesting and fulfilling. I hope someday, he and Tommi can have some fun. If he was a human, I think he’d be knocking on the door, asking our neighbor if Tommi can come out to play!
By savior, I mean the man who saved Noyzi’s life when he was unceremoniously dumped on a street in Pristina one day in 2018. Noyzi’s very first rescuer is a young man named Florent who has a habit of taking care of street dogs. There are many homeless dogs in Kosovo, and a lot of people don’t like them. So Florent does what he can to help them. He gets some help from others who like dogs, like my American friend Meg, who was responsible for bringing Noyzi into our lives. Meg used to live in Kosovo and has many contacts in the countries that were once collectively known as Yugoslavia.
Kosovo’s population is mostly Muslim. On the whole, the Muslim culture doesn’t value canine companionship. There are also many poor people living in Kosovo. Many of the dogs that have value in Kosovo are working dogs, rather than pets. At the same time, spaying and neutering pets is not a popular practice.
Just last week, someone dumped three female puppies near Florent’s house. Meg has told me it’s because females get pregnant and people don’t want to deal with pregnant dogs. I saw a picture of the female puppies that were rescued in another part of Pristina last week. They look like could be Noyzi’s sisters, and they are just as young and tiny as he was when he was found… about four weeks old. They’re lucky they were simply dumped. I read a horrifying account of what regularly happens in nearby Albania, when it’s time to cull street dogs. A woman from New Zealand who lives in Albania rescued a street dog and blogged about it, as well as the plight of beautiful Albanian dogs who roam the street and are horribly abused or killed in very inhumane ways. Parvo virus is also a constant threat to puppies in Kosovo.
This is Noyzi’s namesake!
So there I was last night, newly friends with Florent, and he was telling me about Noyzi, and how he got his name. Kosovo is a “brother nation” to Albania. The people who live there are mostly ethnically Albanian and speak Albanian. There is a rapper in Albania whose name is Noizy. Florent says he likes Noizy’s music, and the dog, Noyzi, was kind of noisy when he was found. He’s not very noisy anymore. I did change the spelling of Noyzi’s name for a couple of reasons. First off, I’m a spelling nerd, and kept wanting to write Noisy instead of Noizy. And secondly, on his paperwork, it’s spelled Noyzi. I figured it would be easier to keep it spelled as it is on his documents. I had originally meant to change Noyzi’s name, but I could not think of an appropriate new name for him. Now that I know that the name has a connection to his homeland, I’m glad we kept it.
Around the time we first got Noyzi, Meg told me a bit about how she came to take him into her rescue. I wrote about that on my original blog. It was back in October, just a few days after we finally had him in our home, when I was thinking about how the stars aligned for us to have this dog from Kosovo in our family. We’d been waiting a long time for a new dog to come into our lives after we lost our sweet beagle, Zane, on August 31, 2019. We tried to adopt another beagle in March of 2020, but that experience ended in senseless tragedy. About a month later, April of last year, I saw Noyzi’s picture for the first time. There was something about his face that touched my heart. I wanted to know more about him. Before I knew it, I was agreeing to adopt him.
It took six months until we were finally able to get Noyzi and bring him home. That adventure, which happened in early October, involved going to Slovenia to pick him up. That was the last time I left our neighborhood… and the last time I was in a car. COVID-19 has really altered my lifestyle in so many ways. A year ago, we were planning trips to France. Now, we’re waiting until it’s safe to travel… and instead of writing about our adventures in other countries, I’m writing about this big, sweet, skittish, and shy dog from a country not everyone even recognizes. And I literally haven’t been anywhere in months since we brought him home. Surprisingly enough, it doesn’t bother me that much.
Last night, while many of my friends and loved ones were reeling from the drama happening in our country, I was sitting in Germany, and Florent was telling me about what it’s like to live in Kosovo. According to Florent, Kosovo is kind of like a “jail”, which is only good for people who are wealthy or politically affiliated. Maybe Donald Trump ought to look into moving there, since it seems like no one else wants him. On the other hand, Florent makes it sound like Kosovo has more than enough problems. I got the sense that maybe he’d like to move somewhere else. I understand how that feels. I was ready to leave the United States in 2014, and that was before I knew what was on the horizon.
