who's your dachshund

Señor Rolo!

2011-11-04T13:21:00.003-03:00

[Our post today comes from Heidi from Portland, Oregon! She now lives with two Dachshunds, Señor Rolo and Miss Gigi. She rescued Gigi from Oregon Dachshund Rescue a year ago.]

I have always owned pets but I think that I had a thing against Dachshunds because so many of them are named after me. So I was in my thirties before I actually met a wiener dog and fell in love with the breed. I am mostly German and I can really relate to their idiosyncratic and sometimes extreme little (big) personalities!

Anyway, it was love at first sight for me and Señor Rolo, my partner's mini-Dachshund. It actually took longer for my relationship with his owner to develop over time! I am blessed by having a picture of Rolo and me from that first night, though I am truly horrified by the way that I am holding him. It looks like he is too!

Rolo is an extremely affectionate dog, but he is also at other times very independent. He is what I like to call a 'breedist', in that he only really likes other Dachshunds, which is why I rescued another
wiener dog to keep him (and me) company. He is very good at telling whether a dog has even a sliver of Dachshund in them, I have been surprised by his mellow response to another dog and found out from their owner that their dog was part wiener when I couldn't necessarily tell by the dogs appearance!

He loves all people but can have an attitude problem with other dogs, it depends on his 'mood' apparently. His owner thinks that it's slightly funny when his 13-pound dog suddenly lunges at other (usually bigger) dogs, snarling, and demands to 'have' their toys, but it makes me worry about the little guy getting into a situation that he can't handle, through his own actions!

Rolo hates puppies in particular. When I met him he was only four and I remember asking his owner the first night I met him if he was a puppy himself, but he can have a grumpy old man attitude. I have found that telling Rolo to be a 'good boy' when he is in the process of meeting other dogs can encourage him to use his good manners but if his lip starts quivering you have about two seconds to reel him in before he will startle the day lights out of any civilized dog.

And I should mention that Rolo is all bark and no bite, even with dogs he hates, he suddenly will lunge and bark and snarl, but he doesn't actually bite them, which makes me worry about him even more!

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Worldwide Wieners!

2011-10-25T10:12:00.001-03:00

[Mike and Jess are the owners of two Dachshund/Chihuahua mixes: Ellie and Winifred. This family of four of moved from Canada to Malta, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, in the autumn of 2010. They currently divide their time between this small island and an even smaller Canadian city. You can follow their adventure at Mike and Jess in Malta (+ Halifax).]

As we split our time between Canada and Malta we are always surprised at how well dogs adapt to big change. When we moved to Malta in the autumn of 2010 leaving our dogs in Canada was simply not an option for us. They are our family. You wouldn't ditch a family member if you were moving, would you? Well, at least not one with four legs.

Our pups adjusted beautifully to the change. Although Dachshunds can be stubborn, they are also fiercely loyal and loving, and it appears that they are willing to be a little flexible for their favourite humans.

Most of you are probably don’t know much about Malta. With a population of just over 400,000 we can’t blame you – it’s a tiny place. If you want to learn more you can check out our blog here.

We travelled a lot during our year in Malta, but since we were on a student-sized budget our dogs couldn’t travel with us very often (they had their own fun at their favourite local kennel). But on our way back to Canada this Fall we had the opportunity to take the dogs on their very first mini-vacation to Frankfurt.

As fellow dachshund owners and/or lovers, please share in our amusement that we were able to take our wiener dogs to Frankfurt, where we learned that they do indeed enjoy eating German frankfurters.

What is it like living in Malta with dachshunds? In a word, hot. But our dogs loved that we traded Canadian snow for Maltese sand last year. And it’s no surprise – dachshunds love the heat. Their favourite pastime quickly became lying out in the sun on our terrace. Sound familiar? We also taught Ellie to swim in the Mediterranean Sea which she loved – it’s a much more comfortable temperature than the North Atlantic which we are currently calling home.

What about dachshunds in Malta? We didn’t see one the whole time we lived there, so Ellie and Win were little celebrities around town! British and Maltese people call dachshunds “sausage dogs” so when we walked our pups anywhere in Malta we would get lots of stares and questions. Children especially liked to call out “sausage dog! Sausage dog!” whenever they saw our pups. So funny!

Does traveling, or moving, to Europe with dogs sound interesting to you? As of January 1st, 2012 pets can now travel to Europe from Canada and the United States just 21 days after their required rabies vaccination & blood test. Which means you have no excuse not at least consider bringing Fido on your next European excursion!

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Queen of the Pack!

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Today's post comes from Marja, a married woman from Finland living in a small town in Southern part of the country. Her house is a home to her husband, stepson, and three lovely dogs: two Cairn terriers and one wire haired dachshund Iita.]

My family's life was truly changed a couple of years back when we (me?) decided to get a dog. After some research where we tried to tick all the boxes of our needs we have for the pet into a one animal, we decided to get a Cairn terrier. All went well, found the nicest breeder, she just had a litter and Nessa came to us four years ago. She is the nicest, most clever, greedy dog you can want. But a hunter dog she wasn't (hubby hunts).

Then I decided (I consulted my hubby but was quite adamant to have another dog) that we should also adopt one of Nessa's puppies when she was expecting. At the same time, Hubby wanted a dachshund, but, dear Lord, please not at the same time. So we found another lovely breeder of sausage dogs and agreed that would be in the "queue" for the litter planned next year.

So, Nessa's puppies were born (at the breeder's) and eight weeks later, home came Mindi. Beautiful, big eared goofball. Only a month later came Iita, our little sausage dog. Somebody did not want her since she has a little bend in the tail. But we wanted her. She was tiny (rut of the litter, breeder's little princess), feisty and cutest thing in the world.

Now that we have all lived together for about a year-and-a-half, I do understand why they say that Dachhunds are very special breed. They are. Pampered, funny, ferocious when hunting, cuddly when in sofa, furniture eaters, fast (one flash and they are gone into the woods with ears flopping), co-dependent and independent at the same time...

I have replaced a kitchen chair, coffee table, a rug because of her eating away at them, still mercifully forgetting the evil deeds she has done with her sister's help or on her own. She is the one in the morning jumping to the bed when the alarm goes off and waits for my eyes to open. Then the dance begins and I get tens of kisses in my face and neck. The other dogs let her do the waking up, too much effort!

She has travelled with us when we drove to Lappland to stay with relatives for two weeks (sister Mindi had her social calendar full with dog shows being a beauty queen) so only Iita and Nessa went with us. No matter how many hours we travelled in the car, Iita would always jump in and start to snore. Nessa on the other hand is a regular state patrol, always looking out the car window to see if we have the right route.

There are so many stories already and many more to come. This fall she will go hunting deers with the hunting party for the first time. There will be another dachshund at the party who is a veteran at that. I can't wait to hear how she does. Already she loves to run around the woods, now will she take to deer smell? Who knows? During our normal walks she hunts for the little birds, sparrows watch out...

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Enzo the Anxious!

2011-10-11T08:39:00.001-03:00

[Our guest post today comes from Katrina and her miniature dachshund, Enzo. Enzo is wonderful; he plays gently with their 10-month-old son, he runs to the door when he wants out, he shows you his food when it's empty, and he snuggles any chance he gets. He is their perfect little dog except for one thing...]

We've had Enzo since he was 10-weeks-old. He was house-trained in two weeks (he is now a year-and-a-half, and in total he's had three accidents since...I admit, they were our fault), he learned how to sit in an hour, sit pretty in two hours, lay down in about 10 minutes, and he always looks your way when you call.

He still seems to think he doesn't NEED to come, still working on that one.

He loves everyone he meets, and is great with other dogs. But for all of the good in him, there is one very, very annoying quality. He is afraid of EVERYTHING. He's afraid of the frying pan, he's afraid of the pots, he's afraid of pop cans, he's afraid of clear bowls (he wont come closer than about 5 inches), he's afraid of his food bag, he's afraid of a few of the kids toys, he's afraid of boxes (whether or not they are open), he's deathly afraid of the vacuum, and if you try and give him a bath he screams.

Now, I could understand fear if we had taught him not to go near those things, but he has been this way since we got him. He's slowly been getting used to water, but it has been a very very slow process. The vacuum makes him go crazy. He puts the top of his head on the ground, kicks his front legs back, and runs sliding on his head all over the room.

Whats with that?! Does anyone else's do this?

We love him to death and all we want is for him to not have a mental breakdown every time we vacuum, or cook, or drink a can of pop. We've tried the treat thing when they come out, praising him with it a little closer every time and he just does not want to be anywhere near these things, or even look at them. I think they might even give him nightmares.

HELP! How can we help him deal with these every day things?

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Dog insurance for your pooch.

2011-10-05T10:21:00.000-03:00

[Today's guest post is all about being prepared! I didn't even know pet insurance existed when I first ended up at the emergency with Calvin. While it's a personal choice for every household, we're happy to share this submission full of great things to think about.]

Your dog is your best friend, and you’ll do anything to make sure they have a happy twinkle in their big brown puppy eyes. Whether you spoil them with fancy treats, bring them new toys every week or break your own rules and let it lounge with you on the sofa when the X Factor is on, you’d probably do anything for your dog.

In the same way, if your precious pup gets sick, or hurt, you’ll want to rush them straight to the animal hospital for the best treatment money can buy. Yet what happens if your money can’t really buy the best? Vet bills can make most jaws drop, and it’s unlikely you’ll have been prepared for your canine pal getting sick or injured. This is why it’s important to arrange pet insurance; so that you know if something happens, you can afford to get it sorted.

After all, even if your dog is super healthy, and well behaved, they are not immune to getting sick or hurting themselves. Each dog - and breed for that matter - has their own personality quirks which can sometimes get them into tricky situations. Daschunds, for instance, are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t; even taking them for a walk can lead to them chomping up someone’s leftover lunch on the ground. And next thing you know, your wee pooch has a belly ache! Some dogs can be extremely energetic and can literally run into trouble; others might simply be prone to getting a cold. At the end of the day, we’re always at risk of something happening to our health and the same goes for our furry friends.

Of course, as well as looking after medical bills, dog insurance covers other things too. What if you have to cancel your much-longed-for holiday because your dog falls ill before you go? Your insurance can cover some of the costs of your cancelled trip. And if your neighbour comes over to complain that your dog has used their mobile phone as a chew toy, you can be covered for that as well. There are loads of US and UK dog insurance providers who can offer a policy to suit your requirements, so you can enjoy life with your dog, without the stress of unexpected costs.

Odie may be a small dog, but he's larger than life!

2011-09-28T15:52:00.000-03:00

[Julia is graphic designer living in South West Florida with her two dogs: Picasso, a fifteen-year-old wire hair dapple dachshund, and Odie, a wild boar dachshund who will be three in a couple of weeks.]

Odie came into my life about 3 years ago. I had lost Sadie, an Australian Shepherd, and I couldn't begin to imagine adopting another dog. The pain was too great. But months past by and a couple of weeks before going on a trip to visit my oldest brother I came across the movie Garfield.

I shouted out loud: "I want Odie."

I thought he was the cutest doxie and just fell in love with his character. But there's no way I could get into adopting another one. I told everyone–and I mean everyone–I will NOT have another animal. The responsibility, the pain, or any other excuse was enough for me to make up my mind on the matter.

Well, after I came back from my trip, it was one day before my birthday and I I had a surprise welcome birthday party. It was literally just off the plane when I was surprised by close friends at a restaurant! After the celebration, I came home to find that all my furniture was moved to the side. I asked my other brother if he had a party when I was gone–he was babysitting my other dog, Picasso, while I was away–and he said no.

I suddenly heard a faint cry and there he was: a puppy. No doubt about it–he looked just like Odie and that's why I named him that. Now you may think how in the world he got me a puppy when I told everyone I didn't want one. Well, I missed telling one person and it was the ONLY person that didn't get the memo.

Moral of the story: be careful what you wish for. But in my case? The universe heard me and got me exactly what I wanted. LOVE.

Nature, nurture, and three special doxies.

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Lakota is born and raised in London, England but now lives in Umhlanga, South Africa, with her very first pack: Harley (Mr. Davidson) Jack (Mr. Daniels) and new addition Ozzy (Mr. Osbourne). All three are mini-Dachshunds one year or younger so you just know she has her hands full!]

My entry into a doxie filled world started with the question, 'where on EARTH will I buy my puppies from?' I had already done huge amounts of research to find a breed that would suit my lifestyle and found three options: find a breeder, a private seller, or go to a petshop. In the end, I did all three.

Harley, my first, was from a pet shop (which I would never ever do again but that's a whole different story), I got Jack a month later from a woman who sold doxie pups for breeders who came recommended by my vet, and I got Ozzy last week from a KUSA registered breeder in a different province.

So this got me thinking: are their personalities influenced by those first eight or nine weeks of their lives? In my experience, absolutely!

Take Harley. He was kept in a glass and wire cage most of his first few weeks with virtually no interaction with anyone or anything. He's a loving puppy, but very nervous, skittish and he can throw the most amazing sulks. He was a terror to house train as he could pee and poop in his cage, hates being handled too much, but will give lots of love cuddles and kisses once he knows he can trust you.

Jack lived his first few weeks in a house with a garden, his parents and siblings. Thanks to beautiful South African weather, he was in the garden a lot. As a result, he was easy to house train (six weeks!) and is sociable, adventurous and much braver than Harley. He does, however, get super jealous and constantly seeks to be the centre of attention–something he would have had to fight for with his original packmates.

Ozzy came from a breeder and lived in outdoor kennels with his parents and other puppies with no-one watching him full time. He's a total adventure monkey! He has to be watched carefully to make sure he doesn't leap off or into things as he got used to being able to do whatever his puppy-senses told him to do! He's going to be a challenge to train that's for sure. He loves attention but isn't sure about this kisses nonsense!

Maybe I just have crazy, lovely, gorgeous boys!!

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Sissy and Chester

2011-09-20T10:43:00.001-03:00

[Today's guest blogger Michael lives in Oakland, CA and sadly his dachshund Sissy passed away a few weeks ago.]

This is a video of my dachshund Sissy meeting our neighbor's cat Chester for the first time. They were very shy towards each other at first but eventually their curiosity overcame them.

Sadly, Sissy passed a few weeks ago. Losing her was the hardest experience of my life. I am now trying to spread the last video of her I have with other dachshund lovers so that the happiness she brought me can be shared!

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

Miley self soothes...

2011-09-16T08:57:00.000-03:00

[Sue is from West Central Florida where she is raising an eight-month-old, long-haired doxie named Mylie-Mae. Having gone from owning three german shepherds to now their second dachshund, this is one family that will only have doxies from now on!]

Yes, of course she has her blankets and her babies, but she also sucks her thumb!

Well, okay, it may be the side of her paw but we call her our thumb sucking doxie when Mylie drags her right paw into her mouth sideways and begins sucking away. She will occasionally lick the paw, but undoubtedly, she returns to sucking, her eyes get heavy, and then off to sleep she goes.

Just as a baby, she will even begin sucking in her sleep. She was not weaned early and just started thumb sucking 2 months ago!

[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]

For some, dachshunds are juuuust right!

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Kyley is owned by her adorable little sidekick, Ammo the Dachshund, whom she is fortunate enough to share many adventures with on his website www.ammothedachshund.com. Ammo and Kyley enjoy life on the farm and spend most of their time with her famous trick ponies and working in her small shop in town.]

Before I took the big leap into Dachshund ownership I made sure to read up on all I could about the breed. I'll admit, I was a little scared when I read things like hard to house break, stubborn, vocal, not best with small children, and aggressive with strangers.

Growing up I had had many dogs come through my life - most of which were of the Labrador mentality. And while I had had some experience in dog training as a youth when I belonged to a local Dog 4-H Club, I knew fully well that a Dachshund was not going to be as easy to train as a Labrador.

But, despite all the negative things I read out there about Dachshunds, one look into my boy's eyes and there was no turning back. From the very beginning I took Ammo everywhere with me. He rode in the car everyday, came to work with me, helped me care for our horses out on the farm, I even took him inside hardware stores and places I thought I could get away with taking a tiny Dachshund stuffed into my jacket pocket. When he got older we took some basic obedience classes, started visiting the dog park, and took to more adventurous things like camping, boating, and sledding to name a few.

Looking from afar some people may have thought I was treating him more like a child than a dog - but the fact remained that I was doing these things with him to make him a well-rounded dog that would hopefully be able to do pretty much anything with me.

Ammo isn't perfect, he for sure has that Dachshund stubbornness in him, but as we approach his 3rd Birthday this fall, I am so proud of the dog he has become. I continue to take him everywhere possible with me, and I'm overjoyed that my efforts in socializing him and allowing him to experience many new things have disproven some of the facts that I had initially read about the breed.

He will probably never give up his excessive need to go down groundhog holes, or his alerting barks during every creak in the night, but at least I know that he'll always be able to be my traveling sidekick for all of our adventures in the years to come!

