They are all signs of a new puppy in the house! 

We were pretty lucky with Sasha and Isabella when it came to destructive chewing. Those of you that have read some of my other posts know what a good girl Sasha was so it goes without saying she pretty much stuck to chewing her toys, ropes and bones. Don’t get me wrong, Isabella can lay claim to a few key household casualties, namely Doug’s eyeglasses. They weren’t cheap to replace but I held my patience, took the hit in the pocket-book and moved on. After all, it wasn’t her fault his glasses happen to look (to her) exactly like…uh, a big juicy bone? None the less, we were more careful from that point forward and she passed through the rest of the chewing phase with only a few minor infractions. 

Not that I’m keeping score or anything but Ashas has become quite the little chompers! We are learning quickly that we have to watch him carefully or before we know it, he is munching on more than just pine cones and tree bark! 

I am pretty sure it’s a passing phase due to “teething”. From what I’ve read on the topic, four to six months is the period when puppies replace their baby teeth with permanent ones. Ashas is five months old so according to that he is right on track with the process. I found a baby molar in my bed this morning. According to my research, the typical sequence is incisors then canines then molars but he hasn’t lost his canines yet. Those are the ones I’m looking forward to him losing the most! We are trying to teach him to give proper kisses and while he is happy to offer them, he gets too excited and if you pull back he nips your face trying to grab hold and draw you back closer to him. Those tiny little canines are so sharp and they really hurt when they catch your lips or nose! I’m sure patience will cure this as we talk him through kissing “gently” so he can be a lover not a biter! 

I would be worried if he were showing signs of taking out the corners of the furniture but so far it seems to be contained to loose objects that are close by and handy for a quick chomp to serve his need. He also hasn’t shown signs of hiding with his “catch”. He just happily chews away where ever he finds something interesting and of his taste level. (His taste level not being too refined, at least nothing a New York food critic would appreciate for sure as his consists mainly of rubber!) If we are quick to the draw with replacing any inappropriate items we find him “sampling” with an “approved chew object” he isn’t too concerned with what was taken away from him. From that I’m deducing that he’s doesn’t care ‘what’ he’s chewing, only that his chewing need is being met. 

So what will Ashas use for a teething ring next? Hopefully nothing he shouldn’t, but just in case, we’ve taken even more steps to ensure he doesn’t continue to get a hold of the wrong things; cords are now concealed better and my closet floor is now void of all shoes. He also has a ready supply of chew bones and chew toys to chomp on!

I can has rope???

Nom, nom, nom...

Me loves me some rope!

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For those of you not aware, we now have a new member of the household! I’m still asking myself how this happened? When Sasha passed away, I knew I would eventually get another dog but I expected “her” to find me further down the road. I say “her” because I really have never been drawn to boy dogs and never would have guessed I would even consider owning one. Well, I guess I never considered a lot of things…like how much I would miss having my own dog. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Isabella! She has been a great comfort to me since losing Sasha, especially at night by insisting on sleeping with me, much to her Momma’s dismay. Even still, she is not my dog and I don’t want her to think that she is. That aside, it’s the little things that start to make you see the void. Something as simple as picking out only one toy for Isabella when we would have searched the shelves for a second to avoid any jealousy. It seems like yesterday that Sasha was here with me, yet it feels like I’ve been missing her forever.

So… here we are…meet Ashas!

Hi Everyone!

He’s 18 weeks old and planted firmly in our hearts after just two weeks. He has settled into our home just as quickly and comfortably as we have adjusted to having him around. Bubby has been home with no classes for the summer semester, which has helped, and Isabella has adjusted even quicker than I could’ve hoped! She always wanted to play with Sasha so badly but Sasha became ill and just couldn’t keep up with the rough-housing of Isabella when she was a puppy. Now the tables are turned and Isabella is LOVING having a little brother to wrestle with.

If you’re not familiar with his looks, he is a smooth coat, silver dapple miniature dachshund. He looks like a typical black and tan doxie that has gotten into the fireplace and played in the ashes, hence the name Ashas! In case you’re wondering about the spelling, Ashas is an anagram of Sasha. He even reminds me of her a little with the simple similarities in the shapes of their heads. Here is a picture of them both.

That's Ashas on top, Sasha in the bottom pic...

I’m already smitten over this little face looking to me for everything from the necessities of life like food, water & love to the pleasures in life such as a large variety of chew bones and an endless supply of squeaky toys!

As I said, we’ve all adjusted pretty well. Sissy isn’t allowing him on her bed; she’s currently holding that back as a sanctuary for Isabella to feel like it’s her place. A ploy to get her back in bed at nights and out of my room? Maybe, but it’s working! Speaking of nights, Ashas is doing well there too, sleeping just fine through the night. He’s hilarious when he sleeps, typically it’s on his back and oh yes, he’s a noisy little sleeper too! All sorts of grunts and snores coming from such a tiny little pup!