Florent shared a couple of videos of the tiny puppy version of Noyzi, greedily eating kibble and yogurt. I can see that he’s always loved food, although it took him awhile to learn the concept of treats and “people food” in our house. He will let Bill pet him and give him a treat, but only if he’s in his bed. The bed seems to be his safe zone, and he stays there almost all the time. But he will come to me for treats and snacks, and to be walked. He loves taking walks, though I had to teach him about leashes and show him that they aren’t meant to hurt him. He will let Bill walk him, but only if I put the harness on him. He won’t let Bill do it.
Although his savior was a man, Noyzi doesn’t like men. When he sees male strangers on the street, he panics, and will backpedal or try to bolt. When we first got Noyzi, he used to get so scared that he’d pee involuntarily. Some things would literally scare the piss out of him. That behavior has stopped, which is a blessing. However, I have never needed to house train him. He naturally goes outside to do his business. Noyzi also doesn’t like sudden movements or noises. It’s like he has PTSD. And yet he’s so sweet and basically well-behaved. He doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He keeps himself clean, and even takes care of the dog toys, “saving” them from our other dog, Arran, who likes to destroy them. Noyzi will grab them when Arran isn’t looking and stack them in his bed, like they’re his friend.
Noyzi has been acting more like a normal dog lately. He loves to run around the yard, especially before and after a dump or a walk. He loves being brushed, and although he’s so far only had one bath, he does enjoy being bathed. Once he realized that warm water feels good and being scrubbed is a pleasant experience, he was happy to sit in the shower and get clean. Florent told me that street dogs are very smart. They know what it’s like to have no food or water or love… so when they find a home, they adapt fast. Florent also told me that he had rescued a dog that ended up going to one of our soon to be President Joe Biden’s friends. I can believe it, since there are Americans who work in Kosovo. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them, working in government service, took one of Florent’s rescues.
Our conversation went on for about an hour or so, and then Florent said something that was very profound to me. He told me that he rescues dogs because “they are angels, and God is testing us with them. And if we help them, God will love us.” I remember being a senior in high school, when the Eastern Bloc was falling apart. My government teacher, Mr. Jim Eccleston, was talking about the fall of the Iron Curtain, and described Albania as the “Iron Lampshade”, since all of the other countries were opening up and Albania was the one holdout. At one time, it was the site of the harshest and most repressive Communist regime in Europe. When I lived in Armenia in the 1990s, there was a violent uprising in Albania that became the Albanian Civil War. The Peace Corps program there was suspended and the Volunteers had to be evacuated. They later reopened the program. I have always been curious about Albania, and I’ve seen that parts of it are very beautiful. I would like to visit sometime… but hopefully at a time when the street dog problem is handled more humanely.
Florent says Kosovo isn’t such a great place right now. A lot of people don’t have anywhere to go. He described himself as “a sunflower planted in the wrong place”. But then he told me about how he and Meg once rescued six puppies stuck in a hole at a train station. One by one, they pulled them out… and if Florent hadn’t been there with Meg, those puppies would not have survived. I can’t help but think that this young man, who obviously has faith in God and a love for animals, is a sunflower planted in the right place. He brings light, beauty, hope, and humanity to dogs who just want to find loving homes. They just want a safe, warm, dry place to sleep, enough food, walks in the sun, and someone to shower them with love in the form of kind words, loving pets, and treats. And every time one of Florent’s dogs finds a new home, the sunflowers are planted anew… in Germany or the United States, or Poland… or any of the other places where they find themselves with people who want them and are committed to loving them forever.
An example of the good work Florent has done.
It’s been such a privilege to have Noyzi in our lives, especially during this endless pandemic. He’s given us something to focus on besides all of the bad stuff. And every day, he surprises us with something new and adorable. By saving Noyzi’s life, Florent gave us an amazing gift… and a permanent bond to a country where there are still many sunflowers waiting to be harvested. Florent may not know it, but what he’s done has had ripple effects way beyond Kosovo.
Those of you who follow me on my personal Facebook page might have already read about this. For those who don’t follow me there, here is a quick update on our pandemic pup’s progress.
Noyzi, our adopted Kosovar pandemic dog rescue, has serious trust issues regarding men. It might be that he doesn’t like certain types of men, such as older white guys. My husband, Bill, is 56 years old, but he doesn’t look it. Noyzi is, nevertheless, very afraid of him to the point of keeping a distance from him whenever he can.
