Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
happy howl-o-ween
halloween, what a great holiday. what's more fun than dressing up and getting free candy? we went to the annual dachshund meetup group costume party, and of course the dogs enjoyed every minute of it. we stayed pretty simple with the costumes this year, enhancing each dog's natural features and unique characteristics.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
my halloween kitty
well this is a pleasant surprise.
nephthys rarely sits in my lap. probably because it's usually filled with dogs. but i guess she realized that this weekend was a special occasion.
four years ago, i got my halloween kitty. happy gotcha day beautiful girl.
nephthys rarely sits in my lap. probably because it's usually filled with dogs. but i guess she realized that this weekend was a special occasion.
four years ago, i got my halloween kitty. happy gotcha day beautiful girl.
Friday, October 21, 2011
a dash of pep
i think dash is enjoying this cooler weather. he was positively peppy on tonight's walk. usually he's dragging behind as far and as slowly as he can.
the other night he got the post-bath zoomies big time. so big that he BARKED. understand, dash doesn't bark. ever. except when he's in the car with a distressed cat. i've taken riley, dash and nephthys all together for their annual exams the last couple years. and as soon as nephthys starts meowing in the crate, dash is there, barking and pawing at the door. the first time it happened, i was dumbfounded. i didn't know what to do, and he wouldn't stop. i tried pulling him away and distracting him, but he was on a mission! so i let nephthys out to see what would happen. she crept out and stopped meowing, and dash was fine. then she crept back into the safety of her crate, and as long as the door was open, she didn't meow, and dash didn't stress. and then he slept right in front of her crate, all the way to the vet. it was one of the sweetest and most amazing things i've ever seen an animal do. when the same thing happened the next year, i just opened her crate, and all was well. but first i had to hear his gruff little bark again.
the only other time (until last week) that i'd heard dash bark was when my complex was being repainted. the men crawled up on the garage roofs to get into the backyards, and dash saw them through the backdoor and barked. i was laying on the couch and he was sitting on the floor next to me. riley had been barking his head off, because that's what he does, but then i started hearing barks that didn't sound like his. bark. and a few seconds later, bark. i looked down, and there was dash, as casual as can be. bark. he wasn't stressed in the least, but he knew those men shouldn't have been up there, and he was letting me know.
luckily i had my phone handy to catch his frisky barks last week. it may not seem like much, but trust me when i say this footage you're about to see is rare and so very special.
the other night he got the post-bath zoomies big time. so big that he BARKED. understand, dash doesn't bark. ever. except when he's in the car with a distressed cat. i've taken riley, dash and nephthys all together for their annual exams the last couple years. and as soon as nephthys starts meowing in the crate, dash is there, barking and pawing at the door. the first time it happened, i was dumbfounded. i didn't know what to do, and he wouldn't stop. i tried pulling him away and distracting him, but he was on a mission! so i let nephthys out to see what would happen. she crept out and stopped meowing, and dash was fine. then she crept back into the safety of her crate, and as long as the door was open, she didn't meow, and dash didn't stress. and then he slept right in front of her crate, all the way to the vet. it was one of the sweetest and most amazing things i've ever seen an animal do. when the same thing happened the next year, i just opened her crate, and all was well. but first i had to hear his gruff little bark again.
the only other time (until last week) that i'd heard dash bark was when my complex was being repainted. the men crawled up on the garage roofs to get into the backyards, and dash saw them through the backdoor and barked. i was laying on the couch and he was sitting on the floor next to me. riley had been barking his head off, because that's what he does, but then i started hearing barks that didn't sound like his. bark. and a few seconds later, bark. i looked down, and there was dash, as casual as can be. bark. he wasn't stressed in the least, but he knew those men shouldn't have been up there, and he was letting me know.
luckily i had my phone handy to catch his frisky barks last week. it may not seem like much, but trust me when i say this footage you're about to see is rare and so very special.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
winnie wednesday
i went out of town for a long weekend and had a friend dog-sit the boys. but i wasn't comfortable leaving winnie with a "stranger" who isn't too familiar with animals, so i boarded her at the v-e-t. it was the scenario i was most comfortable with, and i knew it was the best for everyone to leave such a high maintenance dog with professionals. but i had no idea how much it would change her.
