Hank Is Adopted!

When we went to the shelter to pick up a litter of puppies, in the quietest corner of a shared kennel, a 7-9 year-old German Shorthaired Pointer mix rested beside two companions. There was no barking, no frantic energy—just a calm presence, quietly waiting for something to change. His name was Hank.

Hank was found alone on a trail, his ribs visible beneath a thin coat, the kind of weariness that only comes from too many days on his own. While the puppies spun and tumbled in a blur of motion, Hank watched with quiet eyes—easy, gentle, content to let the world move around him. He was the sort of dog who had nothing left to prove.

We couldn’t leave him.

At California GSP Rescue, it’s a familiar story. The puppies draw the crowds, while the seniors wait in the background, overlooked. But the truth is, dogs like Hank are the quiet treasures of rescue—steady, wise, and ready to give their hearts. All he wanted was a soft place to land, and a quiet corner to call his own.

Roberta and Rob are long time adopters, supporters and friends of the California GSP Rescue. Having adopted several dogs from us, and able to manage every dog they embraced into their hearts and home, when they reached out about Hank, we couldn’t have been happier. We were still learning about Hank, and didn’t know anything about his past, but Roberta and Rob were committed to Hank and welcomed him into their family. Shortly after going home, Roberta and Rob did some digging, and uncovered a few things about Hank that surprised us! You won’t believe what they discovered!

One week update:

“Hi Miss Teri,

Hank here.  My new mom said I needed to send you an update on how things are going.  So here I am!

I am doing ok, but my new mom says I have a LOT of baggage, and that it'll take time to be able to put all that baggage behind me.  

Just today, it was garbage truck day, and the big trucks really scared me. I had to trot around the backyard a lot, and then hid in my number one safe spot inside a bunch of yuccas way back in the yard. Nobody can really see me in there, so I feel ok. I came out after the trucks left, but they definitely upset me.

When I first arrived last week, it was very scary.  Doorways frighten the heck out of me, so it took me days before I would come inside the house. Mom and Dad keep the backdoor open all day, so I am now happy to come inside whenever I want. Even better, I can leave whenever something scares me, like ceiling fans, something called the tv, and loud noises. The front door and the side door to the garage still scare the crap outta me, and it'll take some more time to get over that.

And I don't do stairs.  We don't talk about those.

Mom and Dad make me sleep inside the house, which is a totally new experience for me. I would much prefer to be outside at night, but that's 'non-negotiable' according to them.  Something about lots of coyotes and an occasional mountain lion....they have no idea what I have already survived on my own.  But, I did discover what a dog bed is, and my goodness, sleeping on that is really wonderful.

I have pooped overnight inside the house 3 times this week. When mom comes downstairs in the morning, she cleans it up and says 'it's not the first time, and not the last time a dog has pooped in my house.'  Evidently, it's no big deal. I hope to be able to hold it all night soon.

Mom did a lot of ordering for me this week:  dog license, new embroidered collar, microchip registration, a new walking harness, and a DNA test. Mom is very excited to get the results of that test, because she's convinced I'm a Coonhound.  She says 'that dog don't hunt' a lot.   

I'm getting along well with the pack that lives here. Tracker, Mom and Dad miss someone named Dillon a lot.  They are still sad. Seems Dillon taught Tracker how to be a good boy, and now he's trying his best to adjust to my presence. I do not want to be pack leader at all, and Tracker is figuring out how this 'pack dynamic' stuff works.  Chloe, the pretty female GSP, only wants to hunt. She pays no attention to me at all. And Raymie is a year older than I am, so he just lays around a lot and watches Mom do stuff. He's a Cattle Dog mix, so what do you expect.  

All in all, a good first week. No fights, no blood. Since I'm so easy going, I don't expect any conflicts in the future. I haven't integrated into the pack yet, but I'm inching my way there. Soon, I hope to feel confident enough to let loose the song of my Coonhound heritage!

Love,

Hank

aka Hankypants”     

One Month Update

“Hank is doing great.  Definitely a working dog. He still has reluctance with being inside the house. He's just now trying his hand at running upstairs to the bedrooms. He will eventually get comfortable being up there, but I think it's just too far away from a quick escape to the backyard for him. He much prefers being outside, and napping in one of about a dozen little holes he's dug in the backyard. Perfectly fine with us, whatever he needs to do to feel comfortable.  

He has accepted that he has to sleep inside at night, but he's stays downstairs next to the back door.  No more pee/poop waiting for us in the mornings, for which I am infinitely grateful. 

It's been a real treat to get to know him. Happily, he has zero aggression and no interest in jumping the fence.  Rob says his walks with Hank alone in the mornings are a delight.  

Hank is definitely a whole new vibe for the house.

The dude abides......

Roberta”   

Two Month Update on Hank, the American Foxhound

“Hank is adapting well to becoming the newest Carr Dog.  It's very obvious that Hank lived his entire 7 years as a working dog, without any meaningful connections to humans. In fact, when he first arrived, humans (us) were to be avoided.    

Home life was completely baffling to him. Fortunately, the television, computer, ceiling fans and garbage trucks no longer make him sprint for the backyard. He made a big shift about a week ago, and is now much more comfortable being inside the house, as well as being more comfortable with us.  

Have to be honest: He has been a challenge, and it's taken a lot to re calibrate our thinking to meet his needs.  But, 2 months of a lot of patience and time are seeing positive results:  This week, he actually responded to his name for the first time. 

He is a naturally good natured and a happy dog, no aggression, and extremely easy to walk on the leash.  His 'chase me' games with Tracker and Chloe are fun to watch. He has added a lovely bass note to the frequent Howling Dog Parties. And, he has suspended digging any more holes in the backyard, happy to use the several that he's already dug. His latest quirk is to sneak blankets, socks, towels, etc outside and stuff them in his holes.   

Instead of the hard tile floor, he's choosing to sleep on a soft couch now.....a joy to see.   

We celebrated 4 days ago, when he chose willingly, by himself, to come inside the house for the night.  

His transition to 'spoiled house dog with full benefits package' is ongoing, and it's been definitely a worthwhile challenge for Rob and me to be able to give him the time/space he needs to adapt to an easy retirement. 

American Foxhounds were a complete mystery to us, since we're GSP people.  And it was a bit unnerving for me to have a new dog be so reluctant to accept attention from us.  Evidently, in his working life or in the month he was a stray, humans were not his friends.  

But those memories are finally melting away, he is transitioning well to this completely new environment, and we're finally able to see what an absolute goofball he is.  

We are certainly enjoying getting to know Hank.  

He's definitely worth it”!