RENZO ~ SIX YEARS OLD TODAY!

My puppy Renzo is Six Years Old today! He shares his birthday with Martin from Bratislava, who has been such a wonderful friend to all my dogs, whenever he's visited San Francisco.

Renzo came to California five years ago last June with my nephew Sheridan and his wife Sylvie. They picked him up in Pennsylvania and took him back to their apartment in Manhattan for nearly a week before flying to San Francisco for a family wedding in Tahoe.

My friend Adam named Renzo. Originally I was going to call him Roger (which I thought was cute with the double meaning) but Adam thought that too prosaic, and suggested Renzo instead. (With Rupert, Rose and Rob, his name had to start with an 'R') Next Adam coined the sobriquet "Chewy" for my dear Blenheim puppy. Now he calls him "Demon Dog" since he squirms like a fish out of water, and is a very demanding little pup. His funny, off-centered face betrays his mischievousness.

I understand from the breeder Mary Louise in Pennsylvania, that Renzo's not likely to calm down very much even after being fixed. It's in his genes. His sisters, mother, and grandfather were all hyper-active. So I have lots of fun to look forward to over the years! Now I have his mother Bette, who joined the family three Decembers ago.

For the year before Bette's arrival, my wonderful neighbors, Ben and Susan, took Renzo for a half-hour run in Glen Park with their three border collies. They picked him up about 7:05 A.M. Renzo started to yelp and circle as soon as he heard Lucy bark. Then either Susan or Ben came in the back door and took my little guy away for a romp in the park chasing birds. 

Happy birthday to my frisky Renzo boy!