Meet the GermanShorthairs

You know these faces...now meet Daisy, Gretchen and Banjo, @GermanShorthair on Twitter.

I love these doggies! They are fun, caring and wonderpurr furends! I hope you enjoy their intermew as much as I do.

How old were you when you moved in with your family? Were you a rescue?

Daisy: I was 7 weeks old when I moved in with my family. I was not rescued, but was picked out of a litter on a farm. I was the one eating goat poo and chasing the chickens. I was mama’s choice.

Gretchen: Like my sister Daisy, I was also 7 weeks old when I moved in with my family. Dad kept loosing me in all the puppy chaos…and who can blame him when there were 14 of us running wild.  But Dad managed to find me anyway!

Banjo: I was rescued from Lassen County Animal Control when I was about 8 months old. Mom and Dad had seen me on the Northern California GSP rescue site as an urgent rescue. I was to be put down the following day. So they left a message at the shelter telling them that they were interested and then Dad called the next morning to make sure they didn’t put me down. I needed eye surgery right away. The shelter could not afford the surgery, no one else wanted a dog that required immediate vet attention and I was in pain so they were going to put me down. Well, after Dad talked to the shelter they said they would hold me until the next day (Saturday). Mom and Dad drove 4 hours each way to save my life.

What breed are you?

                                                                                                                      

Daisy & Gretchen: We are German Shorthair Pointers or GSP for short.

Banjo: It is thought that I am part German Shorthair Pointer and part English Pointer, but I know I am 100% pillow destroyer.

What inspired your pawrents to name you?

Daisy: Mom had picked my name before she even got me; Mom and Dad had decided to come get us and were thinking of names the night before.

Gretchen: Dad wanted a German name to go with our German heritage, so that’s how I ended up being Gretchen or GG for short.

Banjo: At the shelter they called me Freckles, but Dad always said if he had a male dog he wanted to name him Banjo. To be honest, I was only known as Freckles for less than a week so I’ll let the name-change thing slide this time.

Do you have siblings? Do you get along?

Yes, besides the three of us dogs, we also have 3 feline siblings, 1 brother and 2 sisters, 2 budgies (parakeets), 2 Green Cheek Conures and a whole lot of fish.

Daisy: I get along with everyone. I do enjoy chasing the girl kitties because they run, and Banjo can get a little annoying at times, perhaps that’s an understatement actually. As the older sister, it is my job to show him who is boss every once in a while. With a growl and a little snap he is soon put back in his place.

Gretchen: I get along with everyone most of the time. Banjo is the exception, he likes to annoy me and does his little growl noises when we both want to eat Daisy’s food. So I have to put him in his place and tell him that he is the low man around here and I am his boss. I did get his ear one day and took a little notch out of it. Look out Mike Tyson!

Banjo: I just love everyone and want them all to play with me. But they all don’t always feel the same way. The male cat gets mad and scratches my nose, the female cats run from me, the dogs growl, bark, snap and occasionally bite me, and the birds, well I like to point them then Mom and Dad always ruin my fun by grabbing me and putting me outside or in the bedroom.

How would you describe your personality?

Daisy: When I was younger I was the trouble maker in the family, now that I am older I have mellowed out some and only follow along when Banjo is doing something that looks like fun. I use Banjo as an excuse to get into trouble.

DAISY & GRETCHEN

Gretchen: Major foodie, that’s all I think about all the time, I cry for breakfast then snacks, then dinner then treats after dinner, and sometimes a midnight snack. I’m hungry!

Banjo: Trouble maker, if I can get into trouble I do, if I can get my sisters to go along, even better. I am also a major mama’s boy, I always make sure I know where she is and if she leaves I think I should be going with her.

Do you have a mischief incident that is still talked about with your family?

Banjo: Just after I joined my forever family the hoomans put us out in the garage/backyard for the day while they went to visit family. Well, I knew that the cat and dog food was kept in the stacked plastic bins in the garage. I have tried to get in them before by gnawing on them unsuccessfully, but when they left for the day it gave me plenty of time to figure out how to get the food in the stacked bins. When my pawents arrived back home, they found the cat and dog food binds dumped on the garage floor and I looked like I was pregnant and Gretchen was also a little round. Mind you that I was just rescued and still very skinny, ribs were showing, I chowed down on that food until I was unable to eat another bite, since then I have not tried to get into the food bins.

BANJO

Tell me about an Awww Moment.

Mom says it’s always an Awww Moment when we are sleeping, she says we look so precious. I think she is just excited that we are not moving.

Complete this sentence: If I had opposable thumbs, I would…

Daisy: open the front door so I could go on a walk anytime I want to.

Gretchen: get into the kitchen and eat all the food that I could reach in the fridge and in the cabinets.

Banjo: would get into even more trouble than I get into now.

What is the most interesting place in the house and why?

The kitchen, its where all the food and good smells come from. It is also where the birds are located, and they always drop crunchy stuff on the floor.

Have you ever caught a bird or something edible? Did you eat it?

Nothing live, but we have found plenty of dead critters in the fields especially after they have been tilled.  We love to see if we can get it down before Mom and Dad make us spit it out. 

