Happy 13th Birthday Spaatz!

 Happy 13th birthday to my sweet beloved Spaatz. My black and tan dappled dachshund with one blue eye. He's finally starting to slow down, but he's been the ultimate alpha dog forever. He still is and let's the newish guy, Flynn, know that he's still the man. This dynamic will change one day, I know, just not yet.

The pack is getting along fine. Flynn is a very energetic knucklehead that keeps the old dogs going.

 Miss Sandie is also about 13 as far as we'll ever know. She has slowed down much more than Spaatz. Unfortunately she is nearly blind from cataracts. At first when we got Flynn she wouldn't play with him

but now they play often. It's great to see the old dogs get up and play again when you add a youngster to the group. That's how we keep the pack going. As the dogs get older, we add new blood to the group

I hope to never be dachshundless. They make everything better, They always make me feel better , even in the toughest circumstances. Their devotion is endless, I'm so lucky to have them here to get through this thing called life together.

Happy Birthday Spaatz!

My Three Doxsons Rides Again!

So we've been away for awhile. It felt very odd to only have 2 dogs. After having 4 for 7 years and 3 for, I was going to say 8, but we had Watson years ago so there was more than that. Anyway, we are back to 3 with the arrival of the new guy. Let me introduce you to Flynn. He is our first long haired dachshund. He's sweet and loving, but needs some work to be his best boy he can be.

We were kinda thinking that we would get another wire haired dachshund, but the simple truth is they're hard to find. I thought that we could maybe get a long hair. It would be cool to have one of each coat type. We have known several nice long hairs, My daughter has had three of them.

Here we have Lorelei, who is Spaatz's sister and Hugo and Rupert. My daughter's dogs, two are long hairs.

The funny thing is that the way we got Flynn is almost identical to the way we got Foozeball, who passed away this past December at the age of 14. My husband is the dog control officer for our town, as he has been for 22 years. In both cases he was taking a stray to the shelter, and when he gets there it's "we have a dachshund for you". Both dogs came from non-ideal circumstances, so they come to live with us, a veritable dachshund paradise. 

Think about it. Friends to play with, dog beds to sleep on in every room, unless there's a couch available. A fenced in backyard, complete with red and grey squirrels, chipmunks and the occasional mouse or vole. Spaatz even caught and dispatched a weasel in the woodpile. There's a bluegrass fiddle and banjo song there somewhere.

So now we embark on a new chapter in the lives of My Three Doxsons. Flynn is about 1 1/2 and he has spent most of his time cooped up in an apartment barking, so he will have to learn some manners. He is very smart with a great play drive, so I think he has a lot of potential. We have work to do, I'll keep you posted.

The original My Three Doxsons: Spaatz, Miss Peaches and Foozeball.

Rest In Peace Foozeball

I am sad to say that yesterday we had to say goodbye to Foozeball. It's always hard to say goodbye to someone who has been such a big part of your life for the past 14 plus years, but that  time had come.

I'd like to say that we're very proud that we were able to give him a really full life. Just a pup, the SPCA was going to put him down because he was turned in, and was biting everyone who worked there.

We took him in and it took time, but we were able to help him get over his bad habits. Plus he had friends to hang out with always and a yard with a fence, and plenty of squirrels to bark at.

He got to travel from Maine to Florida, with many stops along the way. We took the dogs on camping trips and road trips to see grandma in Cape Cod. We went for walkies on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.

He even was able to get together with my daughters dachshunds for the holidays a few times as well.

He's the one with the Star Wars shirt on. I know, it's a bit of a melee. Reduces the clean up time though!

I know it's My Three Doxson's, but for awhile it will be just two. If you want to get technical it was four for a long time. Life is always in changing and we'll miss the "Old Man", because he was if nothing else a bit of a character, which is why he was Foozeball. All he really wanted was a warm place to be, a heater vent, a sunbeam, but mostly my lap. I'll miss you Mr. Foo.

 

Sandie, black walnuts and unlimited tennis balls

 It's been a wet end of summer and early fall in New York, so that has made many things grow really well. One on particular, is the mighty black walnut tree. A tree that has been a feature in most of my adult life. It was never an issue with the dogs until Sandie came along.