Our Eckbank Gruppe is in what was probably supposed to be the dining room. Bill and I were sitting there last night, listening to music and drinking wine. Arran, our other dog, wanted a treat. I got up to get him one, then called Noyzi. Noyzi is reluctant to go into the kitchen, especially when Bill is in the dining room. He has to pass Bill to get there. But even when Bill isn’t home, he doesn’t want to go into the kitchen. I have his water bowl outside, and that’s where he goes to drink, rather than in the kitchen where Arran drinks.
So anyway, there I was in the kitchen calling Noyzi. He was definitely interested in the treats, but too afraid to pass Bill. After a few minutes, I finally grabbed him by the collar and slowly led him through the dining room. He gave me the whale eye a couple of times, and panicked a bit, backpedaling. Bill kept his eyes downward, not looking at Noyzi at all. I kept reassuring him and coaxing him forward.
Finally, after a couple of minutes traipsing through what must have seemed like a shark infested ocean to Noyzi, we got close enough to the kitchen at which I was able to grab the bag of treats. I gave him a couple of them, then let him go. He ran right back to his bed. But then he noticed that Arran was still in the kitchen eating treats. He looked at me and I said, “Noyzi, you can come back in here. It’s okay.”
After a couple more minutes, he got up and cautiously came back into the kitchen. Bill never moved from his spot. He had a couple more treats, then went back to his safe spot in his bed, where he seems to be most at ease. About an hour later, I tried again. It took a couple of minutes, but he finally did come to the kitchen for another round.
This morning, after breakfast, I had Bill put the harness on Noyzi. Normally, I do it, because he’s so afraid of Bill, but not so much that he won’t let Bill walk him. Today, I held Noyzi by the collar and reassured him as Bill put the harness on. He backpedaled and panicked a bit, but Bill was able to get him suited up and ready to go. They had a walk and Noyzi got more treats. I have a lot of empathy for Noyzi. I have suffered from phobias myself, and I know how hard it is to get over irrational fears. To him, being terrified of men isn’t irrational, though. Someone in his past probably really traumatized him.
Once again, I am amazed by how fast he’s learning. A couple of months ago, Noyzi wouldn’t even eat treats. He wouldn’t eat “people food”, either. He’d never been exposed to it. I’m glad he’s turning out to be food oriented. That makes working with him easier. And, in some ways, he’s better behaved than his teacher, Arran is. For instance, I have yet to clean up any doggy messes from him, other than his hair, which he sheds copiously. He seems naturally predisposed to doing his business outside, which is a real blessing, since he’s a big boy.
I hope that soon, he and Bill can bond more. He hit the jackpot in doggy daddies. He just doesn’t know it yet. I am grateful to have him around. He’s helped make this lockdown more interesting and fun.
This post also appears on my main blog, because I have different audiences…
I know a lot of people think this year has dragged on. For me, it’s flown by. It’s hard to believe that a year ago, we were in Nimes, France, celebrating Christmas 2019 with my good friend Audra and her husband. Audra and I grew up in the same small town and attended the same small college. We have both ended up living in Europe, although Audra has gone native and will probably stay in France. I, on the other hand, will probably leave Europe at some point. Or, I’ll probably leave Germany, anyway. I don’t know when, and I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere.
I like living in Europe. I’m grateful we were able to move here well before the pandemic started. We’ve had a lot of fun over the past few years, despite some of the hassles. I don’t really miss life in the United States. I do miss a few people and some of the conveniences of living in my homeland, but the German lifestyle appeals to me. I like that life isn’t just about working. I like that the leaders seem to care about the citizenry. I like that our town is clean and the people are nice.
The weather could be better, but it’s not bad here. It’s noticeably milder these days than it was during our first time here. Of course, that’s probably because of global warming, which is kind of depressing. But in the meantime, global warming makes winters less snowy and icy, on the whole. We do have lots and lots of rain, and that’s turned our backyard into a sloppy mess. But it’s fenced in, and we have plenty of privacy. The dogs get to enjoy a few minutes out there to do their business without the need of a leash. We also have a really nice and considerate landlord. He likes dogs, and yesterday brought us three bottles of bubbly and a box of chocolates, as well as free firewood.
Bill and I have a lot to be grateful for, even if 2020 has been a most unusual and horrifying year for so many people. We did have some losses, but we’re both still basically healthy and happy… and a few genuinely great things happened, too. The highlight was Bill getting to see his daughter again after fifteen years and meeting his son in law and grandchildren.
