Monday, July 2, 2007

"Are they wild pigs?....."

Despite the lack of big, strong men to help us load, Kenny and I finally finished packing the trailer at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. After a quick nap, we loaded the dogs and bird, and rolled out of the driveway at 3:00 a.m.
Traveling with a lot of dogs means that I have to occasionally stop to fill the car and drain the dogs and kid (if you know what I mean). In order to accomplish this in a time efficient manner, I set up portable runs and let the dogs out all at once. Because Schipperkes (pronounced Skip-er-keys) are an uncommon breed, it is not unusual for other travelers to come over and see the dogs.
Now these are dogs. They bark. Their bark sounds like a bark. They act like dogs. So I was totally unprepared for the couple who approached us yesterday and asked "Are those wild pigs....you know, javalinas?" Hmmmmm....

A schipperke looks like this....


A javalina looks like this......


Again. This.......

......Not this.

Even after chatting with the couple and explaining that they were dogs, they remained unconvinced. As they walked away, they said they had never heard of Schipperkes and they knew every breed of dog there was. Oh well, obviously not.
We crossed into Washington state at 8:30 p.m. and arrived home about 10:30 p.m. Tomorrow we unload and I can get down to some serious knitting.

12 comments:

Sharon said...

Wild pigs?! Oi! What flamin' ignoramuses. Schipperkes (thanks for the pronunciation; I was mispronouncing) are beautiful dogs. I have been approached by cretins who wondered if my dog was a "rat on a leash" and insisted on pronouncing "dachshund" as "dash-hound." The unenlightened can be so tiresome...

oh, and welcome home!

Mel said...

Y'know, I could feel the wind as you passed by. (That is the shot of the bridge into The Couv, if I'm not mistaken?) You must'a been cookin' to make it home that quick.

Tina T-P said...

Those little dogs are cute - I don't think I have ever seen one before - and I definately was pronouncing it wrong LOL.

Don't some people make you wonder though? Wild Pigs? Oh, my - Glad you made it home safely. T.

sophanne said...

O.k. so that is mostly hysterical. A mistake from a great distance, maybe. Hope they have google at home. Did you spell it for them?

Kiki said...

I won't pretend to have heard the dog breed of Schipperke before, but I can certainly tell that they are dogs and not wild porcine-type animals...perhaps the inquisitive couple had engaged in a little early July 4th libation? Love your blog template, by the way ;)

Jamie said...

Zowie! Wild Pigs, just the traveling companions I'd choose. :) Obviously there are a few dog breeds they've missed, or maybe they shouldn't be allowed to drive without corrective lenses?

Welcome back to WA, just in time for all the sun!

Anonymous said...

They don't look at all like wild pigs to me! Kenny sounds like quite the kid. Thanks for your note on my blog :)

Yarnhog said...

Wild pigs?! Takes all types, I guess. I used to have a pound puppy that I always thought was a basic mutt. After seeing your pictures, I wouldn't be surprised if he were all or mostly Schipperke. He looked just like that, only he had a white patch on his chest.

mzjohansen said...

I have a friend who has 4 Schipperkes - Great DOGS! Quite a carvan you had going !

Anonymous said...

What a funny story. Schipperkes are one of my favorites because of their spunkiness. If my husband goes first I'm replacing him with a schipperke. :)

Sachi said...

I seriously have this exact same picture from when I moved back home last September. Such a great feeling when you see the sign, no?

Anonymous said...

I'm the one with 4 schipperkes mentioned above. I've had people ask me if they were pot-bellied pigs, cats, and wolves! I do animal assisted therapy work with mine so they get out and about a lot. People often ask, "What kind of dog is that?" "A schipperke." "What's a schipperke?" "Well, that's a schipperke." "Oh, what's that?" "It's a schipperke!"
I love my kids.