I Love Purebred Dogs

Today was "National Purebred Dogs Day." The mixed breeds aka Heinz 57s and All Americans get TWO days (July 31 AND December 2) so why not one day to celebrate the intentionally bred to a standard dogs?

I love my purebred dogs because I knew exactly what I was getting. I am allergic to most heavily coated breeds, smooth dachshunds are much less of a problem. I adore Corgis, but the 24 hour, seven day a week shedding is murder for me to keep up with, hence the polyester of the dog world, smooth dachshunds, are my breed of choice. I like smart independent dogs that love me, but are not needy. I don't want a yappy dog, dachshunds have a surprisingly deep houndy bark, the better to hear them when under ground. I could go on and on on what I like about dachshunds.

Conversely I know I have dogs that love to dig, chase critters, and can be very stubborn. With consistant and firm training it is possible to work with these behaviors, by providing a safe and secure environment and redirecting them to approved areas to dig. I was able to train the red boys father, Crunch, to dig on command. From there I was able to get him to dig in the woods. Sadly I have been less successful with John and Dell. You can even enter your dachshund in den and field trails as an official outlet for their hunting, chasing, and digging needs.

Another advantage to having a well bred purebred is their health and temperament. So far the boys have only suffered from self inflicted and accidental health issues, from snake bites, to a dislocated shoulder (stupid squirrels taunting my boys), and the odd growth. As for their temperaments, well I chose the breeder known for happy, loving dogs with waggy tails. Both dogs love kids and view visitors to our home as new friends. There are a lot of ill bred dachshunds out there that are snappy and ill tempered. My dogs are beloved at the vet and the kennel for being the love bugs that they are.

So that is part of why I love my purebred dogs.

Defender of the Home

We acquired a plastic sword last year, it had been left in our yard during Halloween and since no one came looking for it so it has become part of our arsenal. Which means it spends a fair amount of time on the floor.

Today we looked down and saw John stretched out next to it, peacefully snoozing away. I took a few pictures and decided to go one better, I slid the sword over a bit and draped John's paw over the grip. He briefly looked up to see what was going on and went right back to sleep. He looks like such a valiant defender of the home. A job he takes very seriously in regards to deer, squirrels, birds. and the occasional rabbit. It just has to fit in his nap schedule.

Snuggle

Snuggle, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

It has been very cold around here lately, dropping occasionally down to the single digits at night. Which is shockingly cold for the average Richmonder and darn cold for those of us from more northern climes.

I think the red boys have the right idea. They like to snuggle up with each other when they are not on crumb patrol. They are silly dogs, but they are not stupid dogs. John and Dell  have even figured out it is better to duck under the deck to avoid the wind when they are forced outside to do their business.

Oh and as to school, there indeed was school today with only a two hour delay. The slightly warmer temperatures helped clear off the roads, just in time for next week's storm.

On the DL

John, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Poor John has been on the disabled list for the past couple of weeks. He somehow subluxated his right shoulder and has been a very unhappy pup.

Fortunately he has been taking it easy and allowing me to carry him off the couch and down the steps. Which is a very big deal since this is the dog that does not like being picked up and toted around. When he is well he squirms about and has the most disgusted expression. Now he just looks up at me and waits to be picked up.

Tghe reduced activity is paying off, I've tapered him down to half does of the pain killer and he is starting to be his old self. He has even started wriggling just a bit when I carry him outside. Del misses their wrestling sessions, hopefully John will soon be off the disabled list and back in the game.

Pomelo Head

Pomelo head, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

John is a very patient dog.

He was less than thrilled with my instance of a pomelo rind hat, but he tolerated it long enough for a few pictures. Which was far better than than his brother.

Dell, who believes that things are divided into two categories: food and potential food, was far more interested in eating the rind than wearing it. I should have recorded his attempts at grabbing the rind with his jaws every time I brought it near his head, it was hilarious.

Red Boys in Repose

Red Boys in Repose, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

The red boys certainly have the lazy days of summer down pat. We got this bed for them last year and it has proven to be a very good idea.

Years and years ago I got beds for the dogs and they were promptly ripped to shreds. I ended up getting a western style saddle pad and that lasted for many years, but it wasn't particularly comfy. This bed is far more comfortable and the red boys love it.

Of Towels and Tournaments

IMG_0735, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Big doings this weekend. Saturday was both Towel day  and the start of the soccer tourney that Rebecca's team was entered and Sunday was the conclusion of said tourney.

