If you’ve read Rescuing the Texan’s Heart, then you’re familiar with Taryn’s canine companion, Scout. What you may not know is that Scout is not only real, she’s my grandpup.

This is the real Scout.

She’s a loveable little pooch that somebody had abandoned beside a dumpster.

Can you imagine anyone abandoning this adorable little thing?

Yes, this is what she looked like when my daughter first brought her home. No wonder we were all smitten.

It didn’t take us long to discover that Scout what quite a character. She does like to put her paws on the sides of your face and force you to look at her. And in her younger days, she was a champion escape artist. If my daughter crated her, Scout would find a way out. Try to pen her in, and she’d turned into a climber extraordinaire.

Scout also has some strange idiosyncrasies. She dislikes having her picture taken because of the sound the camera makes. And anything that even remotely sounds like…shall we say, flatulence, will send her running under the nearest bed.

Of course, I couldn’t put that in the book.

Our beloved Scout has wormed her way into all of our hearts. Animals often have a way of doing that, don’t they?

Do you have a pet with strange characteristics or habits? If so, I’d love for you to share.