Potty training is going pretty well, we’ve only had a few accidents so far!  He has no idea what a leash is but at least he has learned his name! We have decided to enroll both him and Isabella in some puppy classes. She’s no longer a puppy but we talked to the trainer and given her social skills (or lack thereof) he said we could enroll them both together. Isabella knows only two commands: how to sit and how to give a “low” five (it’s the same as high five but remember she’s a dachshund, everything is low for her!)

I was a little worried at first when Ashas’ temporary mom mentioned his favorite toy was an old slipper he liked to chew on but he really does not seem to be a bad chewer, at least no more than the typical puppy and luckily he has not shown ANY signs of being a big barker. In fact, he seems to be quite content to let Isabella do all the barking at the neighbor dogs while he hovers around in the background waiting for the coast to be clear. Hopefully this will continue because trust me, Isabella is loud enough for the both of them!  He loves exploring the backyard and is very enamored with pinecones. We have quite a surplus of them in the back yard coming from two very large Pine trees (common in the PNW) so he won’t run out anytime soon but man they make a mess on the carpet! I fear I will turn into Mommy Dearest and be heard screaming “no more pine cones, ever!!

Nom, Nom, Nom

We’ve hade some fantastic weather lately and Ashas seems to be particularly fond of the sun…he is definitely a “basker”; a trait very common to most dachshunds, in fact Sasha also loved sunbathing belly up however Isabella prefers soaking up the rays from inside the house where the sun finds it’s way across the dining-room floor.  Even when he’s not out there basking he’s not short on places to grab a quick nap!

It's a dogs life...

ZZZZZzzzzz....

Well, guess that’s about it for now…to sum everything up, as the title of this post says, he’s a keeper and we’re a two dog household again!

Catch ya later!

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 For those who live with and love a dachshund and haven’t figured it out yet, I offer the following advice to answer the question: when life is spent with a dachshund, who owns who?

You might be owned by your dachshund if…

Your doorbell no longer works, on purpose, in the hopes that visitors will knock softly enough to bypass the long dog tornado.

Cooking also doubles as agility practice, navigating the 4-legged clean-up crew scurrying below to get the bits of fruit and veggies you drop intentionally.

Mealtime is performed in front of an audience and you’re ok with it because you haven’t had to vacuum below the table in forever!

You no longer notice the nose prints on the inside of your car windows.

You support the porch/patio as a substitute potty when it’s raining or snowing in order to spare your living room carpet.

You keep the thermostat down at night to avoid waking up sweating from the built-in fur-covered bed warmers.

Every time you go to the store alone, you feel guilty and bring home a new toy.

Every time you go to the store with your dachshund, you bring home a new toy.

Your living room decor includes a set of stairs leading up to the couch.

You can spot another dachshund almost as quick as your dachshunds can.

Last but not least, no matter how many doxies you have you’re always thinking of getting another one!

 Baby was a young cat when we got her, we think maybe a year old.  It seems like yesterday when we chased her around a family friend’s yard to catch her and bring her home with us but in reality it was 17 years ago.  She’s been a great pet and we are left with plenty of wonderful memories that will keep her in our hearts forever.

 In her younger years she was very much a part of our everyday lives.  Always in the middle of things and ready to partake in all the family activities.  She was there to comfort me through divorce, lend a purr to the kids when they were in bed with colds and always keeping her regular vigil over the house…making her rounds through each of our rooms at night checking to ensure all was right in the world with her family.

She was an outdoor cat when we got her but aside from the occasional excursion into the back yard to check things out, she has been an indoor cat since joining our family.  I think she liked living indoors.  She was never an extremely playful cat and wasn’t the type to bring us present like mice or lizards.  Instead she was a mellow, laid back soul which filled the house with a sense of calmness.

She went through half a dozen moves with us, including the relocation from Texas to Washington which included a 5 day cross-country drive.  I wouldn’t exactly call her the travelling type but she made it through the trip and easily adjusted once we arrived.

 The last couple of years have each been increasingly difficult on her and we began to notice changes in her health. She stopped grooming herself and her water intake increased dramatically.  Her eyesight declined from both cataracts and glaucoma according to the vet so she has been blind for some time.  Last summer, on the heels of losing Sasha, we thought we had lost her as well to the heat, however she cashed in on one of her remaining nine lives and amazingly made it through.

 Last night she really started acting strange and just wasn’t herself.  She had the same look Sasha did towards the end so in my heart I knew something was up, especially since she was no longer purring when we were petting her.  After discussing with the kids we all agreed this was serious and had an idea it might be time.  She had already stopped eating so we kept an eye on her overnight and by this morning she had stopped drinking as well.  We took her to the vet who confirmed that Baby was suffering from a metabolic shutdown which, given her age, was not surprising at all.