Banjo: I dunked my head in Dad’s pond and pulled out a mystery snail.  No one noticed until they saw me foaming at the mouth. Needless to say the snail didn’t survive and it wasn’t all that tasty to be honest.  But that doesn’t mean I won’t go snail fishing again.

Do you have any health issues?

Not really, just temporary things.

Gretchen: I get yeast infections in my ears.  The vet thinks I am allergic to my food, but says it is easier to treat than to change food and treats.

Daisy: I ruptured my ACL and recently had surgery for that; I’m well on my way to healing.

Banjo: When I was adopted by Mom and Dad I had an inverted eyelid.  The side of my face was always drenched with tears and my eye literally dripped like a faucet.  I had surgery to correct that a couple days after I was in my new forever home.

Do you like to be brushed, have your nails trimmed?

Daisy: I hate to be brushed!  I don’t like the feeling of the brush on my back, and when I see one I run away. Don’t like my nails trimmed either, but Mom does it while I am napping so it’s ok.

Gretchen: I like to be brushed as it feels good, but I hate having my nails trimmed. I keep pulling my feet away and if I really don’t want it that day I will cry like Mom hurt me so she will stop.

Banjo: I love to be brushed if feels like heaven. Now getting my nails clipped is another story, I like to fight Mom just like the girls do.

What is your relationship like with your veterinarian?

Daisy: My vet is nice and all, but I just don’t want to be there. As soon as we walk in the door I am ready to walk back out.

Gretchen & Banjo: We haven’t met the new vet yet, but we are sure we will fight to leave as soon as we get there.

Do you like certain hoomans outside of your family?

Yes we do!  We find all hoomans interesting and think they all want to pet and play with us. If anyone comes over they are coming to visit us not our Pawrents.

Our most favorite person outside our Pawrents is our Grandma, we just love her so very much and won’t leave her side when she is visiting. She is always giving us treats, what a wonderful hooman.

What are your favorite foods and toys?

Daisy: Bacon & Hamburger all the way baby!

Gretchen: Hot dogs, Bacon & Hamburger.

Banjo: I love all food, and want it all especially hooman food! Even my kibble gets me all excited and I run around the house like a fool. That’s what they tell me anyways.

Have you ever eaten anything that your hooman thought strange?

Daisy: I like to search for dead animals in the field and quickly eat them before Mom and Dad can get them from me.

Gretchen: I am pretty picky about what I eat, nothing really strange. Except the unripe plums that Banjo pulls off the tree, and bugs of course. Who doesn’t like bugs?

Banjo: I eat everything! Mom and Dad think it is strange that I eat citrus fruit, unripe plums, lettuce, and tomatoes. I will eat anything that is offered to me or just sitting around unattended.

Have you ever chewed or destroyed something that upset your pawrents?

Gretchen: When I was just a pup I chewed up a tube of superglue on the bedroom carpet, when it dried it made a little hard thing in the carpet, well I just couldn’t have that, so I took care of it and made a hole in the carpet. Mom and Dad had to patch it up when they sold the house.

Banjo: I have gotten many many things in my short time here. Laptop power cords, eye glasses, TV remotes, pillows, thumb drive, remote control helicopter (not all my fault), shoes, car cover, furniture, blankets, plants, dog bed (also not all my fault), books. This is just the bigger stuff, tons of little things also. Gretchen made me do it!

What is your birth date, or Gotcha Day date?

Daisy: My birth date is July 4, 2002

Gretchen: My birth date is July 4, 2002

Banjo: My Gotcha day is August 26, 2011

Herman: That's this coming Sunday. Happy Gotcha Day, Banjo!

Does your pawrents celebrate your special date? How?

Daisy & Gretchen: Yes we celebrate our birthday every year. First we wake up to Mom singing Happy Birthday to us and she sings to us throughout the day. We get special treats, special trips to go run and presents all wrapped up so we can have fun opening them. Then we get an herbal sedative to keep us somewhat calm during the fireworks. We are really really scared of fireworks.

Banjo: I have not hit a year in my new home yet, not sure what’s to come, but from what I hear it sounds like it will be a blast. Can’t wait!!

Herman: Please be sure to share wif your Anipals how your day was celebrated.

When did you join Twitter and what clubs do you belong to?

We joined Twitter in February 2009.

The only club that we have joined on Twitter is #theaviators, we are also in a band called Feral Beast, other than that we love to Pawty!!

What are you known for on Twitter by your Anipal furends?

I would have to say we are best known these days for all of Banjo’s antics and for shaking it at the pawty’s.

Do you have a blog or a Facebook page? If so, please give the addresses and tell us what you write about.

We have a website/blog its www.daisyandgretchen.com. We have had our website since February 11, 2009.

We write mainly about ourselves and the crazy stuff that we do and what goes on in our lives. Every once in a while you might see something about someone else, but it’s mainly just about us.

Thanks so much for your wonderpurr intermew Germanshorthair doggies!  Now let's meet their mom, Heather:

Tell me about yourself, outside of your passion for animals, such as your family, hobbies and interests.

