Otis, my dog

Midway through the 7th decade of my life, I acquired Otis, my first dog, literally by accident. The last of my many beloved cats had died a few months earlier. I decided no more pets for me. Then one day a pack of dogs ran in front of my car. Otis, the last one, didn't make it before I could stop. I hit him and broke his leg. People nearby said he was a stray that they had been feeding. They didn't have a vet but said they would take care of it. Being in the country, I figured (and later confirmed) that they were going to shoot him so I asked if I could take him to my vet.

His broken leg was pinned for four months. (Last three photos in the set.) The cost was more than I probably would have paid if I had wanted to buy a purebred dog, but it has been worth every penny. He is an absolutely wonderful dog - doesn't have one bad habit to speak of and is smart as a whip. He even has a YouTube video of him doing several of his tricks that was posted by a friend of mine. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPuKPR1_9DA) And, of course, he is spoiled rotten.

I finally had him DNA tested. He is 25% Labrador retriever. At the request of the testers, I submitted more information and they ran more panels. Their conclusion was that he could possibly be 12.5% boxer and 12.5% American Staffordshire terrier. That leaves 50% a mystery. The mystery half must be small dogs, because Otis is smaller than the ones identified in the DNA test.

I suspect because of his habit of jumping straight up in the air when excited and his obsessive penchant for chasing after and digging for small critters that he may have rat terrier or Jack Russell in him. Also, his huge ears make me wonder if a Chihuahua isn't in the mix somewhere, too.

Midway through the 7th decade of my life, I acquired Otis, my first dog, literally by accident. The last of my many beloved cats had died a few months earlier. I decided no more pets for me. Then one day a pack of dogs ran in front of my car. Otis, the last one, didn't make it before I could stop. I hit him and broke his leg. People nearby said he was a stray that they had been feeding. The…  (read more)

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