Oh my!!!!! What an incredibly precious sweetie!!!
Vapid, congratulations on the newest addition to your family! Wishing you all the joy and love in this world and I am in love with your sweet puppy. If you need puppy sitting services count me in ok?!!! Pretty please. (((Hugs))) to you and Frances.
For Crikey's sake, VL, you can't start a thread like this, load it heavy with pics of your cute family member and then not be here to constantly update us about her antics and cuteness...
For Crikey's sake, VL, you can't start a thread like this, load it heavy with pics of your cute family member and then not be here to constantly update us about her antics and cuteness...
Thank you everyone for your kind wishes. Frances is proving to be very popular in the hood!
I wasnt seriously looking, but every now and again I would look at the AKC website for the recommended breeder listings. I have known some Brussels Griffons. Murry had a BG friend named Edna. So I was looking at this list online of breeders and next to one is said possible puppies available. The location was New Hope, Pa, so not totally convenient, but not too far. I googled the breeder, which brought me to his facebook page. Right there his main picture was this little face.
I wrote to him immediately from murry's facebook account. Later I worried that there is a picture there of me making Jack Russel Terrier Soup! I hoped he had a sense of humor.
He put me off, saying she is the first smooth coat they've ever had and they are still evaluating her for possible breeding, her mom was best of breed in westminster 2014.... I explained that I was not looking to become a breeder and wanted a dog only for love of dog. He said there was a breeder conference coming up where they all get together and confer about the latest litters, I should contact him after that. And I did. He said she is growing too big too fast, and so wont be the breeding stock he had hoped. I made an appointment to come out to meet her, and him, for that weekend. Meanwhile he still had her as his facebook profile picture and had added one of the entire litter, 1 girl and 2 boys.
I drove out to New Hope. As I pulled in the driveway a wave of Brussels Griffons crashed against the fence around the guest house, I mean kennel. It was quite a sight. I sat down in the mud and played with the puppies for a while. One was already gone. The remaining boy was much smaller than the girl. Breeder said the girls grow fast ,and early, then stop, and the boys grow later. Even so the boy was very pushy. He kept pushing the girl out of the way so that I would be playing with him, not her. He even made eye contact with me, trying to hypnotize me, but I wasn't falling for it. I would have taken her right then, but Mr. Breeder said he always meets people first, then if they are truly interested they come back to sign the contract and pick up. Also he wanted to speak to my Veterinary reference. SO I gave him my Vet's contact and tentatively planned to come back the following weekend. Of course my vet gave me a stellar reference, and I did go back the next weekend.
The night before I went I was listening to a CD that I probably had played no more than twice in the last 30 years, but that had been a favorite back in the mid 80's, Love Not Money, by EBTG. Kind of a downer, but there it was. And its the sort of thing that really gets stuck in your head. Now All along I had been planning to name her Rafe, pronounced Ralph. I borrowed my friend John from his wife for the day so I wouldn't have to drive with a puppy in my lap. We got to New Hope early, so went to the George Nakashima studio a mile away to kill some time. I got some books of his work and his daughter Mira signed for me the one she wrote. I am a big fan of him and would like one day to have an original vintage Connoid table and chairs, or a windsor back bench. or both. We left there and drove to the Breeder's. We sat down in the car to leave. I held her up and looked in her face. Then I said to John, She's not a Rafe. What is she, he asked. I said, She's a Frances. The song I hadn't gotten out of my head is called Ugly Little Dreams. It begins, Frances keep your mouth shut dear, we don't want the neighbors 'round....It is a song about Frances Farmer, from about the same time as the movie Frances came out. So that's how my little Brussels Griffon came to be named for a Feminist icon. It turns out to be fitting; She has no idea of her relative size, and thinks nothing of playing, even demanding playing from Borzois, Pit Bulls, and an especially frightening Maltese.
Thank you for the wonderful history, VL. Reading it reminded me of when I tell the story of my daughter's adoption with all the things I thought about as I was contemplating it and all the twists and turns the saga took as the real event took place. It is such a rich story, filled with nuance and love. And the photos are wonderful! I think we have a wonderful new Pricescope member! Of course she is popular in the 'hood!
Okay, cool. I can tell you are totally smitten (as I would be as well)! Awesome and I'm so glad you listened to her and your heart and named her Frances - thanks for explaining.
VL, Thank you for sharing your Frances story and for posting more pictures of your beautiful baby. My 8 pound maltipoo has the same dragon. It is her favorite toy. We have 15 of them put away as she completely destroys one every month. If you ever need one and cannot find one please let me know. I'll be happy to send Frances a brand new one.
How did I miss this lovely girl?!?? Congrats on your new friend--shes incredibly cute and seems to have a wonderful personality to match. Love her sweet face!!!!
Thank you all again for your good wishes. Every day Frances continues to be an amazing critter.
Callie, she loves her pink dragon! She hasn't found the squeak in it, but she has a penguin toy and has found the squeaker, all day squeak squeak squeak. Thank you for your offer, I will take you up on it if she ever wears this one out!
I dont think I posted these last year, but I got a tattoo of murry. I had a fine photo of him, I think it was posted years ago in pics of furbabies thread, I will look for it. I turned it into just black and white lines in photoshop, and got an amazingly talented tattoo artist to do the rest (Daniel Trocchio at Three Kings).
Just found the original photo.
The tattoo is truly splendid, VL. I can't believe how well it captures murry! And it is very aesthetically pleasing as well. Great choice of photo and tattoo artist.
vapidlapid, I'm so happy for you and Frances! I have no doubt that you'll take excellent care of each other! What a great breeder to have checked you out with your vet! Taking responsibility for a life is not the same as purchasing a car or some other inanimate object.
Frances, as you obviously know, is absolutely adorable! A big personality in a small but mighty, sweet package.
Your Jack Russell Terrier Soup had me laugh out loud! It appeals to my sometimes-misunderstood-politically-incorrect sense of humour.
Thanks for sharing Frances with us. Wishing you both many years of great adventures and health!