Pachon Navarro, 4 years old
Meet Henry who we’ve been fostering for nearly a week. I was asked to help him find a home some months ago but with a lack of information about him and not the world’s best photos he’s been pretty invisible. I think he is a cross between a German Shorthaired Pointer and a Pachon Navarro. Somebody once described Pachon Navarros to me as the rhinoceroses of the gundog world. They are short-legged and chunky and often with a cleft nose (which Henry doesn’t have). Pachon Navarros are known for being strong, even tempered, very well balanced dogs. Henry definitely fits the bill, he is only about 50cm to the shoulder (see photo of him next to my small springer) but broad in the chest and body. He weighs 26kg but I’d say he needs to lose a kg or two. He slotted into my pack of dogs and cats and humans with ease. He’s the kind of dog who doesn’t look for trouble but won’t put up with any nonsense either. On his second night one of my dogs who is quite bossy tried to turf him off a bed and he growled and sent her packing. Nobody tries to pinch food from his bowl either which they normally do try on with foster dogs. Yesterday on a walk he came face to face with a local cantankerous German Shepherd Dog. She sidled up to him, he stood his ground, growled at her for a short period when she looked like she might cause trouble and then she sidled off again. He didn’t get riled or make any attempt to have a go at her just the warning growls. I was impressed, she isn’t an easy dog to manage! He hasn’t played with either of my younger dogs yet but they are definitely thinking about it.
He was in foster with cats in the previous home and was fine with them. He is fine with them here although occasionally there is a slight mischievous look in his eye and he was very keen to go and observe an altercation between one of my cats and the neighbour’s cats the other day. I wouldn’t yet leave him with my cats unsupervised but I think once he settles in and gets more used to them I’ll be able to trust him with them completely.
He’s very affectionate with people, likes to sit next to you sometimes and sometimes lilkes to lift his front paws off the ground and rest them on you. When he hasn’t seen you for a while he greets you enthusiastically moving from one front paw to another and wagging his stumpy tail but he’s not the kind of dog who overwhelms you with cuddles, he never tries to lick and he’s quite happy to be in his own space and sleep on his own.
He really enjoys walks, it’s too soon to know what his recall is like. He also loves his food but without being obsessive.
He has low level Leishmaniasis but it has been caught quickly and before causing any damage to internal organs. He’s having treatment now and due another blood test in January to check his antibodies are coming down. He’s completely asymptomatic, fit and well. He will just need 6-monthly and then annual blood tests in future and possibly inexpensive meds. Further information about this will be provided.
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