#Forgive or #forget the #dog #sitter who lost your dog?

from EagleTribune.com Merrimack Valley, MA: September 25, 2011

Ask Dog Lady: Forgive but don't forget dog walker's blunder

Please don't loose me.

     Dear Dog Lady:  The latest dog walker I employed left my dog behind after an off-leash outing to a nature preserve. Salty was found wandering near a busy road by a Good Samaritan stranger who knew to call me because of the personalized dog collar with my phone number and Salty's name embroidered on it. The quick-read collar and the kind stranger saved Salty's life. The dog walker cried and apologized again and again. He begs for another chance. I am tempted to forgive. What do you say?                                                                  Dog Lady response: If it happened once, it can happen again… You can forgive but you cannot forget the negligence….Your dog could have been hurt or killed because of the dog walker's disregard. Sure, you can give the walker a second chance but what if . . .?                                                                                         

     My response: neither forgive nor forget.  Fire him after causing him to be lost in a preserve.  Then consider knee capping.

    “My dog can bark like a Congressman, fetch like an aide, beg like a press secretary, and play dead like a receptionist when the phone rings.”  Gerold Solomon, US Congressman

#Carrots & #Green Beans for #dogs: you've got to be kidding.

Carrots?  Green beans?  No, thank you.

      Daily News & Analysis, India:   My dog is overweight. Can you give me some advice on how to take some weight off her?

      answer:   Don’t change any food. Just provide 20 per cent less than what you usually do. If you measure the amount of food that you are currently feeding and give 20 per cent less, you will see weight loss.   If you have trouble with the sad eyes when the bowl is a little less full, then add some vegetables. Green beans and raw carrots are very filling and good for a dog, and have almost no calories.

     When I offered Gizmo both green beans and raw carrots, he looked at me as if to say, "You've got to be kidding."  He did sniff the veggies and then, with a sigh, trotted away to lay down in the farthest reaches under our bed.  He was indicating, if I came around with carrots or green beans, he'd prefer to be as far away from me as he could be. 

      “A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn't care if you're not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector.”    Louis Sabin

   

A good reason to #microchip your #dog

I have a micro-chip.  Does your dog have one?

     A terrier named Seymour, who belonged to Army Infantry Specialist E4 Ryan Rivera, stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, was found over 1,000 miles away in Madera, CA.  
     With the help of volunteers and a money raising effort, Seymour was reunited with Ryan Rivera, who placed the dog with a friendly family while his mother was undergoing chemotherapy and he was training for a deployment.  When Rivera returned home, the family and his dog were gone. 
     Seymour was found, bedraggled and thin, wandering the streets of Madera.  Now dog and trooper-owner have been reunited.
     It is a throat-clutching, tear-provoking story.  My take on it is: Rivera was lucky to have put a microchip in the dog, which allowed the people who found him to quickly contact SP4 Rivera, even though he was over 1,000 miles away.   
     Gizmo has a microchip, which was one of the requirements of adopting him.  Your dog should definitely have a microchip.

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”   Roger Caras  

#Finding a #dog #Sitter

But will my sitter be as loving as you?

We would be in Seattle and Vancouver on a 10-day visit and we needed someone to take care of Gizmo at that time.  That search involved more care than locating the first baby sitter for our children, with about as much research as went into buying a new car.  (By the way, towards the end of my search for baby sitters, the qualifications had become only that they were not cannibals.)

     A friend suggested a doggy ranch about 11 miles out of town.  There, the dogs romped all day, lived in the house at night and were "each walked individually."  But the ranch housed nearly 50 dogs, making that  "individual" walk a bit of an inflation of the facts.  Furthermore, the owner of the facility never asked for proof that our dog had his proper shots.  Rejected.

     Another dog-friendly person said she cared for smaller dogs in her house and asked us to bring our dog over to get him accustomed to the experience.  That's when we learned that the home belonged to our FedEx delivery lady, who was nice, charming and who stopped her truck so she could gather strays and take them to their homes.  But she was oversubscribed for the days we needed her.

     We called people listed in the Yellow Pages and in the Santa Fe Monthly, but we found that many of them were going away at the same time or had other excuses.

     Our friend, J., wanted to take Gizmo, but my wife was afraid that her split-rail fence wouldn't contain Gizmo.  So we visited J's home, saw that Gizmo couldn't escape and was also friendly with J's dog.  Then Grace fretted about the large Jumping Choya cactus in the yard.

