Black & White Sunday: Mooching & Football

Best part of watching football with dad is sharing snacks with him!

Sunday afternoon watching the Bears with Dad. But him and mom keep flashing and clicking that thing in front of my face. Will I ever get any rest?

Dogs of Portage Park: Lucky and Irv

Mom couldn't decide which dog to write about for awhile until we ran into Irv and Lucky the other day. Lucky is a great dog, a big girl, Lab mix, blonde and white, she is one of the first dogs I remember when I started coming to the park. She was so friendly she'd come up to you wagging her tail and Irv would tell mom she wanted to be petted. And she did she loved that.

Irv and Lucky have one of those sad/happy stories. Irv is an elderly widower, very hard of hearing. We would see him at the park almost every time we were there walking around with his dog, an old man with his companion. One morning there was quite a bit of excitement. Mom and I were walking with Irv's daughter, Debbie, a nurse, and her Greyhound rescue, Country. All of a sudden Irv was down on the ground! They rushed to help him up, there was blood running down his face. Debbie was so upset because he was using one of those terrible retractable leashes and Lucky pulled him right down. Meanwhile, while Debbie and another friend Marilyn were helping Irv, mom grabbed Lucky who was loose. She wasn't going anywhere but mom wanted to be useful. They all helped Irv to his car and mom helped Lucky into the back seat. I tried to go along but wasn't allowed. Debbie got Country in the car to take Irv home.

It had to be the next day or so there was Irv walking his Lucky around the park, his forehead bandaged, without the retractable leash. He said he was fine. But soon he stopped coming and mom heard he was sick, in the hospital. One day mom and I ran into Debbie and Country so mom asked about Irv. We missed not seeing him walking Lucky everyday. We were told Irv is doing good, he had another surgery to fix a colonoscopy and a pacemaker put in. Mom asked if Lucky was getting her walks. We were told she is with her sister in McHenry County getting chased around by four kids. Mom commented that maybe she would lose a few pounds but Debbie didn’t think so as she is getting fed pretty well. Lucky for Lucky, and Irv. Few days later heard that Irv was anxious to get back on his walks with Lucky. Irv finally returned to the park with Lucky. He looked thinner and frail using a cane to walk with. Lucky looked very happy to be back but she did look a little heavier, unfortunately.

This was last summer. A few months ago, mom noticed that Lucky had lost a lot of weight. We thought this was great until we heard that she had diabetes. Debbie gave Lucky her shots.  One time someone told mom about how Lucky didn't seem to know where she was and that's when we learned she was losing her sight. Mom saw Debbie recently and she said that with the diabetes her sight just went really fast. She is only 7. But when we see Irv and Lucky she still comes up to you tail wagging wanting to be petted. She is still the happy dog with Irv walking her every day. One of those great man and his dog stories that you just love to witness.

Black & White Sunday: Afternoon Nap

Sunday afternoon naps are the best! Mom is trying to learn how to use dad's fancy camera so she can take better pictures for my blog. She wants it to be more "professional." How professional can a blog be written by a dog?

Wordless Wednesday: Are we there yet?

My First Visit to Santa Clause

Looking a little sheepish after being afraid of Santa Clause!

Sunday was a typical day for me. In the morning Mom took me for a walk to the park. It had been rainy for the last couple of days so it was still wet out but no rain. Lots of my friends were there, Marlena and Bea, so we started playing right away. I was wet and muddy in no time. As soon as we got home mom opened the back door and I tried my usual bolt up the stairs but no! Mom pulled me back and down the stairs to the basement. Bath! So I got a bath just when I was nice and dirty. I am always good when I get a bath even though I don't really like them. As soon as we get upstairs I do lots of zoomies and like to tug on the towel and make them chase me so I can't be dried. Then I mooch for several treats for my good behavior. It wasn't long before I was passed out in the chair with dad waiting for football to start. I think mom was getting ready to go somewhere but I was too tired to care. Just when I thought that I heard "Dolly, want to go for a ride in the car?" I jumped out of that chair so fast I was at the door in seconds. We went for a nice drive to a pet store I hadn't been to before. I should have become suspicious when I let mom put on my holiday scarf in the car. As I was doing some nose level shopping I looked up and there was a very scary man with a beard talking to mom. She handed him something and he was trying to get me to come over to him. He had treats! I grabbed the one on the floor but that was it. Mom tried to pull me towards him, not! I did my sit down move, which means I am not going anywhere, they were up to something and I wanted no part of it. Even more suspicious was another man standing there with a camera what the heck is going on? Well they got the message and left. We started to shop again but we were walking right towards him! Beard man was sitting down when mom tried to pick me up! Oh no! She tried to hand me to him. I fought back and was put down on the floor. Whew that was a close one. When we got home dad asked mom how it went. "You were right," was all she said.