I have been married for 12 years in September. I met my husband just out of high school; we were both working at a pet store. We dated 7 years before we got married. I enjoy reading, taking photos of the outside world, my animals, wildlife, and gardening.

What type of work do you do?

At this point in time I am unemployed and just working on building up our non-profit Burrowing Owl organization.

Are you an outdoor person, or an indoor person, and why?

I much prefer being outside doing things, like exploring the world around me, going for walks, just being outside enjoying the fresh air.

Do you blog or Facebook? Tell me about it and give addresses.

Nope, I’m just a typist for Daisy, Gretchen & Banjo www.daisyandgretchen.com

What genre of books do you favor? What is your favorite book, favorite author?

Romantic comedy and fantasy. I don’t really have a favorite book or author, yet!!

What TV shows do you enjoy?

Cupcake Wars, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Americas Got Talent, Design Star & The Andy Griffith Show

Do you have a favorite movie?

27 Dresses and Bringing up Baby

What type of music do you enjoy?

I listen to mainly country music, but also listen to most everything except rap.

Do you travel? What is the most memorable vacation you’ve ever taken?

Yes! I would have to say it was the first time that my husband and I went to Hawaii.  We went to the island of Kauai. It was just so beautiful and absolutely amazing.

Tell me about your town and what makes it special to you.

We just moved here in December and haven’t really explored out town much. We are only about an hour from Sequoia National Forest and about 30 minutes from the lake. Other than that it can be quite hot and smoggy in the summer and foggy in the winter and spring.

Who are the 3 famous people you’d most like to have dinner with, and why?

Andy Griffith, Abraham Lincoln & Cary Grant. Andy and Cary just seem like nice guys and I would like to get to know them. Abraham Lincoln has always interested me and I think I could learn a lot from him.

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever experienced a ghost?

Yes, I believe in ghosts. When I was still living at home with my parents, you could knock on the wall, (bathroom on the other side) and you would hear knocks back.

Herman: Ooooh! Cool!

Have you ever traveled with your pet? If so, please give me an adventure story.

Yes! We took the Daisy & Gretchen to Shasta Lake to go house boating. At that time we found out that the girls don’t like to swim and Gretchen would attack Daisy as soon as she got out of the water.  She was jealous that Daisy was going further into the lake than she would. We also found out that they are afraid of Canadian Geese. The geese were on the beach right next to the houseboat and the dogs were so afraid of them that they would not get off the boat. This is when they got their nickname “chickens”.

Tell me about your first pet, and how many have you had in your lifetime?

I have had pets all my life, in fact there has never been a day in my life that I haven’t had a pet. I don’t recall my first pet, I was just a baby. Let me tell you about the 1^st one that I have the freshest memory about. I had a cat named ET.  As you may have guessed the movie had just come out when we got him. He was only 3 days old and we had to feed him every couple of hours. He didn’t like a bottle or a syringe, so we fed him from a spoon. My Mom would carry him around in a basket so that he was always with her to be fed. He lived to the ripe old age of 18. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and we lived on a street where students would walk home from school every day. He was taken once and someone tried to cut off his nose so after that he was very untrustworthy of people. So if he didn’t want you to touch him he would let you know. He liked to play in paper bags, and in the morning when I was eating my cereal he would sit on the table and when I set my spoon down that was his clue to come and drink the milk from the bowl (Dad didn’t like this trick very much).  

Why did you choose Daisy, Gretchen & Banjo to Tweet for instead of another pet?

The reason for choosing the dogs rather than any of the other animals is that the dogs make us laugh every day, and we thought we can bring that joy and laughter to others out there.

What is your favorite time of day, and why?

My favorite time of day is early in the morning; I love the fresh air and just the quiet of the morning. Too bad I am not a morning person, I guess I just stay up too late to get up early and enjoy that time of day.

Do you have a favorite Cheezburger you could share with us?

I would have to say that my favorite Cheezburger is my own; it is always so juicy and very flavorful. No condiments required.

Herman: MOL! Original answer. Love it.

Do you have other Twitter accounts?

Well I guess you can say I do, it’s really for the Burrowing Owl non-profit (http://www.journowl.com/) so I am now tweeting with @journowl along with @germanshorthair

What is a typical day for you, starting when your pets want breakfast?

Our typical day starts around 8:30 after I have showered. Gretchen is ready for breakfast, but she has to wait until I am done getting ready. I feed the dogs, poor a cup of ice mocha, make some breakfast and after the dogs are done eating we go in the back and enjoy a little time outside. Maybe do a little watering, a little twitter, check to see how the produce is coming along and fill the pond. Then we go in and I take care of the birds…feed, water and let them out of their cages. I then do a little house work, twitter, email, maybe a little web work, and go outside again, just to feel the fresh air. Hubby comes home for lunch, after he leaves may do a little more twitter, cleaning, web work, periodically going outside. Hubby comes home for the evening I cook dinner, eat watch some TV, twitter here and there, go for an evening walk or run with the dogs. Get to bed around 11:30 or so, twitter then go to sleep around 12:30.  

Thank you, Heather, Daisy, Gretchen and Banjo for intermewing on my blog. Love you guys!