      Finally, J. got Gizmo for 5 days, after which H., our friend from San Francisco who wanted to visit Santa Fe, arrived, picked up Gizmo and kept him at our home for 5 more days.   The result: 10 days of  long walks and many people falling in love with him.  Success.

     “Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie!"... till you can find a rock.”                    Unknown

#Gizmo after #grooming

Clean, clean, eyes bright, and happy

     After a bath and grooming, Gizmo's coat is whiter than white.  Because he has been trimmed, we can see his bright, big eyes with what seems to be eye liner.  His coat is soft from being combed out.  His head seems bigger (with his fur standing out and falling in gentle waves).  He seems larger, for the same reasons.
     He prances, either in pride or because he has been penned up for a while.  When he goes out to the garden, he bounces and his hair rises and falls in the wind.            
     Grace exclaims, "Don't you look beautiful," when she first sees him.  I agree and, as he rushes from Grace to me and back again, the three of us celebrate doggie beauty.  

     “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace."     Milan Kundera

#Suzy #Godsey on #dog #communication

Oh, talk to me, daddy

   Suzy Godsey, who tells people to talk to their animals, will speak in Santa Fe about her Access Energy Transformation program.  The local paper wrote, "Godsey simply asks the dog a question and then perceives the dog's energy in return," which sounded silly to me.
        If I asked Gizmo who was his favorite celebrity, I'm sure he'd send energy indicating that his Number One Dream Girl was Lady Gaga, especially when she wore her meat costume.

     Godsey wrote in her column, "So instead of saying 'don't pee in the house' (which has the energy of: Pee in the house!) say, 'only pee outside'. This alone will start to give you a different result! Your animal actually desires to please you, so help them by communicating what you really desire of them!"  This did make sense to me.   

     When I tried it on Gizmo, he bowed his head and licked my thumb.  Then he looked at me as if to say, "OK, I get it and I'll try."  At least that's what his energy said to me. 

“Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.”

 Emily Dickinson

Should #Gizmo be re-named #Christ?

Call me anything you want, just call me for dinner.

       In recent days, the Gizmo Good Dog blog has seen hits or viewership of the blog when I mentioned #Paris #Hilton, #Amy #Winehouse or #Ryan Gosling.  One of the most popular blogs is about #Christ.
       Should I change #Gizmo's name to #Hilton, #Winehouse, #Gosling or, probably best, #Christ?
       Has anyone else named their dog Christ?  Any problems associated with that?

     " If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.”

 Phil Pastoret

#Victory over #goatheads: #Peaceful #Petitioning

Ah, to be able to enjoy a goathead-free dog park!

       During a visit to the dog park in El Dorado, where there had been a petition drive among dog owners to spend a little more than $300 to get rid of the goatheads, which have burrs that painfully burrow into canine feet, I saw a sign.  It said that the board of directors will close the dog park for two days in late September, 2011, for "goathead removal."
     Victory!  the peaceful petition drive worked.  The "dogs don't wear shoes" drive was successful'  The goathead a.k.a. "puncturevine" will be eliminated.   Next: a petition drive to make the Tea Party more intelligent!
      “Millie, the young Springer, is sitting beside me, head in my lap as I type, practicing the "spaniel gaze." At sixteen months she's already got it down. The spaniel heart is warm. The soft spaniel eye brims with love. If ever the world's diplomats and arms negotiators learn the spaniel gaze there will be peace on earth.”                   Larry Shook

Internet oldie but goodie: #Dogs #Better Than #wives

I would never leave you. 

Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:                           1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.
         2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
           3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
           4. A dog's parents never visit.
        5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
           6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.
            7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk..
            8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"

           9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
           10. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.
And last, but not least:
11. If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff.
To test this theory: Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open it and see who's happy to see you.

       “Dogs are great assets to candidates, and the feeling seems to be engendered that if a dog loves the candidate, he can't be all that bad.”  Dick Gregory   (NOTE:  Except for the dog that belonged to candidate Mitt Romney and had to ride atop the family car for a trip across the continent.)