 Together we made the call that it was time to let her go and we sat with her while she slipped away to be with her long time friend, our dear Sasha. She’ll also be surprised to find her old pal Bailey up there as well, it’s been years since they had the chance to torment each other!

 Peace be with you, Baby…until we meet again on the other side.

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats:
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.  However, dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years – canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

NOTICE TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don’t.
(2) If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That’s why they call it ‘fur’-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don’t speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less
(2) don’t ask for money all the time
(3) are easier to train
(4) normally come when called
(5) never ask to drive the car
(6) don’t hang out with drug-using people
(7) don’t smoke or drink
(8) don’t want to wear your clothes
(9) don’t have to buy the latest fashions
(10) don’t need a gazillion dollars for college and
(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Your Faithful Owner…

I lay there while she is snoozing away comfortably and I realize the amount of contortion my body is in to accommodate her.  It’s not entirely her fault I must concede, as I am certainly guilty of adjusting my own body position to take advantage of her radiating heat.  Who needs an extra blanket when you have a dachshund under the covers?  Nonetheless, at this point I realize I’m extremely uncomfortable and I’m sure my discomfort is due to the fact that she is stretched out crossways instead of lengthwise in the bed.  A few adjustments, ah…comfort AND warmth!  I know however that before dawn arrives I will likely go through this same pattern of adjustment a few more times.  Why must she fight the natural alignment of the bed?  Why must she lay with her butt on the pillow and her head declined?  Doesn’t the blood rush to her head?  Comfort and warmth aside however, I now lay there in the wee late hours WIDE AWAKE… 

 I’m a light sleeper anyway and a typical night follows a similar pattern at our house.  It goes something like this:  

First, Isabella plays a few rounds of “bed hopping” as we like to call it. This is her trying to decide where she will begin her evening of slumber.  I say begin because the evening usually includes several rounds.  

Fifteen minutes here, thirty minutes there and we all join in for a quick rendition of ”make up your mind silly girl and just decide”!  The problem is, even once she decides and we are all settled in snug as bugs in a rug…she usually continues to play by herself.  

She will get up and go check on Bubby or her momma and just when I find myself teetering on the brink of sleep I hear the familiar jingle of her “necklace” (aka collar and tags) as she attempts to jump back into my bed… which of course she can’t quite make…not without several tries anyway, which leads to a guilt trip because of the whole dachshund bad back problem and so on…  So, I sit up and lean over the edge of the bed to lift her up and what does she do???  Of course she backs up just out of reach…Argh, now we play a few rounds of this where I lay back down, she whimpers, I sit up to help, she steps back out of reach and now I’m sure I hear her mockingly singing nah, nah, nana boo boo…  I know where she learned this too! It was one of Sasha’s favorite games as a puppy, that and drop the toy off the edge of the bed to see how many times I’ll pick it up for her! (which  she also taught Isabella, but that’s another post.)

Once in bed and settled in, she migrates into the aforementioned body position.  Readjustment…Rinse and repeat…you get the picture.  No wonder I’m not sleeping well.

Isabella never used to sleep with me but when Sasha passed away and her Momma was still off at college she started sleeping with me pretty consistently.  (This of course has her mother quite upset now that she has moved back home from school and Isabella has not settled back into sleeping with her regularly again but this is yet another post.) 

So as I finally settle back into slumber, I start thinking about how both Sasha, and now Isabella too sleep stretched out so long, at least at night.  Who would think this was a small little miniature dachshund laying down the entire length of my leg?   If I think about how they sleep during the day it’s quite different!    During the day, unless playing or basking in the sun, they are usually in variations of two positions. It really depends on the message they wish to convey… 

The first, I call the typical dachshund multi-purpose.  

 It can be used in several situations:

• What, I didn’t do it! Look at me, I’m so innocent, I would NEVER!
• You’re about to leave without me aren’t’ you? How DARE you leave me alone again!
• My ball rolled under the couch and I’m so sad because NO ONE will help me get it back for the 100th time!
• Whatever you’re eating sure looks tasty! If you loved me you’d let me have some!

The second is the standard “cat-nap” pose…curled up with their nose tucked neatly near their rear end.  Let me just say one thing: nothing looks more precious!  So calm and quiet and innocent <looking>.

Maybe all dogs do this? Sleep differently day vs night.  I rarely wake up and find Isabella curled up at night! Is it comfort?  Maybe exhausted from the day?  I mean, they must be worn out from a busy day of squirrel chasing, tail wagging and trouble making, not to mention all the cat napping?   

