Noah and the Puppy

The Paint Horse Link's Message Board Noah and the Puppy Wednesday, 11-Aug-1999 20:21:37 Jill writes:

Ok...2 people asked for it, so here it is....As you'll remember from our previous story, my yearling colt by Hot Scotch Man, Noah, had just learned his lesson about the burning barrel, and the disadvantages of baby diapers.....Well, our boy in a horse suit, had other things up his hoof cuffs.....

Noah always stays right beside us whenever we are around...he has to hear, see, touch, lick, and since birth has been broke to lead by just following us everywhere..."Why do I need a rope Mom...I'm going wherever you do..."....anyway, one day we are doing chores and petting everyone, and Noah, who is with us, unless he just momentarily goes to play with his horse buddy Wilbur...to play tug of war with a piece of hose they salvaged prior to the burning barrel incident...won't come from the side of the barn...he is totally intent upon something around the corner of the barn...I was busy, and kept looking from a distance, but didn't see anything...I figured there was something back there he wanted to play with, and I'd get it for him in a little bit...

Finally, he kept coming up to my helper and I, nosing us, and then walking back to the corner of the outside of the barn. I couldn't imagine what was keeping him from being right in the big middle of things and from Wilbur, who he kept pinning his ears back at whenever Wilbur came close to his station at the corner. Now Noah had never, ever, even as half-hearted as an attempt it was, pinned his ears in his life.

He finally walks behind the barn while I'm still pondering all this, and it was like.."Look, if you can't come help me, and get over here this minute, I'm just going to have to show you myself.." He looked back over his shoulder at me, and I see him lean down and put his head near the ground and I start towards him thinking this could be dangerous for him. About the time I get close...I see that he has something in his mouth...very gently holding a very scared, plump puppy in his teeth, he had the puppy by the nape of the neck, just like a mama dog....and his lil ol eyes were looking at me like "See mom...he needs help and he is scared cuz we're so much bigger". My helper said that Noah had been there awhile before I got there, and he just hadn't had a chance to inspect either. Noah was keeping the puppy out of the way of danger so he wouldn't get stepped on, thus the reason he didn't want his best pal Wilbur over there.

Noah is holding this puppy, who is very still, right in my face. I take the puppy and pet him and Noah starts licking the pup...I swear I'm not making this up....I thought that maybe the pup was hurt, and Noah was trying to tell me that too, so my helper was going to take the pup to his house and check him out.

Now Noah also always has to say good-bye thru the window, and has been known to get his front hoofs inside the drivers floor board to get his kiss....(I know..its pitiful..). Well, Noah has his face right up against the pup's and follows Rusty all the way to the car, and Rusty puts the pup in his lap. Noah is still licking the pup to make sure he is ok...and then looks up at the ceiling inside the truck...has his head against the ceiling and starts to try to put a back hoof up to step on in, but is looking like "now when I jump on in here, where am I going to put my head...?"...you can see his mind working... Rusty says "Noah, you can't get in here, I'll check the pup and give it some food and I'll be back". He gets Noah out of the truck...rolls up the window, and starts down the road... Noah is throwing a total hissy fit...he is running beside the truck, getting too close, and is really distressed. I make Rusty stop, and Noah won't calm down until Rusty gets back out with the pup.

We go to his house, get the dog house, food bowl, and take the pup back to the side of the barn and Noah takes guard duty right back up. We had to feed Noah beside the dog bowl, he wouldn't even leave the pup to eat....he slept by the dog house....he never let any of the others get close to his pet.

This went on for weeks, and we had the vet check him out to make sure he wasn't hurt, had his shots and vac's done so Noah wouldn't catch anything. Finally one day, Noah was out playing with Wilbur again, and the pup had wandered off. We found it, at the neighbors across the fence with their kids. It still runs up to the fence and he and Noah play running back and forth and greet each other....

….Thought that was a cute Noah story...he's a real character!!

Jill