#Dog #Wines: #Cru #Vin #Dog

These days it seems that wine labels have gone to the dogs and almost every other animal.  There are wallabies (Yellow Tail); loons (Sebastiani's Smoking Loon), ducks (Duck Pond); swans (Gallo's Black Swan); cats (Forks of Cheat's Bad Cat, Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush), trout (Quivera's Steelhead Red); penguins (Penfold's Little Penguin); frogs (Frog's Leap); bulls (Bull's Blood of Eger, Rancho Zabaco's Dancing Bull); hippos (Fat Bastard); rabbits (Rabbit Ridge); goats (Goat-Roti from South Africa); hummingbirds (Clos LaChance names its wines after hummingbird species); and dogs (Chateau La Paws, Cru Vin Dogs, Mutt Lynch, and Starvedog).

 a wine columnist, I suggest trying Cru Vin Dogs, which honors brave dogs on its labels and which donates to dog causes.   http://www.cruvindogs.com/ 

      “The great pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, he will make a fool of himself too.” Samuel Butler

#Owney the #postal #dog #stamps

      Being a dog lover, I bought Owney the Postal Dog commemorative stamps without knowing the story of this dog.  According to the back of the page of stamps, in the late 1880s, a terrier mix began hanging around the post office in Albany, NY, where the clerks enjoyed his company.
     Owney enjoyed riding on the postal wagons and on trains, where the postal emkployees considered him their good-luck charm.  Owney travelled the country, gatyhering medals and tags from the clerks he met.  Eventually, he had too many medals for his collar, so the postmaster gene34ral gave him a dog-sized jacket to display his medals.  He then travelled the world as an American postal icon and representative of the Railway Mail Service.  Today, he "enjoys" a place of honor in the Smithsonian's Postal Museum, which I doubt.  It probably means he is stuffed and standing there, but it is an inspiring story nonetheless.

     “Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.”  Harry S. Truman

#Training #Paris #Hilton or #Amy #Winehouse

Wouldn't no underwear allow for a better sniff?

During a review of “In Defence of Dogs,” a book by John Bradshaw that counters the argument that dogs need to be dominated because they were wolves (not true any longer) and has this odd analogy:  “It's a short step from here to the first media-star dog trainers such as command-barkers Barbara Woodhouse and Victoria Stilwell. Woodhouse, who could have trained and shown Paris Hilton and Amy Winehouse, operated on the principle that the only good dog was a thoroughly cowed dog.”                                                                        My reaction: No one could have or did train either woman.  Imagine waking up in the morning and ordering Hilton to put on her panties if she wanted to go commando (pantyless) for photographers that day.  Would Woodhouse be successful?                                                                   Similarly, if Woodhouse said to Winehouse, “Down, Amy, no drugs today,” would she have been obeyed?  I think not.                                               Some humans go through phases when they simply cannot be trained.

    “I like driving around with my two dogs, especially on the freeways. I make them wear little hats so I can use the car-pool lanes.”  Monica Piper

#Dogs in #outdoor #restaurants: #yes or #no?

Please let me eat with you.  I'll try to be good.

Chicago Sun Times, September 14, 2011: Q. I’m a waiter at an exclusive restaurant in a trendy neighborhood. We provide seating on the sidewalk for outdoors service and many customers take advantage of this, especially ones with dogs. We allow dogs if they are tied up and stay under the table. (This part of the city is very dog friendly and there must be as many dogs as people.) But I have a problem with customers who bring their dogs to the outdoor cafe because it seems cruel to the dogs. They have to sit confined in the heat. We’re busy enough with paying customers and can’t provide bowls of water for the dogs. Wouldn’t the panting, trussed pets be happier at home?                                                               A. Waiter! There’s a dog in my soup. The health department in New York City recently banned all dogs inside — and outside — bars and restaurants. Perhaps the end is near in your city too.                                                                                                             Sure, the sight of a dog panting and stowed under a table is not pleasant. One just assumes the mutt is miserable. Not always the case. Dogs enjoy hanging out with the people they love. And responsible dogged diners know best. Dog Lady gives them a break. If they’re savvy enough to eat at your establishment, they’re smart enough to accommodate their dogs’ needs.                                                                                              My answer: In May, 2011, in France, having lunch outside atop a cliff near LeCompte, where the Marquis DeSade had his home and hijinks, we saw a couple guiding two huge Great Danes to a small, very French table where they wanted to sit.  It took some effort, but the two monster dogs not only lay down under the table at the wall above the valley, but they were squeezed atop each other.                                                                        They were silent, obedient and didn’t bother anyone through their masters’ meal.  After a few minutes of staring at this rather amazing event, the patrons ignored them.  And they didn’t interfere with any waiter delivering a single plate.                                                                                    Say what you want about the French, they do know how to accommodate dogs.

“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” Harry S. Truman

#Gizmo: the #one-#man #dog

I can't help it: I am in love with my family.