Black & White Sunday #2

I love to have the sun on my face! It makes me very sleepy especially when I am riding in the car!

Wordless Wednesday: Caught going to bed early

Help me be the Face of Wright-Way Rescue!

My rescue shelter, Wright-Way Rescue is having a contest! They are looking for a special dog that they rescued to represent the shelter in all of their publicity. Please follow this link 2013 Face of Wright-Way Rescue Contest to see all of the dogs that are trying to win this coveted prize. Mom really wants me to win. This is very important to her but I am over 200 votes behind the leader even though I am in the top 3. Please LIKE my photo to help me be the face of a shelter that is doing amazing work rescuing dogs that otherwise do not have a chance. Thanks! Love, Dolly. xoxox

Dogs of Portage Park: Pagma

I am so excited I just got back from the park after seeing my first BFF Pagma! I hadn't seen her for at least a year. And just like I said in my blog post from Nov. 14 we remember each other right away and start running around and playing like it was yesterday! Mom was also glad to see Pagma wearing a current rabies tag so that subject never had to be mentioned. Pagma's mom Elizabeth talks to us in Polish I don't understand a word of it but it sounds nice. Pagma is also getting a new baby brother who is a Lhasa Apso too! But Pagma is so spoiled her mom is worried she might get jealous. Mom said that we'll go to the park earlier in the afternoons now and hope to run into her again. Yippee! Here are some great pictures mom got of us this time!

I stole Pagma's ball!

Pagma looks to her mom for help!

The standoff continues!

Black and White Sunday

This is my first Black and White Sunday blog post. Still not sure what it is but I learning!

Making New Friends

My first swim in Lake Michigan with Stella.

Mom could tell right away I loved other dogs and that I was very outgoing and friendly. Because of this she made a big effort to make sure that I was well "socialized" or got along with other dogs. She wanted more than anything for me to have a good time with other dogs, to not be fearful or aggressive. Whenever we went for walks and would see other dogs we always tried to stop and say hello. Some dog owners just walk the other way when they see another dog coming, but others were always willing to stop, especially when they saw I was a puppy. So there would be lots of sniffing and tail wagging. My favorite thing to do when I meet a dog is immediately roll over on my back. Mom knows that this is submissive behavior and is proud of me when I do this.

Afternoons in the Autumn is our favorite time to take a walk to the park. Maybe this is because I was adopted in September. We try to get to the park before school lets out and it gets crowded with kids and after school activities. That's when I met Pagma my first real friend. Pagma is part Poodle and Lhasa Apso, her mom is Polish and very glamorous. She would let her run all over the park without a leash. Mom was very shocked about this but she finally would let go of my leash, but keeping it on to catch me, to let us run around and play together. We didn't see each other much over the Winter, but no matter how long it had been since we last saw each other, we never forgot. When we reunited we instantly knew in our doggie way who we were and we would pick right back up running and playing again.

Unfortunately we don't see Pagma and her mom much anymore.  Schedules change and the last time we saw Pagma her mom mentioned that she didn't believe in giving Pagma her rabies shot. This is due to her being in homeopathic medicine. Which meant no tags, no license. This really shocked mom, rabid bats were found just a few blocks from the park. Mom thought that if we ever saw Pagma and her mom again, she would have to say that I wasn't allowed to play with her anymore without her shots. But luckily this hasn't happened because mom knows she would be too chicken to say anything.

My short-legged friends Marlena and Muffin.

"Sharing" a ball with Bea while Marlena officiates.

