Birthday

Schatze's birthday was last Friday - Cinco de Mayo! Corey suggested we take her to PetSmart for some new toys, so that ws the plan for Saturday. Friday called for some quality time, so I decided to take her to the park. She loves to walk, but HATES walking in our neighborhood. My theory is that she gets nervous from the sound of cars speeding down the brick road.

It can take about half an hour to 45 minutes to get to the nicer parks from my house. There is one closer, but it makes me nervous to go by myself or with my 16 pound dog. On the way I remembered seeing a walking path near the rec center in Cleveland Heights, so I parked the car, got out my ipod and leashed up the ween. We walked for about 10 minutes until we discovered the hated sign - no pets. I new the walkway across the street had the same ban on animals, so I figured that little local park I always forget about up the road (Cain Park) probably wouldn't welcome my dog either. This reminded me of the time I walked my dog Gypsy up to the little park in Mayfield (it used to be a school) and that place too wouldn't allow dogs. By this time I was angry - some of these places get my tax dollars, why can't my dog come along for a nice time? I assume it's because some other idiots don't clean up after their pets, or don't keep an eye on them. As I headed over to my original destination - North Chargin Reservation - I noticed it was starting to get dark. I tried the Highland Heights Community Park - same ban on our furry friends. Fuck You! By this time I knew it would be dark by the time I got to my MetroPark of choice. Poor Schatze. She'd have to settle for a walk around my mom's neighborhood.

Are their dog parks on the east side? Or even dog friendly parks? I'm told there are dog parks in Lakewood and other points West. Chcago has a dog park on every corner practiaclly. I don't leave packages for everyone else to step on, why can't I find a niceplace to take my dog that isn't on the other side of the universe?

why do dogs bark so much?

the latest

I'm told I've been remiss, so here is the latest from the 3 cutest dogs I know (with a special hello to those handsome fellas, Newman & Quincy).

Schatze is truly the sweetest, cuddliest friend a person could have. We've been sick around here for at least the last month. This dog has put up with more blankets, whining, and TV reruns than any dog should have too. (Seriously, she's starting to get bored!) She's been getting double-doses of Crossing Jordan, as I've been watching it at 11 and Corey at 3 AM. Yesterday we found out she really enjoys Northern Exposure. She was curled up on the couch with her nose hidden away. As soon as she heard the opening theme she perked up, turned around and laid down so she could watch TV! I love her.

Daisy came over for breakfast today and brought old Maggie & Duncan with her. They were surprisingly well-behaved during my cooking fiasco and only went off barking madly twice. When Mom and I finally settled down for breakfast I had Schatze under the table, chin on the floor, Maggie in the same position but facing Schatze, and Duncan next to Maggie with his chin on her head.

Schatze is now staring intently at me and wagging her tail, so it's time to find out exactly what it is she wants from me. Till next time...

Christmas Time

Christmas is the time when we first got Schatze, so I am especially happy about her at this time of year. Probably the best part of Christmas witht he Ween is that she opens her own presents. This is just the funniest thing in the world to me, so we also let her open the other dogs' presents, our own presents, and then we take the used up warapping paper and wrap up her toys some more. She added a new trick to her repetoire this year and fell asleep on a pillow under the tree. =)

ritual and other cute but annoying dog things

Schatze has a ritual. Every night, when I am immersed in something else - be it a book, tv, email, scrapbook page, phone call - she gets up from her comfy couch nest and does the throaty bark thing. I walk into the kitchen and try to determine if she is headed towards the food bowl or the door. Even if she heads for the bowl I try to get her to go out instead, because I don't want to overfeed her. It never works, so I give her a biscuit and go back to what I was doing. This works for 3.5 minutes where we repeat the above, but this time I put food in the bowl. 5 minutes later we do the same darn thing, but this is when she does want to go outside. We do this every day - sometimes twice.