    Before she left us for her flight to Oakland, Hollie, who took care of Gizmo for five days, wanted to take him on one more walk.  She returned nearly in tears: Now that we were home, Gizmo refused to be walked by anyone other than his beloved, immediate family members.
     He sat down in the toad and refused to move.  When she convinced him to get up on his feet, he turned and yanked on the leash, demanding to go back home.
      She returned to our home feeling utterly defeated, unloved and under appreciated.  We made nice noises indicating that, if we weren't there, Gizmo would appreciate walking with Hollie.
     Not so secretly, while trying to keep my reactions internal, I thought: Gizmo, the one-man dog.

“Breed a Boxer with a German Shorthaired Pointer, you get a Boxershorts. A dog never seen in public.”  #Good #Dog! Magazine

#Attack of the #Goatheads: #Dogs do not wear #shoes

Booties needed in ElDorado dog park

The goatheads got through the booties at the park

     A lovely woman with a beautiful Labrador puppy is at the El Dorado dog park nearly every day, pulling up Goatheads, which have spines that can easily flatten a bike tire and painfully hang on to a dog's paws.   The first time I met her she said she was pulling up Goatheads because she liked to weed.
     The next time she had a petition to sign demanding that the El Dorado board allocate money for Goathead removal: a mere $320.   I signed immediately.
     She said that one board member didn't like dogs or dog owners: that person does not sound like an American.
     Her petition stated in bright red letters: DOGS DON'T WEAR SHOES.   It also noted that the horse stables get $5,362 and the pool gets $32,100, but the dog park gets nothing.  The petition stated that "One dog owner, who has had back surgery and a heart attack within the last year wanted to try and pull weeds because he loves his dog.  I think that it is unfair to ask Eldorado residents to take total responsibility for getting rid of a sharp, painful hazard in the Dog Park."
     What do you think?  Should a community in Santa Fe, NM, pay for Goathead removal?  Do you have Goathead/dog stories?  Please share and help.
     “Politics are not my concern.... They impressed me as a dog's life without a dog's decencies.”   Rudyard Kipling

#Doggy #greetings: #love for #all

Thank goodness you're home.  I've missed you so much!!!!

     After 8 days of traveling, we returned home.  Gizmo, ever the politician, first greeted Grace by leaping up and nosing her crotch.  I got the same greeting, along with a large sneeze into my crotch.
     Then, to make sure everyone was included, Hollie, who cared for Gizmo for 5 days, was favored with a crotch sniff, followed by a sneeze.
     It was then back to Grace, followed by a stand on hind legs greeting for me and another welcome for Hollie.  We were about to enter the fourth round of fulsome greetings, when I took Gizmo out to the back yard so he could relieve himself.
     Instead, he took a quick run around the yard and went back to the door, demanding to be let inside so he could welcome us back ... and sniff more crotches.

"To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant

popularity of dogs."        Aldous Huxley

Chloe: #hero #dog

Benny, Daphne and Chloe, the hero

Benny rewards Daphne & Chloe

      My friend, former college roommate, theatrical director, TV producer, author, actor and college professor, Bob Benedetti, has two rescued dogs named Chloe and Daphne.  Both were shy when they were adopted, possibly because of owner cruelty.  This is the story of how Chloe became a hero:
     “Yesterday our dogs disappeared during lunch -- they usually come and watch us eat -- but we thought nothing of it.   I knew they were in the back yard.
     After more than an hour, I was at my desk when Chloe came running in wiggling and whimpering with great excitement. I ignored her, but a few minutes later she was back.  She'd run to the doorway, and turn back and whimper at me.
      This looked like a classis Lassie "come quick, Robbie fell into the well" routine, so I let her lead me outside. 
     At the back of our new shed, where it is only a foot from the coyote fence, Daphne had dug a big hole and had squeezed herself under the shed (I suspect there were mice in the crawl space, which is only one foot high.)   She was peeking out at me, unable to get out. Chloe was frantic.   
      I dug around the hole a bit and reached down and grabbed her collar and helped her struggle out.
     Tomorrow I will fence in the access to this space at both ends.
    Chloe was a hero!

       “Clinton's pet Labrador, Buddy, is getting neutered. The dog will never have sex again. Overnight, they've turned Buddy from a Democrat into a Republican.”                  Jay Leno

When a #dog #loves #you: the leg #sniff

Of course I love you.  