I wish I had pictures of Pagma to share but mom didn't have her iPhone then to get pictures. I'll be blogging a lot about all of my friends from the park and will have lots of fun photos and videos to show in upcoming posts. Love, Dolly

Dolly Goes to Washington D.C.!: The Finale!

This post is the last in my series about my adventure traveling to Washington DC with my Mom and Dad. After a long day of sightseeing with Mom and Dad all along the National Mall we arrived back at the hotel exhausted. Mom had grand plans about getting dressed up and going out to dinner. Many restaurants have outdoor patios that allow dogs but unfortunately it was way too cold to eat outside, which was unusual for DC this time of year. Some restaurants had heated patios but were farther than we wanted to travel. So with the aid of yelp.com we found neighborhood restaurants with takeout. We just took a short walk, picked up dinner and brought it back to our hotel room. Which was fine with me because I do like to mooch at mealtime! Something I haven't mentioned before is that Mom and Dad had no plans to ever leave me in the hotel room by myself. Some guests did this and we could hear the dogs barking in the hallways. It wasn't something we ever considered doing.

The next day mom didn't even attempt to take me for a nice long walk before breakfast, due to my uncooperativeness the day before. I call it a misunderstanding. So the three of us took off for a short morning walk and got breakfast to go. Dad had also had it with my "behavior" the day before and made me wear my pinch collar. I really hate it when one would go in to get the food and I have to wait outside with the other. I would do my best to let mom or dad know this but they still continued doing it the rest of the trip.

Which brings me to the real shocker. Mom and Dad made plans to split up for the day. Something about going places where dogs couldn't go so they were going to take turns. After breakfast dad left and he didn't come back! I was so upset! Then mom made me wear my pinch collar again and leave the hotel. But I couldn't do that, what if dad came home and I wasn't there? But mom had tricks up her sleeve or should I say treats in her pocket. She tried walking me away from the hotel and I kept trying to walk back. She would pull me, I would sit down, she would then pick me up and put me down. But when I wouldn't move instead of pulling me she put a treat in front of my nose. Oh boy! I really wanted that treat but I had to walk to get it, once I started walking I would but I had to keep moving. Mom thought she was rewarding me for walking. If I stopped, another treat! But I had to walk to get it. This kept happening over and over and the amount of walking in between treats got longer and longer. Next thing you know I forgot about Dad and the hotel and started to enjoy my walk with mom, meaning I was doing a lot of sniffing. Mom told dad later that we walked all the way up Embassy Row. After a really long walk we went back the way we came and them mom started taking a different route. We did this for a long time, with mom taking her map out and looking at it a lot.  After awhile we made a turn and I stopped. We were going the wrong way! I tried to tell mom by going back and she looked at the map again. Sure enough she followed me and we were only a block from the hotel! Walking straight towards us was Dad! I took off, despite the leash, so mom dropped it and I ran to dad and did my happy dance.

After a rest it was time for lunch. We took a short walk and I waited with Dad while Mom got the food. We ate in the park at DuPont Circle, it was really nice. I thought we were walking back to the hotel when a car stopped at the curb and mom got in. I started to follow her but dad held me back. No! Off she went without me! I was so upset but Dad doesn't put up with as much of my misbehavior as Mom and we were back at the hotel before you knew it. I acted up for a long time whining and wanting to go look for her but finally I gave in and took a nice long nap with Dad on the bed. Before you knew it, Mom walked in the door. Happy dance! The pack was back together again!

That night we did dinner the same as the night before, with a walk to get food, and eating in our room. I really liked being together all the time like that. The next morning we did breakfast the same way too. Except when we got back to the hotel Mom and Dad were both really busy putting things back in boxes and bags. Then a nice man came with a cart and put all of our things on it. We got on the elevator, it was really crowded, and there was dad waiting for us in front with the car. I jumped in and mom hooked up my harness like we were going for a long drive again.

We were on the open road again! One time at a stop I was waiting patiently for dad to get back and he had ice cream! And I had my own spoon! It was so yummy!

Waiting for Dad

After a really long time I was beginning to wonder when I was going to get my dinner. Every once in awhile Mom would give me some peanut butter dog treats but I wanted my dinner. It was dark, and I was homesick and tired.

