Dachshund Continues Plan for World Domination

Posted on July 18, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Acting casual, Windy contemplates being queen of the world.

Windy is a sneaky girl. We call her the “fun police”.

Yesterday while I was sitting in the floor playing with Max, who was on his back enjoying himself, Windy runs across the room, jumps in my lap, and lets out a big “ARF!” in his face. It was not a playful arf

Max snarls and continues his play. Windy marches off my lap to sulk.

Last week while I was playing with Jake in the floor, Windy casually strolls up to us. She watches. Jake was standing, and she lifts her paw and places it on his back. He gets angry immediately. He growls and turns around. She sits there. Jake cannot stand another dog touching his back.

Windy knows not to pull such tricks on the humans in the house. All she needs to do is give us the big-eye look, and we turn to mush.

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Power Outage Confuses Dogs

Posted on July 17, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Before the heat got to Jake, he thought it was fun to play on the carpet.

Not long ago a large part of the Midwest lost power for days, or more than a week in some places, and Jake, Windy and Max were perplexed.

We were part of more than 500,000 Ohio folks who lost electricity. With daylight and a cool house, the furkids didn’t notice. But by 10 that night they knew their routine was no more.

Flashlights and candles. Radio blaring about area-wide power outages. Temperature climbing. No dog was happy.

Max’s beard is soaked after taking a long drink of water.

We had Max’s insulin, and some other perishables, in a cooler. We opened every window in the house. We were reading by flashlight or via iPad. The furkids sought refuge on the bare, hardwood floor. Their activity level was nil.

After a near-sleepless night for everyone, morning brought a slight temperature drop. Everyone muddled through a strange Saturday. By mid-day, the house was hot, and the floor was the place to be.

We hunkered down for another night without power. We crossed the street to take care of some neighbors’ dogs because they had to leave their baking house with their infant.

Our area was projected to be re-connected in six days. We turned the radio off and the lanterns on to read.

At nearly 11 p.m. the lights flickered then remained on. Jake, Windy and Max perked up in the light. After a couple hours of the air conditioning being on, everyone settled in to get a good night’s sleep.

Windy was relieved the power was back.

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Warm Weather Walking

Posted on June 15, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Jake, Windy and Max watch kids and dogs playing across the street.

A hot weekend is coming. if you have dogs that are blessed with short legs, please remember they get toasted from the pavement. We like to walk our furnkids at sundown.

At sundown our crew has more energy, and evening walks help them wind down for bedtime. Except for Windy, who can sleep anytime.

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While Walking the Dogs Yesterday …

Posted on June 14, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Jake had enough walking yesterday.

A pleasant evening walk was nearly ruined yesterday, but Invisible Fence kept a disaster from happening.

A spaniel and a beagle live a few houses down. They usually play in their backyard, but the spaniel knows how to sneak into the front yard then bark his head off at potential intruders. The beagle merrily joins in. How that beagle manages not to say a word while the spaniel stalks is a mystery to me.

As Jake, Windy, Max, my husband and I strolled down the sidewalk, Jake sauntered off to the grass near the curb to poop. So far so good.

I get out the bag. Before Jake finishes the spaniel comes roaring around from the back and explodes. Max and Windy lose it. Jake freezes, and I start yelling. The beagle howls. My husband drags Max and Windy away, and Jake decides he better stop his business. I grab his leftovers and we leave.

The neighbors’ Invisible Fence kept the spaniel and beagle in their yard while we were on the sidewalk. Would the dogs have attacked our dogs? I don’t know, but I am glad we didn’t have to find out.

Jake prefers a quiet bathroom experience.

Posted in Dachshunds, Dog Behavior, Schnauzers, Uncategorized, Waste Management | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dogs Gonna Itch, Dogs Gonna Scratch

Posted on June 4, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Uh oh. Windy feels a big itch coming on.

Furkids will scratch. Fleas are not the only reason. How many times during the day do you feel an itch?

Let’s scratch that itch.

Those toenails will feel good.

Let’s scratch all over.

Ah, relief. How many times during the day do you wish you could do that?

