Category: Dackels

I ran into a woman I know casually, who is getting her very first dog the first of November. She is so excited to have a best furry friend.

She began to tell me about how she had already selected a puppy from a breeder because she could tell that they were soul mates.

The pup is five weeks old now.

I listened for a bit and then she asked, “You were a breeder, right? Any suggestions?”

That’s when I sat her down and started bringing her back to reality. I told her that yes, the puppy is adorable and cute, but will require a lot of work and training during the first year of her little life.

• Make sure you crate train her. Being crate trained will be an asset all of her life.
• Do not use the crate as punishment.
• You want her crate to be her safe place.
• Have a nice soft mattress and blanket in the crate for her and keep it clean.
• Walk her ever hour in the same area of the yard that you want her to use as the potty.
• When she does her wee-wee, praise her sweetly and give her a small treat.
• If she has an accident in the house, say no, take her immediately outside and to her potty area. Telling her to wee-wee.
• Of course she won’t be able to, but she will get the idea.
• Immediately clean any place she has urinated in the house with a pet urine odor remover.
• Be sure to have good play times both inside and outside.
• When inside, as soon as the play starts to slow, take her outside and walk her. She will need to wee-wee.
• Make sure she goes to bed in a quiet place. She may cry the first night or two, but let her cry it out. She will get used to it, and go to sleep, especially if you’ve played with her.
• Be sure to feed her three to four times a day as recommended by your Veterinarian.
• As soon as she finishes her meals take her for a walk.
• When you go to your Vet. for the first time, ask for their new puppy packet. They get these from the food and drug companies and offer a variety of items.
• Be sure to get a vaccination schedule and follow as advised.
• At about the age of three months find a puppy class.
• Take your puppy to class for several months.
• If you want a life long best friend, help her to learn how to be that.
• Never hit your dog.
• Try not to yell either, although we all get frustrated.
• Love them, and be kind.
• And you will have a best friend for life!

A young friend of mine was out shopping recently and saw “the cutest puppy ever” in a pet store window. I know how that is. I’ve seen the dogs too, and so wanted to throw caution to the wind and buy the dog on the spot and become a pet owner.

In the past, what stopped me was the crazy prices that these stores charged and the fact that I was very poor,

But as I grew older and learned more, I learned all about puppy mills, sick animals and broken hearts.

So back to my friend, who fell in love with a puppy, bought him on the spot and two days later was dealing with a very sick puppy, whose chances of survival are not good.

My friend went back to the store and naturally they do not want to refund the money for the dog, or for the money spent on the Veterinary. The best bet in this case is Legal Aid and the Attorney General’s Office for Consumer Affairs.

I’m taking this time to remind you all to stay away from Pet Stores. They primarily deal with puppy mills and the animals are rarely in good condition.

There are actually a few ways to go when you make up your mind to adopt a doggy into your home.

First, the local Humane Society have dogs all the time. Puppies even, desperately needing homes. They are mixed up jumbles of DNA, who more than likely will have fewer genetic problems than that Pet Store Puppy will.

The other good thing about shelters is that they have Vet’s that come in and make sure that these animals are in good health, and they spay and neuter them.

If you are really set about having a certain breed of dog in your life, then let Mr. Google help you out. Type in the search box say, “Dachshund Rescue and your state” and you will find that almost every state in the country have rescue groups with pups ready for a place to call home and people to love.

Pet ownership is expensive enough these days without falling in love with a pup that will drain your pocketbook in the first few days you have them, just because of the horrible puppy mill people who breed them.

I’ve decided that I should have paid attention in school and gone on to college and become a Veterinarian. Why is this? Well frankly because in the last two years my Vet bills have more than doubled for just the yearly exams for my fury friends!

I noticed that prices were starting to climb last year, but this year when I paid the bill I nearly passed out.

Now I understand that the Veterinarians have their overhead, like four or five technicians that for some reason do most of their work, not to mention the two secretaries who answer their phones and make appointments, but I am thinking that the world has gone a little bit crazy when it costs me more to bring a dackel in for a wellness checkup than it costs me for one!

Recently I’ve been talking to friends and family who have expressed great sadness because after their current pet is gone, they will not get another. They will be alone, with no fur child to soothe them.

I know that so many people up here in New Hampshire have brought their fury friends to the pound because they cannot afford their medical care.

Oh please don’t get me started on Pet Health Care Insurance. Do you know what sort of rip off that is? Trust me, it is almost as much of a rip off as these crazy Vets. and their crazy prices.

In the next few months I’ll be researching Vets to see if I can find one who gives multiple dog discounts. Or perhaps clinics that give you a break.