Finally, we were home! I was so excited to see my backyard I started to do zoomie circles all around it and then my happy dance. We got upstairs and mom gave me my dinner, I ate it all up right away! Ahhh, next thing you know I was laying on the couch watching TV with my pack. Who would of thought that a little dog from an unwanted litter would get adopted, go on a trip with people, stay in a real hotel and see historical sights? Love, Dolly

P.S. If you want to follow my trip on Twitter just search on #dollysroadtrip and you'll see all the tweets and photos I sent.

Dolly Goes to Washington D.C.! Part Four

On my last blog post Mom, Dad, and I, had just spent the first night at our hotel in Washington DC. Mom received a huge jolt of reality about separation anxiety when she tried to take me for a walk in the morning without dad, so when they left for sightseeing they thought they were well prepared for any of my behavior. We will see about that! Our plans for the day were to visit the National Mall, or as I call it, the National Dog Park, the monuments, and the museums, all on foot, with me. We began with a walk from our hotel to DuPont Circle and from there headed south towards the Mall. It was just like taking a walk in the city back home with people and traffic so I was very comfortable doing this, It was great because I was right between Mom and Dad. After a long walk we came to Pennsylvania Avenue and since mom and dad knew the President lived on that street we turned and headed for a visit. Before long we came to this great big white house, and wait, I saw a dog running across the South Lawn! Oh my dog! It was Bo, I would recognize him anywhere! Mom got really excited and got her camera out but by then he was out of sight. Good work mom!

 After the White House we stopped for a break at a statue where lots of people were walking around, sitting and feeding the squirrels. SQUIRREL!! I lept after him and swear I could taste his tail but he was gone, thanks to me wearing a leash. People cried out, "That dog almost got that squirrel!" Almost being the problem here. Right after that we reached the National Dog Park and it was huge! Way too much room for a little ole doggie like me. 

The beautiful World War II Memorial was next so we went to visit and pay our respects to those who lost their lives. Mom and Dad's dads, my grandpas, were both veterans. 

What, you're not suppose to drink the water? 

Next we walked all the way to this big building at the top of a lot of stairs. I met two doggies there, they were nice. We walked all the way to the top of the stairs and I got to see President Lincoln.

Next to the Lincoln Memorial was the Korean War Memorial. We saw the dog picture for the first time with the line through it. There was a volunteer who stopped us and said that we would have to carry me or take turns. Well, since mom thinks I am too heavy Dad went first. Mom tried telling the volunteer that I was a service dog. Well, I got insulted big time because he said hounds are never service dogs, Labs usually are, because we smell too much. How did he know that? He has a beagle, end of story. We found out then that I wasn't suppose to be up at the Lincoln Memorial, oops. We saw the Viet Nam War Memorial next, which had the sign again about no dogs but since there wasn't a volunteer I got to walk with mom down the wall of names that lost their lives. I sincerely apologize to all of them for taking a potty break on the grass there. After way too much walking we finally stopped for a break, and mom gave me French Fries, yummy. Dad wanted to go in a big building for awhile so I behaved very badly for mom while we waited, then she went in. I made sure she could hear me whining until the door closed behind her.

We walked a whole bunch more and I kept bumping into the back of mom and dad's legs to let them know I was tired and ready to go back to the hotel. Then we got into a car and it was really exciting because mom and dad got into the back seat with me while another man in the front seat drove us to our hotel.

I was so glad to see those hotel doors open for me! I was ready for a nice long nap! Mom and Dad don't ever take me on such a long walk again, even though I was with you two the whole time and I loved every mintue of it! Stay tuned for another day in Washington DC! Love, Dolly.

Dolly Goes to Washington D.C.! Part Three

When we left off in Part Two I had just gotten to Washington DC! Mom and Dad were very excited so I was too! We checked in to our hotel The Carlyle Suites located in the DuPont Circle neighborhood. It had been an apartment building converted to a hotel so it was like being at home. I had gotten very good with the automatic doors by now I would just walk right up to the doors and ta da! they opened. Then we would go up in an elevator all the way to the eight floor. When the elevator moved I would lay down because it was kind of scary for me and I never got used to it. We had a little kitchen in our room which meant we could cook our own meals. There was also a grocery store located nearby so our first adventure in DC was to walk to the store. It was great fun so many new smells and lots of new dogs to sniff and get to know. When we got to the store Dad went in and I was suppose to wait outside with mom. I got very upset about this and mom could not make me feel better no matter what. Finally Dad came out and I was happy again. Since I wasn't allowed in restaurants mom and dad had their first dinner at the hotel which was great for me because I am a terrible moocher and they had chicken which is my favorite! It had also been such a long day visiting Gettysburg and the drive here that I was really exhausted so we had an early night to rest up before walking to see all the sights the next day.

