Happy Birthday Spot 

Spot is our awesome, once-upon-a-time-needing-to-be-rescued, GSP. We think he is the best dog in the world, we love him to bits and spoil him rotten.

He joined us 3 years ago on Good Friday of 2019. Since we don’t know his date of birth, we decided to celebrate his birthday, together with his Adoptaversary, every Good Friday.

In honour of his special day, today, I would like share Spot’s story (as it was originally featured on the GSP Gauteng Club Calendar Blog). Spot, over to you:

Spot’s the name. Yup. I know. Right?

Okay, now that that’s outta the way, we can move on? Great!

Next? Right again. I’m a bit of a medley, so I’m just making a guest appearance here, really. They say I’m a cross. Weird. Doesn’t feel like it, but who am I to disagree? I’ve learnt that one doesn’t always have to understand everything. Something about a Springer I hear them say. Well, I do like jumping so there must be something to it. 

When it’s all said and done, I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky kinda guy-dog and have every reason to be. I live a privileged inside-dog life. These days.

But it wasn’t always like that. That’s my previous life. Although, to be completely honest, I don’t remember much of those days anymore. Just that it was different. I was scared a lot then. 

You see, I’m all chilled and pokerface until bad weather comes around. I hate thunderstorms. Don’t know what it is, but it makes me go all shaky-shake. One day, during one of those really bad storms and when I thought the evil thunder spirits were coming to get me, I ran. And ran. And ran. And ran some more.

Anywhooo, next thing I was in this other place with lots of other dogs. It was still pretty scary cause I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, or what to expect next… but all the hoomans were really nice.

And then one day, while I was sitting outside with one of my favourite hoomans, some new hoomans arrived. Everything got very exciting and from the moment I felt them, I knew good things where about to happen. I just knew. And, as it was Good Friday, it turned out to be the Best Friday of my life. 

The new hoomans took me with them in their car! At first I was really scared because I don’t like change. When we arrived at their house, they showed me around. There was a beeeg bed on the floor, bowls with water, food, snacks and lots of other things. There was even a big green out the back. I was free to be inside and the hoomans kept on saying “home” to me. 

Because until then everything had been so unpredictable and stressful, it took sometime for me to understand, especially for a guy like me who likes routine over everything. But I got it, eventually.

And, guess what, almost three years later, I’m still here. First it was three days, then three weeks and then three months… it got better and better all the time. They kept on bringing me more things. I didn’t know what to do with them at first. The best I could think of was to lay on them, but that wasn’t very comfortable. Silly me. Now I know that they are “toys” and I “play” with them. It’s pretty fun actually. I lie… “pretty fun”, who am I trying to kid?

There’s this ball… okay okay, ANY ball – just hearing that bounce makes me go bonkers. Stupid really, but yeah… a dog’s gotta do what a dog’s gotta do… it’s like I was born to run and fetch. Hmmm… 

Long story short, it’s My Home now. And my Hoomans are now my favourite hoomans. They love me so much that it was quite easy for me to settle down.

And you know what else… They give me snacks. When I sit. Just like that. Every day!

Okay my lady hooman gets a bit much sometimes because she just doesn’t stop taking photos of me… … but she always feeds me. So I guess it’s a fair trade off. Twice a day I hear the sound from the place where all the good smells come from, and that makes me drool. On the clock. German time. Just the way I like it too.

And when I get scared these days, which I still do quite a lot (I know, sorry, I just can’t help it), they wrap me up in this nice jacket that holds me tight and they protect me from the evil thunderstorm spirits. I’m a lucky guy-dog. 

Speaking of luck – have I mentioned that I have a bed like everywhere? I lost count, well… counting isn’t my strong point anyway I guess… so don’t hold me to it, but there’s at least … so many… I never even sleep on the ground anymore. Even though I’m inside. Someone pinch me please!

Best of all though, my hoomans take me to the big green every day. I love it so much. Running! Fetching the ball! It’s the best you know. I even dream of it at night!

Oh and, a bit of an embarrassing one, I was a tad scared of the water that you can’t see to the bottom of that’s in the big green. But, what da ya know, I got over that and now., NOW I EVEN SWIM! and, I tell ya, swimming, swimming – that’s something else. You should try it sometime. I hear them say fish-dog.

Like I said, lucky me, living it up! Who would have thought 🥰 But, it’s much more than that. My hoomans love me. They really do. And I am always with them. Everywhere. And I tell ya, that’s just everything!

Thanks for sticking around to read my story!

Yours in happy paws, Spot

If you want to keep up with my adventures (and you guessed it, there are plenty!) head over to the place of many pictures and follow along! It’ll be worth your while 😉 www.instagram.com/spotinjozi

And if you enjoyed this story, here’s another one of my adventures: https://express.adobe.com/page/0aBhIuu84wtuy/