Sandie seems to think the nuts are tennis balls and she wants to rertieve them. I find them in the house, under tables. This year was an absolute bumper crop of nuts, and they're big. I've gotten good at golfing them over the dog fence to get rid of them. I get the confusion, kinda, but we're talking about Sandie. 

Sandie is a very sweet dog that everyone loves. She was voted Dachshund most likely to go home in someones suitcase, every year, since they started taking polls. Part of that charm is due to her honest to goodness dopeyness. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. No matter, she makes up for it in sweetness.

It makes her the perfect foil to Spaatz, who is a little too smart for his own good. When he wants to be. She aspires to be able to be like him, and is often his partner in crime, if given the chance.

Fooze is no longer participating in the shenanigans, and spends his time looking for the next sunbeam to lay in. Or he may sit on my foot until I sit down somewhere so he can snuggle up against me.

I'm glad to say that the nuts have all been removed from inside the dog fence and we're back to toys that sport some fur and might even still squeak if your lucky. The dogs are stacked like the hot dogs that they are in a bed that's probably a little more comfortable for two. No matter, weenies roasting in the sun.

Foozeball: Still Spinning after all these Years

 Foozeball, the old man. That name makes you think that this guy is a little bit different. You would be right. Fooze does this thing, and I'm sure there are other dachshunds that do this. Maybe even other breeds of dog that do this. I've personally known 10 dachshunds, and he is the only one who does.

Foozie spins for his supper, or basically anything edible, sometimes just the refill of the water dish. He has done this since he was a puppy. There is usually a certain amount of whining, yelping, shrieking that goes along with this display that digestables are to be celebrated everyday. No matter what it is.

This is a little film I did from 2012. So Foozie is only 5 years old and Spaatz seen briefly mixing it up with Fooze is a mere pup of 2. This is when I was coming home to their dinner time, which can be crazy.

 One morning when I was feeding them, it was quite early, I hadn't turned the lights on, Fooze was spinning as usual, he tripped over my husbands boots and crashed pretty bad. I laughed so hard, and I wasn't even awake yet. Not to worry, he got right up and continued on with his happy dance and food.

Nowadays with Fooze being 14, and Spaatz being nearly 10 things have slowed down quite a bit, and the boys can usually be found just chillin. That's what they do best. Chillin in the hot sun.

Hot dogs chillin in the sun. If there is a ray of sunshine available, these guys will find it. I do spend and unusual amount of time repositioning different dog pillows and beds about the house as the sun moves throughout the day. This is particularly so during the cooler months of the year. 

Now as the days get warmer they will be seeking the sunshine, then looking for a cool place to lay as it will just be too hot, even for the heat seeking dachshund to lay in the sun all day.

The spinning happy dance is about to commence because these guys are starving, and waiting for me to even come close to the food bowls. sometimes the celebration starts early and I tell them it's "too early". They know this translates to "No food now", so they just start waiting again. Such is life, hurry up and wait.

 

Sweet Fluffy Muffins

 Oh Sandiepoo, so sweet and funny. She is Miss Fluffy Muffins, and we love her. Not the sharpest tool in the shed by any means, but the sweetest by far. I usually keep Miss muffins trimmed up, except for the signature beard and eyebrows that let us know that we have a wire haired dachshund.

Right now though she has gone full "O-Cedar", and I let it happen. Ordinarily in the winter I will keep her groomed so she doesn't get matted and we keep all that fur under control. Then she wears a sweater.

This year I had intended to shave her, but kept putting it off. Then it was so dang cold I decided to let her go with the fur. I know I will regret this at some point. I don't want her to go on full mop like before. Here she is, her first winter with us. Now, I at least keep her "nosehairs" trimmed so we can see her eyes

All that fur does give her protection from the elements. She goes out in the cold and snow and basically has a good time rolling around. The boys are both smoothies and not up for the real cold.

Spaatz gets to shivering out in the cold if he's not busy with something. I would love to put a sweater on him, but he just hates any type of clothing at all. His body language stiffens up and he is miserable until you take it off. Fooze always has some type of shirt or sweater on. He is getting pretty old now at nearly 14 and really would rather not go out in the cold if he can get away with it. Believe me, he tries.

Soon it will be getting warmer and we will have to think about giving Sandie the big shave. It will take me over and hour and there will be fur everywhere, including stuck to my nose.