Baywatch: Dachshund Edition!

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Joan and David are retired teachers from Victoria BC. They've owned many dogs, but took a twenty-year break until finding Blarney two years ago. He's the "apple of our eye" as they say. Their lives have been charged since he came aboard. They wouldn't say he rules but he sure packs an influence that's well beyond his twenty pounds! Catch more from this lovely family at http://livingwithblarney.blogspot.com/]

Yesterday afternoon, when the August sun was at its warmest, we decided to take Blarney for a quick dip at his favourite lake spot.

He loves to chase a ball into the water and can be tempted to swim a few steps over his depth to fetch one bobbing. It's no small feat for such a tiny mouth!

He has to approach the ball from just the right angle and strike with just the right force to capture it. It lodges in the side of his jaw like a cigar. We call it the Churchill pose after the famous British prime minister. Blarney easily becomes obsessed with the game. He'd play until he dropped if we had the energy!

Yesterday one bad throw went out beyond his usual range and the wind carried it out even more. He began to pace the shore with short forays into the shallows while we encouraged him with "GO!" and a waving arm. He watched the ball blow along the beach and hang in a clump of weed. We were sure the ball was a goner.

We called Blarney and made moves to leave. It was like a trigger to set off his courage. He launched himself and began the swim while we stood with mouths agape. "He's going!" I whispered.

There was a moment or two when we'd thought he'd turn back especially when he missed his first pass at snapping the ball, but he got it and brought in a good crop of lake weed as well.

"Good boy!" we chorused. Wow!

Do Your Dachshunds Walk You?

2011-09-10T14:37:00.000-03:00

[Elizabeth is a thirty-something-year-old chick from Seattle, Wa. who spends too much time blogging about her dogs at http://www.dogbloggingwithluna.com/. Although we wouldn't agree with her on the "too much" time part. We'd say more along the lines of juuuuuust right :)]

Walking Luna, Penny and Tucker (my mother's dog) = one big, tangled mess.

I wish I could say that I knew exactly how to walk my dogs perfectly. Okay, let's not say perfectly, let’s go with ‘correctly.’

Yes, I know the fundamentals of walking a dog, and yes, I know how to heel, cross the street, and walk past other people without having my Golden Retriever Luna lose her focus. What I do not know is how to avoid having Luna freak out when walking past a large parked truck with its engine running, or walking on a gutter drain.

Luna avoids these things at all costs (read: she panics), and in a purely frustrated state I have even resorted to picking her up and placing her on the drain grate so she will understand that she is not going to fall through and get washed away like the little rat character ‘Remy’ does in the movie “Ratatouille.”

Lets now add Penny to the pack. I have heard that all Dachshunds pull on their leashes, and let me just say that when Penny is on her leash she pulls like she is competing in the Iditarod. My pleas of “slow down, Penny” must translate to “Mush, mush, mush” in Dachshund-speak, and she obliges as her little feet carry her on like a sprinting rabbit.

So here I have a dog that is fairly consistent on her leash except when passing by large parked trucks and drain grates, and another dog that behaves like a wind up toy. So what's my solution?

I place them side by side and ‘pack walk’ them either on my left, or directly in front. Something changes when I put the girls together like this; it somehow calms Luna down, and Penny tries to match Luna’s leisurely pace.

All in all, it makes for a much better walk!

Finally, all dogs in sync.

Who's Your...Giraffe?

2011-09-08T12:37:00.003-03:00

[Amanda Wallace hails from Truckee, CA and Bogie, her fabulous mini long-haired doxie, has no problem keeping up with her adventurous lifestyle! From rock-climbing and hiking to earning celebrity status at the SF Giants Dog Days event, it all gets documented on her blog: http://ivegonegraphic.tumblr.com.]

Check out the pictures below taken at the San Francisco Giants Dog Days! Just fun snap shots of Bogie in his costume: no animals were harmed in the costume process!

It might be hard to believe but Bogie loved his costume. He pranced around proudly and loved all the attention. He got more pictures taken of him than you can imagine and I am pretty sure he is floating around the internet in many locations.

He had over 2,000 hits on his twitpic posted by the San Francisco Giants when I looked on Sunday morning!

Why so popular, you ask? Well, Bogie won the Dog Days costume contest!

We got a great swag bag and got to stand on the field in front of the whole stadium. It was an awesome day but no more costume contests in the future. We're going out on top!

Good job, Bogie, and thanks for being a good sport!

Brody Meets His Bro!

2011-09-07T08:55:00.001-03:00

[Kristin is a long-time WYD contributor originally from California but now lives with her husband and their dachshund Brody in Alaska. They have a general love for all things outdoors from fishing to camping and their dogs tag along for every ride! Read more about this active family at http://alaskat.wordpress.com/]

A while back, I received a random message on Facebook from Lauren,a girl I went to high school with. She said that a friend of hers had Googled"blue eyed dachshund" and POW...there was Brody and of course this post.

Lauren and I started talking and apparently her friend Googled"blue eyed dachshund" because he had never seen a dachshund with blueeyes, until he saw her dog, Dizzle. I know...cute name right?

Well get this, long story short, I introduce to you,Dizzle...Brody's brother.

Yes, Dizzle is actually Brody's brother, not from the same litterthough. Dizzle is 5 and Brody is 3, but they do have the same mom and dad. Takea look at these and tell me that it doesn't freak you out a little bit. Dizzleon the left, Brody on the right.

How uncanny is the resemblance? Right down to the white chest,white tipped paws, blue eyes...the only real difference is that Dizzle is alittle darker in color than Brody is, Brody is a brighter red.

I know for a fact that there are other puppies from variouslitters that look a lot like Brody and Dizzle. When I would go to visit Brody(before he was old enough to bring him home) I immediately fell in love withone of the breeder's dogs (she literally had 30 dachshunds of her own, noexaggeration). His name was Dylan and he could've been Brody's twin too.

Lauren and I now constantly text each other photos of the boys,it's a real treat to see all of the similarities. She even texted me one day, wanting to know if Brody issweet, loving, and a cuddler (her and her husband were comparing their otherdachshund, Rusty, to Dizzle and wondering where the differences come from). Myresponse?? Boy is he ever!! I immediately directed her to this post and this one as well.

Funny thing is, look at how much Rusty looks like Diego (my dachshund that passed in 2008). Rusty on the left, Diego on the right.

Maybe one day soon, Lauren and the boys will come to visit, soBrody can meet his long lost brother :)

Who's YOUR dachshund?

2011-08-31T13:41:00.006-03:00

Well hello there, long-lost blog friends!

It sure has been a while and while I could easily make this an 'I'm sorry for not posting' post, I'm going to switch it up by focusing on what's up ahead for everyone's favourite dachshund blog. That's right. Change is gonna come and you're all about to get your very first taste!

As of right now - yes! RIGHT now! - you can consider Who's Your Dachshund your very own personal outlet for all the dachshund delights and dramas in your life. While obviously all of the official contributors have had a blast sharing our stories with you, it makes sense to blow things wide open so that we can hear more from YOU.

How? Easy! You see that 'Guest Post' link up in the top-right of the blog? Whenever you have a dachshund story that you'd like to see up on WYD, give that link the ole clickaroo and fill out the form. Your post then comes to me, I give it a quick read, email you to touch base, and then bam - it's published!

Submitting a guest post is a great way to get advice from a strong community of dog owners, to get some exposure for your own blogs and Twitter accounts (we're happy to include links in your bio), and even to build out your personal writing portfolio. Plus...well...it's kinda fun!

Why the change? Well, to me at least, the next evolution of the site really comes down to showcasing the incredible dogs and dog owners out there in our community. While it's all well and good for you to hear from a handful of us, I think it's going to be absolutely wonderful to get so many different perspectives and hear so many different experiences with our favourite little dogs.

And don't worry–I'll still be chiming in plenty so you'll still be able to get your Calvin and Theo fix!

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Can't wait to see those posts coming in!

[Edit: This news goes for our Flickr group too! It's now open for the joining so be sure to share those gorgeous dachshund pics that you want to see on our slideshow!]

Taking a break...

2011-07-10T16:59:00.000-03:00

While mom and dad paint the living room...the dachshunds chill out. Home improvements are stressful on dogs, it seems...

An update from Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog!

2011-06-27T08:00:00.000-03:00

Hey guys - I'm very pleased to pass along an update from our good friends Barb and Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog! I always love seeing Barb's email pop up and hope you all enjoy keeping up on this very famous and good-doing dachshund as much as I do!

From helping kids understand that being different is never a bad thing, to helping seniors with some long-dog company, Frankie is always keeping busy by making a difference and her latest project is no exception!

Starting today and running to July 2, you can pick up a condensed version of the award-winning book, Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog, that has been updated with colouring pages for kids, real photos of Frankie, and even a Frankie Paper Doll complete with her wheelchair and favourite outfits that you can use to dress her up. It's 52-pages of fun and great messages for kids.

What's better is that 30% of sales will be donated to Dodgerslist, a website and organization that helps raise awareness about the treatment options pet owners when facing invertebral disc disease in their pooches. Pick up something fun for kids in your life, make a world of difference for dog owners going navigating some of the toughest times you can imagine!

We love win/win situations :)

Dachshund Design Envy

2011-06-05T08:00:00.001-03:00

Wow...this is some pretty hardcore doxie love! I don't know if I could live in the motif, but I definitely love seeing the pictures!!

More pictures on the original blog post!

Fame and photobombs!

2011-06-04T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Squiggle, a wire-haired from Australia must have one heck of a schedule! From being the frontman for his dad's company, to lending a dose of dachshund to photos everywhere, he must keep his management team awfully busy!]

Snoopy sniffs into summer!

2011-06-03T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Say hi to Snoopy, a miniature, long-haired, black-and-tan, piebald dachshund from Omaha. What a mouthful!]

Billie Bumbler's Bag of Tricks!

2011-06-02T08:00:00.000-03:00

[Brianna and Billie Bumbler are back for a visit!]

Update from Jonathan and Jefferson!

2011-06-01T15:21:00.004-03:00

[Check out this great and adorable update from WYD alum, Jonathan!]

Jefferson and I moved from Indiana to Florida a month ago. It's been very nice not having to deal with snow, ice and subzero climates. The thing I didn't expect was his reaction to the change in climate.

The little fluffernutter has gone from sleeping about 12 hours a day to roughly 18. We're not talking the normal snoozing until something comes along that requires his puppy attention. I have checked for signs of life many times the last few weeks.

The highlight of all of this is the amount of photos I've been able to take of him in many stages of awkwardness. Enjoy!

In my next life...

2011-05-02T08:00:00.003-03:00

...I want to come back as a dachshund. No...for reals.

Who has a better life? Really? I know Brody sure has it rough:

On some weekends, it can be nearly impossible to get anything done. Especially when all Brody wants you to do is snuggle with him on the couch. He looks at me with those BIG, BLUE eyes like, "Mom, you don't really want to do laundry, come snuggle with me all day."

His daily life is so incredibly rough, sometimes he even falls asleep sitting up.

It's a dog's life.

Pure Entertainment

2011-04-28T08:00:00.003-03:00

Living with a dachshund is like living with a clown...well...maybe not a clown, they're kinda creepy. Nonetheless, having a dachshund around means there's never a dull moment and you're never allowed to be down in the dumps.

By no exaggeration, Brody is the main source of entertainment in our house. If I'm having a bad day, Brody's always there to cheer me up. Dachshunds are little hams, the more you laugh, the harder they try to make you laugh.

Case in point:

In our house, we call this look "flappers back, side to side".

Now I know not all dachshunds sit on their butts, Diego never did, but Brody has this innate sense of balance. J likes to blame our house guests that just can't believe he sits on his butt, so they continue feeding him treats and scraps from the table, to see him do it over and over again.

Brody can spot a sucker from a mile away. He zeroes in on people, slithers on over to them, props himself up on his booty, and proceeds with the "look I'm so cute, don't I deserve a treat?" face.

I mean really, could you resist this face?

I didn't think so ;)

These weiners love spring....

2011-04-12T22:16:00.000-03:00

I'd like to say they (Vienna & Ike) really are enjoying just being outside in the spring time and in the sun....But to be honest, I think they liked begging their dad for whatever he was munching on today....

Life can be hectic!

2011-04-05T21:12:00.000-03:00

Vienna and her epic dachshund head tilt

It's been so long since we have posted, but I hope no one has given up on us yet! Ike and Vienna are still as adventurous as ever and I have plenty of posts coming up soon about that. I've been buried in an internship. I know Ben has been over his head as well. More to come, I assure you....and thanks for sticking around and being patient!

Dachshund Emergency Alert System

2011-03-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

The following is a test of the Dachshund Emergency Alert System.

Dachshund emergency alert system from Courtney Keys on Vimeo.

This was only a test. If this had been a real dachshund emergency... there would have been a lot more barking.

Bundle of Nerves

2011-03-02T21:46:00.000-04:00

I don't know if this is a dachshund thing or a rescue dog trait, but so far in the 8 months that we have had Vienna, she is constantly on edge. If there was a dog that had anxiety as bad as their owner, it is Vienna. She shakes almost constantly. Especially if you talk to her in a sweet, high pitched voice. If you say "It's ok, ViVi!!" she shakes even worse. I imagine that she is saying back "It is very much NOT ok."

We don't even have to do anything for her to shake. She'll be calm one minute and freaking out the next. She constantly looks insanely worried. Or maybe she's just insanely expressive.

But then she seems to have a jealousy streak that will not go away. ALWAYS has to be in our lap and in our face. Doesn't like when we are not paying attention to her. The second anything else gets more than 30 seconds of our attention, she rushes to us and is demanding we tend to her. I have to be careful not to snap at her because she will dribble sometimes...our couch has been cleaned often because of it.

I try so hard to not get frustrated. To not snap at her for being RIGHTINMYFACE. I understand that the first year of her life was crap -- she had 7 puppies, probably getting pregnant during her very first heat. She probably got yelled at and was treated terribly. But we have given her such a good, calm life here. We try our best to calm her down when she gets intensely worried. I have thoughts about taking her to our vet as they actually have a part time behaviorist there, but it is VERY expensive (a lot more than a grad student salary can afford) and if there are simple tricks, I'd like to exhaust those options first.

She DOES do great so far with potty training, surprisingly, eating on a schedule, going into their crates (box!) for a few hours during the day and generally listening to commands such as "come", "sit", "no!"....we just aren't sure what else to do. I'd love some input on ways we can calm her during those anxious moments!

(Just to jump ahead of any commenters that may get mean and tell me that I'm being a jerk and I shouldn't complain because she's a shelter dog, etc etc....Please don't -- that's completely counter-productive. I know I got a doxie from a shelter -- I did and do understand that such a decision is tough and its not always a perfect road. I know that no matter that we do, someone will always be there to say that I'm doing the wrong thing. But please don't judge -- at least I didn't get a puppy from a breeder -- which isn't a bad thing -- my other dachshund was from a breeder. But I wanted to do my part to save a dog that deserved a second home. Anyway, I'm stepping off my soap box and my ears our open for suggestions!!)

Two Peas in a Pod

2011-02-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

You may remember this post, with the super cute photo of J and Brody sleeping. Or maybe you remember this post and Brody's incredible singing talent (oh and J's too, can't forget him). But after going through my phone the other day, I realized that I have an absurd amount of photos of J and Brody snuggling, sledding, or even more common is Brody taking up residence on J's lap.

I mean come on...could they be ANY cuter??

Why life is easier on Valentine's Day when you have a dachshund

2011-02-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

A few days before Valentine’s Day, I went to the store in search of the perfect greeting cards for my loved ones. This season, that meant I was about to buy six cards…one for my sister, husband, mom, dad and the list goes on. As I approached the card section, I noticed about 20 people huddling around the Valentine’s Day selection trying to get a good look at their options. As each went through the process of eyeing covers, reaching for a card, opening and reading it, smiling and then eventually replacing the card to its respective slot, I stood back.

Before elbowing my way to the front of the group, I needed a plan. The secret to finding a great Valentine’s Day card, I thought to myself, is finding a greeting that speaks to the recipient’s interests, hobbies or, in the case of Valentine’s Day, loves. Seems simple enough. And for me, the answer was clear.

My parents own a dachshund; my husband and I own three and my sister has played a large part in raising them all. My in-laws, the other recipients, are also frequent “dachshund-sitters” for us and have developed the same affection for dachshunds as we have. In short, we’re dachshund-lovers. There is certainly no denying it.

With a strategy in place, I jumped in. I was looking for some kind of dachshund-themed Valentine’s Day card. And if I was lucky, I’d find more than one. As fate had it, I found six dachshund-themed Valentine’s Day cards in a matter of minutes. I muscled my way out of the mob and started making my way to a checkout line. As I walked away from the card section, I turned back. The same 20-or-so people were still there eyeing and fingering cards, one by one. I circled the store for a few more items, came back to the checkout area approximately 30 minutes later and noticed at least 15 of the same people were still standing there sporting dear-in-the-headlights expressions, clearly struggling with their Valentine’s Day card decisions.