     I’m wearing shorts, sitting at my desk, thinking of a Gizmogooddog blog entry, and Gizmo brushes my leg, sniffs it and gives  my calf the lightest of licks and walks towards the kitchen.  It was an endearing moment: “Just checking in, making sure in the best way that I know how that you’re here, I’m here, all is well, so I can move on.”  I sure do love Gizmo. 

“Gizmo, identified as a Shih Tzu by the vet but twice the size of a Shih Tzu, is a Designer Dog, the best designation for our beloved mutts.”  Norman Mark

#Missing #Gizmo: for the #love of a #dog

He loves me.  And I love him.

       Coming up in a few hours: my last walk with Gizmo for a week because we are going away to Seattle and Vancouver for 8 days.  My feelings: will miss him.  My body will miss the exercise.  My mind the stimulation of trying to continue to control him and listening to public radio on my IPod:  John Oliver and his partner on The Bugle, Le Show, Left, Right and Center, the Best of the Left, Planet Money, and This American Life – all free, all fascinating.   And, at a deep emotional level, I will miss my companion and friend, Gizmo, who is always up and positive for his walks, who knows that this is THE BEST of his day, and maybe his life.  It is time to admit that I love Gizmo.

      “At times, I think that I can see her turn her head and look back at the ghost of the wolf mother she parted from long ago, saying, “See, it was a good bet after all; they’re nice to me, mostly.”  Then she waits by the door for the next member of the circle she has insinuated herself into to come back to the hearth and seal the basic social contract common to all things that breathe and feel and gaze: love given for promises kept.  How does anyone live without a dog?  I can’t imagine.”  Adam Gopnik, “Dog Story,” New Yorker, August 8, 2011, writing about Butterscotch, a Havanese puppy adopted by the family.  

#Rattlesnake versus #dog in the back yard: partial #solution

Look: I'd rather not confront a rattlesnake.

the pack rats. 

     We hired Ron Frosch from Critter Control, and for  $300+ worth or advise and a little poison for the feet of the packrats, we allegedly got a rattlesnake-free back yard.

      Of course, I would not want to do it.  Ron told me he “loves his job because he loves animals.”  But his job is to kill or get rid of them?

      Result: we took Gizmo to the back yard, where he was formerly able to run free, on a leash.  I walked him late at night in case the rattlesnake was still there.  But Gizmo was no longer frightened and, most times, neither did he urinate out there.  I guess it was a win-win sitation for all concerned – except the rattlesnake, me, Gizmo and, probably, the pack rats.

“I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home who answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog that growls every morning, a parrot that swears all afternoon, and a cat that comes home late every night.       Marie Corelli

#Loyal #dog, #smart dog, commercial.

The dog has the Lotto ticket.  Now what?

Loyalty for Lotto TV ad

Lotto Commercial with loyal dog, from David Rovner: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=fER-WhFUzoA

“The unwritten compact that governs family life says somewhere that children who have waited long enough for a dog and want one badly enough have a right to have one.”   Adam Gopnik, “Dog Story,” New Yorker, August 8, 2011

#Squirting #Water Bottle handles misbehaving #dogs

Give me a moment to think about the water-bottle squirt.  

Ginny Weissman answers the rampaging dogs in a dog park problem:
       Loving Gizmo’s blog, as always.  I suggest taking a small spray water bottle to the dog park to ward off predators---that’s what we use to keep dogs in line in animal rescue.                                                                                       Norm’s Response: No out of control dogs at the dog park during the last two visits, no chance to squirt any dog with my water bottle.                                  Then, early one morning during our walk, Rocky, the large, energetic and overly friendly husky at the end of the block, was seen joyously off leash and running free.  He leaped over to greet Gizmo, who immediately jumped on his head.                                                                                                                       Rocky went into play mode and began slapping Gizmo’s face with his long paws.  I wanted him to stop doing that, so I squirted him with the water bottle.  Twice.                                                                                                                       Result: Rocky stayed about 20 yards away from us until after I rang the neighbor’s doorbell, told her Rocky was loose and she called him home.  Problem solved.                                                                                                 Squirting water works to change behavior, with no threat of future lawsuits. 

“My name is #Oprah #Winfrey. I have a talk show. I'm single. I have eight dogs — five golden retrievers, two black labs, and a mongrel. I have four years of college.” Oprah Winfrey, when asked to describe herself during jury selection

#Doga #Yoga: #Silly or #Calming

If I do yoga with you, do I have to wear a leotard?

