Walking along with my FBD

In the internet world, acronyms make up a large majority of what I call, typespeak. The same is true for texting on cell phones. The only problem I see with that is many of these acronyms are simply made up by whomever is doing the typing. It really doesn't matter if it makes sense to the reader, only the typist.

The same cannot be said for animal related acronyms, hence the above acronym: FBD.

Now, for all the uninitiated, especially those who are newcomers to the great state of Florida, FBD stands for Florida Brown dog, the most common dog breed in Florida and has been since I was a little girl. (well over 50 years ago)

Now, most FBD's don't have AKC papers, you won't find their names listed on a chart anywhere and who knows who their parents or grandparents were. My vet tells me my latest rescue, Buzz, is a purebred Myakka City FBD. He says the size is just right. Now he is not from Florida, so I am not sure if he has that correct or not.

FBD's can range anywhere from 35 pounds to 80 pounds, brown in color but may have some white on their chest or black and/or white markings. They are what I term a little bit dog. They may have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Most are medium haired, but some are short haired and some have a little longer hair. They can have a little lab, a little hound, a little pit and a little neighbor around the corner. Buzz has some Black Mouth Cur in him, so he has a black muzzle and black mouth on the inside. (No, he is not a shepherd mix.)

They tend to be really good dogs. Faithful companions and simply loveable creatures. My Buzz was rescued from a pretty rough life and although I don't consider my house the lap of luxury, I think he does. He likes his bed and his likes eating on a regular basis. He was thrown away at 7 years old, covered with fleas and ticks, large growths on his rump and no hair from about mid back to the tip of his tail. Many folks would not have thought he was worth saving because he wasn't "pretty" or "cute" but he is one of the happiest dogs I have ever been around and simply wants to be with his human when I am home. He doesn't like the camera, though.

So if you visit your local shelter or rescue, find a dog who fits into this category, you have a good ole, FBD. You can even text it on your cell. True dog lovers in Florida will know exactly what you are talking about.