I couldn’t help but think to myself, why don’t they just get a dachshund? Why put yourself through the unnecessary torment of choosing the right way to say, “Happy Valentine’s Day” when nothing says, “Love” like the face of a dachshund?

Make life easy on yourself this Valentine’s Day. When it comes to picking out your Valentine’s Day cards, choose dachshund.

Inside reads: "Happy Valentine's Day" from Shesocreative.

Mr. Sandman - bring me a dream...

2011-02-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I’m home most days, I get to witness the varying degrees of crazy that go into the selection of a dachshund’s sleeping arrangements. I promise you as a first-hand witness, it borders on insane. Here’s the run-down of the options that get rotated through on a near-hourly basis. Sorry for the terrible photos - snapping shots of sleeping dachshunds is difficult work.

1) The Doggie Condo: Oh yes, the corner cupboard in our kitchen with the heating vent running underneath is a major favourite. With a collection of old towels and dog bed covers of the fallen (more on that below) thrown inside, it’s the first place we look when we haven’t seen the pups in a while. Downsides? Well, there was that time I accidentally closed Theo inside for a little while. When I realized and opened the door, all he did was roll over, begging me to crawl inside and rub his belly. Clearly he was traumatized.

2) The Heating Vents: It actually blows my mind that they can spend so much time lying directly on these. I mean, they get pretty hot!! But that’s where they’ll go as soon as the heat kicks in throughout the day and that’s where they’ll stay until it goes off. Theo will usually curl up directly on top, while Calvin’s more likely to sit in front of it with that weird droopy neck thing that he does.

3) The Dog Bed Graveyard: Right. Remember when the dogs were cutely destroying their beds so they could crawl inside like a fuzzy little burrow? Yep – it’s only cute until the fourth wrecked bed in about as many months. Not so cute anymore. Nonetheless, the shredded bed covers are a favourite hiding spot. I actually don’t know if they remember how to use beds in a normal way anymore.

4) Precarious Couch Positions: The couch is good for a number of reasons. First, it’s off the cold floor. Second, it’s a great vantage point to look out the window and scream at things that don’t meet the dachshund’s approval on our street. Third, they get to stress me out like you wouldn’t believe. The other day I looked up and Theo was standing with all fours on the skinny arm of the couch like a cat. After I had about thirteen heart attacks, he was very quickly scooped back down to lower ground. Lesson learned.

5) Any Pillow in a Storm: While he doesn’t have the self-confidence for big jumps onto furniture (thankfully), Theo is expertly skilled at jumping just enough to nab pillows for his own makeshift nests. Oh yes, that includes silk ones at my parents’ house while we’re enjoying a nice dinner. My mom LOVED that one.

Any picky sleepers at your house?

Theo's seasonal depression

2011-02-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

I know, I know…I’ve basically been complaining about the winter weather before it even started, but it’s completely merited! Over the past two weeks, we’ve been on the receiving end of enough snow to make drifts all around the house, each about eight dachshunds tall. While my new lifestyle means I never have to go outside, Theo isn’t taking it very well.

At first we were doing okay. Theo spent an afternoon making a series of tracks through the snow so that he could still patrol the yard with minimal exposure of his tummy to the elements. Like his own little Minotaur's maze, he’d zip around until confident no intruders were hiding on the premises and then he’d return to his post on any one of our heating vents until his evening shift.

You could almost see the disdain on his face after the recent weather bombs. All of his hard work was covered by four or five feet of snow, and without the assistance of a Saint Bernard and a custom-made dachshund saddle, he wouldn’t be able to blaze trails through anymore. And until I find such a thing, someone’s a little grouchy…

Um hi again.

2011-02-08T02:02:00.003-04:00

[Note: If you’re just in it for the cute pup pics, this post isn’t for you. If you want a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s been keeping us from posting said cute pup pics, read on and all will be revealed!]

Hey everyone – we’re not dead! Yay! I’m sorry it’s been such a long time that you’ve heard from me and that we’ve been pretty scarce with the dachshund delights lately. I can’t promise that we’ll be back to ‘business as usual’ any time soon, but I think (hope) that after reading this post, you’ll at least have a good feel as to why…

Since the last time I checked in, my entire life has done a 180 in a really amazing way where all the pieces are starting to fall into place. While that means all sorts of great things for your blog-host, it also means a steep learning curve where I’m trying to figure out what my balance looks like. Once I do that (and it’s not going to be easy), you can count on WYD coming back even better than before!

Here’s the scoop. First off, I quit my job. This? Is a big deal. While I loved the people I worked with, putting in 70 hours a week and being chained to a Blackberry had worn me out and it was time for a change. And WHAT a change! Today I’m working managing the local presence of an international online community – kind of like I do here, except I’m learning from the best! I get the amazing perk of working from my home office (complete with long, short and noisy office assistants – check out Theo decked out in Yelp doggy gear below!) and zipping to incredible cities every now and then. I spent the first part of 2011 in San Francisco and actually wrote this post while en route to Portland, OR. So fun but wow…I have a whole new respect for people who travel a lot for work. It’s been a big challenge to keep my life in order so far.

On top of this, I’ve been able to join my lovely and brilliant boss from the old job, along with my favourite client to form our own business so I can keep all the best parts of the past three years of my career. I somehow managed to fluke my way into getting the best of both worlds!

Next up: remember that post about Ethiopia? Well, three days after leaving my job and two days before Christmas, I found out that thanks to all of you who voted and spread the word, I WON! What that means is that at the end of the month (because I’m not busy enough…), I will be jetting to Africa with War Child Canada to meet the people running assistance programs for children affected by poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender inequality, and more. I’ll get to see first-hand the amazing people making a difference in the world while also getting to sit down with those whose lives have been changed as a result.

So as you can probably gather, I am impossibly scattered right now and in no position to give WYD as much attention as I’d like to. It also means that over the first three months of 2011, I will spend about a month of it away from my family which is really tough for me. That said, I want you all to know that I haven’t forgotten about you, that we and the puppies are doing better than ever, and I can’t wait to get back on track here – it just might take me a little while to get there :)

Happy dance

2011-01-25T22:42:00.003-04:00

Do you like snacks?

Of course you do!

But do you like snacks as much as Fred??

Happy 2nd Birthday Vienna

2011-01-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

To be honest, we're not even sure what the actual DAY of Vienna's birthday is! We just know that when we got her last summer, she was between the ages of 1 and 1 1/2. That's kind of a wide range. So we've been discussing for awhile...ok, arguing for awhile, about when her birthday will be celebrated by us. Since Ike's is in June...we decided her's would be January. So today, the 11th, we celebrate a fantastic, spirited, BEAUTIFUL gal. We're so happy we rescued her!

Here are a few recent pictures of our darling girl...

Using Atlas as a punching bag....

Surfing the internet with Dad....

A true hot dog....Loves the fireplace....

She also is a big daddy's girl...or maybe it was just because he was in her seat at the fire....

Kristin's Star Performer!

2011-01-04T10:21:00.004-04:00

[Ongoing technical troubles are making me rip my hair out but that's besides the point. This post is actually from Kristin - so don't get too confused :)]

Brody has always been an extremely vocal dog. Dachshunds themselves tend to be vocal in nature, but Brody has never been afraid to tell you what he thinks. When he was a puppy, if he wanted you to wake up to take him outside, he would yawn really loud, repeatedly, right in your face. He still does the same yawn, which also includes what we call his "cat stretch", you know, the stretch where they arc their back and then stick their butt up in the air? I've been trying to snag a video clip of him doing his cat stretch and loud, grumbley yawn, but of course by the time I pull out my camera, it's too late.

I have however been videotaping his "singing" lately. Yes, Brody likes to sing. Only, of course, when mom or dad sing with him, apparently he's not brave enough to do it alone. This "singing" ranges anywhere from a quiet murmuring of grunts and groans, to barking at the top of his wee little lungs. Which we call his "big boy bark". For your viewing pleasure, I put together three of the video clips I've shot of him with my iPhone.

Unfortunately, the videos turned out a bit pixilated since I had to rotate them, but you get the point. Please don't pay attention to the piles of laundry on our couch. Most of Brody's "singing" takes place during our lazy, down time, while he's snuggled up next to us on the couch (hence J's crazy bedhead hair and pajamas, I'm sure he's going to kill me for posting these videos, especially with his silly "singing" but I just can't help myself). I wish you could see Brody's tail in the videos, the entire time he "sings" his tail wags like crazy.

If only I could catch a video of Brody when he watches these videos. I'll play them for him on my iPhone and he always cocks his head to one side, ears perked up, and pokes at the screen with his nose, inspecting whether it's a real dog or not (which of course then turns the video off because of the touch screen, silly dog).

I love the very ending of the last clip, when J says, "You're not being very cooperative." That clip was actually shot while all three of us were snuggled on the couch together and Brody was laying on his back. I just realized it looks like J is bear hugging him in all of the videos, but that's how Brody snuggles, buried in dad's arms.

Without further ado, I present to you Brody - The Singing Sensation! :)

Brody Singing from Kristin Clement on Vimeo.

Happy Christmas from Fat Frank's Home for Wayward Wieners!

2010-12-23T14:28:00.009-04:00

Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season so far. We've been busy down here! Thor is on a break from agility competition till mid-January, but Franny just turned 1 and we've been increasing her agility training since she's a big girl now! I'm also trying to get in shape so I can actually keep up with her. So basically I go to work, come home, and then it's off to the people gym or the dog training center, or BOTH, then home to do all the daily chores, then off to bed. Whew!

I know this is a dachshund blog, but if I may brag on my Fran for a minute, she's off to a great start in her Rally and Obedience careers. We have 7 Qs in Rally Novice and one Q in Beginner Novice obedience! She is so much fun to work with, and she still manages to get cuter every day. Thor has finally started accepting her as a little sister and they love to play and wrestle!

I did manage to shoot my holiday photos back in October, so without further delay, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all from:

Napoleon Dynamite

Thor, aka Dr. Funkenstein NAJ NJP PJ1 PK1 JS-N CL1 CL2-R CL2-F NAC NJC TN-N TG-N HP-N TBAD TG3

Fred, aka Frederick von Ballhopper JE

and Francine, aka Franny, aka Hurrikane Never Tell A Lie RN

Admitting defeat

2010-12-22T14:54:00.005-04:00

This is Calvin. He's a great dog. He's incredibly obedient, eager to please, calm, kind, and loving. But we have a problem and it's not one that I've been able to fix on my own. You see, Calvin doesn't realize that he's a dachshund - oh no. Instead, he is convinced that he is a retriever and an incredible one at that. If we played along, he would fetch toys all day and night until the point where he dies of exhaustion. Ropes, kongs, balls, stuffed animals, dental chews - anything that can be thrown, kicked, or tossed is his absolute favourite thing in the whole wide world. He'll grab it, bring it, drop it on your feet or lap, and sit patiently waiting for a glimmer of hope that you might make it move.

For a dog who at one point was too timid to understand what playing meant, his interest in fetch has always been something we've loved, but it's getting out of hand. In the photo above, you'll notice that he's not facing the camera - instead he is staring intently at the white fabric box that contains all of his toys. And he'll keep staring at it until one is removed for him or he is forced to go to bed.

For a while, he responded well to the command 'Game over', understanding then that the toy was going away and it's time to rest. But now? That's not good enough. He'll keep sitting by the box, or staring up at shelves where he thinks we've stashed other toys, often chirping until we forcibly remove him from the area. Then if we so much as glance toward the room with the white box, or make any indication that we could be moving in that direction, the process starts all over again. I hate to be dramatic, but we're losing our dog to this obsession.

Minor distractions haven't worked, I'm refusing to use treats or chews to break his attention for fear of reinforcing the behaviour, and with the rotten winter weather already setting in we're losing our regular walks that keep him good and balanced. Unless I can come up with another solution, it's going to be a very long and frustrating wait for Spring.

Right now I'm thinking about coming up with new trick and obedience routines that I can practice with him whenever he gets fixated but I would really appreciate any advice that you might have. Help?

Wait -- Just one more picture!

2010-12-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Call me biased, but is this not the most beautiful red-head you've ever seen before? Sorry Theo, you've got nothing on Vienna!

I am one of those mom's. You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind that simply adores showing off pictures of her kids. The dog kind. I have pictures up of Ike and Vienna at work and whenever I start talking to a patient about my dogs, I have to run back to my desk and grab them. Then I soak in the "oohs!" and "ahs!" when the patients see the beautiful doggies that are my babies. I wonder if they ever fake it. The patients. Because I distinctly can think of times I faked it with people and their dogs or their kids (oh, man, there are some ugly one's of both types out there folks!).

Do you ever do that? Show a stranger or even friends, all the pictures of your doxie that you think is just ADORABLE? Do you think they are always sincere in their praise for your doggy? And if not, are you willing to stop the habit?

I'm SO not. If I have to put up with looking at someone's baby pictures, I'm sure as heck going to bury them in dog pictures!

Doxie Crafts: Christmas Wishlist!

2010-12-08T09:33:00.004-04:00

With Christmas just around the corner and everyone scrambling to finish their holiday shopping (or start it, if you're anything like me), we thought it would be great to shine a spotlight on one of our sponsors, Doxie Crafts. Their sponsorship makes keeping this site alive SO much easier and we can't thank them enough for their ongoing support!

Doxie Crafts is a family-owned business born out of a love for all things dachshund. With three gorgeous red pups of their own - Laura, Jake and George pictured above - they have the perfect jury to help them pick out the most beautiful dachshund gifts, textiles, art, cards, jewelry and holiday treasures from all across the United States. With all these products available through their website, they offer instant access to dozens of independent crafts-people and artists with a single click.

Now I am admittedly a harsh critic when it comes to dachshund products which is only because I've been given enough wiener dog swag to start up a creepy museum, but the wide selection offers enough gorgeous, modern pieces to earn a couple of spots even on MY Christmas wishlist. Here are some of my absolute favourites (click on the image for more details) - you know...just in case you're wondering what gifts with which you should shower me :)

Obviously I'm a sucker for anything that I can convince myself is of my own dogs. This? Is Calvin - an adorable face with a hint of concern about never quite knowing when he'll get his toy back after we take it away. The modern feel of the print would make a bold statement in any household whether you have dachshunds or not!

This pillow has popped up on my radar a few times. I know a ton of fashion blogs that have been ALL over this and I can't help but think it's the cutest. My boys have never needed the dreaded cone - which is a good thing - so maybe the pillow will help me get a fix without actually having to deal with the post-traumatic stress I'm sure would come out of it. This piece is also available in a number of colours so check it out!

And this one? Well, if you knew my mother, you'd get it. And so will she when her birthday finally rolls around again.

Happy shopping!

Calvin's Comedy of Errors (part three)

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Remember that time that my dogs took their burrowing habits to the extreme? Yep - adorable! We loved the fact that our pooches found a new way to keep warm and cozy as we slide into winter instead of their usual habit of perching on our heating vents and absorbing any warm air that's supposed to be circulating around the house. All in all, a ripped dog bed zipper here and there wasn't a big deal if it meant everyone was comfortable.

The other day we arrived home after a day at work and unlocked the front door. Now, I can only imagine most of your dogs have similar end of day routines but Calvin's is fairly predictable. As we put the key in the slot, we can hear him thumping down the stairs, jumping into the door repeatedly, and squawking with excitement. But this time? Nothing. We could hear his squeaks, but nothing else.

So we open the door and Theo is in his usual waiting spot at the top of the stairs (he suffers from stair anxiety but I'll save that for a future post) and Calvin is nowhere to be seen. We checked the laundry room because sometimes he pushes the door open and it closes behind him when he goes to check out which pile of clothes he can curl up on, but he wasn't in there either.

Well, as it turns out, Calvin had crawled not only inside the cover of his dog bed, but actually in through a hole that he ripped into the stuffing part of the bed, and when he tried to rush out to see us, he had gotten himself stuck in several smaller holes. Think about those sad dolphin pictures they used to show in the nineties when they'd get stuck in those pop can plastic rings and you're pretty much seeing what we saw. The poor guy was having a full-fledged anxiety attack which made it especially hard for us to safely cut him out of the sticky situation.

Now it's safe to say that based on the amount that could have gone wrong in this case, this 'comedy of errors' is a little light on the comedy side of things. While we'll never know for sure if he just got stuck on his way out to greet us at the door, or if he had been stuck like that for hours, we're counting our lucky stars that he didn't strangle himself or get more seriously injured than just a little shook up.

And just like that, we've outlawed the burrowing game at our house and will soon be investing either in a bed designed with an attached blanket (we've seen some great handmade ones on Etsy), or just a kid-sized sleeping bag that will do the trick. We feel bad taking away something that our dogs love so much, but safety first!

As you can see, they're adjusting just fine...

