Gabby  ....   or "I could climb Pike's Peak, no problem!"

by Cindy and Fred Norris (Two Heroes in Mississippi)

In March on 1999 two female Chinese Crested were on a run to me in Orlando from the mid-west. Neither of them made it. They were both dog-napped en route! This is the story of one of them.

I expect you have all heard of 'Leaping Lizards'? Well this is the "Climbing Crested". Don't forget - little tiny Gabby is TWELVE years old. I suspect she is crossed with a trampoline somewhere in her pedigree!

I had asked Fred and Cindy Norris to collect two
hairless females who were by this time in Mississippi on their way to Florida. The idea was that they would hold them for a day or two until the next part of the run started. I'll let Cindy tell the rest of the story:

"When Fred and I went to collect and foster two hairless Chinese Cresteds for Victoria, Gabby, the 12 year old was one of them. She had an Albert Einstein head of hair, all kinds of lumps and bumps over her body, including an almost tennis ball sized hernia.

You would think little old Gabby could hardly move, with age and infirmities, but when she was handed to me, she jumped quickly into my arms and then leaped up on top of a 400 crate inside the van. She investigated every inch of the van's interior and found it to be 'acceptable'. She seemed to be part mountain goat and part tree frog. Boundless energy, unbelievable physical agility, and wait - there's more!

Gabby settled into our household in about five minutes and we quickly discovered she was one of a kind. She managed to climb on EVERYTHING - beds, chairs, wire crates, tables and countertops. Yes, kitchen countertops!! Not an easy thing for a herniated 8lb elderly lady to do, you might well think. Piece of cake for Gabby. No sweat. Fred and I were astonished. We also fell in love :0) That night we talked to Victoria by phone and asked if we might adopt her - and although Victoria had been really looking forward to Gabby's arrival she agreed it would be best if Gabby didn't have to travel further and said we could.

Time passed - Gabby was spayed and her huge hernia repaired - she never missed a beat and continued to climb everything in sight! Her latest exploit (and not one she will be allowed to repeat) was to climb onto the stove, turn on an eye, and burn a casserole! The kitchen is now off limits without supervision. I told her "I don't cook, but I didn't mean for you to take over."

Gabby has a ritual that must be observed several times a day. First, she leaps onto your lap, climbs up to your eye level, and then slams her neck hard against your face. You are then to kiss and kiss and kiss her, while you say, "Gabby, Gabby, Gabby!" repeatedly and rapidly. She starts wiggling and squeaking. Then to wrap it up, she bites your nose! It doesn't hurt. It is just something she MUST do. Satisfied with a job well done, she will then settle down in your lap, or else go climb something else. (Everest, possibly!)

Her blanket is on top of a 100 crate where she sometimes sleeps after surveying her domain. We have had to basically put knick-knacks away, because they get in her way. Our countertops and tables are practically bare now. We don't have "House Beautiful", we have "House Gabby."

Fred and I are always doing the wrong thing by folding up blankets and sheets. Gabby has to go behind us and elaborately dig them into nests. When we eat cereal, she climbs to the countertop and politely waits to clear the bowls. She also does the dishes in the sink. She eats all kinds of fruits and vegetables, cooked and raw, and rushes to get up to the countertop to steal cat food. If another dog is somehow not up to her standards, she stands rigid and barks disapprovingly until the offender backs away.

I've had incredible dogs before, but Gabby takes the cake - literally and figuratively!