She behaves pretty well during the process. Getting her legs done nicely is the biggest challenge. That and her undercarriage. Ever try to shave the underside of a dachshund? There's not a whole lot of room

Afterwards she is so sweet and "doughy" and she runs around like a new dog and is so happy. It makes it all worthwhile. Whether her coat is short or long she's always the sweetest little muffin you'll know.

Foozie, Spaatz and Sandie, aka Miss Fluffy Muffins

My Right Hand Man

 Spaatz is my right hand man, literally. He is nearly always by my side, next to me, on my lap, sleeps at night with his head on my shoulder. If I let out a big sigh, he does it too. Which makes me laugh.What's really crazy is that he will be 11 years old this year. Where has the time gone? Seems like not too long ago he was a little puppy who was a bit of a jerk and I wasn't too sure about. I confess the reason I got him, sight unseen was a cosmetic one. That blue eye. I wanted a dachshund with different color eyes. Dachshunds are a breed of infinite coat color and fur type and even eye color combinations.

That makes an already fun breed to have so many possibilities. The different coat types even have different personalities. I do love the wire hairs so much, they are more laid back than smoothies, a utility dog, into hunting. That said, Spaatz lives to hunt. It may be that he grew up with Miss Peaches, my golden girl wire. She taught him well, and carries on without her, keeping us safe from vermin.

Dachshunds are known for their devotion, and Spaatz decided I am his person and I find it rather touching. We currently have 3 dachshunds, Spaatz being my hero, Sandie who loves my husband and he is her person, though she gives her love to me as well. Foozeball is a bit of a weirdo, who seems to love the heating vent more than anything else, but after supper he NEEDS me to sit down somewhere so he can sit on my lap. Otherwise he will sit on my foot, or attach himself to my ankle.

Spaatz has been so great during the pandemic to have by my side. My pack is an endless source of love and entertainment. Probably a couple of the most needed things in the time of this, hopefully, once in a century plague. I am so grateful to have them, and look forward to many more good times with them.

Miss Peaches, Sandie, Spaatz and Foozeball

Goodbye Sweet Peaches

 With a heavy heart, I must announce the passing of Miss Peachy. A dog of indomitable spirit, who came to us as a tiny, timid little dog that somehow turned into a force within our doxie family never to be forgotten. She will always be my golden girl. When we first got her she was very timid, didn't like men, Which my husband took personally, him being the dog warden for our town, figures to be a dog whisperer. He did win her over with patience.

She learned to be a more self-confidant dog and really came into her own with our older standard dachshund, Watson who was a great, good natured dog. He was a excellent teacher and mentor.

Eventually Foozeball came along and we really had our own pack, and in time Miss Peaches would be the leader of the pack. A confident and strong presence that others, that came along would look to.

With the passing of Watson, Peachy was truly the leader at this point, there was no doubt about it. After a while my quest for a dapple dachshund with different color eyes was realized when Spaatz was added to the pack. He was a puppy, and learned the ropes from Peachy. He would challenge her from time to time, but for a long time was told in plain language to back down and wait your turn.

For about three years this was the makeup of the pack, and Miss Peach was there keeping the boys in line. She is unfortunately known for killing snakes in the garden. Going as far one day to bring one in the kitchen while trying to dispatch it. She inspired Spaatz to be the great hunter dog he is today.

Eventually, dachshunds happen, and My Three Doxsons ended up being my four dachshunds because a little dog that would come to be known as Sandie needed to be rescued. We went to see her, and when we did we brought along Peachy to make sure there wouldn't be a problem between them. Peach gave her the paws up and another dog would learn the joys of being a dachshund under Miss Peachy.

That was seven years ago. Over the past 14 years there have been, of course, many highs and lows in the lives of our pack members. We knew that this day was coming. We could see her slow down greatly, and eventually be a shadow of her former self. We made the call I know was right. To be honest, it all went as well as I could hope under all the circumstances. For her and us. We are sad now that she is gone, I cried when I saw the water dish outside that she liked so much despite her poor vision making it hard to find, but so glad that the other dogs are here, still being wonderful and silly and lifting us up. Doggies lives shine so bright, and they bring that to us everyday, I wouldn't trade any of it for not missing her now. She was wonderful, and I will treasure her memories always.

Love you baby