Calvin's Comedy of Errors (part two)

2010-12-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

After being completely unfazed by being unceremoniously locked outside of the house at night, Calvin recovered marvelously - probably because he didn't realize that anything out of the ordinary even happened. I may have aged 12 years as a result of that panic attack, but he was perfectly fine. So fine in fact that a matter of days later he once again proved that he might be a little too go-with-the-flow.

Now, before I tell this story, you need to realize a few things in order to see

that it's completely funny and nothing ever happened that could even remotely be seen as putting my poor, dear dog at risk. First, our doggy day care is out of this world amazing. I have complete confidence in their staff and it would take a lot for me to ever go elsewhere. Second, past WYD contributor Kimberly is one of Calvin's top five favourite people. Clear? Perfect.

Last week both puppies enjoyed a wonderful day at doggy day care alongside their wiener buddies Tofu (Calvin's brother, for those of you who are newer to the blog) and Shopsy - both belonging to great friends of ours. Toward the end of the afternoon, I was just wrapping up things at the office when I got an email from Kimberly with a story that had me laughing until the next day.

She arrived at day care, the staff brought out an excited Tofu, she paid, headed out to the car, and hopped in where her husband is waiting...her husband who then looks at the puppy on her lap and says, "That's not our dog."

Oh yes - my friends. The day care folks accidentally gave her Calvin who was apparently just so happy-go-lucky to see Kimberly that he didn't even care whose car he was getting into, where he was going, or why one of his own family members wasn't there to pick him up that day. I can seriously just picture him sitting on Kimberly's lap in the car, staring out the windshield thinking, "I wonder where we're going! I'm so excited! I love everybody!"

Luckily someone managed to catch on before they left the parking lot (although it would have only gotten funnier from there on out from my perspective) and we all managed to have a good laugh about it.

Calvin's Comedy of Errors (part one)

2010-12-03T08:30:00.000-04:00

Poor, sweet, dopey Calvin. While he started off an incredible clever little beast and grew into an eager-to-please Border Collie wannabe, I feel like he's losing his edge just a touch. On the plus side, he has become much more personable with people and dog's alike, but on the downside...well...he's a little special. Adorable! But definitely special.

Whenever we come home, Calvin waits at the door while Theo waits at the top of the stairs. When we open the door, Calvin dances out onto the front step, shakes his little butt, and follows us back into the landing. It's an adorable welcome at the end of any long day! That said...it isn't foolproof.

The other week dad #2 (this is where I deflect any blame of bad parenting to the one who doesn't have a blog where he can point fingers at me) came home from a haircut in the evening, opened the door to let Calvin dance around as per usual, walked in, and shut the door behind him. Unfortunately, dopey little Calvin got distracted by a blowing leaf, a wayward shadow, or something else completely trivial and forgot to come back in the house.

I can't tell you exactly how long he was hanging in our unfenced front yard by himself because the pure panic of realizing he wasn't in the house blinded me to any form of logic or analytic thought, but I do know it was more than ten minutes and less than half an hour. Want to feel like a bad parent? Try locking your dog outside and forgetting all about him - that'll do the trick.

Of course, when we opened the door there he was as if nothing had happened, still dancing around without a care in the world. He hopped back in the house, did a repeat performance of his butt dance while I hyperventilated into the side of his face, and then looked at me like I was a crazy person for being so upset.

So pretty much business as usual...

A message from Max

2010-12-01T10:24:00.004-04:00

"Don't those soulful eyes just melt your heart? He is a special little guy. He had back surgery last year for a severe herniated disc but we caught it in time and he's been doing just fine. Please tell your readers to be vigilant about no stairs, jumping on and off furniture, roughhousing, etc. And keep their weight under control - all factors that will help keep our dachshies happy and healthy!"

Thanks Susan and Max for that important reminder!

Who's this handsome man?

2010-11-30T08:56:00.004-04:00

Ammo of course! Thanks to his entry in our car safety contest, he's looking great and keeping warm in this beautiful dachshund sweater from Annie's Sweat Shop. Have a great winter, Ammo!

Spring has sprung...again?

2010-11-28T16:40:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's just me but isn't spring the time for doe-eyed, Bambi-legged baby animals to be tumbling around, killing you softly with The Cute? For whatever reason though, the past few weeks have seen so! many! puppies! come into my life as my friends unwittingly start a long, cold journey through winter housebreaking that I've tried so hard to forget. Knowing that I won't be the one to get up every three hours during the frigid winter nights though means that I can fully enjoy the pure pupstravaganza that will keep Calvin and Theo entertained during the season where outdoors isn't usually an option and most canine camaraderie has to be outsourced at doggy day care.

Without further ado, here are some introductions to some great new characters that I'll be happy to report in the weeks to come! I'm anxiously awaiting the next playdates so I can get some photos and videos of each with my boys to share with all of you.

First up, we have this adorable little girl named Charlie, an eight-week-old Saint Bernard pup that you can't help but carry around in your arms while she chews on your earlobes. Mostly because our friends have a VERY short window where she can still be passed off as a lapdog. She lives just around the corner from us and has already made fast friends with Theo who has NO idea what he's in for once she's 120-200lbs in a matter of months. But then again, I don't think any of us really know what we're in for...

Next is someone a little more manageable. This is twelve-week-old Rory, a sheltie puppy who is already giving his owners a taste of what parenthood feels like. I haven't met this little munchkin yet but I've heard he's a gem. I'm already planning one of many holiday puppy playdates! You can read more about Rory's progress here and I'll be sure to keep you updated when I steal him for my own.

And last but not least, here's sweet little Sophie, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. She's the new addition to my dear friend's family and I absolutely can't wait to meet her. She's bringing some much needed healing to my friend who lost her dear pup Max to a terrible accident last year. After some time to cope with the loss, I'm so glad she has been able to bring more love into her life again!

Fear of Turkey Day

2010-11-24T11:32:00.005-04:00

I've posted about this before, but in years past, I've put several whole turkeys out in the yard on the day before Thanksgiving (that is U.S. Thanksgiving, which is today, of course) and let the dogs eat till they were full.

It's been a while, though, as you can tell by Fred's non-frosty face here:

I was reminded of the picture below by this post, "The 5 Stupidest Questions People Ask The Butterball Turkey Hotline." One of the questions:

Is it okay to thaw my turkey in the bathtub while bathing my kids?

Hmm... Thor and Po say baths could be much improved with the addition of turkeys.

I haven't done Dog Turkey Day in years, and I don't think I will this year either. Thor doesn't need to get fat, Po doesn't need to get fat AND he's missing some crucial teeth so it would be really hard for him to eat, I'm afraid of how much Franny would eat, AND she and I are showing this weekend in Rally, and just in general, I don't want any upset tummies or anything. Not to mention, trying to cut all the leftovers up after is a giant pain!

Sorry, dogs! I do have some canned pumpkin, so perhaps that can be their special treat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dachshund Fight Club

2010-11-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

I'm convinced that something fishy is happening at our house. Maybe it's because the weather has turned colder and they aren't outside burning off energy like usual. I have no idea. All I know is that they are constantly play fighting with each other. Constantly. It's loud. It's invasive. No toy is safe from getting involved and destroyed.

The following video is only a MINOR slice of what goes on at our house on a regular basis. Their playing also includes running through our semi-large bedroom like it's an open field (it's rather open on one side), climbing onto the bed via the dog stairs and then FLYING off of it chasing it other (all while I'm having a heart attack because I am trying to stop them so no one breaks their backs, but holy crap they will not stop).

Because it's against the rules, of course...I can't ask about their "Fight Club". But I'm about to ask them to take their meetings elsewhere!

Ike and Vienna's Fight Club from Melissa M. on Vimeo.

The Big Tease

2010-11-16T11:23:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone and thanks for sticking with us here at Who's Your Dachshund! I know that the past few months have been lighter than we've typically had on the blog, but I want to assure you that we're not going anywhere. In fact, quite the opposite.

The big secret is that I've been working closely with an incredible designer to give WYD a much-needed facelift. While I love our design, it's time to shake things up a bit and work out some of the kinks that have sprung up over the past few years. Over the next few weeks we'll be ready to completely relaunch the blog in a way that should make for an even better experience for you. Cool, right?

We're also going to be shifting around how we handle the behind-the-scenes junk that you don't really have to worry about. I'm working with the other authors to figure out the best way to ensure that you're getting your daily doses of dachshund in a way that we can keep up despite all having busy lives. Bottom line: more posts are just around the corner.

All in all, big things are on the way for our little piece of internet heaven but in the meantime, I'd love to hear from you on what you'd like to see here. Leave us a comment (for email readers, click through to post your comments) telling us if there are particular topics you'd like to see covered, if there's an idea for a series of posts that you'd find interesting, or any other feedback about the blog that you'd like to share. There's no better time than the present to weigh in on what we're doing and what we could be doing to brighten your day even more.

So there. Now you're in the loop. Get ready for much more WYD!

Friday Fun

2010-11-05T14:06:00.001-03:00

Ugh. What a couple of weeks! Things have been really busy on all fronts so I apologize for the lack of posts. I'll get back on track, I promise! Also, stay tuned for some big changes around here over the next two or three weeks that are incredibly exciting.

In the meantime, here are two great TV ads that are absolutely worth watching. Finish the week off with a smile, would you?

A little off topic...

2010-10-26T22:56:00.005-03:00

[Okay...so this post isn't about my puppies, but it's about something that I'm pretty proud of. So, give it a read, and you'll be rewarded with some cute pictures of Calvin and Theo, I promise.]

In hopes of doing at least one or two things that might keep me from being reincarnated as a thumbtack, I’m participating in a national Warchild Canada campaign to raise awareness of the global issues facing many of the world’s children in developing countries. Consider it my annual vacation from self-indulgence.

Starting today and progressing over the next eight weeks, I will compete against three other online personalities in four online challenges focusing in on issues like basic education, gender equality, hunger, and conflict. At the end of the program, one of us (chosen by public votes, and a closed jury) will be sent on a ten-day tour of Warchild’s facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Amazing, right?

You can help me get closer to the incredible journey by taking two seconds to vote. You don't need to register, you don't need to provide any information, you just need to click HERE, click vote at the top left of the post, and spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, or by email if you feel so inclined.

Really appreciate any support you can offer in trying to make this big dream come true! Meanwhile, my puppies are happy to deliver with some pictures of them on cloud nine.

Letting Her In

2010-10-23T00:47:00.000-03:00

Vienna has been in our lives now nearly 4 months. It's hard to believe it's only been that long. It's also hard to believe that it's only been 4 months since we lost Fritz. Vienna was....a spur of the moment decision, in a way. After we took our time thinking about adopting a dog, we got Fritz. And after a terrible moment of guilt after we put him to sleep? I went searching for the next "project" so to speak...and ended up with her.

Now I don't want you to think bad of me. I really hope you do not. It was kind of an unwise decision on my part to adopt her. With that said, we're obviously keeping her. So take your mean comments elsewhere. Please.

I had just...vowed to stay away from rescue dogs. A bad attitude to have, but after Fritz, who was my first rescue ever, I didn't want to risk going under financially again. We put in around $1000 in 2 weeks. From his adoption costs, to his first vet visit and shot updates...Only a week later to be put to sleep. Which happened after visiting our vet again. After going to an animal neurologist, then another vet for a second (well, third visit)...Only. Yeah...Money we had hoped to put part of? In our savings account. I know that seems selfish, but you have to understand the hard time I was going through at the time. Not to mention feeling cash poor. Not really the time to think about yet another dog, but I couldn't save Fritz...I needed to rescue another dog.

Anyway....so Vienna came home with me in July. And it's really taken me almost 4 months to completely fall for her awesomeness. She is a little over 1 and a puppy in every sense of the word, still. She is...er...psychotic. Overexcited. Sometimes pees when yelled at or when she is too happy. To me, she was too much of the stereotypical puppy and seemed devoid of all personality whatsoever. Compared to Ike. Who has the soul of a seriously old man. But at least he has a freaking personality. She constantly bunces around all over the place. Can't stay still, constantly shakes and generally has to be TOUCHING a human at all times. WHINING WHINING WHINING. She can't stand when I touch Ike. She might be dead asleep across the room on my husbands lap, but the second I lay a hand on Ike to pet him, she is in my face. It's EXHAUSTING.

Those things were driving me up the WALL. I felt like I couldn't get any time with Ike at ALL. I felt bad for him. 2 new dogs within 2 weeks had to have been tough on him. So sometimes I feel guilty for not having any real one on one time with him. I sometimes resented her for not giving me just a MOMENT with my old man dog!

But isn't that completely ridiculous!?!? She is a DOG. A DOG. Not a human being. She hasn't a clue what she's doing. I really started realizing this in the last month or so. I feel bad that it's taken so long for me to realize though...

I started noticing things lately about her...The fact that she has to hump my husbands foot every single night around bed time. The way she scratches at your hands to get you to pet her. The way she adores her ears being tugged as you pet her. And the way she rolls her body into the tiniest ball ever. Her excitement when you come home and let her out of her crate -- oh, the whiny bark she does when I get home from being gone all week? Makes me melt inside.

But best of all...The way her youth has really pulled out the best in Ike. He hasn't acted so youthful in forever. And seeing them play and run around together makes me insanely happy. It also makes me realize that she isn't so bad at all -- she needed me more than I needed her. And that is really what counts.

The Burrowing Epidemic

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-03:00

Thanks to this email from Renee with photos of her adorable pup Pepper, I feel a lot better now knowing that my dogs aren't the only ones who can't fight their need to burrow!

Be Smart, Ride Safe

2010-10-12T08:29:00.005-03:00

As a follow-up to Courtney's fantastic post about Car Safety for our pets, I wanted to share this quick email and photo from our friend Kyley and her dachshund Ammo. For sending this along, Kyley, we'd like to send you a wee prize package so email over your address so we can get that to you as soon as possible. Thanks again and remember to take good care of all your passengers!

Love reading the Who's Your Dachshund Blog! And I totally agree with all the points about car safety in the latest post. My brother once got in an accident with another car that had a dog riding in the back seat. It was a bad enough accident to total his car (thankfully no one was hurt), and the dog walked away without a scratch because he was seat belted in in the back seat.

I wanted to send in some photos of my Dachshund, Ammo, in his "car seat" for the contest.

Ammo rides in a doggie booster seat, and is also seat belted in via his harness and a seatbelt attachment. (The helmet is actually specifically designed for dogs to wear when riding on motorcycles - although I would never have him on one of those even with the helmet (little too scary for my liking) - but in this case it's just for "laughs") :)

Enjoy! And safe "riding" to all our fellow doxies!

The Shocking Truth to All Your Dachshund Problems

2010-10-11T08:00:00.001-03:00

I have quite seriously found the problem to every dachshund issue I've ever had and thought I couldn't fix. Barking like fiends whenever someone comes to the door? Gone. Barking at other dogs when we walk on-leash? Gone. Aggressively rearranging the furniture while we're at work? Gone.

Are you ready? No really - this is going to blow your mind...

EXERCISE.

Crazy right? You can take all the money you throw at obedience classes and online training manuals and dodgy Facebook ads and start funneling it right through to me. Okay, fine. I'm sort of kidding. But the three problems I mentioned up at the top? Those were real issues that I had pretty much given up on. I just accepted that no dog is perfect and that these might just be the few habits that I wouldn't be able to break....but I could! And I did!

Our summer ended like many others, with a massive wave of heat and humidity that made you break out into a sweat even while lying naked in a bathtub full of ice. As Calvin and Theo struggled to muster up the energy to move from their bed to their water dish, we basically axed the walking routine in favour of huddling around a fan in the slightly cooler basement.

Once the heat stopped though, the walking never came back. We got busy at work, we got lazy at home, and we fell back on the 'little dogs don't need as much exercise' excuse. I know, I know. Feel free to yell at me - I really have no excuse. The past few weeks have been perfect walking weather and we live surrounded by gorgeous trails, lakes and dog parks that are just incredible for any dog owner.

Over the past two weeks, I got my priorities straight and readjusted my routine. Now, I come home from the office, slap the leashes on and get out the door before I even have the chance to plant myself on the couch. We do a 3.5km walk in about 30 minutes every single day before the boys get their dinner. For people confused my miles versus kilometers versus time (like me), it's a pace that keeps Theo at a full gallop the whole way, Calvin at a vigorous trot, and me bordering on a jog. We don't stop to sniff stuff, we don't stop to pee on everything, we just power through and enjoy the quality of the exercise.

It has been a great way to challenge Theo, in particular, to keep focused on a task rather than pulling every which way to explore, and Calvin has shifted right back into the dream walking partner that he once was. Where before they used to show aggression to dogs that we'd meet while on leash, now I've been able to yank the loop of their leashes up around my upper arm and walk hands-free, loose leash without fear. We've even had off-leash dogs charge us and the boys have kept their cool!