 Well, whatever the reason, I’m happy that she’s getting a good night’s sleep in the end but her nights of “ring-around-the-bed posts” are leaving me waking in the morning still just plain dog tired…

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 The good news is this year things were, well, a little different.  I made it through Christmas much easier than I thought I would.  Oh there were tears for sure, but not the kind I expected.   I felt as if Sasha was around in sprit, determined to take the typical confusion of the holiday and give it a purpose.   This year, I knew why I was sad…  Oddly comforted, Christmas was spent enjoying a nice quiet day with the kids.  (BTW, having grown kids ROCKS!  It’s a whole different dynamic, especially when you all like each other. )

 Here we are on New Year’s day!  A day for reflection, a day for new beginnings.  A few tears of sadness, a few tears of joyful memories and a lot of hope and excitement for the future!  Sasha will continue to sprinkle my days with her memories and I pray that never changes.   She’s right there in the distance with Grandma Susie, enjoying a better place!

 My New Year’s wish to everyone is “May your fond memories of those lost before you bring you strength to rally through the difficult trials life brings.”

 A new year, a new beginning, a new outlook…let’s see what 2010 has in store!

Happy New Year to all!

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Most of all today (and everyday) I’m thankful for the many memories of Sasha.  She will always be in my heart.  (I miss you baby girl!)

Gobble, Gobble and Happy Thanksgiving!

Kim

Happy Thanksgiving all!! I’m thankful for a family who loves and supports me even if I don’t know what I’m doing in life or where I’m going. I’m also thankful for a beautiful healthy dog which brings me smiles every day. I’m thankful for a handful of great friends and to have a good paying job in this sluggish economy. And last but not least, I’m thankful for good food on the table this holiday!

Love, Tristian!

I’m thankful for bones, turkey, squeaky toys, bouncy balls, turkey, peanut butter, sunshine, turkey, long walks to the park, turkey, friends, our kitty cat, carrots, turkey, naps, my Bubby and two Mommies!

Love, Isabella!

P.S. I can has some turkey????

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9) Doxie (or Dachsie)

8) Oscar Mayer Dog

7) Wienerschnitzel Dog

6) Shortie

5) Brat (or Bratwurst)

4) Stretch

3) Frankfurter Dog

2) Hot Dog

1) Weenie Dog (or Wiener Dog)

A dachshund by any other name is still two dogs long and a half a dog high! :-)

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According to Wikipedia: A nickname (also spelled “nick name”) is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name.

So I get it, typically it’s the shortened version of a name. Yes, Sasha was quite often called Sashie and Isabella’s mom calls her Izzy. But what about those nicknames that are really just terms of endearment. A name, when heard, which seem to evoke feelings of warmth and joy for humans who understand them and allow the subject to feel a strong sense of being loved. For Sasha there were the typical ones; Precious, Pretty Pretty Princess, Baby Girl, Sweet Pea. For Isabella it’s Princess, or our family’s particular favorite: Flomar (a warm furry friend according to Dennis in “The Martian Child“). Do our pets feel those same feelings of satisfaction when bestowed with our endearments?

As smart as I think animals are, especially Sasha, I assume the emotion we emit when using such a nickname is what is picked up by our pets as opposed to the name itself. But for many, nicknames are more humorous or even at times a reason for embarrassment. How do our pets interpret those?

Sasha, as I said, had many nicknames, some very creative and some more animated than others. A few more of hers;  Sashie Versache, Sashanator, Sashquatch. I can recall her antics when met with a whimsical “Hi there Sashie Versache”.  Yet, as much as she resembled a seal with her big round eyes (Exhibit A), for some reason we never came up with a related nickname that drew upon that.  

Exhibit A

She was also affectionately called Poop-neck which was derived from the fact that on more than one occasion she was caught “applying herself with an ode ‘de poop” which is a nice way to say she was caught rolling in poop.( Exhibit B) I suppose there is a transference of emotion we convey when using such nicknames as well? I can remember her look of shame when bestowed the poop-neck title! That just wasn’t proper for a sweet little girl like her!  

Exhibit B

I find we (pet owners) often borrow food items as nicknames too. In our family’s case it seems to be snack foods. Hmmmm, what’s that telling us? Maybe it’s just another expression of playfulness! Shasha was often referred to as Popcorn and Isabella is still referred to as Peanut, perhaps even more frequently than she is called Isabella! It depends on if she’s being a good girl or bad girl! ;-)

My final observation: nicknames express emotions. There seems to be some sense of security that comes from the familiarity and informality of a nickname. Whatever the subconscious reason, we all use nicknames and potentially sometime may even abuse nicknames!

Next Post: Top Ten nicknames for dachshunds, send me your suggestions!  

Peanut, Popcorn and Punky

Sasha baby, come see me in my dreams soon!