Dachshund Fever

When I was a little girl we had large dogs... pitt bulls to be exact. Let me quickly say that raised correctly, they are very sweet dogs.. extremely protective and loyal, but sweet.  Our last pitt died when I was 9.  I am the only girl and the baby of the bunch, so my mother declared... No more big dogs!  My dad set out to find the perfect little house dog for me.  A friend raised dachshunds and had a litter on the way, so Dad decided I would have a wiener dog. He had no idea what he was starting. I am not sure whose addiction to these wild hot dogs was greatest... mine or his.  They are not perfect dogs.. not hardly!  They are stubborn and the males tend to be very territorial and horrible barkers.  But oh my... they are too cute and soo very sweet and I just adore them.

So it is probably no surprise that my husband bought these for me...

Let me quickly add that while he will adamantly deny it, he has gotten just as hooked on our 2 dachies as I am!

We have a male and female... Mac and Mia... I have talked about them before and, no doubt, will talk about them again.  I tend to post photos of Mac, because Miss Mia is difficult to catch on camera.  But I did get a few shots of her recently.

Mia is exactly what I wanted in dog temperament.  She is laid back... low maintenance... she loves to cuddle up in your lap and sleep.  All you have to do is feed her and give her belly rubs and she is one happy pups.

Here she is bird watching through the bedroom window...

Here is a rare close up.

She is intently watching her brother try to catch a mosquito hawk.  She has the softest silkiest longest hair!  I love it.. but it gets knots even if we brush it daily! And of course her collar is pink.. with flowers!

Here she is waiting for a belly rub. Mia will just roll over on the floor and wait for someone to come along and give her a rub!

I love Miss Amelia Louise... she does my heart good!

Those Crazy Furbabies .....

As anyone who knows me or reads my blogs knows, we have 2 furbabies in our home.  I grew up with dachshunds and am totally obsessed with the crazy things!  They are, to me, the best dogs ever! Not perfect... not by a long shot!  But I love pretty much everything about them from their regal snout to their massive need for belly rubs! They are just wonderful!

2 years ago this past May, my husband brought me a fuzzy red male dachshund... a miniature long haired one. I was use to smooth coats, so this fuzziness took a bit of getting use to.  3 months later we went and got another one!  This time a girl... black and tan... another mini and long-haired.  They are as different as night and day at times, but as close as litter mates.  And they provide a great deal of entertainment in our home.

It was obvious early on that Mac was all about playing and toys. He has soooo much energy!  Unfortunately, he loved chewing up and destroying his stuffed toys... which led to surgery and a week at the vets (don't ask about the bill!) so those toys are now banned from the house. He loves to run and fetch and play keep away.  We found these wonderful balls made for dogs that do the trick. They look like tennis balls, but are not that fuzzy texture. They are a fairly hard rubber. This is the only toy he does not chew up!  Mac's ball has become a pacifier. He carries it everywhere!  Even to eat!

How on earth he is able to empty out that small bowl when the ball takes up all that room, I will never know.

But he does!

Mia occasionally snatches the ball. She loves to lay on it and torture Mac, who will just sit and whine for it.  I have no idea why he will not take it from her. Normally he is the top dog... very much the dominant personality. He can bug the snot out of Mia.. jump on her.. wrestle her... but he will not take a toy from her. Go figure!

Overall, Mia is not a toy lover. She can pretty much take them or leave them except when we are gone and put them in their room.  I always toss in the 2 balls and 2 Nylabones (great for pets would chew!).  Inevitably when I return I hear muffled barks... I will find Mac with his ball in his mouth and Mia with BOTH bones in hers!  I so wish I could capture that sound and post it here. It is hilarious!

Miss Mi is always so proud of herself for having those 2 bones in her mouth!  It really is the funniest thing to see. When I take down the baby gate, she will prance out with great pride and then run and hide so Mac won't get the bones. She hates to let them go!

I wonder what I have in my life that is like Mac's ball to me... my pacifier or security blanket... that thing I think I must have to be secure... or what I snatch onto and clinch in my jaws for dear life like Mia and those bones.  I suspect I look as silly to God as the pups do to me. And just as I say things like "You would enjoy that meal better without a ball in the bowl!", I suspect He says the same to me.  And just as Mia's barks are muffled when those bones are in her mouth, I wonder if my prayers are "muffled" when I am chewing on something I should put down?

Ahh those wiener dogs... entertainment and object lessons... got to love 'em!

Bath Time!

Mac & Mia are our 2 miniature long-hair dachshunds.  Bath time for the pups is always a trip here.  Mac normally jumps in the tub before we are ready and we have to lock him out while Mia is being washed or he will jump in with her too!  Mia, on the other hand, hates water with a passion.. except to drink.  The fall out afterwards is the best!  Here is a video (created by our daughter) of the fun. Enjoy!