Duncan and Maggie were over today becuase my mom felt sorry for me and came over to help me clean. Every time I picked up the vacuum cleaner - whether I turned it on or not - Duncan started to bark madly. This startled and confused the hell out of Schazte, who ran to the door thinking we were under seige. It was cute once or twice, but I clean in bits, so by the 7th time I was mad...

Comments?

If you are reading this, please leave comments. The weens really want to know what you think. Even if you think it is dumb...

I'd rather eat dirt...

Corey uses dirt as his standard for things he'd rather not do. Schatze, on the other hand, thinks eating dirt is a wonderful pastime, second only to being petted by strangers. Ever since the feast she runs to the door at least once very hour. As soon as she gets outside she runs down to the end of the driveway, hops up the steps to the stoop, and lays down. Occassionally she wanders into the flower bed and tries to eat the leaves and dirt until I call her back. Then she'll lay down again. Almost every time someone walks bys he stands up, hoping they will pay attention to her. I think she really misses the feast - she got many more people to pet her that weekend.

Duncan's Favorite Game

Duncan's favorite game is scaring girls. He acts all cute and innocent, and then as soon as they start up with the high-pitched sqealing he starts barking like a madman. It's GREAT!

Feasting on the attention

It's the feast this weekend, and there are tons of people in the neighborhood. Schatze is the happiest dog in the world. She wants to spend every minute of everyday at the bottom of the driveway, watching the people go by. Almost everyone has a smile of a laugh for her, and many of them stop to pet her. She just LOVES it. I gather there are also many wonderfully smells of food around. She gets much more alert when a person walks buy eating one of the many fabulous treats available this weekend.

Maggie and Duncan are miserable however. The would bark at everyone who happens by, so they were relegated to the backyard. Mostly they would whine, but occasionally bark, so now they are stuck in the house. They just need to relax...

so happy

Maggie and Duncan are always so happy to see me when I vist. I am always afraid they are going to wiggle right out of their skin. It's really very sweet. Except fromt eh jumping on my leg and scratching it up with those nails. But i get a kick out of them jumping on my lap as soon as I sit on the couch.

favorite... sound... ever....

schatze crunching kibble

corey will call me and hold the phone near her

love it

walking the dog

It's been a long time since Schatze & I went to the park, so I rushed home from work Monday to get her, the drove right to the park. It was so nice. She was so happy to be outside! She trotted along, sniffing and seeing everything. Once again I was reminded of how sick she had been, becuase she is so healthy now. We were at the Sanctuary Marsh @ North Chagrin Reservation. We walked to the deck, across it, then back around to the duck pond. I couldn't find the collapsible bowl, so she had to drink from a wter bottle acting as a water fountain.

I found out afterwards that mom hadn't been at work, so next we went to her house. Walking Maggie and Duncan is very different from walking Schatze. Schatze will walk mostly in a stright line, although she'll briefly check out good smells on the tree lawn. We have a leash with 2 hooks for the other 2. They are always running off in opposite directions, dragging each other this way and that - what a mess!!!

kevin

schatze loves corey's cousin kevin.  as soon as he showed up at our house last night, she was done with corey and i.  she kept an eye on his every move, and once he settled into a  chair insisted on sitting on his lap.  she curled up there for ages, and was even happier when corey brought the browns blanket for them to share.

the very first night kevin spent the night at out house, she insited on staying with him.  whenver we have company she would still sleep in our room.  not so with kevin.  most morning we would find her back with us, but last time - nope.  she stayed with him the entire night, and refused to move until he was awake.  she just adores that boy.

restless

Schatze has been so restless the last few days. She keeps barking, but doesn't want to play or get up on the couch, or walk more than 3 houses.  She just seems to want to eat.  I can't feed her as often as she likes.  This evening I decided to just go sit on the front stoop, as she loves people-watching.  I brought along a book and a booklight.  Apparantly this is what she wanted all along.  She settled down next to me and watched all the passers-by.  What a  nice night.