Also… I think Noyzi the Kosovar street dog was meant to be our dog. He’s settling in well and enjoying being a pet with his own big, hairy bed, and his own private water bowl, because he doesn’t like drinking from the one in the kitchen. Noyzi and Arran aren’t buddies yet, but I have seen a few sparks of playfulness. He’s becoming a goofy clown. I notice he sniffs the air when something is cooking and he silently sneaks up behind me when it’s time for us to eat. I’ll feel his big nose tap me on the back as if to say, “Don’t forget the Nozyi snack tax.” It’s been very rewarding to watch him adapt and enjoy things that so many dogs love… like walks and treats and belly rubs.
Arran is still very spry and engaged with life, despite being about eleven years old. He still loves his walks, food, sleeping with us, and cuddling with Bill, who is his favorite person. I’m grateful that I caught him heading downstairs last night before we went to bed. He needed a potty break, big time!
Bill and I are also learning guitar. A year ago, I didn’t own a guitar. Now we have four of them, and Bill is shopping for an electric version. I was even talking about picking up bass guitar last night. If this pandemic goes on for much longer, I might have to go for it. I’ve managed to make some nice vocal recordings, too, even if they aren’t as popular as my blog is (which isn’t saying that much).
I’m also grateful to all of you who continue to read and comment on my stuff, even when I go a little off the rails. Thanks for giving me a reason to write. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas. I may or may not write tomorrow. Depends on how bored I get, and if inspiration strikes.
Our neighbor is giving stuff away. I was tempted by the wine pitcher. It doesn’t match the ones in my collection, though.In this neighborhood, it’s not uncommon to see people putting stuff out for the taking. One lady had a small library on the outside of her window sill for many weeks. If my German were better, I might have taken a couple of books.I don’t remember seeing people do this in BW.
So, as of tomorrow, Noyzi will have been in our lives for three weeks. I thought I’d offer an update for those who are interested. First of all, the name… I had been planning to change his name, but none of the names I was thinking of seemed suitable. It also occurred to me that he’s been through so many changes in the past month that it seemed cruel to force him to get used to a new name, too. So we decided to just call him Noyzi. We changed the spelling because “Noizy” was offending my grammar/spelling snob complex. Also, that’s how it was spelled by the vet in Kosovo (I’m assuming) who made their version of the pet passport.
This week, we took Noizy out for his very first walk outside of the backyard. The first walk was just halfway down the block. He submissively peed a couple of times before we got him out the front door. But once we got him on the leash, he did quite well and seemed to enjoy himself. Then, when we brought him back inside and Bill took Arran (our senior dog) for a longer walk, Noyzi finally ventured upstairs for the very first time. He was fascinated by the balconies!
Noyzi still pretty much stays in his little area of our living room, although he has been ranging more bravely into the foyer and dining room. He’s also taken to hanging out by the couch instead of the back door.
Bill is still a scary boogeyman to Noyzi. I get the sense maybe someone hit him with a belt or a leash, because until the past few days, he was petrified of the leash. And he peed on himself when Bill took off his belt. He also doesn’t like the broom, although I am hoping that after seeing what it’s used for and never using it to hit him, he’ll see that he doesn’t need to be so scared. This dog doesn’t like men very much. He’s not very trusting of anyone, but he definitely seems to prefer women. Hopefully, he’ll get used to Bill after a few more feedings which include homemade goodies– chicken, sweet potato, and green beans on top of kibble! He’s learning to appreciate treats, too. He takes them gently from me, the way Zane used to. But it wasn’t until he saw Arran eating them that he realized that’s what he’s supposed to do, too.
I’ve seen some evidence that Noyzi likes to play and would enjoy a play session, once he gets more confident. A few days ago, he even play bowed to me, although he’s so big that it’s not the best idea to play inside. Maybe at some point, we can take him to the dog park on post. He needs to learn to come to me more reliably, first. He also likes toys, but this week, he doesn’t seem to need to sleep with one in his bed. That is such a cute habit! It’s like he needs a teddy bear!
