 Dazi's Story
She
is so beautiful and smart. She is happy, energetic and enthusiastic
in everything. She lays with her head cocked and her front paws
crossed, so lady-like. But don’t let her fool you, she is also
dynamite. She is very prey oriented. If it moves she investigates.
Dazi has jumped off the deck barely touching the four steps on her
way down. She will try to climb a tree after a squirrel, dig out my
flowerbeds if she sees a mole, and knock down the wood pile to get
to those chippies. She sits in the yard in the summer just waiting
for a butterfly or bird to go by, her tail is wagging and her feet
stomping waiting for her next opportunity to pursue. She has a
fenced acre including a small woods and is the first of our dogs to
enjoy it so thoroughly. When she is in the woods and I haven’t seen
her for awhile, I will say “where are you Dazi” and she pops her
head up or runs out of the woods to say "here I am mom". With colder
weather she has an array of colored coats and she thinks because the
sun is shining its nice and she can stay out, no matter the
temperature. She LOVES snow as did all our wheatens. During the last
severe winds, the snow drifts blow across the yard and she chases
them. And all you wheaten owners know what those legs, whiskers and
belly look like with snow balls.
 Lucky/Dazi came to us in May 2004 thru the WURL with a cute
wheaten decal toy
bucket , her crate, leads and food and water. From Stephanie her
foster mom in Illinois, she traveled with Amy, Roxanne, Tim and
finally Jan and her husband delivered her to us in Pittsburgh. My
sister, Paula, drove my car and there were tense hours when the
engine light came on before reaching Pittsburgh. It was evening and
no garages open, so I called home and my husband said drive it! At
our arranged meeting spot we arrived first and went to the mall to
get something to eat. When our girl finally arrived it was raining.
She was so full of herself and couldn't wait to get out of her crate
to greet us. Not at all the shy girl I expected, she pulled me
across the parking lot to the grassy edge. We all talked awhile,
transferred Dazi's belongings, hugged and went out separate ways.
What a wonderful traveler. Not a whimper. We stopped to give her a
break, but were so worried about the car making it. It still had the
engine light reminding us of a problem, plus we smelled something
hot. It was raining heavy now and Paula was really focused on the
road to get us home safely. We found out later the wet roads kept
the catalytic converter cool allowing us to make it. Even the rain
was a blessing that day!
 She
loves Cy, my husband. He has his long legged blonde now! She is so
tall and very poised. We often wonder if she had a short show
experience. She knows how to carry herself. Her first night we got
home at 11:30 p.m. Even after a long day, she ran right to him and
up on his lap like she knew him forever. I wonder if the man in her
first family gave her most of the attention. Lap time every night
starts with her head on your knee, then the front paws are up, and a
hind leg is struggling to claw its way up. She can jump from my lap
to his; our chairs are three feet apart! She LOVES babies, children,
orange creamsicles, fruit, veggies, skim milk and cheddar cheese
stuffed in a bone. And we have to admit, licking the beater after
making homemade whipped cream! Amazing how fast she can learn what
she wants to learn. Only one time of letting her lick a beater, now
when she hears the mixer running she runs to the kitchen, sits and
waits to see if she is getting a beater to lick. Maybe that is what
I can use to affirm the other commands! She can be out all day, come
in to greet you and squat on the floor. We have to tell her to pee
before letting her in. I haven't figured that one out yet; she
doesn't make the connection. At night one of us has to go out with
the dogs to be sure they pee before bed.
We had a personal trainer for the first six weeks that helped us
both learn the right training methods. But it is constant. Dazi is
very headstrong; my sister shows me how to maintain pack leader! She
has two horses, her newest a BLM mustang and some of the same
methods are used. The Dog Whisperer Show method with the lead high
on the neck right behind the ears (used at shows) helps get her to
walk beside me instead of pulling me along. It works most of the
time, but when we are in new territory or around new People, it is
difficult to control her. She has a wonderful temperament, loves
everyone and thinks everyone must pay attention to her.
 Her foster mom, Stephanie did a wonderful job helping her regain
her confidence. She gives much of the credit to her mentor Tina.
This was Stephanie's first foster, she had a
very difficult time giving her up. When she first came to Stephanie
she was shy, scared and would pee if you raised your voice.
Stephanie used different words with her. We try to substitute for
the word "No". Her first family had several small children and we
believe she thought every no was aimed at her. We also learned she
did not like the word "Come"; we have substituted "Here".
Stephanie's wheaten Diva and Lucky/Dazi played together so well, and
I am sure Diva taught her how to get her wheaten personality to
shine. She is now all wheaten, very dominate, and a tough playmate.
Zac, her brother, a cockapoo (also a rescue) and nine plus years old
is not as active. We discourage her playing with him because he has
some neurological problems. A friend brings her two dogs to play.
She is settling down tremendously and is wonderful at entertaining
herself by running and jumping at everything in the yard. When 9:00
p.m. comes around she is ready for bed. She no longer uses her
crate, we have two round dog beds at the foot of our bed for both
dogs and they often "switch" beds during the night. Cy and Zac are
up early, but Dazi likes to sleep in. She seldom gets up before 7:30
a.m. My kind of dog!
The wheaten energy and enthusiasm for life is so powerful. We
love her so much, and she is so spoiled. I have always wanted three
wheatens, which I have been blessed with Dazi being my third;
however, I wanted three at the same time. Cy thinks we are too old
for active, demanding, young wheatens; I don't think so! He is the
first to tease her when she climbs on his lap. He "tweaks" her nose
and she kisses all over his face until he can't see out of his
glasses. She also loves to pinch and pull his shirt sleeve.
Her Waterford and Hallmark background traces back to my other two
wheatens, McDufford (Duffy) and Rhettzi. I derived Dazi's name from
Rhettzi's mother, Hallmoors Zipity Dhu Daisy. Every group of photos
find their way to Stephanie, and I have many to share with everyone
on the website.
We thank Wheatens in Need, all WURL members, foster parents, and
especially those who delivered Dazi to us. And we also thank the
family that was kind enough to turn her over to the rescue group and
give her a chance in a new home. I wish they could see her now. I
know if I would have to give up my pet, I would want to know she is
happy and healthy and found her forever home. I hope all those who
have given up a wheaten, will have an opportunity to see this
website and know how much we love all wheatens.
Anyone wanting to keep in touch with her progress and see more
photos please email me at peg@dejazzd.com. I hope all the WIN
stories encourage others to adopt Wheatens in Need.
Sincerely Cy and Pat Graybill
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