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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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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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!

Some endings are welcomed, even anticipated… much like the end of a bad movie, the end of a long week or the end of an awkward moment.  Those are the types of endings we can’t wait for.  We try to occupy our minds while waiting for them, obsessed with determining how much more we can endure.  How long we can remain focused and when will the agony end?

There are endings that are obvious and expected, although dreaded.  How about the end of a vacation?  Perhaps, even simply the end of the weekend?  Monday is all but a dirty word as Sunday evening draws to an end.

There are endings that are unexpected and heart-wrenching like the tragic loss of a loved one. (RIP my dear sweet Sasha) Under any circumstance, those are the endings we must respect and allow ourselves to accept them in whatever way we can.  They are very personal endings that no one can help us understand or accept.

Some endings linger somewhere between sad and happy or better yet, heartwarming.  The end of a good book which leaves you wanting more.  The end of a soulful love song whose words and melody haunt your thoughts for days. 

My personal favorite: the end of those peaceful dreams in which our loved ones re-appear before us.

I have found myself dreaming of Sasha a lot this weekend.  Friday morning I woke up and the realization didn’t’ hit me for a few hours that I had dreamt about her but once it did I had a wonderful day filled with warmth from within.  Saturday morning I drifted in and out of dreams several times seeing her squeak her toy and roll around in the sun.  This morning I woke slowly, knowing I was coming out of a dream, seeing her fade before me.  I tried falling back to sleep to rejoin my dream in progress but with no success.  My dreams have meant a lot to me lately.  Dreams I don’t want to wake from but eventually come to an end.  If only dreams had pause and rewind!   

I know dreams are some way related to our subconscious and it’s probably me trying to reconcile her passing…maybe the guilt of her last night on earth?  Maybe the happiness that she was in my arms for her last breaths.  I don’t really care what they mean, I’ll take what I can get!

With that my friends and family, I bid you all “ Sweet Dreams” and may they all have happy endings!

The End! :-)

Isabella dreams often while I’m sitting at my desk working or reading a book. Occasionally I’ll look over and it is evident that she is dreaming. Sometimes she’ll twitch, other times she’ll move her mouth or licks her lips, and then there are those times when she grumbles, growls or barks ever so quietly. I love to watch her and imagine what she could be dreaming about. It’s so cute. I like to think she’s having happy dreams about chewing on a huge rawhide or running through an open field in the sun. Maybe she dreams about getting new toys or making new friends, or perhaps she dreams about memories of Sasha and she’s running around the living room playing wrestling games or tug of war (something they did often when Sasha was still healthy and able to play). Whatever she may be dreaming of, it’s adorable to watch my baby.

Then there are those times when I wonder if she’s having a nightmare. Sometimes her growls and twitches are scary, and I worry my little one is scared. I then feel the need to wake her up and get her out of the dream. This always makes me feel so guilty for interrupting her sleep and waking her. She always looks up at me with questioning eyes as if asking, “What’s going on, what’s wrong?”

Does your puppy dream?

How do they act during their vivid dreams and how do you react to them?

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Before 2001, September 11 had a different significance for me.  It was simply my sister’s birthday.  I called my sister, Dolores, yesterday to say Happy Birthday as I do every year.  It seemed like I talked to her not too long ago…but at the same time it felt like ages.  We used to talk daily however recent years have brought distance between us.  I moved from Texas to Washington due to my job and she moved from Texas to New Mexico to follow her dreams of a successful relationship…which by the way, so far so good. :-)  As I was thinking about her last night after our call, I also had a happy little memory of Bailey…her black and tan, smooth miniature dachshund.  Well… her daughter, Chrystal’s dachshund, who just so happened to remain at home when Chrystal got married and moved out…so by my account, Bailey was Dolores’ protector. 

I say ‘was’ because Bailey, like Sasha, passed away this year.  Somehow, although sad it seems only fitting as they loved each other.  Sasha was (one of) Bailey’s girlfriends.  When Dolores came to visit, Bailey always came with.  His favorite things to do at our house were to chase after Sasha and leave reminders on any 90 degree angle in or out of the house  that he was there…kind of his own personal graffiti, perhaps most fitting of a bathroom stall…I imagine it read something like “Bailey was here”…Regardless, I always felt a fondness for him.  He was a very sweet soul who had been through so much…back surgery from a disk injury,  the whole “who’s your mamma” thing.  He was my sister’s protector for many years and had quite a bark behind that tiny exterior.   When I moved from Texas I never imagined I wouldn’t see him again.  He would have been about 10 years old by now but alas he is back with Sasha now, jumping from cloud to cloud, enjoying warm summer days.  I’m sure he’s not pleased that clouds don’t have corners!

Here’s to you Bailey!  Peace be with you and my baby girl. 

And speaking of my baby girl… hugs and kisses my dear sweet Sasha, come see me in my dreams soon! :)

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 If this first one doesn’t look like an angel I don’t know what does?

It’s funny, check out the second one compared to Isabella’s picture in the last post… they look so similar, in fact Bubby said he had to do a double take thinking they were the same. 

Last but not least, Sasha LOVED to bask in the sunshine… does it get any better than this on a warm  summer afternoon in Texas?

Hugs and kisses my dear sweet Sasha, come see me in my dreams soon! :)

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