We did a couple of walks around the block this week, and this morning, Bill, Arran, and I took Noyzi on his very first trip around the full walking route of our neighborhood. He did extremely well. Yesterday, he got a little panicky when a German man who was carrying things got too close to him, but today, he was much better. In fact, he was calmer today on his walk than I’ve ever seen him. I was very proud of the way he was carrying himself, his powerful stride matching mine. He reminded me of a supermodel!
When we brought him back in the house this morning, he followed me upstairs, took a look around, then went back downstairs. I think I heard Arran bitching at him. It probably won’t be long before he starts hanging out with me in my office. In fact, as I write this, he’s hanging out in the upstairs hall.
Speaking of Arran, he’s handling this a lot better than I thought he would. He seems to understand that he hasn’t been replaced and, in fact, is now promoted to “big daddy dog”… or maybe “gramps”. He leaves Noyzi alone, except for when Noyzi encroaches too much. I expect there will eventually be a fight, and then it’ll be okay. Noyzi is super gentle and not at all alpha, anyway… or at least he doesn’t seem to be.
I noticed in videos I have of him as a puppy, he once seemed very confident and self-assured. I don’t think he’s naturally timid. I think maybe he’s experienced a lot of trauma, but he’s a quick learner and so sweet. He just wants to be loved and a member of the family.
A few of our neighbors met Noyzi today. One asked us about Zane. Bill explained that we lost Zane to cancer last year. I’m sure they were curious about where he was. I wonder where he is, too. :'( I still miss him, although Noyzi is turning out to be a very rewarding project. Best of all, he seems to have come to us mostly housetrained somehow. He prefers to do his business outside and seems to only need to go once or twice a day. He doesn’t mark or cock his leg, either. He’s a squatter!
Anyway… since COVID-19 is flaring up, I’m not so sure how much traveling and dining out we’ll be doing. But I think Noyzi will keep me plenty busy. It’s a good thing we went to get him this month. With the virus flareups going on, I don’t think we would have managed as easily if we had waited. Now we need to get him to the vet and checked in on post. Hopefully, he’ll have a chance to try out the Hunde Pension soon, so we can travel again… when the virus isn’t running amok, that is.
Arran gets reassurance…
Yes, you’re still top dog.
And you still have Bill.
Bill tries bonding with Noyzi.
Noyzi explores upstairs!
Not bad!
As I close this post, Bill and Arran are trying to negotiate around Noyzi, who has taken up residence on the steps. As Bill and Arran tried to pass him, he pooped a little. He seems to do that when he’s scared. At least he doesn’t do it in the bed, like Arran does sometimes. I have every confidence that he’ll be one of the gang very soon!
We’ve now had our new family member, “Noizy”, the street dog from Kosovo, for a week. Every day, he pushes his boundaries and explores new territories. Every day, he makes progress toward integrating with Bill, Arran, and me. And every day, he does something really cute and funny.
So far, Noizy has learned what a glass door is. When we brought him into the house last week, he bonked his head on the door several times before he realized that he can’t walk through it. He’s also learned that he can walk through the bug screen on the other door.
Noizy still hasn’t left the living room, but every day, his safe space gets bigger. He’s moved from the corner to two of the rugs. Today, he almost came into the dining area.
A couple of days ago, Noizy’s bed arrived. As soon as I set it up for him and put his favorite sheet on it, he claimed the bed. He has piled several toys on it. He doesn’t play with the toys. He just stacks them on the bed like they’re his friends. It’s so cute!
Noizy is terrified of the leash. Yesterday, he had his second lesson in our backyard. He peed on himself when he saw me with it. But once I put it on him, he did okay. He only reared up a couple of times. I felt like I was halter breaking a foal again. Haven’t done that in decades! I look forward to the day when he’s less terrified of the leash and we can take him for a walk. He needs the exercise, and so do I.
He was also afraid of the brush, although he did let me brush him and seemed to enjoy the process. We’re not quite ready to bathe him yet, since he won’t willingly leave the living room except to go outside. We don’t want to traumatize him further by forcing him to have a bath. But the brushing does help and I even noticed that he doesn’t smell as bad as he did a week ago. Being inside probably helps.
Last night, Bill made homemade dog food in the Instant Pot with chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, and green beans. He used to do that all the time when we still had Zane. Zane had mast cell cancer and needed a lot of protein. This time, he decided to make the food as a treat. Noizy is still afraid of Bill, although he’s getting better. I think the homemade food will go a long way in winning over his trust. He loved it! So did Arran, who has really been missing that special treat. Noizy was a bit reluctant to eat earlier in the week, but now he chows down with gusto.