What's more is that they've become almost completely different dogs - still playful, still affectionate, but much more calm, reliable, and content. We've curbed in the in-house barking issue, we've removed any aggression or pack mentality, and there's no more anxiety when we leave them during the day.

So there's your free and easy solution to your dog problems. Feel free to shower me in cash and praise. Oh wait - maybe I should have collected payment before offering the answer, huh?

Damnit.

Dachshund Bracelet Winner!

2010-10-09T11:56:00.001-03:00

I want to thank everyone for their amazing stories on the joy that your dachshunds have brought you. I know it is hard to pick only one. :) Anyway! I have the winner!

CONGRATULATIONS! :) BLennox: Please send me your mailing information to whosyourdachshund@gmail.com.

Baby Got Back

2010-10-07T12:45:00.004-03:00

If there's something I really believe in when it comes to taking care of your pets, it's developing a good relationship with your vet. We pay two visits a year to ours in order to do routine check-ups and ask any questions that I jot down in a little pet health diary - I know, I know, I'm such a helicopter mom. While the visits aren't always necessary, I find that asking questions has been the best way for me to learn more about caring for Calvin and Theo, and prepare for the health issues sure to come as they get older. Besides, I'd rather our vet get to know them when their young and healthy to figure out how we'll tackle any major issues before they come up!

At last week's visit, I asked about a weird problem that we had been seeing over the course of several months. Like most small dogs, mine are used to getting scooped up every which way in order to fulfill on their lapdog duties but every now and then, Calvin lets out a horrible shriek if touched around his ribs. While it didn't happen every time, it was consistently in the same place which gave me some cause for concern. Aside from this though, he was walking, running, jumping and climbing just as well as he always has.

After noticing that Calvin would drop a little bit when she ran her fingers over that area of his spine, our vet recommended we do a precautionary x-ray, just to take a peek and make sure everything checks out alright. If there was a weakness, disc, muscle or nerve issue, it would be better to catch it before it progresses. Plus I'm a big fan of knowing what we're up against rather than just hoping and waiting...

As it turns out, there are no major issues to worry about - as expected - but the spacing between three of his spinal vertebrae were a little more narrow than rest. Coupled with a few that have pointier edges than they should, the vet could understand why Calvin might get protective of any pressure being put on that spot, causing growing muscles tension and slight arthritis as the body tries to correct the issue. She assured me that it wasn't something to fret about but that there was a treatment that could very well solve the issue without drastic measures: acupuncture.

Rather than steroids that come with a fair share of side effects, painkillers that would just mask the pain, or unnecessary surgeries, she told me that acupuncture is a non-invasive, anesthetic-free treatment that has shown to be incredibly successful among many of her clients. She has seen great results particularly in dachshunds and thinks that a few adjustments might be able to do a great deal of good. Considering how easy and low-risk it is, we're going to give it a shot next week and see where we net out.

I'll keep you posted on how we find the experience in case you might receive the same recommendation at some point down the road and I would love to hear from any of you who have gone the acupuncture route with your pets! But for now, remember to ask lots of questions when you visit your vet, and don't save your visits only for when there's something wrong - there's a lot to be said about the power of prevention.

Who does that belong to anyway?

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-03:00

I've mentioned before that my husband and I are expecting our first baby in January, which has required a bit of preparation. Everyone knows that things change when you bring a human child into the mix when you have dachshunds--they have quite a bit of preparation too.

We've been doing a lot of research about how to prepare the pups for the arrival, but it seems we were remiss on a different topic: how to prepare the pups for the arrival of the baby gear.
We found a great deal on the stroller we wanted, so I brought it home and unpacked it to check it all out. Apparently I was not the only one curious about it. Adley jumped right in and stayed there for at least 10 minutes. My husband decided to walk him around the living room, which he seemed to love. When their walk was over, Adley curled up into the standard dachshund ball and stayed in for most of the evening.

The stroller is really the first thing he's shown a lot of interest in, but he did start sniffing around the clothes today. We're planning to gradually introduce both of our pups to all of the baby items that come in, and when we're at the hospital, we plan to snag one of the hats they put on the newborns so we can introduce them to the baby's scent before we come home.

If you've brought a newborn into the mix how did your dachshunds handle the transition? Did they like all the baby gear or was it a bit intimidating for them?

Dachshund Bracelet Giveaway!

2010-10-05T08:00:00.001-03:00

I am not one to wear overly obnoxious dog jewelry, but I thought, when I found this bracelet, that it was cute. It was also slim, petite, and was just a small reminder of my love of this breed, as well as the joy my two doxies give me. So, my thinking...was that I wanted to share one with you as well.

This bracelet is sold by the Bradford Exchange, and is sterling silver and 24k gold plated. A delightfully sculpted dog and a graceful open heart symbolically link to create the clasp, so you can easily open and close the bracelet, with one hand.

To enter, just comment below with your answer to this question:

What is the most joyful moment your dachshund has given you?

You'll have until 11:59pm EST on Friday October 8th to enter and the winner will be drawn at random.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is not in any way sponsored by Bradford Exchange.

An inside look at my crazy dog lady vehicle, aka my Be Smart Ride Safe contribution

2010-10-04T08:00:00.001-03:00

[Before I hand you over to Courtney, I'd like to open a little contest to help drive the points made in this post home. Send in your pictures of your dogs riding safely in cars - be it through seatbelts or crates - for a chance to win a great prize. You can email your pictures to whosyourdachshund@gmail.com or tweet them to @dachshundblog. - Ben]

It's no secret that my life revolves around my dogs. But looking at my car makes me realize that I've gone from mere dog owner to That Crazy Dog Lady.

I've got one or more dogs in my car pretty much every day, between training, outings to the lake or woods, and trials. So I had to have a solution to transport them, and I wanted to make it as safe as possible. There's a campaign called Be Smart Ride Safe that's getting some buzz right now, so what better time to confess, er, show you my canine transport vehicle.

According to Be Smart Ride Safe:

A 60-pound pet can causes a 2,700 pound projectile, even when moving at only 35mph

Statistics show pet travel has increased 300% since 2005

Unrestrained pets in vehicles can delay emergency workers' access to human occupants

Pets escaping a vehicle post-accident can pose many dangers, including catching the loose pet

Injured pets may bite rescue workers or others who are trying to help

Pets may escape through a window or open door and cause a second accident

Driver distraction is common when unrestrained pets are rambunctious inside a vehicle

Now, I tend to think my car pales in comparison to some of the other ones I see at dog shows, when I am in my element with My People (fellow CDLs, of course). Minivans stacked with crates. Custom platforms and organization systems. And the stickers and magnets - oh yes. I do have those. You can click on the photo to see them up close.

I could take myself out for a nice dinner if I had a dollar for every time I saw passers-by stop at my car to read my stickers. I wonder if they ever look inside too - not that they'd be surprised to find this, I guess!

Crates, blankets, gear bag, leashes, water buckets, lake supplies (extra shoes, life jackets, towels, floaties), a chair and even a couple toys. Usually I just have these two crates in the car, and they're secured with ratchet ties and bungee cords. But if I need to, I can add one big wire crate or two plastic ones in front of them.

These two crates aren't tied down in this picture, but if I was using them, they would be.

You might also notice the information cards. I found a nice emergency crate card template online, and the covers for them are just pencil cases from Target. If I was taking a long trip, I'd attach each dog's sheet to his crate, but I do keep them all on a crate at all times.

The front:

The back - I've also included a copy of each dog's rabies certificate in the holder:

And in case you are wondering, my car is a PT Cruiser, and yes I've taken the back seats out. Usually the PT Cruiser is just the punchline to a joke, but it's been a great car for me. I got it in 2004, back when I only had one dog! It's getting very close to hitting 100,000 miles now!

I wouldn't have imagined when I bought the car that I could fit all this stuff inside, nor that I'd want to. But here's a pic from this summer, when a friend and I went to a seminar. The caption I wrote when I uploaded it said "5 dogs, 6 crates, 1 expen, 1 ezup, 2 chairs, 2 people!"

So what's your vehicle setup? Any really creative or handy solutions? I'd love to see them!

An Unexpected New Habit

2010-10-01T20:17:00.004-03:00

Take a look at this photo of Calvin on the massive dog bed that we scored for $20. Aside from the fact that it could fit probably seven or eight dogs his size, everything looks normal, right?

Well, take a look at this one taken two seconds later...

Yep. That would be Calvin pretending like he didn't just teach Theo how to rip off the side zipper, creating a make-shift dachshund sleeping bag and new favourite hiding place.

I think we'll be getting them a real sleeping bag for Christmas so we can stop with the senseless violence against dog beds...

13 rescue dogs model for Central Texas Dachshund Rescue 2011 calendar

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-03:00

If you will allow me to plug my own rescue group for a brief post...

One of our awesome volunteers, Sue Rostvold, shot the photos for our 2011 CTDR calendar. The calendar is off to press and will be available soon, and in the meantime Sue made two wonderful videos to showcase the dogs we featured.

The calendar's theme is "Great Dogs with a 'Ruff Start," dogs who started out in a very bad place but with the help of CTDR have blossomed into wonderful family dogs.

I fostered Dax, Mr. January - he was one of my very first fosters! Oh, I loved that little guy. I still have a framed photo of him on my mantle. He's blind, but you'd never know it.

If you enjoy the videos and want to purchase a calendar, you can order them now! Cost is $15 plus $2 shipping each.

And if you don't want a calendar, could I perhaps beg and plead for a donation? Our vet bills are really high and we're limited in taking in dogs because of it. Even $5 or $10 would really help us out!

Thanks and hope you enjoy! If nothing else, hug your dachshund tighter knowing so many, sadly, are still in need.

Dog agility, Thor, and beer - together at last!

2010-09-21T08:00:00.003-03:00

I think I mentioned briefly last year that Thor hurt himself and was on the injured reserve for agility for a while. I've wanted to write for weeks now about his "comeback," but I fear jinxing it. But, here goes nothing...

In the six months that our break lasted, Thor saw a zillion vets and was poked and prodded and adjusted to the max. His holistic vet suspected a back issue, so off we went to the neurologist (on the day in Dallas we got a foot of snow, I might add). Nearly $2000 and one slightly miffed husband later, the diagnosis was "absolutely normal." He had no neurological symptoms on exam. He had a CT scan to look at his spine and disc material, and other than some calcification which is fairly common, everything looked good. We were not dealing with IVDD.

I was still worried and freaked, though, because I still sensed something wasn't right with Thor. It seemed like he would still skip on one or the other back legs from time to time. Where else to turn? We sought the advice of a vet specially trained in canine rehab, one who came very highly recommended. He couldn't really find anything wrong other than a luxating patella on his right rear leg. A pretty obvious diagnosis for a dog that skips, one I'd considered but I guess I was looking for something else too. The vet said it's possible he strained a muscle and in the recovery, that put some extra stress on this knee and now it was looser. But after explaining the whole ordeal to this vet, I heard those magic words: "Put him back in agility. See what happens."

I decided I would. Agility is like Thor's anti-depressant. It keeps him happy and sane. It helps him cope with the world around him. More than that, it's his JOY. He truly loves to be out there on the course and have people cheering him on. It is a thrill to be back with him. I'm grateful for every run.

I decided we'd tackle his comeback at a different level than before. More conditioning outside of agility, no drilling on equipment, and we'd take a jump height reduction whenever possible. Luckily, in most agility organizations, he can jump 4". Additionally, several also classify him as a veteran since he turned 7 in May, and he gets a bit more time allowed too.

The BEST organization for us right now is TDAA - Teacup Dogs Agility Association. All the equipment and the courses are scaled down for small dogs! It is so much fun, and challenging too! On the courses set for big dogs, there's lots of time to run and fix mistakes. Not so much with TDAA! Here is one of our runs from a trial in July:

Now, compare that with this course. We ran this last week at Oktoberfest here in the Dallas area. My agility club, DAWG, set up a course with an 80-foot tunnel in the shape of a pretzel (thanks to some specially constructed ramps). We ran this as a demo and to help raise money for the charities we support.

It was HOT and that was a lot of running! The announcer, plus that buzzer that kept going off, messed up my concentration on the weave poles, but other than that, I think Thor and the crowd watching had a blast!

Here is Thor's bio that the announcer read:

Thor was rescued by Central Texas Dachshund Rescue in 2006. Like most dachshunds, he enjoys food, snuggling and chasing squirrels. Unlike most dachshunds, he has a dozen agility titles and has won three high-in-trial-dachshund awards.

One of those high-scoring dachshund awards came last month.

We've had a pretty successful run since we returned: 20 Qs (qualifying scores) and four titles, with only one Q needed for several more. What can I say? I think we're both so happy to be back and much more relaxed than we were before! I hope WW Dr. Funkenstein NAJ PJ1 PK1 JS-N CL1 CL2-R NAC TN-N TG-N HP-N TBAD TG2 can play for many years to come.

Calvin's exotic encounter

2010-09-15T08:00:00.001-03:00

I know I shouldn't, but I often think of myself as a full-blown parent just because I have dogs. I mean, I've heard that there are dog owners out there who just have dogs, but most of the folks I know are very much in the same camp as me - once you make me responsible for a living being, they might as well be actual children.

Because of that perspective, every now and then I have one of those parental moments where I lean back and think to myself, 'you know what? we've done good.' Now, to be fair, they're few and far between especially when you have a dog like Theo who patrols the perimeter of our yard multiple times a day, shrieking his adorable little face off to ward off intruders. But, the other day I was completely proud of the work we've done with Calvin, also known as the 'good one'.

We were out walking in our usual park (the Shubie off-leash for anyone in the Halifax region) and Calvin had trotted about four feet ahead of us. It was business as usual until Dad #2 stops dead in his tracks, calling him back in one of the most authoritative voices I've ever heard from him - which, if you also consider that he is a teacher and authoritative on a daily basis, is quite a feat. Calvin stopped mid-pounce toward what I thought was a fallen branch, turned around, and came back to us to await further instruction before I e

ven realized that the branch was actually a rather large snake.

Yeah. A snake. In Canada. Which is not even remotely tropical enough to merit random snake encounters.

Now, before you start telling me that I'm overreacting, I completely get it. It wasn't a python or a cobra or any other type best experienced with a Fox camera crew following you around waiting for an epic Dachshund versus Snake smackdown. But still, it was a wild animal and they are unpredictable even without a doxie ready to enter attack mode breathing down their neck.

(Do snakes have necks? Or are they all neck? Food for thought.)

Moral of the story: Calvin is awesome, snakes are not, I'm the best childless dad in the world.

*The top photo is one of my first and favourite pics of Calvin, taken a day or two after he came home.

City pups, mountain pups

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-03:00

We humans think we're the only ones who need vacations. Adley and Radish will have you know that the business of being a pup is far from easy, and that they deserve vacations too.
It's been a crazy year for these dogs--they've moved across the country twice, found out that they're going to a a big brother and sister, and have had more than their share of family drama fun. It was time for them to get away, far away!
They retreated to the mountains of New Mexico, where the weather was a brilliant 75 degrees, compared to San Antonio's 100 plus degree streak. They were in heaven--all of the windows were open, the breeze was fresh, and the sun was strong.
It was a harrowing 13 hour drive for them, particularly Radish who gets carsick, but they got to lounge and sunbathe for a solid week, so it was well worth their time. Their stress melted away with daily walks among elk and bear poo in the meadow. There were plenty of critters to chase and more than enough birds to bark at.

They're home now, preparing for yet another move next month, but this will be the last for quite some time.

It's not easy being a pup! Where should their next retreat be?

Someone's Getting Fixed!

2010-09-08T12:16:00.002-03:00

Gah, as much as we needed to get it done, I really hated taking Vienna in to get spayed this morning. Seriously. This morning started off BAD. I open the door to let the dogs out, so we could get into the car. This is something I do often. All the time. They run back towards the garage. It's that simple. However, today, Vienna must have gotten the message that we were going for a WALK instead, because she BOLTS out the door, down the driveway, and down the street. MOTHER OF GOD. I'm running, screeching at her to come back and she's all jolly running! Ike is just sauntering after me (oh, Lord, how could I forget he was behind me...). Anyway, so I finally get her, she's shaking like a leaf because she can tell I'm, I don't know...PISSED OFF. We all get in the car, go for a nice drive to the vet's.

I was already nervous seeing as how we recently changed vets. A good friend of mine recommended them to me. So we're going from our fancy vet (that overcharges us for everything) to a nice, country vet (the place is very nice, but SOOO small compared to what we were used to) that will charge us nearly half of what we were paying. I know, we shouldn't switch vet's on the basis of charge, but our old vet was clearly charging us for their nearly BRAND NEW facilities, if you ask me. I have a problem with that. I care about paying for quality care...but I don't care to pay for a new building. Uncool. You know how I knew for sure we were doing the right thing by switching? I go there to get Ike's records, to tell them we're switching vets yesterday. And she was like ok! Printed everything off, told me that she would removed us from his reminder mailings and if we changed our minds just let us know! WTF? We have been taking Ike to the same vet for 7 years. 7 EFFING YEARS. No questions on why we were leaving. No thanking us for the 7 years of business. Just "Here's your record! BYE!" I was shaking my head in disgust when I left. THAT'S what happens when you get a new building, become overly busy, and just start caring less. Not blaming the vets -- I'm blaming the front desk idiots, mostly....