Now Towel Day is the celebration of Douglas Adams and his works and what better way to mark it than a reference to the Hitchhikers Guide to theGalaxy. To whit:

Towel Day: A Tribute to Douglas Adams
Monday 14 May 2001 06:00am PDT
Douglas Adams will be missed by his fans worldwide. So that all his fans everywhere can pay tribute to this genius, I propose that two weeks after his passing (25 May 2001) be marked as "Towel Day". All Douglas Adams fans are encouraged to carry a towel with them for the day.
So long Douglas, and thanks for all the fish!

— D Clyde Williamson, 2001-05-14

As you can see both Dell and John are in the proper Towel Day spirit and have their towels at hand, or rather paw.

tournament time, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Now as far as soccer was concerned, it was a lovely weekend. Tempertures were low and it was not raining.The girls started with a bang and handily won their first game on Saturday. The second one far closer and we lost by two goals. However, this was good enough to secure a berth in the semi-finals as a second seed.

Sunday dawned clear and bright and the girls were keen to go. They were playing a team we had lost to twice during the regular season, the first time our team was crushed and the second time (a mere two weeks ago) I think we lost by just one goal. Our team had come a long way since last fall and wee ready to take the other team on.

It was an incredible game to watch as the two teams really picked up their level of play. They battled back and forth with both teams pulling out all the stops. The final score was 0 - 0, but it was far from boring. At the end of the game the players on the pitch were called to the center by the referee. He set them up for a penalty shootout to determine which team would go on to the finals. It was a real nail-biter and we ended up missing by one. Our girls were sad, but not crushed. They knew they had done an outstanding job.

Brothers and Best Friends

brothers, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

This is my favorite picture for this week.

Dell and John are very much bonded. They love to sleep near each other, so this is a common sight. They prefer to go outside together and have been know to wait at the top of the deck's staircase for each other begore venturing out to the yard.

As for the picture, I saw them sleeping in their dog bed and really noticed the play of light on the. It was one f the few breaks in the weathe5r this week and the sun was finally allowed to peek out of the grey skies. It was a bit tricky taking the picture and not have Dell pop up. As you can see I was successful in the end.

Looking For More

John, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

I'm a bit frustrated now. The picture group I had been a part of has changed to the point that I no longer want to participate. It is all facebook dependent and I end up missing posts. It was far better when it was Flickr group, I could easily find the challenges and the pictures. Now I have wade through many layers of pages to find anything out.

So for now I'll just pick out my favorite picture of the week and post it here.

I took this one of John on Tuesday. I dropped my camera in my pocket as I headed out the door for the morning walk. It was a pretty nice day and I felt like taking pictures. I did a short detour to the ponds edge, I wanted to see what the dogs' reactions would be. Both were not terribly interested in the water, but up on the dock John came to attention when he saw a duck paddling along. Fortunately the duck was swimming away otherwise I think John might have tried to catch it.

I think it is a fantastic shot of John. He is naturally stacked himself in a lovely show pose, I could never get him to look that good in the show ring. Apparently I needed to bring a duck along and have it waddle out at opportune moments. Somehow I don't think that would go over to well with the other exhibitors.

John the Viking

John the viking, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Poor John, he puts up with all sorts of shenanigans.

We can dress him up with hats, paint his nails, and balance a pair of glasses on the big snoot of his. He calmly sits there as you mess around and then take a picture. Sometimes he even seems to enjoy it. On more than one occasion I have seen him happy to be wearing a cape.

He's such a silly dog.

You Sly Dog

You Sly Dog, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

John looks like he is up to no good in this picture. It's that sly glance he has.

For the most part he is a model citizen, but if there is food within reach.... It's gone. He likes chocolate in particular and I know it is very bad for him. Poor Rebecca  keeps losing her candy stash to his predations. You wouldn't think he could reach very far, but you would be mistaken. Anything along a table's edge is fair game. He can rear up on this hind legs and, combined with his long snoot, can reach a good  three feet.

John is not very tall, but he is very clever.

Not a Heart

not a heart hat, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

On Valentines day Nate came home with a paper project from art class. He
emphatically stated that it was not a heart shaped basket. The object was in fact a hat... a hat for dachshunds.

So we did the only thing we could do, take pictures of dogs wearing a "not a heart shape" hat.

Tilt Shift Madness

tilt-shift John, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

I am very enamored of the miniaturization setting on my camera. It is such a fun setting and I really like the results. I know at some point I will tire of it, but for now it's the best thing ever.

Trapped

trapped, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Every time I sit on the floor this is what happens, the red boys immediately pile onto my legs. And there they will stay until I shove them off. With the red boys having a combined weight of well over fifty pounds,  I don't sit on the floor very often. I am very much trapped in place. I get very sad looks whenever I attempt to reposition. It is nice to be loved, but this is a bit much.

This winter break we have been watching the extended versions of the The Lord of the Rings. Which is a whole lot of movie watching and as a result I have ended up on the floor a few times. So I think it is safe to say that the dogs have become indirectly big fans of the LOTR movies.

Say What

Say what, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

This is one of John's classic expressions, I have never had a dog that could look so beleaguered.

He certainly has no good reason to look so put upon. Yes there is a boy flailing about on the floor behind him, but that is what passes for normal around here. I think the worst thing that has happened to John, at least in his opinion, was the time I bodily dragged him away from a dying raccoon.

Silly dog.

Artist of the Week: Charming

John, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

This week's artist is John and surprisingly it is not for digging holes or eating dirt, his two most favorite activities.

This past weekend we had Rebecca's birthday festivities. She had a rather grown-up affair (at least for 10 and 11 year old girls) of a movie followed by a treat. Four of her good friends came out and I did the driving since Larry was off chaperoning and working at a marching band event.

I arranged for the girls to come to our house first since I wasn't sure which showing of "Wreck it Ralph" or for that matter which theater we would be attending. As the girls arrived in fairly rapid succession, they were delighted by our dogs. Normally I view Dell as the ambassador for the breed since he loves everyone, but he only lasted about 5 minutes. Apparently 5th grade girls overwhelm the poor dog, he ended up retreating to a few rooms away. John, meanwhile lapped it all up. He was happy to be the center of attention and didn't even mind being picked up.Heck he even tried to worm his way onto the van when we left for the movies.

When we got back he was very happy to be fussed over by the girls. At least two of them announced that they loved our dogs and wanted to get ones just like them. I think John as a very nice dog, but I never thought he could be a poster pup for dachshunds. In fact he is a real pain in the keister when around unfamiliar dogs, barking and leaping about. I guess he's just a people oriented kind of dog that loves the attentions of girls.

Project MCP: Low Light

low light, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

With the shorter days and the sun hanging lower on the horizon, this week's Project MCP challenge was low light.

I took this picture of John this morning. I saw him napping in a patch of sun and realized this was my picture. I was able to fetch my camera without to much disturbance and fire off a few shots from a discrete distance.

When I took this particular photo I knew this was the one. The focus is a bit off, but the composition more than makes up for the slight blur around John's head. Other than a bit of sharping, this is what I saw in the viewfinder. No cropping or fooling around with the contrast. I'm rather pleased how the picture came out.

Whose Bed?

Whose Bed, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Nate has been wanting the dogs to sleep with him for quite some time, a few months ago we relented.

I'm still not overly thrilled, at some point something will get chewed, but there has been an unexpected bonus. Max is more inclined to stay in bed when the dogs are in the room with him (he and Nate share a room).

As you can see the dogs are usually with Nate. I got this picture in the morning when Nate was sleeping in. The dogs had been fed and let out and had returned to their favored sleeping spot. Poor Nate has barely any room on the bed. That, however, is the price you pay when the dogs are on your bed.

Pup and Pumpkins

pup and pumpkins, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

We weathered Sandy just fine. Central Virginia had, at worst, a glancing blow. We had rain, rain, and yet more rain. The promised high winds never really materialized and as a result there was no massive power outages or road blockages.

John, however, did have to deal with window blockages. The final step of my hurricane preparations was to bring in the pumpkins. I didn't want them smashed before they were even carved, so in they came. I set them just inside the door, no way was I going to lug them through the house to the garage.

And thus I got this lovely shot of one of the red boys by the pumpkins.

Dog Shaming

bad dogs, a photo by Teckelcar on Flickr.

Dog Shaming is my new favorite website.

The idea is that your dog has committed some sin, you make a sign describing what happened, and take a picture of the dog with said sign. The result is quite often hilarious.

I found out about it from a dachshund owning friend. There is a rather dubious pride in the dachshund community in preponderance of dachshunds on the site, partially due to the site's owner having dachshunds. But the real reason is because dachshunds are awful dogs that get into all sorts of mischief (and yet we love them).

I whipped up this picture of the red boys and submitted it to the site. So far it hasn't appeared, but the website is transitioning to another platform and it may have gotten lost in the shuffle. I'll try again after the dust settles.

And yes, John really did eat the floor of the shed. He was trying to get to the critter underneath.