i've been remiss

I haven't updated in ages.  I think themost notable dog-related activity in recent times is the 2004 Northeast Ohio Dachshund Picnic we went too.  All 3 dogs, mom, Corey, and I.  It was lots of fun making a dragonfly costume for Schatze, and I still think she ought to have won.

http://onlysleepn.fotopages.com/?entry=165141  (see it here)
http://www.winc.com/picnics/ (picnic website)
 
Maggie is kind of a crybaby.  Well, totally a crybaby.  (Whcih reminds me that I have never seen that Johnny Depp movie, must update wish list).  Whenever my mom heads outside, Maggie stands by the nearest door and cries.  When she hears my moms car pull in the driveway, she runs to the back door and cries.  Sunday I had Duncan by himself for awhile.  All of a sudden he started barking at some people outside.  Maggie ran to the door and cried until I got him in the house AND he ran up the stairs by her.  She stuck her nose in his face to check him out for herself, since she sure didn't beleive me when I said he was fine.  Its a good thing she's cute.

5th of July

Maggie and Duncan came to spend the day with us today. Maggie has ants in her pants I think. Mom, Schatze, Duncan, and I would all settle down nice and quiet, readign or watching tv, and maggie was wandering all over the room, sniffing out the hidden secrets of my house. Mostly that means dust.

My mom uses one of those nylon tie out lines with hooks on either end for her dogs. She hooks Maggie on one end and Dunc on the other, then just holds on somewhere in the middle. I have another of those lines hooked to a fence in the backyard, so they got attached to that when we were sitting out back. This setup menas that the two dogs work agaist each other in there exploration of the yard. Duncan usually has most of the leash and Maggie gets led around by him. Somehow, today Dunc had the short leash, and Maggie and her ants were in charge.

Later in the evening we took all 3 dogs out onto the deck. I have a hook in the ground and a nylon line for each one. And they each manage to get tangled up on a regular basis - around all my plants, the chairs, table, sticks, anything. My firend Laurie brought over her dog, Ladie. Ladie is a boxer mix, and at first didn't know what to make of all the small dogs. Duncan seems to be in love, however.

Schatze got in several naps today, and had a nice mid-day rest with Corey while the rest of us were outside. She's still pretty pooped, and right now she is all zonked out on the couch.

Photos

I have uploaded a photo here: http://onlysleepn.fotopages.com
Sorry, I don't think it will come over as a link. Anyway, I will add more photos soon.

Our Gift

When I look back 2 weeks, I can't believe how sick Schatze was.


Then, last Friday we brought her home. Corey and I had to leave Saturday at 3 am, for a week in Mexico. We were there to see Colleen and Mark get married (whoo-hoo!). Every minute we missed out little dog, but my mom stayed in touch and assured us everything was fine.

Today Daisy (mom) and Schatze came to pick us up from the airport. What a wonderful homecoming! That little dog has been doing lots of healing while we were gone. She was so happy to see us, immediately getting onto Corey's lap. Halfway home she decided to switch to my lap, so Corey helped her into the front seat. She sat quietly with her nose in the air conditioning vent.

Today has been such a wonderful, wonderful day. The three of us had a nap together for the first time in weeks. She is as cuddly as ever. And hungry! She sure has her appetite back, but we are taking it easy. She also wanted to go down the driveway and check out the neighborhood. We weren't there 2 minutes when people started asking to pet her. We stayed for a minute, then came back in to rest. Soon I will post a photo of her sleeping in her basket - she decided to scooch under the blanket. What a sweetheart.

It is such a gift to see our dog healthy again.

SCHATZE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!

Corey and I just brought her home an hour ago. She's doing so well! She had no interest in sitting still in the car - she had to look in Corey's backpack, stick her nose out the window, rearrange her blanket and climb on our laps (of course we took turns sitting in back with her). We did manage to keep her calm, though. Now she is laying in her basket, having a snooze.

Thanks so much to all the wonderful doctors and the rest of the staff at the Veterinary Referral Clinic and Emergency Center who saved out precious dog!!!

SCHATZE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!