ANYWAY, I digress....

SO we get to the vet, Ike comes inside with me (we have to get him looked at for possible allergies/hot spot situation so I thought I'd bring him in to schedule the appointment for this afternoon) and Vienna. Bad idea, because he was distracting her like crazy. She wouldn't go on the scale. She didn't want to come to the tech, she was stuck to me like glue. I felt bad when the vet tech took her from my arms. Her little tongue was sticking out and she was whining intensely.

I dropped her off at 8am. And can't get her until almost 5pm. It's going to be torture to take Ike in to his appointment at 4:40 and still have to wait to get her! I'm sure she'll get through ok. But remember, I've only dealt with male dogs who have had to get neutered. Never a female! I'm SO NERVOUS.

UPDATE:

Vienna was done at 11:30am this morning and we went to get her at 3pm. (Along with Ike, who by the way, is allergic to FLEAS...that's why he has been tearing his skin apart. How is it that neither Vienna or us humans have been bit by said fleas?? AH, well, the vet actually SHOWED me ONE. ON HIM. GROSSNESS. They were ONLY one week late on their Frontline! ONE! OH well....)

So anyway, she is doing well. In pain clearly, but doing well.

Dan sacrificed a tube sock for the cause. The vet's said we could rig this up (or even use a baby onesie) so she wouldn't be uncomfortable in a Cone of Shame.

Family Outing

2010-09-08T08:00:00.001-03:00

I don't know about you, but when I used to dream of having my own dogs, I envisioned having them by my side at all times. You know those classy, elegant dog owners whose companions (usually only the calmest of golden retrievers) lie quietly at their side while they eat thin crust pizza on European patios? I wanted THAT.

...and I don't have it.

Canada is a dog-friendly nation. There's an incredible wilderness to be discovered all around us, there are a handful of pet-friendly shops in every town and city, and our culture values pups as proper members of the family. That said, bringing your dogs along on non-dog-specific outings can be a bit of a hassle. What if we want to go into a store that doesn't like pets? What if we can't find an outdoor patio? What if they bark at people while we eat? What if they have to sit in the car for a long time?

Usually the planning ends up talking me out of bringing Calvin and Theo all together. But not always.

The other weekend, we woke up and decided to spend a day away from the city. We popped the dachshunds in their crate in the backseat (safety first...) and drove an hour to Wolfville, Nova Scotia, probably one of my favourite towns on the east coast. Why? Well...it's full of wineries, apple-picking, hiking grounds, incredible ocean views, great restaurants, and dog lovers. Basically it's my personal heaven which is why we head that way every year for our apple-picking trip - a tried, tested and true dachshund friendly adventure!

Over the course of a few hours, we were able to enjoy lattés, poke around a local vineyard, and stroll through the stunning town, all with dogs in tow. It was a little too hot for the boys but we were able to remedy that with frequent breaks in the shade, chatting with anyone who stopped to say hello, and amateur pet photography sessions to pass the time. Calvin was an eager model while Theo may have shown a little more grumpy, old man characteristics when it came to managing the heat.

It was the absolute perfect day and it gave me a taste of what I've always wanted to do with my dogs. With a successful day trip behind us, we have so much more trust in Calvin and Theo's ability to handle and enjoy exploring new places with us and we're oh so ready to get a few more adventures in before winter.

I might end up finding my pizza-patio-pooch dream afterall!

Like father, like son

2010-09-07T08:00:00.001-03:00

Summertime around our house can typically be summed up into five words – work, fish, eat, sleep, repeat. J has been running himself ragged lately - between working 10-12 hour days, six days a week, and then fishing until all hours of the night, he tends to be one tired guy.*

Brody of course has the innate ability to sleep up to 20 hours a day (perhaps even more), so whenever we’re sleeping or even just lounging on the couch, he jumps on every chance he gets to cuddle up with dad or mom. Never underestimate the power of dachshund cuddling. You could wake up after sleeping for 10 hours, feel revved and ready for the day, and the minute you lay down on the couch with a snuggly little wiener dog, it’s all over. You might as well have dosed yourself with Tylenol PM.

What’s the whole point of my dachshund cuddling rant? Well Brody and J snuggling is about the cutest damn thing ever. I’m constantly trying to snap a good photo of them while they’re asleep but every time I grab my camera Brody of course moves out of his once perfect photo-op position and demands that I pay attention to him. What is it about the camera that makes them suddenly say, 'don’t take photos mom, love me, love me'?

I digress...on Saturday night, after J passed out while we were watching a movie, I looked back to see the both of them in nearly identical positions, so of course I tried to slyly grab my phone and quickly snap a photo before Brody moved. He did wake up and move, but luckily I got this shot:

Like father, like son.

* No over exaggeration here, on Wednesday last week he worked 5am-3pm, went home and changed, hit the river and didn’t get home until 11:45pm, didn’t get to sleep until 12:30am, was up and out of the house (on his way back to the river) by 4am and fished until 3pm that day. Can we say fishing addict?

Sick as a dog - Part 2

2010-09-02T10:30:00.000-03:00

Read part 1 here.

After what seemed like hours, I got the phone call. After they were done accusing both Louie and I of abuse (which apparently they had done when my friend brought her dog in for worms) and realized that we were both loving but very tired, busy, worried, pet owners, they let me know it was a good thing I brought him in when I did.

I immediately burst into tears.

They said things like kidney or liver failure but much like when my son was in NICU, the words went through one ear and out the other. I nodded, despite them being unable to see me, and told them to do what they needed. They gave him fluids (although he never stopped drinking water, he was dehydrated) and administered meds and, surprisingly, sent him home.

When the blood work came back they said his body wasn't getting the protein it needed, so he needed a chicken and rice diet. They thought perhaps it was inflammatory bowel disease.

At our second visit to recheck Bogey, we told the vet that we thought he had worms because we saw white stuff in his poop. I was frustrated because I've had him on heart worm medicine that's also suppose to protect him from certain kind of worms. But the worms he may have had (we never tested him, just gave him a dewormer) could have been one of the few worms our medication didn't cover.

Could that have been the cause of the protein deficiency? We questioned the doctor but we never really got a clear answer.

After two weeks, Bogey was filling out and had his normal pep in his step. As happy as I was, I still felt an immense amount of guilt. I didn't know he could get that big. I didn't know he was suppose to be. It made me wonder how long this had been going on.

I tried to let the guilt go. Bogey was doing great! And I promised myself, and Bogey, that I would never let something go on like that again.

But it wasn't over yet.

On the Move: A Place to Call Home

2010-09-02T08:00:00.002-03:00

With the 4^th of July in the rearview mirror, my time was running out before I had to find a new place for Carlisle, Easton, and me to live. The search had proven to be one disappointment after another. My options were becoming limited to either having my mail forwarded to a cardboard box in an alley or even worse…my mom’s house. I eventually found an ad for an apartment in a great location in Indianapolis and quickly sent an e-mail where my first question was, “Do you accept two dogs…particularly dachshunds?” I almost instantly got a response back saying that she allowed up to two dogs per unit, and we were quickly arranging for me to view the place.

The apartment is located on Mass Ave, which is a well-known cultural district in Indianapolis filled with art galleries, restaurants, shops, and “night spots.” Currently, the city is in the process of completing a walking trail that will connect various cultural districts around the city, and this particular apartment building is tucked just behind the construction of a segment on this trail. I had a good feeling as I saw the seven-unit building and even better feeling once I saw the apartment that I would be looking at was almost segregated on the third floor away from the other units, which meant there would be less foot traffic directly outside my door for dachshunds to bark at. The interior of the apartment was spacious and almost had too much room for the three of us. As we walked out, I told the landlady that I was definitely interested, and we made arrangements for me to drop off the deposit and first month’s rent the next day without a lease being signed. The search was over, and we were on the precipice of starting a new adventure together.

A week almost went by, and I began to think about the location and how Carlisle and Easton would adjust. We were leaving a house on a quiet, tree-lined street for an apartment in a more urban, busier part of downtown. If the dachshunds even saw a glimpse of another person while out for a walk in our neighborhood, they would cause a bark-storm as if saying, “Get out of my hood!” Now they were going to have to share their outdoor space with people strolling from art galleries and shops to bars and restaurants. There would be people at all hours of the night. I already had anxiety about encountering people within the apartment building itself, but I was also going to have to deal with one of the most popular destinations in the downtown area. I feared that I would become that guy on Mass Ave with the crazy wiener dogs.

My anxieties almost boiled over when the landlady sent me an e-mail after we had almost everything finalized saying, “We didn’t really talk about your dogs. How well-behaved are they?” As you recall, this is where things went wrong before.

I gave her the same speech that I had given the last guy explaining that they were dogs and do what dogs do. I told her that I am an attentive owner, and they get the love and care that they need. After all, it is the owner and not the animal you have to worry about in most cases. I must have said the right thing because we moved in at the end of July, and she never charged a pet deposit. I later found out from one of my new neighbors that this landlady has a very lenient pet policy because her daughter breeds pit bulls, none of which live in my building. After a disheartening search for a place to live, it seemed like we had found the perfect home for us. All that was left to do was settle in.

Got advice? Share it!

2010-08-31T15:57:00.001-03:00

Hannah writes: Hagen, my seven-month-old doxie, suffers from the worst separation anxiety I've ever seen. He didn't have problems with it until we moved. We've tried everything short of medicating him to calm his nerves. He actually tore off the bars to his crate and managed to squeeze through the hole and get out! He works himself into such a frantic panic that everyday when I come home he is completely wet from froth and sweat, and then he does nothing but sleep because he's so worn out from barking, screaming and whining. I've tried leaving my shoes, keys, purse, etc. in the car, going out another door, not interacting with him for an allotted time period, and leaving treats in his crate. He even got a new puppy friend courtesy of my roommate. Nothing works. We need help!

Vicky writes: I am a relatively new dachshund owner - my dog is 18-months-old and we're both still learning. She is not in any way aggressive (apart from her usual barking when nervous) but she is not good with children. My friends all have toddlers and she barks and barks, sounding much more aggressive than her usual barks. I want to be able to put her down so that she can be around them. Do you have any tips on how to introduce a dachsie to children? Also - in the evenings she sucks the rump of her hind leg. Is this usual behavior? I have checked for mange or fleas and she is clear. Is this a comforting thing?

Sick as a dog - Part 1

2010-08-25T08:00:00.001-03:00

Thanks for all of your input on pet insurance. I think it's something we'll be getting as soon as things settle down around here and I can look in to it.

Bogey is doing a lot better. It was a rough time for a little while there, but he's recovered well. I, on the other hand, can't seem to shake this guilt.

I should have noticed. He was sleeping more. He was looking a little skinnier. I thought he was just getting older. He was still eating, drinking, everything seemingly the same. But not quite. I thought I'd take him to the vet, next paycheck, when it wasn't so busy with doctors appointments, work, therapies, etc.

One day he came and sat next to me. He licked his nose and as I caught a whiff of his breath, I got scared. It was bad. As I sent Louie to take him to the vet, while I stayed with the kids, I worried. I racked my brain to tell me when he started acting this way. What were his symptoms and why had I overlooked them.

And then I waited.

MIA

2010-08-24T08:00:00.001-03:00

I know many of you have found yourself thinking, "Whatever happened to that incredibly handsome, freakishly blue-eyed dachshund we used to love reading about?!"

Well...I am here to apologize for having been MIA lately. As you can imagine, when summer hits here in Alaska, we tend to spend all of our time outdoors, enjoying the sunshine (although this summer we've barely seen the sun, but don't get me started on that).

Once the fish are in, our house becomes a deserted wasteland, only to be used for sleeping, eating, and cleaning fish. I must have you know however, Brody LOVES fishing. Well perhaps I should say he loves FISH! I remember the very first time we took Brody camping back in CA, he fell in love with the roe (processed fish eggs used for bait), fish carcasses, and generally anything that smelled fishy. He ate so much roe that weekend (much to his mother's dismay), that he spent the next day throwing up, but of course that didn't stop him from wanting to do it all over again.

J just loves to tease Brody with fish, I even have evidence to prove it:

Please excuse the poor quality of this photo, I took it with the horrible camera on my phone. I really wish I could've snapped the photo at the right moment. Brody was licking at the fish head as J kept pulling it back, teasing him, "Give 'em a kiss, give 'em a kiss!" It was too cute and it actually looked like he was kissing the fish.

It's a constant effort, trying to get Brody to leave the fish alone. If you saw him whenever a fish is involved, you'd think it was his own personal brand of heroin! Of course as I'm yelling at him to leave the fish alone, he always shoots me those sad, pathetic eyes like, "But mom, they smell soooo yummy!"

On the Move: The Dirty Hand of Discrimination and the Threat of Homelessness

2010-08-23T08:00:00.000-03:00

Back in May, I knew that I would need to find a new place to live by the end of July. I was not the least bit worried. I convinced myself that I could take my time and leisurely find a great place to live. In all honesty, I had already imagined the place I was going to live. Spacious. Modern. Stainless steel appliances. Garage. In-unit washer and dryer. City skyline views. Day after day, I checked online ads searching for that place, but that place in my mind just did not exist. If it did, then a librarian’s salary does not get you the key to that place. Instead I was finding places that often brought up the question, “Didn’t some guy get shot there not too long ago?”

As the sand started to run out of the hourglass, I was getting desperate, so I called the last apartment building that I had lived in to see if they would take me back. When I moved into that building, I only had one dachshund. I guess it was not a surprise when I was informed that their pet policy only allowed for one dog under 25 lbs. It did not matter that the two dogs together are not even 25 lbs. I did not know what I was going to do because that apartment building was my fall back place in case I did not find anything better. I was running into the same story in just about every place I looked. Despite being self-described pet friendly buildings, they were only “friendly” when you had one pet or sometimes the combination of one dog and one cat. If only I could teach Easton to meow, we possibly could have pulled it off. I felt discriminated against as an owner of more than one dog until that discrimination crossed a line.

About a month and a half to go before the move, I found a three year old condo for rent that was very close to what I was looking for. It had all the amenities I wanted and was only a block away from our duplex. I e-mailed the guy renting the place and explained that I had two dogs and was looking for a place. He seemed to have no issue with two pets, and I was able to negotiate a little bit off the monthly rent. We continued to e-mail back and forth about making arrangements for me to rent the condo. It was pretty much a done deal until he got on the subject of dachshunds. Apparently, he had one renter in the complex who had dachshunds, who allegedly “made life hell for the other neighbors.” His words. I addressed his concerns by letting him know that I am committed to my dogs and seeing that they are at their best behavior, but at the end of the day, they are dogs and do what dogs do. I did not hear from him after that, so I sent back an e-mail asking, “What’s the next step?” He replied back that he was not comfortable renting to someone who owned dachshunds and wished me luck in my search.

I was dumbfounded. This complex was lined with walking paths that included doggie waste cans. Everyone there had dogs. Big dogs that have big reputations. I never thought I would be turned away for being a dachshund owner. I wanted to gather up all that dachshund owners I could and have us all march up on that property with our dachshunds proudly in tow. It would have been known historically as the Wiener Riots of 2010. Every year thereafter, people would gather on that date to celebrate Wiener Pride and that the love for a dachshund is not something to be ashamed of.

At this point, the only option seemed to be a cardboard box in some dark alley. We were staring down the frightening tunnel to homelessness. I could picture me and my two dachshunds huddled together for warmth with a cardboard sign pleading for food, money, and booze. I had to do everything I could to keep this from happening.

Humans can suffer from separation anxiety too you know!

2010-08-20T08:00:00.000-03:00

About three weeks ago, Jaco and I got engaged! It was all very sudden and unexpected; he asked me on the Friday morning and after I recovered from the shock he also informed me that we would be going away for the weekend to a gorgeous Lodge to celebrate.

My very first thought was: “What about Lila and Rusty?”

Turns out he had everything worked out; they’d be staying with my parents. They’ve never stayed somewhere else overnight (apart from that once time they were in a kennel for a week which I’ll never do again); mostly we just had my sister stay over at our place to look after them on the rare occasion we weren’t home for a weekend.

I was worried about them, I have to be honest. I haven’t left them at my parents overnight because lets face it; they’re high maintenance.

Luckily, once we got back I was told that they settled in really nicely. They slept in my parents’ bed (which, much to my amusement, my dad loved) and he got a really big kick out of seeing my mom lavish attention on them (she’s never really been a dog person).

I feel better knowing that if something calls us away in the future, Rusty and Lila can stay with my parents and I can be sure that they'll be well looked after.

