The Podyssey Continues...

[HangingOver]

Roll up roll up, jump aboard and settle in, it's somehow Pod Thread No. 5!

In case you’re new/concerned/here by accident:
This is a frankly astonishly long running thread about a glorious rescue Podenco known as Pod, who crashlanded into our lives in October 2024. Star of the show, menace to society and constant headache to his Mum Hanging, who has aged visibly since thread 1.

Featuring recurring characters including (but not limited to): Long Suffering DP, Stanley, Bug, Hippo and GentleHowl❗(collectively known as 'The Terror Squad'), BabyPod, Hump‼️, Fastest and newpodsontheblock Squiggle and BarkyMcBarkface (known collectively as 'The Pod Squad'), and random extra pals, Hippo II, Jalfrezi and Ridgebacks I - IX (exact number of Ridgebacks unclear).

Here is thread No .4 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5319893-for-the-love-of-pod?page=1

Here is thread No. 3 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5248472-they-love-a-bit-of-him-podlife?page=1

Here is thread No. 2 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5197068-the-pod-cast?page=1

And thread No. 1 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5177112-oh-my-giddy-god?page=1

FAQs:

Why does this dog have his own thread?
Because he is a lot

Who is this thread for?
Anyone considering/stuck with a teenage/rescue/sighthound/podenco/chaos goblin and thinking “how hard can it really be?”, come, read from the beginning... observe the emotional arc... posts may swing wildly between euphoria, despair, pride, exhaustion and intense love often within the same 24 hours.

Seriously though, there is A LOT of excellent, sage advice from various doggie experts on this thread (to whom me and Pod are eternally grateful) and if you're in a pit on despair, it might give you some much needed hope.

Pic of the handsome derp in question attached for tax (I think he looks extra derpy in this one)

❗GentleHowl has recently been relegated to simply Howl due to ongoing refusal to engage in personal growth
‼️GentleBounce has also been rechristened due to his obsession with creating babies with Pod, despite clear lack of consent or basic biology

Derpy without a doubt, but still gorgeous.😙

Thank you for the new thread...isn't he gorgeous.

So pleased to see a new thread! You're both fantastic.
I took have a rescue sighthound, Saluki Lurcher X, but actually turns out that he's a dream of a dog.
Happy New Year Hanging and Pod from Hussie and Hunter!

I'm really not sure how I, as more a cat person than a dog person, have ended up on a series of dog threads, but here I am again

You can't mention such things without a photo!

I am also a cat slave and haven't had a dog since I was a child, I'd love one but the cat would disagree and also I cant get up early or walk very far due to health issues so I'd need a similarly disabled dog and one hasn't presented itself yet...

SilverBlue is right of course but I don’t want to derail Hanging’s thread.

He's a stunner!

Oh hello cutiepatootie!!!

Hello new thread and Happy New Year to the most beauteous Pod ❣️

Also I hope you know I'll be documenting every single stupid thought that goes through my brain in the run up to Pod Reunion and I will also film it for the gram even though it's likely to be hugely anti-climactic on Pod's side.

I have 18 hours on a plane and then a 4 hour train journey to get myself in a state of extreme/tearful anticipation (jet-lag makes me cry for reasons unknown).

I am picturing the response the dogs give in those videos where their owners come back from war and the dog flings themself on the soldier, howling and moaning in ecstasy.

What I strongly suspect will actually happen is Pod will do polite acknowledgment, stare lovingly at the waving staff as I drive off, stick his stupid head through the centre console the whole drive home (wherewegoingwherewegoingwherewegoing), wolf a meal and collapse on the sofa all whilst giving me his two cold shoulders.

BUT, but but but but.... then I will sneakily squidge in next to him in the evening with the forbidden fluffy blank, and as hard as he tries he won't be able to resist putting his lovely head in my lap, then as sleepiness overcomes him, he will eventually get up, circle several times, and fling his whole body on top of me and start snoring. And i will stroke his lovely ears and tell him he's lovely and my best friend and then I'll be forgiven.

I got a very underwhelming welcome back from my dog when I had been away for a week. She initially got excited and came up to me with a very wiggly bum then got sidetracked by the total stranger standing next to me, who she decided was her long lost bestest friend ever 🙄

Pod has been making some friends on his holiday.

The dachshund is like a teeny tiny sausage lookalike 😊 They are having a fabulous romp.

I know! It looks like they're saying "This is embarrassing, we have the same outfit on".

That first pic is hilarious.

They look so similar-sort of😂

Lads today is THE DAAY!!!

I just got into Heathrow after a four thousand year flight. 25 degrees temperature change. West London looking especially ugly today.

Pod reunion countdown is ON.

Oh I hope he is so pleased to see you…on the other hand he may just ignore you…….🤞🏻🤞🏻

Saw your holiday photos on Insta. That looked amazing over there and like you had so much fun! No wonder you had a 25 degree temp change arriving back, lol.

I hope that His Podness is happy to see you and doesn’t do too many happy chomps of you.

Pod reunion video live 🥹

Will post a proper update when I remember how to type.

That's so lovely!😍

Hard to tell who is most delighted to see the other!

Video was awesome! Both of you looked very happy to be together again. Very impressed by his leap to see through the door.

Has he destroyed anything yet in his happiness at being back together?

Dyou it was so so weird, I was so happy to see him but when she handed him over I suddenly also felt this huge wave of fear/responsibility if that makes sense... A bit like when he first came home with me.

SO, report from the kennels was excellent. Apparently he was very sociable, slept and napped well from the start, ate all his meals and his guts were fine. He adores the staff and he kept everyone in stitches. He's looking fine too. Put on a little weight and lovely condition on him. His patchy bits on his coat have filled in too so he's got some more lovely ginger fur on his tum.

We got home and he was SO happy when he realised where he was, running from room to room, bouncing on the sofas and checking all his toys, picking them up and moving them. We both went to sleep at 5pm. I woke up at 4am and Pod slept through til 7, although he did bring me a spider about midnight which was sweet of him.

We had a lovely quiet forest walk, just me and him, first thing, he stayed fairly close and was obviously happy to be back.

He's snoozed all day then we went for a walk at the dog park. I was a bit apprehensive because sometimes after being in kennels he's completely over interaction with other dogs and ignores them, or he goes completely the other way and thinks everyone is fair game. He was so happ that he did wild zoomies and chased his ball, screamed joyfully at the magpies and did a half arsed sort of shark attack on my dry robe but nothing major. Then I took a seat and let him sniff in his favourite field.

One weird thing happened though, he properly told another dog off, which I've never ever seen him so before. He caught a mouse and was carrying it in his mouth, and a perfectly nice lab trotted over and tried to interact and I think was about to mount him (which usually doesn't bother him at all) but he went woof woof woof and snapped at her scruff! She obviously couldn't see he was holding his mouse.

Anyway I apologised to the owner and explained that was a completely new one on me and I suspect it was because of his mouse. She was nice thankfully.

He's now under the forbidden blanket and is all warm and soft. He leaned his head on my elbow just now so I think I'm forgiven.

Also can someone please please adopt Schnuki from Podencos in Need as I'm seriously worried that I might.

Schnuki is pretty. Kind of like a lighter coloured, fuzzy, dainty version of Pod. Same ears. How much more trouble would two Podencos be compared to one?

Sounds like Pod learnt some new doggy communication skills being immersed with other dogs for his stay.

Was the midnight spider alive or dead? Was he hunting in the house in the dark?