when i went to pick her up, she walked up front on her leash, looking nervously at everyone. but she didn't seem to recognize me, even though i was calling her name. as she got closer, i knelt down and let her sniff me, and as soon as she realized mom was there, she tucked herself into my lap. she was saaaaaaved! she was so calm in the car, no longer nervously pacing. and when we walked in the front door, she sniffed for half a second, then skipped off happily, realizing she was home for good. she bounced all over the boys, and they were happy to see her too. but the biggest change is that she is so much calmer all the time, and it's stuck. she runs at a normal pace, not a frantic flee. and she's going outside on her own, rather than me having to corner her on the couch and carry her to the door. she doesn't bolt off the couch when i sit up or reach over to pet her. big, big progress. the biggest since she first crawled into my lap at the dog park.
dash always seemed to make noticeable progress whenever something "eventful" happened, like a meetup or trip to the groomer, but these didn't do much for winnie's progress. it took me leaving her alone for four days and then coming to her rescue, and now she's a new dog. she's finally realized that she's safe, she's home.
when i went to pick her up, she walked up front on her leash, looking nervously at everyone. but she didn't seem to recognize me, even though i was calling her name. as she got closer, i knelt down and let her sniff me, and as soon as she realized mom was there, she tucked herself into my lap. she was saaaaaaved! she was so calm in the car, no longer nervously pacing. and when we walked in the front door, she sniffed for half a second, then skipped off happily, realizing she was home for good. she bounced all over the boys, and they were happy to see her too. but the biggest change is that she is so much calmer all the time, and it's stuck. she runs at a normal pace, not a frantic flee. and she's going outside on her own, rather than me having to corner her on the couch and carry her to the door. she doesn't bolt off the couch when i sit up or reach over to pet her. big, big progress. the biggest since she first crawled into my lap at the dog park.
dash always seemed to make noticeable progress whenever something "eventful" happened, like a meetup or trip to the groomer, but these didn't do much for winnie's progress. it took me leaving her alone for four days and then coming to her rescue, and now she's a new dog. she's finally realized that she's safe, she's home.
Labels:
dash,
dog park,
orlando dachshund meetup group,
vet,
winnie
Friday, October 7, 2011
my special dash
another reminder, i moved the blog and messed up everything, including the rss feed, so please update any bookmarks, links, subscriptions, etc. to weenoids.com!
i like to compare dash to an autistic child, because it's the best way to describe his special personality. he doesn't bark, doesn't play, doesn't really seem to be aware or interested in much of the world around him (unless it involves me or food). but every now and then, the dog in him comes out. and nothing makes me happier than seeing dash act like a normal, happy dog.
winnie likes to chew on an elk antler (from the daily coyote) while i'm getting ready for bed, and after months of not paying any attention, dash has taken an interest. i found him gumming it one night and practically had to fight him to take it away. and again the next night. and the next morning, he found it on the floor next to the bed and went to town. and then he PLAYED with it. i almost cried. my sweet, special dash is a real boy.
i like to compare dash to an autistic child, because it's the best way to describe his special personality. he doesn't bark, doesn't play, doesn't really seem to be aware or interested in much of the world around him (unless it involves me or food). but every now and then, the dog in him comes out. and nothing makes me happier than seeing dash act like a normal, happy dog.
winnie likes to chew on an elk antler (from the daily coyote) while i'm getting ready for bed, and after months of not paying any attention, dash has taken an interest. i found him gumming it one night and practically had to fight him to take it away. and again the next night. and the next morning, he found it on the floor next to the bed and went to town. and then he PLAYED with it. i almost cried. my sweet, special dash is a real boy.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
wispy wednesday
i loved winnie's fur when it was long, shaggy blonde curls. and i adored her skinny nakedness when i shaved her down. but now it's growing back, thin and wispy, and i think it's my favorite.
trying to get good pictures of her is so hard. because we go through this over and over and over again.
trying to get good pictures of her is so hard. because we go through this over and over and over again.
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