He made me wonder what exactly his life had been like. I know it was hard, but how hard?

I have one like that, Bruce. When she arrived here she'd been hurt, probably a glancing blow by a vehicle. She also had a bite, probably from another dog. Mutual adoption is what we did here--she'd been chased off by various neighbors for a number of weeks, and lived mostly in the prairie eating bugs and nuts and grass. She still loves all of that. She was out during some heavy thunderstorms that spring, and she hates them. Now, when it starts to rain she heads around the corner into the garage stall I built, complete with two hay-filled dog houses and a tarp over the top to keep warmth in in winter. She curls up happily and goes to sleep.

Walks at night were almost impossible at first, because if vehicles passed the lights terrified her. I think she was hit by a car at night near the bridge on a busy road across the large woodlot near us. I got her over that--during the day we walked and if a car came by, I told her to sit. Over time we walked later into the evenings, and if a vehicle passed, her response was to sit, not to strain at the leash in panic.

Her companion came from the Humane Society after hurricane Katrina, when the local dogs were moved out quickly to take in storm dogs. She is a cross between catahoula and blue heeler. She was probably a pampered puppy who grew into an annoying big puppy and her owners didn't take time with her, instead getting rid of her when she was past the little "cute" stage. She has a beautiful face, black merle coat, and is slim as a whippet, though on a larger scale, deep chested. So I have a pure breed, American Staffordshire Terrier, who terrifies some people by the name of her breed, but who is simultaneously charismatic and draws attention. The other is sweet and dopey and jealous that people don't also want to pet her as much. Together they're my back yard pack and we love going on walks, especially this time of year when they can munch on acorns and pecans to their hearts' content.

I just looked up the Louisiana catahoula. Wikipedia says "Catahoulas have been bred more for temperament and ability than for appearance. As a result, the physical characteristics of the Catahoula are somewhat varied." I think, if you're going to breed a dog intentionally, these are much better reasons. Catahoulas are working dogs. If you follow the link to "Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials, it says "In this particular event, dogs are judged on their containment and control of the boar and their style of baying. The better "hog dogs" bay directly at the boar's face to gain control of the boar. The sharpest voices are considered best. Two dogs compete and the one with the sharper or more shrill voice will be judged as having the better bay. If a boar runs from the the dogs, they may nip the boar to make him stop. The dog has 10 seconds to stop and contain the boar and begin baying again. A significant number of points can be lost by the dog if the boar is not contained within 10 seconds." (The site also says the dogs wear Kevlar vests and extra-wide collars to protect them from the boars).

My girl Poppy, she has the voice of an operatic soprano. She can bay like nobody's business. So we try to keep her happy, so she doesn't do it. You should have heard the ruckus at the back gate over the weekend when a pack of coyotes came visiting at about 2am. Whew!

SRS