Dachshunds, in three assorted flavors!

2010-08-19T08:45:00.000-03:00

Oh, the colors of the dachshund rainbow! We’ve seen short, fat, skinny, long, hairy, spotted, bald and beyond, but one color that many people don't know dachshunds come in is English cream. We've recently welcomed a new member into our family and he is our first English cream. My husband’s goal was to get one of every color. Thankfully, I don’t think he knows that they come in spots and textures. I am still learning a lot about this color of dachshund, but here is a little about what I know:

While many people think he is a retriever when they first see him, he is actually what is called a “pale cream.” True English Cream puppies are born black and then they become lighter as they grow up, eventually shedding all the black fur they were born with. A “pale cream” is a recessive gene and so both parents must be or carry the cream gene to produce a puppy of this color. Pale creams are born cream and get lighter in color as they age.

Here are a few pictures of the newest member of our family, Linus (like the Charlie Brown character). Enjoy!

He's just a little guy. (Most cream puppies at this age are all black, but because Linus is a pale cream, he is all cream.)

Haiiii.

Interrupting a bit of a puppy snooze here...

I watched the Emperor's New Groove yesterday and ever since I've been calling him "Mr. Llama Face."

Here, I was trying to measure how long he was! He's officially 16" long from butt bone to the end of his nose! He prefers not to be measured, but to eat the measuring tape.

I put him next to Merlot for some perspective on size. Merlot is a fatty right now, but...

THE MONEY SHOT!

I took this picture eight times before it was even semi-decent. They all kept wanting to jump to muddah and I had to move them back! (Left: Linus, Center: Moses, Right: Merlot)

Yes, you counted right! I have THREE dachshunds. The neighbors have started calling me the "crazy dachshund lady" down the street and my house is nothing less than a circus. But they certainly make life interesting. : )

xo,

Bridget Marie

@bridgetforney

'The wiener issue'

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000-03:00

Anyone else watch that show Toddlers and Tiaras? Child beauty pageants in all their spray-tanned, fake-toothed, glitzy glory. I don't know why, but I can't stop watching it. "My god! Those parents are crazy," I think. "I'd never push my kids like that, and I'd never want them to be judged on their physical appearance."

Yeah, right. Until I get an e-mail requesting dachshund head shots for a Petsmart commercial. TV! My dogs are going to be ON TV Y'ALL!! WE GOTTA GET THEM A FLIPPER AND SOME RHINESTONES AND PRACTICE THOSE AGE-INAPPROPRIATE DANCE ROUTINES!

I quickly came to terms with my inner stage mom and geared up for the big day. Their head shots were deemed cute, I was quizzed on their heights and weights, and they met with a talent agency rep to make sure they weren't evil, freaky beasts. I was told they'd have to "frolick" on a couch with a model and act friendly and happy, and that food would definitely be involved. Great - we can do that!

Casting call day dawned and we trudged to a studio in the searing heat. They met with the animal talent agency owner. Po and Fred were deemed loving enough to actually audition. We kept Thor out because he can be a bit weird if people handle him in a rough way, so better for all involved not to push it!

The boys were great in the audition room and performed quite well for the cheese the model was holding. We waited while a couple other beautiful longhairs had their turn. And waited. Finally the agency owner went and checked and came back. She said that they loved my boys, they were adorable and did great, but...

"It's the wiener issue."

What?

Apparently, visible dog penises are not cool for Petsmart. Because who wants to think about buying dog food or toys when a wiener's big wiener is staring you in the face, right?

They can edit these ... things out for print, but not so much with TV, she said. I joked with the lady and said, "But Napoleon's is really small!" And it is.

See? You can't even see it there.

The agent said, "Yes, it was only a problem on the red one." I had to stifle a guffaw at that point. Professional, Courtney. Act professional when they are telling you your dog's penis is too large for their advertisement.

So, no stardom yet for my boys. We headed home with a stop for ice cream on the way, which made everyone's day.

Later that night I got a call from the first agency rep we'd worked with, who is also a friend. She said the dogs were great, that I was very professional on set, and all went quite well for our first time out at a casting call.

Then she said, "I think Fred could get some work if he didn't look so old. Can you explore ways to cover the grey on his face?"

...............

Hi, tanning salon? Yes, do you do ... dogs?

Traveling alone

2010-08-17T08:00:00.000-03:00

Last week I went to New York for a conference--alone. Normally when I travel, I have my husband to moan and groan with about how much we miss our pups, but because he was not with me, I was in a bit of a bind.

As much as I love my dogs, I was pretty sure that my room mates had little to no interest in hearing all about them. Luckily, it was pretty easy to ferret out the dog lovers present. Somehow I came across a few other dachshund and hound fanatics. We're not exactly a rare breed of people, you know. I have found that people who love dachshunds are zealous about it--it's clearly an all or none passion.

Anyway, I knew I would miss Adley and Radish something fierce, so I made my husband swear to send me pictures of them on a daily basis. I may or may not have played the hormonal pregnant wife card, but he did follow through.

These are the pictures that got me through the weekend:

He threw this masterpiece in as well. Now you know where they get their stunning good looks!

Ike & Vienna...

2010-08-13T00:09:00.003-03:00

...are truly the best of friends.

(They hate the flash!)

(They're both good at giving "WHAT?" looks -- even though Ike's is clearly mostly out of annoyance. Vienna's is all about curiosity.)

(They both get tired of me taking pictures and eventually just lay their heads down and ignore what's going on around them.)

The first week was rough, but they slowly wormed their way into each others hearts. They still annoy the crap out of each other at times, and even though Ike pretends to be a crotchety old man? He's so not. I think she's brought back a little bit of Ike's "young" personality. I love it.

Fun in the Sun!

2010-08-09T08:00:00.000-03:00

Thanks to everyone who entered our photo contest being hosted by our friends at Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul. Your photos absolutely made my day and they were such a blast to go through! I'm including all of the entries so you can start your week off right with a healthy dose of cuteness but let's start with our winner.

Congratulations to HolyKowKirby for sending in possibly the most literal interpretation of enjoying barbecue season with your dachshunds. Email us at whosyourdachshund@gmail.com so we know where to send your new Sony Digital Camera!

While there can only be one winner, the rest of us can all enjoy this great collection of wonderful summer photos! Thanks again to all for sharing these great memories with us.

Someone is getting a little chunky

2010-08-06T08:00:00.000-03:00

I don't know when I first noticed it but there is no doubt that Ike has suddenly gained weight. I can't tell you when it started or why, but I have a few theories.

I think it started when we got Fritz. He was unable to take long walks, so Ike got shorter walks. He often ate up Fritz's food - then his own (they ate the SAME food as they were closer in age and shared "Senior" food). Then we put Fritz to sleep and I got depressed, barely able to pay attention to Ike so I know he didn't get the attention and exercise he needed.

Then, we brought home Vienna. Who is EnERgEtIC! I type that like an obnoxious pre-teen because that's what she acts like. So he is back on longer, more exciting walks. BUT she is on a different food than he is (because she's a lot younger) which he wants to eat, along with his own food.

We are now trying to come up with more clever ways to make sure Vienna gets food, but make sure that Ike doesn't eat it. We now have concocted a little routine we're going to start in the morning. Dan gets up with the dogs every morning to feed them both. But tomorrow, he's going to let them out to use the bathroom, let Vienna in to eat, take Ike for a walk, and bring him back to eat.

Let's hope she eats then. Because knowing Ike, even though he is on a feeding schedule, he still eats the food at his own leisure, a.k.a. when he feels like it. All I know is we have GOT to slim this boy down. Including cutting back on his food altogether.

He's so going to hate us.

Don't you dare deprive me!

(Ike...circa 2006...his thinner days...10-11 pounds...he's now? I'm guessing 14-15lbs at LEAST.)

PS: I wanted to add a "Now" picture, but Ike swore that he would stop cuddling with me at night...for at least a week. That or he'd post one of my pics when I was 20 pounds heavier last year. HARSH, Ike! HARSH!

Send thoughts and prayers for Aly!

2010-08-05T13:43:00.007-03:00

Another Update: Aly's condition has improved somewhat today!! Yay!!
Update: I got this right from Rachel's blog:

Aly has an inflamed disc in her vertebra and therefore doesn’t have control of her hind quarters. It’s very common in dachshunds but that doesn’t mean it sucks any less. She’s been on steroids for a day and last time this happened (the first time) in March she responded well to the treatment and was better within 3 days. This time instead of improving, she was worse when we woke up this morning. We took her to the vet again and he started an acupuncture procedure that has been known to work when steroids don’t. Anyway, it’s a waiting game now. We’ll know more after 24 hours. If she’s improved, yes! It’s working. But if not……….we’ll try it again but most likely she’ll have to be put to sleep. I’ve been hysterical all morning. Please please be praying and thinking of Aly.
---

Good afternoon...I just wanted to put up a quick post asking for your thoughts and prayers right now for Aly, a beautiful dapple dachshund that belongs to my dear friend, Rachael. Aly is one of Rachael's two dachshunds and has been experiencing problems with her back recently. Earlier in the year, without any clear reason (and with dachshunds, there never has to be, it seems) she was in pain, refusing to climb stairs or do a lot of walking. After a time on steroids and pain meds, the little gal made what seemed to be a great recovery.

However, yesterday, she had another episode of pain. Rachael got her back to the vet for another round of steroids and kept her fingers crossed that it would resolve as it had last time. This morning, however, when everyone got up, Aly had deteriorated a bit. She even was dragging her legs a bit. The last I spoke to Rachael, just an hour ago, they had contacted their vet at home (the vet is closed on Thursdays) and were headed to the vet clinic asap. Please keep her, her husband, and her two doggies on your heart today.

I'll keep you updated as I find out any new news.

taken from Rachael's own flickr stream

Prelude to a Move

2010-08-05T08:00:00.001-03:00

It was never my goal in life to be a nomad. However, I have moved four times in the last five years.

When I got Carlisle, I had to leave a much-loved apartment because they did not accept dogs. I, then, moved into another apartment that never quite felt like home. Despite having lived there for almost two years, I really do not have specific memories of the place except for the time Carlisle and Easton ate the couch.

The next move found the three of us moving into a duplex with a long-term boyfriend who shortly thereafter became an ex-boyfriend, which is a great story in itself that should be shared over a few bottles of wine. This past July saw that lease coming to an end and the opportunity for the dachshunds and me to once again strike out on our own adventures.

The bulk of this summer has been about finding a place to live. We have met many roadblocks in our pursuit of happiness. Believe me when I say the thought of homelessness sounded better than the thought of moving in with my mom, and either one of those scenarios was almost a possibility. I made the assumption that it would not be all that difficult to find a place for me and my two dachshunds to live, and I repeatedly found out how wrong I was.

On top of all that, I had my anxieties. We lived in a semi-private house with a shared fenced-in yard for a year and a half. The dachshunds had not been used to seeing people coming and going like they would be in an apartment building. Would my two puppies end up terrorizing an entire building of people? I did not want to be that guy with the annoying dogs.

We are officially moved into our new place, and as you can see, settling in has us exhausted. Over the next few weeks, I will be letting you know all about the process of finding a place to live, the move, and how we are adjusting to our new living situation. Nothing is ever easy when you share your life with dachshunds.

Rounding out the humping trilogy

2010-08-04T09:29:00.005-03:00

As much as I like to scoff at obsessive micro-communities of people like golfers, Harley riders, and fans of The Bachelorette, the social side of having a dog in your life really can't be beat. From the conversations that spring up under the trees at the dog park, to catching up during a walk with old friends and their own pooches, I love it all. In fact, nothing is better than having someone over with their dog for coffee, finger food, and the opening of Pandora's Box that happens every time I insist on shoving a new dog into Calvin and Theo's suburban stronghold.

Oh yes - it's always anyone's guess on how the dachshunds will respond to the intrusion. While Calvin is usually pretty happy-go-lucky about canine visitors (so long as he has a toy to obsess over to get him through it), Theo has made an 80lb chocolate lab pee himself with fear all over our living room, has sulked in our bedroom by himself until a spaniel finally left, and has fallen head over heels in love with both male and female visitors. Like I said - it's anyone's guess.

Last week, this lovely old gal came over with her owner. She's a thirteen-year-old mix that seems to have some Rottweiler in her and is truly a dream dog - incredibly sweet, gentle, and affectionate - so naturally I was bracing myself for Theo's jerk-like tendencies to come out in full force. Instead, they seemed to get along fine. Better than fine, actually. Theo insisted on showering her with kisses whenever she'd lower her head to his level until he got tired from jumping up to meet her every few seconds and retired to his pillow in the corner.

Unfortunately, this did not sit well with the flirty cougar who then insisted on chasing him around for the rest of the visit, hoping to engage in ill-fated relations that would defied all laws of biology and physics. Have you ever had a 10lb dog hide in your shirt while a 60lb dog tries to get all up in his business?

It's a struggle.

Humpty dance

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-03:00

I've had so many dogs for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to experience two or more for the first time. I was amused when Mel wrote about the humping going on in her house. That sort of thing happens so much around here, I just ignore it. But if you're not familiar with it, I totally understand how it seems odd. I remember my mom and my in-laws trying to make the dogs stop either humping or wrestling, and I'm like, no, they're just playing!

In my house, I am fairly confident my dogs are playing, even if the roots of the behavior perhaps are sexual or status-related. My dogs will take turns, uh, being the humper, it doesn't last too long, and if someone tells someone to back off, it works. Here's a video to illustrate:

You can see Franny and Fred taking turns being in the higher position. Fred is more into the thrusting, haha, but Franny's method of putting her body over his is basically the same action. Position is very important to dogs, and this very well could be a battle of sorts between Franny and Fred for leadership, but it didn't get out of control or anything so I let it continue.

(Important note: Franny is not yet spayed, and Fred is neutered. If she were in heat, I would not allow this, as neutered males CAN attempt to mate and "tie" even though no puppies would result! I'm not sure Fred would have that in mind, but you just never know.)

You can also see Thor come along and want his turn to play, and Fred tells him no way, and Thor backs off. Remember that dogs don't speak our language, and Fred wasn't being mean. Thor is the one often "outvoted" at our house when it comes to play. Fred and Napoleon definitely pull rank on him. Those two dogs also hump each other a LOT, so again, all this action could have something to do with their roles in my little pack, but it still falls under my definition of OK play.

When I had foster dogs, especially young males, they'd try their luck with my boys, and they usually got the same reaction Fred gave to Thor: Nope. So I know that if one of my dogs is not OK with what's happening, he won't let it continue. Again, just another reason I do allow this at home!

I would not allow a dog at the dog park or any sort of other dog I didn't know to hump any of my dogs. It does happen, and if the owner of the other dog doesn't stop it, I will. I just silently and gently push the humper away, and they usually get the message pretty quickly.

Here's a good article from Dog Star Daily on humping and what it all means. Couldn't have written their advice any better:

It is my opinion that human intervention in the interest of the welfare of the humpee is appropriate in any situation where humping is non-consensual. Consent is easily tested in dog-dog situations by removing the humper mid-action and seeing whether or not the humpee takes the opportunity to flee. If he or she sticks around for more, you can assume it is consensual. In the case of dog-human humping, I think it is reasonable to curb the behaviour if either the owner of the dog or the person being humped doesn’t like it, or if the humpee is a child. It also seems appropriate to intervene if it is decided that the humping behaviour itself is problematic, regardless of who or what is on the receiving end. In other words, if you find it embarrassing, frightening, or worrisome, or if your dog is gooping up your sofa pillow and giving himself a friction burn, then go ahead and curb it.

Wow, if my high school teachers could see me now, writing blog posts about dog humping! :D

Recovering from the loss of a pet through Art

2010-07-29T08:00:00.002-03:00

I had a sad realization today that if he were still with us...that Fritz would have made it one month in our family. I know I am probably driving Dan nuts talking about it. But I feel so ridiculous calling my family anymore...Or emailing Ben (sorry, Ben!). So I finally just said enough. I needed to find away to start healing. Crying every single day was not going to cut it. I could barely look at his picture without DYING inside.

I am currently taking a graduate elective called Holistic Approaches to Healing through Visual Arts. It's a type of art therapy course and something that may come in hand as I continue on my journey to be an OT. (It's also my very last class ever before my internships!)

We are required to create 7 journal entries, whether they be a drawing, a painting or a collage, choosing different themes. I went through the list and found one that sounded intriguing and simple: "Draw a memory."

I decided it would be a collage of pictures of Fritz. It was such a hard task to even begin. Sorting through my favorite pictures of him, trying to choose which ones to have printed...going to the store to pick them up and then crying while in an empty aisle as I flipped through them (I cry too much...). I got home, arranged them in my sketchbook, glued them down...Then wrote a journal entry to go along with it. That...I'm not going to share completely, but I went about telling why Fritz was special and why I was having such a hard time recovering.