Walking with Dad to hotel.

The next morning mom got up early to take me for a walk like we always do back home. She had packed special outfits to wear on our morning walks to explore the city. She even put on makeup before we went out and I was wearing my new ComfortFlex harness. There was a dog park right down the street from out hotel so mom made it our first destination. Out we went to explore the neighborhood but wait I didn't want to go at all! After a few pulls and come on Dolly! she finally picked me up and carried me to the end of the block. I turned around and headed back for the hotel. So she picked me up again and carried me across the street and put me down outside the dog park. I turned around again and headed for the hotel and she pulled me back. There were lots of smells so I did decide I had to pee and I took care of that but I was not willing to go anywhere else. Mom did not give up though. She picked me up and carried me to the dog park gate. I recognized it from the one back home and since I refuse to go in that one I sure as heck wasn't going to go in this one. So I headed back to the hotel. Mom fought me again and tried to get me to walk around the dog park, in the opposite direction of the hotel. She picked me up and carried me again. This time when she put me down it was in the direction of the hotel. I was happy then and headed back to the hotel. Mom came with me this time. Back in our room I was so excited to see Dad! He didn't come with us on our walk which is why I didn't want to go, couldn't mom see that? Mom was very angry with me because she didn't get to see anything and take pictures but that was okay with me because we were getting ready to go out together and explore Washington D.C.! Stay tuned for the next episode of Dolly Goes to Washington D.C.! Love Dolly.

Dolly Goes to Washington DC! Part Two

After our long drive from Chicago and an overnight stay in Chambersburg, the next morning my Mom and Dad drove a shorter distance to Gettysburg. It was a beautiful drive through the Allegheny Mountains, Caledonia State Park and we even crossed the Appalachian Trail. Just before entering Gettysburg we saw part of the national park so stopped and checked out some of the memorials. We were in an area known as McPherson's Ridge where the first battle took place.

My first look at the battlefield!

Mom and Dad liked what we saw so we drove into town to the National Park Service Visitor's Center to find out about taking the tour. At the Visitor's Center we had a long walk to a building that didn't allow dogs, so I had to sit outside with Mom, while Dad went inside. This is where the separation anxiety was starting to get to be a problem. I don't want to stay outside with either of them I want both of them to be with me so I really misbehave.  I whine and pull and try to follow Dad into the museum. Mom is very nice, she talks to me and pets me while trying to keep me sitting at her side.  That works until a stranger walks by or wants to say hello to the cute dog (me). I will growl or sometimes bark if I don't like the looks of someone. Plus Dad was already upset with how I behaved earlier when we got out of the car. I was wearing the short leash that attaches to my Kurgo harness so I was pulling everywhere if one or the other walked away to look at something. Since that didn't work mom put my new ComfortFlex harness on that she got at her favorite store for little dogs called Golly Gear. She didn't want me to wear the pinch collar so that people would think she was being mean to me.

Walking with mom to the National Park Service Visitor's Center 

After Mom and Dad were done in the Visitor's Center, and with the pack intact, we started the auto tour of the National Military Park. We'd drive a little bit then stop, sometimes Mom or Dad or both would get out, and not always take me them, which would lead to a lot of whining in the car. But when I did get out of the car I had a great time! There were lots of people around and dogs too. It was hard to keep Mom and Dad on each side of me but I tried by pulling around a lot, it was a real fight in my new harness. Mom figured out fast to just grab me by the harness and move me if I didn't want to come with her.

Mom and me at Eternal Light Peace Memorial
paying respects to lives lost in Civil War.

Little Round Top overlooking battlefields.