You see, with four dogs, we’re simply going broke. And I do not feel it is right that I either buy food for the family or spend over $500.00 at the Vets for them to look at the dogs, pronounce them healthy and then overcharge me for their heart-worm and flea medication!

Hubby was outside the other day, picking apples. He came in for another basket and when he went back out, Greta scooted along behind him.

I swear, she is a great escape artist! Harry Houdini could never have matched Greta, when she wants to escape!

But it was a lovely day, so I told Hubby to let her stay out, but to keep an eye on her. Usually, she is very good, but occasionally, she likes to go and visit up the hill at my neighbors house, and Mrs. R. loves it!

Anyway, she stayed nicely in the back yard, watching Hubby tend to his crop, but when I called her in, and she came right along, so did the excrement she had been rolling in.

Now you all know that we have a fair amount of wild game in my yard. There’s the Ground Hogs.

The Wild Turkeys.

The Black Bears.

And the Deer.

Not to mention the Bald Eagle, moles, skunks, chipmunks and squirrels!

Whatever it was that went through our yard last and used it as a toilet, certainly left a pile of terrible smelling excrement, and that is exactly what Greta rolled in!

So, when she came in, and my eyes watered and my sinus’ cleared! Unfortunately they cleared! Oh what a horror, and of course it was just as we were sitting down for dinner!

I ate quickly, but truthfully, I didn’t taste anything, as I just wanted to get all three of the dackels in the shower and wash them up! Even Greta’s collar was a mess!

Arnie and Anneliese were not smelling bad, but it had been a while since they had a bath so I brought them all in.

The shower went well, and they were all very good, but it was at the end, when Hubby and I were drying them off that we sort of stood back and laughed. As soon as we opened the bathroom door, they took off and chased each other around the house! Full of life, and full of trouble!

The house was filled  with the scent of wet dogs, but at least they are smelling a bit sweeter than they did at dinner.

That was until Monday morning when I had all the dogs in the yard and when I came in, Greta had once again found that pile of poop and this time really rolled well in it! This time, she went in the sink, and is now all cleaned up, but my gosh, it was bad.

When Hubby gets home, he will be sent out into the yard to hunt it down! I can’t take another moment of poop smelling pups!

Ah, the joys of pet ownership!

Friday was the day that I returned to the Vets for the dackels booster shot against Lyme Disease. They love to go and try to chase down any other dog that happens to be in the office, and today it was a baby Chihuahua! It was so cute, but to the dackels it resembled a rat! I held tight and we got into a room before little Zoey the Chihuahua was eaten alive!

The doctor was sweet and gave eat dog a cuddle before their last shot of the year. Both Greta and Arnie squealed, but Anneliese was brave.

However, by the time I got home and fixed lunch for Hubby and myself, there was an uncomfortable quiet in the house. I tried to pat the dackels, but Arnie cried and started to shake. Greta came up on the sofa and she began to shake and fuss. Anneliese just lay on the little dog bed.This is not normal around here, Usually, we have dackels sitting on the back of the sofa barking at the birds, people walking down the street and leaves blowing!

Sitting on the love-seat, I couldn’t move, lest I woke the dogs, so I closed my eyes and when I opened them, it was an hour and a half later! Nice nap

I had to go out quickly and get the mail, and also go to the grocery store and get some dish soap. For the last 5 days I have gone to the store intending to get the soap, and forgetting every time! I was talking with my sister on the phone, and thankfully, she reminded me!

Anneliese will go in on Tuesday for her little surgery to be spayed. I had thought long and hard about it, but in the end, I decided that Anneliese needed to be retired and just enjoy her life!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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The great news is that on Saturday I started feeling better, which meant that by Sunday I was almost back to eating normally. Still weak as a kitten, but definitely on the right side of the illness coin!

I worked some more on getting my laptop set up again. Really, people do not know how much you do to have your laptops just right, unless you are starting from scratch. I have just a wee bit more to do, and then I will be all set.

Just before winter we got new neighbors. They bought the house where Emily lived. Occasionally, Fritz goes over looking for Emily’s dog, and we get him back quickly. On Sunday, Fritz got himself into trouble. He was caught pooping in the back yard!

This is a problem because, they do not appear to like animals, and do not appreciate the poop. It’s sort of odd because we live in a very rural area, an most people do not care. The smell of a dog will keep the deadly creatures, such as a Fischer, at bay. So I told Hubby that we need to build up the stone wall in that area, so they do not get upset and report us to the dog officers.

We built this house in 1998, and no one has ever cared about where our dogs pooped before. I sure hope that this isn’t a prophecy of things to come!

Friday I go with Mandy to her three dimensional ultrasound! I have never seen a baby, while it is actually being done, so I am really excited!

Hope your Monday is starting well!