I have since been forcing myself on a daily basis to look at that collage...Remember how happy life was then, and then close the sketch book back up. After I get my sketchbook back from the teacher at the end of the semester, we'll be framing that collage.

And you know what? I haven't cried the last couple of days. Sure, I get sad when I look at it still. But if I just keep making myself look at it and face the facts...With the words actually ON PAPER telling me why it was the right thing to do to let him go...It is honestly helping me deal in more ways than you even know.

I plan, for my final research project for this class, to write about the healing properties of art to help grieve...the death of a pet (there isn't a ton of research on that -- mostly just on the death of humans!). I hope that if you've stumbled across this page after the loss of your dog (or cat!) you find the healing you've been looking for....Like I think I found!

Going for a walk is their favourite! After treats and love of course.

2010-07-28T08:00:00.000-03:00

I mentioned in my previous post that in order to alleviate some of the separation anxiety Rusty and Lila have due to the move, we like to take them for long walks before we leave for the evening or day.

I also mentioned in one of my earlier posts that there aren’t a lot of dog friendly places and the few parks we do have around our neighbourhood aren’t really all that safe. But we hit the jackpot with the latest move.

Just around the corner from our home, there’s a park that’s completely enclosed and very, very dog friendly. The best part is that it’s never really busy so we’ve taken to letting them off their leashes when we go. The first time we took them to the park for an off-leash run it was so nerve-wracking, I was sure that as soon as I dropped Rusty’s leash he’d bolt and I’d end up chasing him around the park like a crazy person.

Surprisingly he stuck close and listened to my commands when he got a little carried away. I also learned that in order for them to obey I had to be sure of my ability to command; that I was the one in charge. Lila was as always a lady.

To tell you the truth, I look forward to that hour each day when everything else in my life just falls away; when it’s all about them. There’s something humbling about watching two puppies enjoy a simple hour in the park.

Outsmarted....again.

2010-07-27T08:00:00.002-03:00

It has been one heck of a summer here on the east coast. Halifax tends to win us all over with the occasional day of glory amidst weeks of, why do we voluntarily live here?, so I've been incredibly surprised when faced with long stretches of hot, sunny, actual summer weather - surprised and completely baffled by how hard it is to train my dogs to be cooperative when it comes to cooling down.

Our basement stays nice and cool. Do you think they can pull themselves away from the low window in the living room that tends to be the watchtower of their Dachshund Empire?

No. Of course not.

We have hoses and bathtubs and damp washcloths. Do you think they can stop trying to gouge out my eyes with their hind legs while I get their temperature down?

No. Of course not.

So I decided to get clever. With my most excited voice ratcheted up to an impossibly high octave, I managed to convince my dogs that ice cubes were, in fact, the most incredible things they have ever been so lucky as to experience. Delighted and confused, they each grabbed one and ran off.

Theo mothered his for a while the way he tends to with new possessions before letting it melt on his bed and grinding his back into it. He seemed to enjoy it but as far as cooling down is concerned, I'd give it a 3/5.

Calvin, on the other hand, couldn't! get! enough! of! these! new! cold! toys! He would run off, crunch, munch, and run back for another. Thinking that I had finally done something right, we repeated this all afternoon. Of course it wasn't until the evening when I realized that he was just running off, planting them on various pieces of furniture, watching them melt, and thinking that this was the greatest thing since our pet store started stocking cow kneecaps on low shelves.

Puddles. Everywhere.

Be ye not so stupid.

Moving homes again and how Lila and Rusty have adjusted

2010-07-26T10:00:00.000-03:00

Like Elizabeth, we’ve moved again. Hopefully the place we have now will become our home for the next few years; to Jaco and I as well as the Lila and Rusty. They seem to have settled in nicely, very much like the previous move - apart from the separation anxiety we haven’t had too many issues.

I think you’ll agree however, that separation anxiety is enough of an issue because you guys, when my puppies cry I kind of want to stay home with them forever and ever and never leave them.

Certain things set them off like picking up car keys, the closing of windows and even when I’m putting on makeup and rushing around putting on shoes and the like. They start off winding around and between my legs as I walk, jumping up against my leg and then starts the whining.

We’re trying a few different things to alleviate the anxiety like taking them for long walks before we leave, trying to project an air of calm and not acknowledging their cries when we start for the door. Jaco especially has a hard time with the last one because it kind of seems heartless to him to not comfort either of them. I don’t want them to think that it’s a big deal when we leave and hopefully in time they’ll realise it’s just something that happens sometimes.

Post-Op Blues

2010-07-23T09:53:00.002-03:00

[Hi everyone - please take a look at this email that came in from Susie. Leave your suggestions, experiences or encouragement in the comments and help a fellow dachshund owner out!]

I have a five-year-old dachshund that I got a year-and-a-half ago. I'm the fourth owner and over the last year-and-a-half Annie has been a great little girl to have around. I can tell that she was abused at some point and that she's had at least one litter of puppies.

Because of her age, I thought it'd be a good idea to have her spayed. So I took her to the vet last Friday and they did the surgery. Ever since then, Annie has been whining and is very clingy. I had my mom sit with her on the couch while I went to the bathroom and she whined the whole time I was gone. She has pain medications to help with the pain but she won't leave my side. I gave her a new toy on Friday and she just carries it around with her which I thought was a bit odd.

My big question is, what can I do to make her stop whining? And is there a reason why she has become so very clingy?

Battle of X & Y

2010-07-22T08:00:00.000-03:00

Who us? We're good dogs!

Being that Fritz had his shortcomings, when we brought him into our household, it hadn't caused too much of a ruckus. He was rather laid back and "chill" and therefore, he and Ike got along quite quickly. They were close in age, close to both being cranky old men. There were moments that Ike got pissed off at him, but they were few and far between. They were both male...and Fritz had already succumbed to the reality that Ike was the alpha of the house.

Now? We've got Vienna. And when things get too quiet, then I get waaaaay suspicious that there is a little bad behavior going on. For instance...We haven't had her spayed yet. Soon, as in the next month or so.... (but I'm also working out where to do it because our own vet wants to charge us $300 which is insanity, so I've been calling almost every single vet in the area trying to figure out what it costs there and what that price includes...you'd be surprised at what vets are charging extra for...this is another post altogether...coming SOON). But we just haven't done it yet.

We have figured out that by the time I brought her home to Michigan, she was in the middle of a "heat" cycle. SIGH. Probably the first after she gave birth to her puppies. Nothing too inconvenient. But still really freaking annoying. Ike might be neutered and therefore nothing can happen...But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to try. I don't need to go into details on this and don't plan to. Just know that at least once a day, he's in the mood to try and be a stud. Sigh. Mostly, I think it's tied in with the desire to maintain his alpha status. But she's fighting back. She, ahem, tries to hump him, as well. Sorry if you're all uncomfortable with this discussion, but this is the stuff of REAL dog families! No one ever talks about this! No one has ever told me that neutered dogs will still want to try and...you know!

Someone also told us that even after she gets spayed, he will still try and get up in her business. SIGH. Not only is it annoying, but I'm afraid it's also going to get awfully embarrassing if they pull this in front of people we have over to the house.

I have never in my life owned a female dog. I've only owned males and I've been pretty darn happy with that. What about you? Those who have multiple dogs? Have you just stuck with one sex (all males or all females)? Or mixed it up a bit? And if you HAVE mixed it up a bit....what do you do to keep them behaving!?

Pushing My Luck

2010-07-21T08:00:00.001-03:00

"Is your dog good with kids?"

Good question.

Dogs, like most living things, can handle only a certain amount of change at a time. Dachshunds, very much like a certain dachshund-owning blogger that you may or may not be reading right now, can handle that same amount of change but will be far less than enthused about it than your average Lassie, Benji or even Beethoven. With Dad #2 visiting his family in a different time zone, Calvin and Theo easily adjusted to the temporary single-dad experience in which their primary caregiver pays far too much attention and attempts to earn love through treats in order to accommodate the ongoing guilt of parenthood.

Perhaps I could have adjusted a little better, I admit, but we were managing.

The puppies also adjusted to being shuttled via their puppy condo (read: perfectly-sized crate for two spoiled dachshunds) into the car for an extended drive across the province to visit the most beautiful and expansive yard they will ever experience, albeit one that comes with a far higher risk of being eaten by coyotes or snatched up by eagles. I may not have told them that part.

So...to review: one missing dad, one cross-province road trip, one blustery grandfather, two very real wildlife threats, different bed, different smells, massive heat wave, and my two puppies were still doing really well. They were behaving, they were playing, they were napping on laps - all was well.

Then the children came. Four of them. All under the age of 12.

All of a sudden, my usual 'yes' answer to the question at the start of this post started to change. I started to realize that I was asking an awful lot of my dogs to start with before I started insisting they pander to the kids' needs to pet and love and play with these dogs until the end of time. I also started to realize that what I thought was just panting under the hot sun was the beginnings of a growl every time the excitable three-year-old turned her back.

Sure...my dogs are great with kids just like they're great with travel, adventure, the outdoors, the unknown, and extreme weather conditions. But maybe they're not so great with all of those things at once. Just like I wouldn't love to be caught in a blizzard with a classroom of first graders, I had to respect that my dogs have their limits and I can only test them so much, especially when little people are involved. And so, I decided to call it a day.

While it was without incident, I knew it was best to regain control once too many changes started making my dogs less predictable. With a final look at the kids, and one final glare at me for putting them through all of this, my puppies hopped into their condo where they voluntarily remained for the rest of the night until our return journey the next morning. They may have been in their puppy condo, but I couldn't help but feel that I was the one in the doghouse.

Lessons learned, pooches. Getting back to routine will do us all some good.

Pet photos? New Digital Camera? Yes please.

2010-07-20T07:37:00.004-03:00

Following up on the incredible pictures that Courtney posted yesterday, we're hosting a wee bit of a contest with a really great prize up for grabs! Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul has is trying to collect the best of the best pictures of your pets enjoying barbecue season and it could really use a dachshund boost.

They'll be featuring some of the best pictures on their website and Facebook page but have also offered a Sony Cyber Shot digital camera to one of the lucky Who's Your Dachshund readers who gets their photo submitted. Here's what you need to do to enter:

1. Live in the U.S. (Sorry internationals...I totally feel your pain here in Canada.)

2. Email your photo (1) to casts44story@photos.flickr.com with the photo title in the subject line and the caption in the body of the email.

3. Visit the contest Flickr page and click on your photo to get the URL.

4. Leave that URL in a comment on this blog post.

On July 31, we'll post some of the submitted entries and let you know who the lucky winner of the brand new digital camera is. We can't wait to see your pictures!

Fun with photo paper

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-03:00

The photographers at my work were trashing some old rolls of photo paper, so I asked and they let me take some home. I'll get more fancy with it later, but here are some shots from our first go at it!

Napoleon is very emo. I did not ask him to lie down, or pose, or anything - he just got on the paper and Vogued.

Little bit happier...

Cookies. You will give me cookies.

Hi Fred!

Always sweet and silly.

Thor likes the camera the least. :)

But he's still a good boy, and so handsome!

Franny does not want to sit still and pose for very long!

She is getting so big!

Like the sausage...

2010-07-13T11:49:00.004-03:00

I don't deal with death very well -- you could say I'm not very good with the grieving process and all that. I was kind of stuck in a phase over Fritz. Feeling unfathomable guilt. Feeling like we should have done something more. But we had gone over it and over it. Many said we should have tried the surgery anyway (PEOPLE...Don't say stuff like that when the pet has already passed away...it makes grieving that much more difficult! Believe me...I know.)...Another made me feel like crap because I hadn't gone ahead and tried learning how to express his bowels and bladder, or had him catheterized for good. Maybe there was more we could have tried to do, but WE know best the situation we went through.

Anyway, just 2 days after we had to put Fritz to sleep, I had to leave to visit family in Tennessee. Worst drive I have ever had to make. I had planned this trip for over a month but now I just wanted to stay home and be miserable. The only thing I had been able to think about was that I could not save Fritz. I had tried to save him from the miserable life he had led and I felt like I had completely and utterly failed.

I really wanted another dog. I really did. My mother and Dan? Weren't so sure that was the best idea. But I needed to save a dog. I needed to. I know in my heart that it was what I had to do. I think it was really the only way I could get over the guilt. The day we put Fritz down, I told Dan we would never get another rescue dog again. I couldn't take the pain.... But I guess I didn't mean it.

I sat patrolling petfinder.com again. Making phone calls, asking questions. I checked in our area in Michigan, and I also checked in Tennessee, in the area I was staying.

I came across a one year old light red female dachshund. A one year old who had already had a litter of puppies, dachshund mixes (they believe she would have gotten pregnant during her very first heat). Her name was CiCi.

All while I was looking these animals up, I was also chatting via google with Dan. I think he finally realized what he had to do....Say 'Yes' to this. I was miserable....and I know he was, too, because of it. He knew I wouldn't rest until I did this.

I went and got that little girl. Yes, I did. I didn't get her as a replacement for Fritz...There's no way in this world that I could do that. NONE. He holds a place in my heart that nothing else will be able to fill.

I will take her home on Wednesday to my husband and my Ike. Dan is more than excited. I let him name her.

He named her...Vienna (like the sausage).

And I think we needed her more than she needed us.

Halifax Dachshund Meet-up 2010

2010-07-08T14:36:00.004-03:00

Yep. It's official. Not only are dachshunds not like any other dog, dachshund owners are not like any other dog owners. On June 20th, a dozen or so dachshunds came out to Seaview Park in Halifax with their human entourages for a quick afternoon romp in between rain showers. That's right - the weather broke just for the puppies. That's what I call power.

Of course, this wasn't a lab or retriever meet-up. This was the kind where rather than fight and run and play and jump, the dachshunds mostly just pawed at their owners until they sat down, offering a lap to curl up on. But at least they were near each other, right?

Check out a quick video clip below and feel free to check out some of the photos people took by clicking the links.

Thanks to everyone who came out!

Paul's photos here.

Renée's photos here.

Anne's photos here.

From Dan's Point of View...

2010-07-08T08:00:00.001-03:00

(We don't want to overdo it but Dan wanted to share his side of things....)

The Story of Fritz the Dachshund….

For all the people who followed our ordeal on the 6^th of July, of having to put down our Dachshund Fritz. I wanted to give a HUGE thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of you for your kind words, thoughts and actions. We also want to show our gratitude to those who initially donated to the “Fix Fritz Campaign”, and then after learning of Fritz’s fate for agreeing to give that donation to the Dachshund Rescue of North America. This assured us that Fritz’s 5+ years on this earth were not in vain and the small time he spent with us and his story will live on to help other dachshunds who are not fortunate enough to have a loving home straight from puppyhood. This is our short story of Fritz….

It all started with a phone call when I was at work on Friday, June 25^th,2010. The wife was browsing Petfinder.com and ran into a dachshund who was at the South Bend (IN) Animal Shelter. With my blessing to, “maybe, think about getting a second Dachshund for Ike to hang out with” (Ike is our 7 year old Miniature Short Hair) she was off on the 90 minute drive to find out more about him. I knew the “maybe”, meant she was coming home with a dog.

Of course the story is that she saw him, and they instantly connected and he was a part of our family from that point on. We knew he had a stumbling gait with his back legs, which we attributed to being in the shelter for several weeks and being week. So we were sure to get him plenty of love, attention and exercise to bring him back to good health (we later learned this to be the early sign of a larger problem). But sure enough within a few days he seemed to be walking much more normal, he just didn’t have much endurance.

Then a week later, we were out of town on vacation for the 4^th of July, when he began to drag his back legs and yelp. After calling around to several vets in the Central Michigan Area, we found someone who was available and we were getting ready to take him in. In the matter of 30 minutes he made what seemed to be a miraculous recovery. He was jumping around, wagging his tail, and even going down stairs. So we canceled the appointment and agreed to keep an eye on him and reduce his “workout regimen”.

The following Monday our worst fears were realized when the paralysis returned and did not go away. After 3 vet visits in a 24-hour period including a 350 mile road trip to see specialists in Detroit and Grand Rapids, we knew, sadly, that it was time to let go and make sure he would no longer be in pain.

The Dr. in Grand Rapids was wonderful; he explained to us all the ins and outs, the pros and cons of what might happen given each possible decision we might make. As he was suggesting surgery to be his best advice, he suddenly realized our lack of knowledge of his longer medical history due to his being dropped off as a “stray”. Fearing the injury may have been suffered several months ago, leading to his fate in the Shelter, his stance changed to one of even surgery having an uncertain outcome. After learning more of our situation, emotionally and financially he was very understanding and supportive of our final decision to put “Fritzy” to rest and assure him that he would never feel any more pain.

Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who offered thoughts, words and advice. Please consider contributing to the Dachshund Rescue of North America and make other dogs in a similar situation to Fritz have a happy ending. We are confident that Fritz learned what love was in the last 10 days of his life and he returned it to us in full. He will never be forgotten.