Cabell Dog

Someone asked about Cabell, specifically about his breed. That's a very good question. Actually, we know more about Cabell than we know about some mixed breed dogs because Cabell's mother was known and she was a Saint Bernard. What else has gone into Cabell's make up is pure conjecture, but it came out very nicely.

We got Cabell as a pup from Animal Connections, which is how we got involved with that group. We had Gypsy, Vito, and Jack in those days and had gone into Pet Supplies Plus in Charlottesville to buy food. Animal Connections was there and we ended up with Cabell. Really it was Clay's idea, not mine, to adopt another at that time. Gypsy needed a friend (someone to boss around) because Vito and Jack pretty much hung out together and tried to ignore her.

In writing this post, I realized I didn't have many good pictures of Cabell. When I took the camera downstairs to redress that problem, I discovered why. Cabell is very camera shy.

He has a wonderful, very toothy, smile, and a world class tail. He and Gypsy play very roughly, we call it Cabell-style play, but he doesn't hurt other dogs and he's sweet and gentle with everyone. He's a good dog to have on your side in a fight, however, and he will immediately jump to Gypsy's defense if she starts something with another dog.

Cabell leads the singing at our house. A group howl never really gets started unless he takes it up. He has a lovely voice, which blessedly, he uses sparingly. Cabell is also an excellent predictor of bad weather. When bad weather approaches he will retreat to the space under the stairway (the Cabell Cave) or into the tiny bathroom under the stairs where he tries to hide behind the toilet.

Because of his original foster home, he absolutely adores women and children, and the poor guy has neither in his life now. When we go to the vet, I make sure he sees a female vet and vet techs, because he's unbelievably cooperative with them.

Cabell is a dog we can take anywhere, but he's very low-key, mellow, and non-demanding. In horse terms, he's an "easy keeper." It's hard to believe, but he's nine years old now. He's showing some gray but looks good and seems very healthy. We love him.

One of Cabell's grandmothers used to speak disparagingly about his looks. I won't mention Clay's mother's name to spare her the angry emails, but we think he's very handsome. His coat is the color of a ripe wheat field and his eyes are like honey. What's not to like?

p.s. What's the story with the name, you ask? If you were from this part of Virginia you wouldn't need to ask. It's a fairly common name around here, both as a given name and as a surname.