One thing I’ve also noticed and really appreciated is that Noizy naturally seems to prefer doing his business outside. In the mornings, he goes out and squats down by the garden and takes a long whiz. He also drops his logs outside.
Yesterday, we used the robot mower to cut the grass. Noizy wasn’t too afraid of it, unlike our dearly departed Zane, who barked at it for hours before he finally realized it wasn’t an alien. The robot mower is good to have, because it’s very quiet, runs on clean energy, and has tiny blades. It’s very safe to use because if it bumps against something, it just changes direction.
I’m sure this could be the calm before the storm, but I have to admit this first week hasn’t been bad at all… I was expecting a lot more drama, especially from Arran. Incidentally, Arran went down to the living room over night and slept on the loveseat. I think he’s getting used to the new dog. They may even be friends soon. I hope I can take an adorable picture of them snuggling someday.
Above all, Noizy is just a sweet dog. He’s so loving and friendly, and it’s really been fun to watch him over the week. I think being an indoor pet suits him well.
I think this will be the last part of my tale. I’ve got bitching to do on my other blog, which has been neglected for a few days.
Our drive back to Germany was long, but relatively peaceful. Once we got through the Katschberg Pass in Austria, the weather cleared up a lot. We had sun, or at least just a few clouds, all the way back home to Wiesbaden. Since we had to do the whole drive in one shot, I’m really glad we did it on a Sunday. There’s road work going on that we noticed had backed up traffic for miles on the way down to Slovenia. Since it was Sunday, there was still a slight bottleneck, but it wasn’t nearly as horrible as it was on the way down. Here are some more photos from the drive…
In Slovenia, right by the Austrian border…
Another shot of that tank. If we hadn’t had the dogs, we would have had to stop and check it out. Bill used to drive tanks in the Army.
That cool waterfall…
The non-close up version. I loved the tiered presentation. Too bad there was no way to stop for a better look.
Reminds me of Frog Road near Panzer Barracks in Stuttgart.
There’s always something look at in Austria.
Chiemsee… we would have stopped there if Bill hadn’t been summoned to court.
We made several stops but, following Meg’s advice, we didn’t attempt to take Noizy out. He’s still working on walking on the leash. When the rain stops, I’ll be giving him a few lessons. He’s going to be needing some exercise soon, although he’s so far seemed content to lie down in a corner of our living room, right by the doors to the garden. Speaking of the garden, I’m really glad we have one and it has a very tall fence surrounded by hedges. Noizy is about the size of a small deer and could probably jump pretty high if he wanted to. Arran is also a high jumper, but he’s way smaller than Noizy is.
So… now we’ve had our new family member for two days. He’s already blown my mind by being a super fast learner.
Bear in mind, when he lived in Kosovo, Noizy resided at a “pension”, which is not like the pensions one might find in Germany. He lived with a bunch of dogs on a farm and they were outside all the time, fed communally. He’s never been trained, hence why he still needs to learn how to walk on a leash. And although he’s very friendly and sweet, he’s not used to living with people. He’s also not very alpha at all, despite being so big. Arran easily dominates him, and Arran is not a particularly alpha dog, either.
When we first brought him into the house, Noizy seemed very confused by the glass doors. I have a sense that he’s never seen glass before. He tried to walk through the glass when he first came into the house and it took a couple of bonks on the face before he realized that I have to open the door for him. One of the doors has a holey mosquito screen thing put there by a prior tenant (it needs replacing). At first, Noizy had no idea what to make of that at all. But after he saw Arran go through it once or twice, he caught on that he can do the same thing.
The first night, Noizy was obsessed with being outside. I think it’s because that was what he knows best. However, in less than 24 hours, he seems to have figured out that being inside isn’t so bad. It’s warm and dry. Now, he gets upset if I close the door when he’s in the yard. He comes right back inside and curls up on his makeshift bed.
Noizy is still pretty scared of Bill, who is probably one of the gentlest men on the planet. But he’s pretty much at ease with me, and loves it when I pet him. When I approach him, his little stumpy tail wags and I can see in his eyes that he wants affection. He’s also learned to trust me enough to roll on his back for belly rubs, which he clearly adores. I knew he liked them because Meg sent me a video of him getting a belly rub from a boy in Kosovo. Still, I can tell this isn’t just him being submissive and showing me his belly. He trusts me enough to let me rub it.
