Shoes, kitchen trash, Legos and knitting needles

Okay, so what do those four items have in common?  Of course, that's right!  They have all been destroyed by the dogs. 

I finally have learned not to leave my shoes out, especially the expensive dressy ones.  I've learned that lesson the expensive way!  If the shoe is in the floor, eat it they say!  Shoes go in the closet.

Last Sunday afternoon while chatting on the phone with my sister I heard a noise in the kitchen.  I didn't really pay attention or get up to go see what it was.  Well, it was the sound of a bag of trash being pulled over!  The bag was tied up and ready to go out but Blossom had other plans.  By the time I got in the kitchen there was trash everywhere (and bacon grease, too).  I know better than to leave a bag of trash out, trash goes in the can in the garage!

I think Legos must be a delicacy for the dogs.  They just love to munch on them.  I know that Legos have no scent but I think the dogs can smell them.  No matter how careful we are to pick them all up, it seems that they always find one or two.  Legos go in the closet, too!

Congratulations, Blossom!  You have now eaten 4 sets of circular knitting needles.  Does the bamboo taste good?  Yes, the metal ones were a little tough but you managed to at least eat the cord on them.  The last ones were tucked into the basket, with the lid closed, but that didn't stop you, did it? Now they are in a zipper bag in the basket, but wait you eat zippers, too don't you. Knitting and knitting needles go up high, away from little doggie noses!

Oh well, just one event after another for our pack!

Sawyer "plays possum" and walking with the stroller

Sawyer gave me quite a fright this morning.  Now, I do not wake up easily; I run on auto-pilot for at least an hour and/or until the first two cups of coffee kick me awake.  This morning I stumbled into the kitchen, opened the crate and the gate into the kitchen just like every morning.  Three dogs started their morning greeting, in the dark.  Sometimes Sawyer (like me!) is a little slow to rise and shine but this morning he was just laying on his bed, on his side with legs straight out.  I called his name and still no movement.  Not awake at all, I wondered what was wrong with him.  He was perfectly fine at bedtime. I called his name again, no response.  Now I'm thinking that I've lost him, my beloved Sawyer companion.  Not willing yet to accept this fact I call his name, loudly and sharply.  Well, up jumps Sawyer and looks around with a puzzled look like, "what happened, I must have overslept".  He must have been in deep sleep because he was out, playing possum as my grandmother used to say!

So what else happened today in doggie world? I decided to take the dog stroller along tonight on our walk.  Baylee seems to really struggle on our walks, she keeps up but I know it is an effort.  She is too heavy for me to carry and to handle the other three.  Plus it is warm and she is warm and very furry so I just can't carry her.  I started out pushing the stroller with one hand and the dogs on the other.  But the stroller is a three-wheeler and really needs two hands to control it.  So I clipped the leads onto the clip on the stroller.  When Baylee got tired I put her in the stroller.  She loved it!  I had to be ready to intervene quickly if the others decided to veer off to smell something!  Baylee jumped out at one point, bumped her head but it didn't seem to phase her at all.  Blossom had a turn in the stroller but she really likes to walk. I stopped to talk to some dachshund owners tonight, too. Just one problem:  As we neared my house they saw Lacey and decided they really needed to chase her.  Baylee jumped out of the stroller, all three bolted and then the flimsy clip on the stroller broke.  Ha ha, though, the joke was on them because tethered together they didn't go very far very fast!

Playing Outside

Four dachshunds playing outside.  Baylee was tied to the stroller, the other three were on the tie out.

Sawyer, always a sweetheart.  I just love his sweet eyes and easy going attitude.

He loves the smells in the grass.  Right as I snapped this he began to roll around and around in the grass!

Sawyer & Blossom's check up

Yesterday Sawyer & Blossom had their 2 year check up and got their bordetella vaccinations.  Blossom weighed in at over 10 pounds (still a mighty mini!) and Sawyer tipped the scales (almost literally!) at over 16 pounds.  I was excited until the vet asked me why he had gained so much weight and what were we going to do to lose some of it.  

I blamed the grain-free food, which was the truth.  It added weight to all the dogs except Bentley.  I had already decided to put the dogs back on the Eukanuba Dachshund formula and the visit to the vet confirmed the decision.  We have also gotten out of the walking habit except for walks at the park so that needs to become a habit again. After I thought about the weight gain I decided that I'm not worried.  He really isn't over weight, but I do need to keep an eye on it.

As we went into the vets office I was carrying Blossom but Sawyer was on the ground.  He was bouncing along until we got to the door of the vets office.  Then he just stopped and refused to go through the door!  After we got inside the exam room Blossom started growling.  She sounded like a really big dog and everyone had a good laugh.  But she was really funny while the vet was examining her, she was shaking like crazy.  Poor doggie!

Otherwise, my two little piebald babies are healthy.  The vet observed that both were very well behaved!