{"id":50,"date":"2016-08-01T23:45:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T23:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?page_id=50"},"modified":"2021-07-08T14:47:37","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T14:47:37","slug":"the-real-spot-and-smudge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rudulutch.com\/index.php\/the-real-spot-and-smudge\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Spot and Smudge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There\u2019s just something about a pair of mutts.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve known some great purebred dogs, but give me a labradoberidgebackshepherdcolliepitboxer any day. If there\u2019s two from the same litter you\u2019ve really got my attention. If they\u2019re both black you might as well put them in a box because I\u2019m taking them home.<\/p>\n

The Spot and Smudge series\u00a0was inspired by just such a pair of rescued littermates. I really did name them Spot and Smudge, and they did indeed run together through the thick woods of the South Shore of Massachusetts, not unlike the trails of Pembury in my books.<\/p>\n

Like the Spot and Smudge in the stories these two were a mix, mostly Lab but\u00a0with more than a dash of (pic your breed) tossed in. Both pups were all black from head to toe and had silky thick coats often used as feet warmers during our chilly New England winters.<\/p>\n

Although the real Spot and Smudge had normal paws and below-average intelligence at times, they left wonderful imprints (and more than a few stains) on our lives from the first day their sturdy puppy legs carried them into my lap. They were never more than a few steps apart until Smudge, the lovable daft brute, died of cancer at age five. His bright and infectiously affable brother Spot carried on well into his teens.\u00a0His many years were filled with\u00a0two and four legged friends who made sure he was never alone.<\/p>\n

Tales of their many antics still get shared at our holidays, and more than a few of them have made it into these books.<\/p>\n

I have added some pics of my\u00a0faithful wee knotheads below. I hope you enjoy them, and the stories\u00a0they've inspired.<\/p>\n

If you're enjoying the books please consider joining our newsletter here<\/a>, and leaving a review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I can assure you it will be greatly appreciated,<\/p>\n

RU<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Smudge pouncing on Spot, not for the last time<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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That little face though, right? (Spot)<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Call them in from the snow, and get the look-away<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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We're really not cold, just one more hour<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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I really love to swim Dad, but I get scared sometimes<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Their natural state...guilty<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Squirrel! literally, there was one<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Guarding the front porch, from me. <\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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If only they could stay this small, and obedient<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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If we don't look at him we're not in trouble<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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And then there's Ty and Z<\/h2>\n

After Spot and Smudge took that last car ride to the proverbial dog farm up north I eventually rescued another pair of little black littermate mutts; Ty and Z.<\/p>\n

You may wonder how we went from the (arguably) quirky and creative names Spot and Smudge to the more pedestrian (boring) names Ty and Z? Well, let\u2019s just say a pair of very sweet (stubborn) young girls had been added to the mix.<\/p>\n

Ty and Z took over terrorizing the woods of the South Shore, and more than a few of the anecdotes in the books have come from their crazy lives. They enjoyed having a good howl with the local coyotes, and they loved cruising the trails with their huge shepherd pal Maximus from up the street. Our precious girl Z really did successfully battle puppyhood parvo as her faithful brother waited patiently in exile for her to fight back from death\u2019s doorstep.<\/p>\n

Where Spot and Smudge had been regal-looking even as young puppies, Ty and Z were just plain scrappy. Truth be told, I almost walked away from them when Z happily picked up another dog\u2019s poo and started munching on it unapologetically right in front of me. At least I assume it was another dog\u2019s. Not sure if that makes it better or worse. They were both bug-eyed, and scrawny, and didn't appear to be overly bright (of course any experienced dog person such as myself can gauge a puppy\u2019s intelligence just by watching how they eat poo).<\/p>\n

But they were damn adorable, and what else is required to immediately fall in love with a puppy?<\/p>\n

Seemingly overnight the two scrappy black pups grew into strapping, handsome mutts who earned squeals of delight from kids and \u2018oh just look at you two\u2019 cuteness approval from strangers who had to stop and give them a pat.<\/p>\n

On the smart-funny-friendly-loyal-obedient scale they ended up scoring pretty highly. They also scored off the charts on the annoying-insane-pesky-infuriating-messy scale, but as all dog owners know the first scale is the only one that counts towards their final grade.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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The face I fell for, hard (Zee)<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Take these stupid things off us immediately mister!<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Mine rescue dogs, for Halloween<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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She did it. No, he did it. <\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Never not touching each other<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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I love you sis, I know bro<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Tide's not coming in for two hours? We'll wait. <\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Impossible to stay mad at<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
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click Smudge's chicken to see the charities she supports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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