Although he hasn’t wanted to leave his corner yet, he is a lot more relaxed than he was. He is also slowly getting braver and exploring more of the living room. Arran barks at him to keep away from me, especially when food is around, but I don’t think his sternness is going to last. Eventually, they’ll have to work something out.
I have been most impressed by Noizy at night. I was worried about him sleeping alone. Arran sleeps with us, as all of our dogs except CC have done. Noizy is way too big for the bed, though, and he needs a bath something awful (that will be a two person job for sure). He also hasn’t been brave enough to visit the other floors in the house, where the bathing facilities are. In any case, when it’s bed time, so far he’s just curled up on the little bed he’s made and been quiet all night. He doesn’t move from his spot. I have yet to find any pee spots. Arran is notorious stealth pee-er. Noizy has done almost all of his business outside, with the exception of a couple of submission pees. However… I can see that we’re going to go through a lot more shit bags, because Noizy’s poops are big, like he is!
I’m trying to teach him to use the dog bed. It’s not quite big enough for him, but our other dogs never used it much. Once he learns what it’s for, we’ll get him one of his own and station it somewhere away from the doors to the backyard.
Settling in…
Getting used to the door was a challenge.
He loves that crappy rug.
Arran needs reassurance that we still love him.
Post belly rub!
Noizy has also learned to eat and drink from a bowl. Based on how he eats, I get the sense that he had to wolf his food down because of other dogs being around. Now, he’s learning that he can relax. Just today, I convinced him to try a dog treat. Arran loves them, but Noizy wasn’t so sure until he finally tasted one. I am hoping he’ll like the treats because they will help in training him. He’s definitely not very food oriented, though. He didn’t even want a little bit of chicken I offered him.
I look forward to teaching him to walk nicely on the leash so we can take walks. I’m sure my neighbors will be astonished when they see him. He really is quite a sight. I have a feeling he is going to go down as one of the most special dogs I’ve ever had. Just his story is amazing. He could have easily died on a street in Kosovo, a tiny puppy taken from his mom too young in a country where people don’t really care for dogs very much.
Instead, he was handed over to Meg, who had no idea what he would grow up to be. Meg has told us that Noizy represents hope to her. The young man who gave him to her didn’t know where else to take him, but didn’t want to see him die. That young man gave him an amazing chance. What were the odds that the tiny puppy left for dead would end up being adopted by Americans in Germany?
I’ve often thought about that with our other dogs, too… all of whom (with the exception of CC) have lived in Germany. What are the odds that these dogs, born in rural America and tossed away, would end up living in Germany?
In any case, I’m sure we will have our challenges. Noizy is not like any dog I have ever had in my life. But he is just such a sweetheart and so eager to please. I am delighted to finally know him after six months of waiting. It was worth everything to get him here. And so many people deserve a hearty thanks for making it happen.
One final matter… Yesterday, Bill reported to the German court, as requested. He saw the pet taxi driver who had caused the death of Jonny, the first dog we hoped to adopt over here. She didn’t acknowledge Bill at all and seemed completely nonchalant and callous about the whole thing. It turned out the magistrate, who had been the one who had answered the phone last week when Bill called to tell them he’d need an interpreter, had supposedly told Bill he didn’t need to come to court. She also said there was a letter, which there hasn’t been yet. In any case, Bill made the trip for nothing and it turned out we hadn’t needed to rush back to Germany, after all. Also, Bill noticed that everyone was dressed very casually. Even the magistrate wore jeans. Bill had put on a coat and tie. Ah well. We’ll close the book on that whole situation. We have our new family member now, and I think it was meant to be. And if Jonny hadn’t died, we wouldn’t have Noizy… who is a unique delight in every way.
I’m still not sure what we’re going to do about Noizy’s name. He comes from Kosovo, though, which is mostly made up of people who are ethnic Albanians. My German friend says there is an Albanian rapper named Noizy. Noizy was named because of the screeches he made when he was calling out for help as a little puppy, but he’s now a very quiet dog… but I hate to put him through yet another change. He’s already adapted to so much. I can’t wait to see him turn into a confident, happy house dog. I’ll be sure to keep updating this blog as that inevitably happens.
You must be logged in to post a comment.