Posted in Dachshunds, Dog Behavior, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dog Vomit In Middle of Night

Posted on June 1, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Windy, who didn’t make it to the back door Monday.

Sick children wake their parents up at night, and furkids are no exceptions.

About 4 a.m. a few days ago I woke to a warm wetness on my back. Then I heard the gagging. I knew if I rolled one way the mess on my back would get on the bed. I yelled for my husband.

He hit the light on his side of the bed. He saw Windy. He saw vomit. He groaned.

“Yeah, but you don’t have this stuff on your back,” I growled.

Windy jumped down and headed for the back door. He helped me struggle to get up.

“Too late,” he said. “It’s in the bed.”

“Just get her out,” I snapped.

I cleaned myself up. We changed the sheets. The waterproof mattress cover saved us.

If you sleep with your furkids, you must have a waterproof mattress cover. This is the second time I have been grateful for one. Just like a child, sometimes a dog doesn’t know he is going to vomit until he does it.

Windy has had hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) twice, so I am wary of her vomiting, but this time it was just an unwelcomed wake-up call for my husband and me.

Max likes to relax with toys before bedtime.

Jake uses his laser beams to signal for a treat.

Posted in Dachshunds, Dog Behavior, Dog Health | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dog Reunions Are Mixed

Posted on May 29, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Max would have preferred I had left Windy with her grandma.

Windy and I returned home a few days ago.

Max lost his mind when I walked in the door; however, he was less than thrilled to see his sister.

Windy was glad to be home.

Windy dominates Max over places. Max dominates her over food. Windy has learned not to disturb him while he is eating. If Windy is in a place Max wants to be, he doesn’t challenge her for it.

Lucy, a sweet miniature schnauzer Windy met last week.

Jake is the moderator. He incites nothing. He ignores disagreements. He is a friend to both. However, if he can be sneaky with toys or treats – he takes full advantage of the situation. Windy and Max never challenge him. Somehow he is the alpha dog with the velvet paw.

Jake, who has a doctorate in animal behavior, knows how to avoid a fight.

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How Could You Leave Me?

Posted on May 22, 2012 by daysofourdogs

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The look Jake gave me when I left with Windy the other day still haunts me. His feelings were hurt.

I must bring a little something home for Jake and Max.

Windy, though amazes me. She’s constantly alert. The air conditioner kicks on, she barks. A car door slams, she barks. The landline or my cell phone rings, she barks. She does not, however, wear her barker out.

Jake probably is pleased.

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Windy Travels

Posted on May 21, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Windy and I hit the road to visit her grandma.🚗

Windy is the perfect traveler. Quiet and well-behaved, you wouldn’t know she was in the car.

Of course at grandma’s she is getting spoiled. Rough life.

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Dogs, Obesity and Diabetes

Posted on May 14, 2012 by daysofourdogs

Jake, left, makes a new friend.

My Mother’s Day presents from the furkids: 50 percent accuracy on the piddle pad, half of my lunch knocked of the ottoman and eaten, and slurps and snuggles. It balanced out.

Max’s blood work last week indicated we needed to increase his insulin. At least he didn’t have a urinary track infection. He is good with his shots, so we are fortunate. Food bribes and a small needle make administering his medicine easy.

Max takes a break from his toy.

Shocking statistics on obesity were published this week. By 2030, 42 percent of adults could be obese. http://bit.ly/JqrY2C

Obesity leads to diabetes not only in humans but also in dogs. Max is not overweight, so his condition is not related to a past weight gain.  However, it is important to keep your dog at a proper weight.

Jake and Windy are at proper weights. Dachshunds being overweight is hard on their backs. I have seen too many fat wiener dogs, some almost needing to ride a skateboard to get around. Max, being the youngest, likes to be active, and that causes Jake and Windy, seniors, to be more active. We also walk everyone when the weather is good.

So, if your furkid is overweight, please work on that. Dogs are around for too short a time, and you don’t want to lose them early because of obesity.

Windy, doing what she does best, dreams of world domination.

Posted in Dachshunds, Diabetes, Dog Behavior, Dog Health, Schnauzers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment