Puppies

Frauleinen Gertrude Von Whomper

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jeremyandtrudySo, a week ago Frauleinen Gertrude von Whomper left us.  She’d been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and heart failure in December.

trudyandmeI was a wreck just before Christmas.  I was afeared her diagnosis was a death sentence and it turns out it was.  I knew her death would take a toll on me and annihilate my son.

Trudy, as she was known, was my birthday present 12 years ago.  She was a red dachshund and a spoiled brat.

She was our second dachshund.  In a tragic accident, I ran over Frauleinen Stephanie von Whomper. I seriously did not know if I could live through her death.  I grieved and I grieved hard, especially as it was my fault. Stevie was a Cracker Jack and I mourned her hard.

After a few weeks, we couldn’t stand coming home to an empty house any longer and we “rescued” Willy the Italian Greyhound from a local pet store.  Six months after that, I was ready for another dachshund and Trudy came to our home from a trailer in South Point, Ohio.

trudybratAs dachshunds are wont, Trudy was independent, needy, spoiled, and a complete delight.  She had the prettiest eyes.    She and Willy bonded.  They were quite the pair.  More importantly, she and my son bonded.  It was the Great American Love Story.

A few years ago, my son called and said, “Yo, Mom.”  Any conversation that starts with “Yo, Mom” is to be taken very seriously.  As it turns out, he was working up the courage to ask me to let Willy and Trudy come live with him in Charlotte.  He really wanted just Trudy, but she and Willy were a bonded pair.

Chef Boy ‘R Mine and Stevie had been very close.  We got Willy because he couldn’t handle another dachshund.  When I wanted to bring Trudy home, he said, “Whatever.”  Who knew that she would become the most important creature in hi life?

They fell in love with each other almost immediately.

As it turns out, I was ready to let Chef Boy ‘R Mine have the two dogs.  It was the right time and they were better off with him than me.

Trudy went into heart failure a week ago today.  My son had to make the horrible decision to have her euthanized.  Evidently, he tried to call me in the moments of grief but it was late.  I was sleeping and didn’t hear the phone ring the four times before it went to the answering machine.

I hate that I wasn’t there for him.

We’re going to miss Trudy.  She was something special.  My heart just aches.

Happy Day of the Dead

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The Beautiful Babette and Doug

The Beautiful Babette and Doug

Today I’ve been reflective about all the changes that have occurred in the past few years – chief of these the loss of Doug, my partner, and The Beautiful Babette, the sweetest Shih Tzu of all time.

5834854826_53e1ba9362_z (2)The Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations are joyous affairs. While reflective, I was also happy in my memories of Doug and Babette today. It’s been long enough that it doesn’t hurt to think about them. I like the idea that they might be walking among us today and tomorrow. I hope they’re together and I hope they think of me as fondly as I think of them.

Emmylou

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EmnyLou 012I am just as pleased as I can be. I have a Dachshund puppy.  Yeah, yeah, I know I said I wanted to wait until spring, but we all knew that wasn’t going to happen.

I searched Craigslist, the entire eastern seaboard and much of the Midwest , for a puppy to no avail. It wasn’t until my early morning, not enough coffee, attempt in which I misspelled Dachshund and found a female puppy about 40 miles down the road in Kentucky at a price I was willing to pay.

She’s a beauty. I had thought I wanted a red, smooth hair Dachshund.  What I have is a coal black, smooth hair Dachshund.  She’s black velvet and midnight giggles.  She’s just perfect.

I am so happy.

EmnyLou 040And so is Phoebe. So far Emmylou (she’s a blue, Kentucky girl) has played with Phoebe’s toys, eaten Phoebe’s food, monopolized Phoebe’s mom and pretty much made herself at home.  Phoebe is all smiles.  I suspected she needed a playmate and I was right.

Dachshunds are special creatures. Nothing snuggles like a Dachshund.  And they make these cute little sounds and they’re just so damn cute.  I very much have a case of puppy love.

A New Puppy?

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Trudy and Me

Trudy and Me

I’m thinking of getting a dachshund puppy. I’m awfully glad there are none for sale in the area right now, because my puppy fever is alarmingly high.  I need to think this through and I need to wait until spring because training will then be easier.

I spent the weekend dog-sitting, Dolleigh, for my parents. Phoebe had such a good time even though Dolleigh just tolerated her.  Having Dolleigh love on me as only a dachshund can was a delight.

When I was making the decision to get Phoebe, I vacillated between a dachshund and a Shih Tzu, finally deciding on Shih Tzu because they’re lower maintenance dogs and I felt I needed that for my life at the time.

Willy and Me

Willy and Me

As it turns out, I’m not sure Phoebe is as advertised. She was supposed to be a half Shih-Tzu, half Maltese mix which means she should be much smaller than she is.  She only vaguely resembles a Shih-Tzu.  She exhibits herding behaviors, runs in circles, and is not the couch potato her supposed breed should indicate.  As a point of fact, she’s pretty high maintenance.  I believe her mama had a dalliance with an Australian Shepherd.

I wouldn’t trade her for the world, but after dog sitting and seeing how much she enjoyed having a companion, I’m wondering if a second dog wouldn’t be good for her, too. Lord knows, there is nothing more fun than a dachshund puppy.  I would be in a constant state of delight.

I’ve had two dachshunds in my life. The most recent, Trudy, now lives with my son who is ridiculously in love with her.  I didn’t feel like I could stand between a boy and his dog once Chef Boy ‘R Mine had the ability to have a dog in his life.  So off Trudy and Willy, the Italian greyhound, went to live with him.  The two of them are unable to be separated.  They’re a bonded pair.

The other dachshund, Stevie, was the best dog who ever lived. She died in a tragic accident that was my fault and I still mourn her.

Stevie

Stevie

I’ve always said two dogs are easier than one. I do adore Phoebe, but she is usually much too busy to spend much time giving me lovings whereas dachshunds live to bestow affection upon their humans.  I crave a little furbody next to me.

There are downsides, of course, the expense and the irritations of puppyhood – chewing, house training, socializing. However, I think the decision is made to get a dachshund puppy.  Let’s hope I can wait until the timing is optimal.