In Florida, one yoga instructor calls doing yoga with your dog “doga.”  The idea being that you relax and so does your dog.

Now this doesn’t mean that, during the session, your dog becomes a pretzel.  According to the Reuters’ story, “Traditional poses such as warriors, triangles and backbends follow, possibly enhanced by a little dog balanced at the belly or waist.”

All well and possibly good.  But what happens when your dog licks your nose while you are standing on your head?  Or, when you are arching your back and your dog falls asleep under you?

One doctor, who began as a skeptic, Dr. Robin Brennen, a New York  veterinarian, said, "I witnessed the demeanor of the animals changing during the class.  They'll come in barking, seven, eight, nine dogs in room, but by the end of the session, they're sleeping. They're in savasana (the final resting pose)."

Maybe.  Or maybe they’re just bored.  Or laughing on the inside.

I’m in favor of anything (almost) that brings dog and owner closer together, but Doga sounds so silly.   And I have no problem encouraging my dog  to breathe in.  My problem is when Gizmo comes directly up to my face and sneezes into it.  

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of"   Ogden Nash 

A #Dog's #Letter to Her New Family: #Fawn Writes

If I could read, I'd love this letter.  

Fawn and Family

Bruce Reyes-Chow, paster, dad, blogger: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/reyeschow/detail?entry_id=96053

                     Dear New Family,                                                                                                                               First, let me apologize for my one accident the other day in the kitchen and thank you for not getting mad at me. At least it was linoleum ;-)   With a little refresher, I have done much better since then, so thank you for the rather boisterous cheering as I have been doing my business during our walk time. Oh and thanks for my new name, "Fawn" short for some lady human named, "Farrah FAWNcett." I think it captures my dainty deer-like qualities quite nicely.                                                                                                                                                             I don't really know who my parents are, but if I were a bettin' pooch, I'd say that I got my color and facial features from the House of Miniature Pinscher and my rather long body and short legs from The Earl of Dachshund.                                                                                                          From birth to your home, I have lived a life that I would make all those "Lady and the Tramp" junkyard dog wannabes cringe. "Stray" doesn't come close to describing life on the streets of San Francisco.  I am sad to say that at some point, someone has been mean to me. If it is alright with you, I would rather not talk about it, but that's why I am a little shy.                                                                                                 This brings me to my time in doggy jail. Now don't get me wrong, the peeps at Animal Care and Control were awesome, especially Tim, Diego, Nakeesha and Linda, but after a while it got pretty old. As you have learned, I am a bit reserved and quiet, so with Yappy McYapster in the stall next to me, my time in the slammer was quite taxing.                                                                                                 And then you all started to come and visit. I think the first person to see me was Dad. Now I had seen this before. Someone walks by my kennel, looks at my papers utters something like, "Ooooo, she is so cute!" and then moves on never to be seen again.                                                                                                                        But then, after giving me one more kind look, he left.                                                                                    But then Dad came back.  You came back to see me! And this time you returned with another human, the one I have come to know as, "Mom."    Now I suspected that Mom was going to be a tougher sell, so with my sweetest yes and a look that said, "At least I am not yapping my head off like that hyperactive schmuck over there!"                                                                                                            I turned the dial on my game up to "high." It took a while, but I think I got to her, because you both came back again. The next time you brought two smaller, but much more excited humans with you, I think their names are something like "cuddlebug" and "beastie" but those seem weird for people names. Anyway, they sat in my kennel for a bit, and I ever so slowly made my way to a lap, to you know, just test it out. And then they came back again with yet another one. Four visits, five humans, but finally you took me hom,e.                                                            So now were learning to live as a family. I love my new crate. I can hang out there when I need a break and I do think it is helping me get used to pooping and peeing when and where appropriate.                                                                                                                                                    I want to acknowledge that Dad has been a trooper through all of this as I know that buying me an expensive designer matching collar and leash set would not have been his first choice.                                                                                                                               I know that we have only been together for a few days, but I do want to thank you for the love and care that you have shown so far. I have especially appreciated the lap time, the walks and your patience with me.                                                                                                                            And don't worry about leaving me at home. I am having a blast. Besides blogging and sleeping, yep, you heard right, I am on twitter. You can also look at pictures of me while you are away in Dad's picture album.   Until then, I'll be waiting for you to come home and ready for a lap!                        `                                    Fawn

“Never judge a dog's pedigree by the kind of books he does not chew.”  Anonymous