We took all day doing the tour then we drove for a long time again. We were in Maryland, I had never been there before! Before you knew it we stopped and mom said "We're here!" I was in Washington D.C.! I was so excited and couldn't wait too see the National Dog Park and all the monuments. Stay tuned for Part 3 of Dolly Goes to Washington DC to read how it all goes. For more information on Gettysburg and the auto tour at Gettysburg National Military Park visit www.nps.gov/gett. We highly recommend it as a dog-friendly trip!

Dolly Goes to Washington DC! Part One

This is the first part of a series of blogs about my vacation with Mom and Dad to our nation's capitol Washington DC.

It all began for me one day that seemed to me like any other day. First, I got to go with mom to run errands in the car and ended up being dragged into the place where they trim my toenails. Yikes! After we got home I got to go for a walk but when we came in the door mom dragged me, again, to the basement for a bath. Double yikes! Then she spent all day doing laundry and putting things in bags and boxes. The next morning Mom and Dad were up early which is normal, but mom didn't take me for a walk, I only got to go in the back yard. Both were busy putting things in more bags and boxes and going in and outside. I started to get worried until I heard those magic words "Ride in the car?"

Checking to make sure I packed everything!

I got really excited then, I started wagging my tail and running around, I was so happy because I knew I was going with mom and dad somewhere I just didn't know where! I got to the car only to be disappointed to be put in the backseat, and oh no, put in my Kurgo harness. I really wanted to be up front with mom and dad. But there were blankets and a bed it was really nice! I settled down right away for the drive.

Let's go!

Ahhh sun! I'm getting sleepy!

Oh my dog! It was a long ride! First it was like we were going to Grandma's in Indiana because we stopped at the place for me to go potty where I've been before. We drove for a really long time, Mom and Dad stopped a lot and I got to get out and meet some other dogs who were traveling too. After awhile I had slept enough and got a little restless. Mom got me this dog harness set up by Kurgo where I have a harness that hooks up to a zip line across the backseat. So I can move around all over the back but found out I had just enough length to stand shotgun between mom and dad on the center arm rest and watch where we were going. I also got lots of pets and hugs and gave kisses and nuzzells back. I also could look out all the windows and sometimes the window would open and I could smell things too. Mom gave me a Nylabone but I wasn't in the mood for that so just relaxed and waited to see what was going to happen.

Okay, I admit, I'm not perfect. When either mom or dad would leave the car I freaked out. I wanted my pack together and my separation anxiety sort of became an issue on the trip. I will confess to more of this later on.

Finally we stopped at a hotel called LaQuinta. I saw other dogs there too! I rode in an elevator for the first time and learned a new trick. We had two beds and I could jump from one to the other without jumping down and then back up. Cool! The next morning I got to go in the car again and we were off! A few hours laters we came to a town called Gettysburg where a famous Civil War battle took place. We were going to spend the day there and learn about history. It sounded like fun to me because we were going to be in the car the whole time and go for little walks inbetween. What a perfect day, car, walks, mom and dad, what more could a little Doxie mix rescue ask for?

This ends Part One of Dolly Goes to Washington DC! Stay tuned for more of my exciting adventure!

    

Walking with Mom

I live in the big city of Chicago in a very pretty neighborhood with a large park a few blocks away from our house. Before I came along mom walked a lot for exercise. Once it would start to get light out she would head to the park and back home before work, over two miles. But she was always sad when she got home because she would see everyone walking their dogs. She got lonely walking all by herself almost every morning and loved seeing all the dogs enjoying the park. She wanted her own dog to walk to the park with her. After I came along Mom couldn't wait to take me for a walk. Well, let me tell you it was not as easy as it looks! She hadn't walked a dog in years and I had never worn a leash so what a disaster! First, mom seemed to look over the "hound" part of my breed as I have to smell every leaf, twig or blade of grass, so things went pretty slow. Then there was the pulling, I can be a bit stubborn, I would want to go one way, she would want to go the other. It didn't take too many tries before she came home and asked dad to order a leash from Caesar Millan's web site, like she had seen on his The Dog Whisperer TV show. Once they got the slip leash on me things got a little easier for mom, but I wasn't happy at all!

This is me on one of my first walks to the little park by our house. Mom made me wear a sweater then, I would get excited seeing a sweater knowing I would go for a walk. I really hate wearing them now! Then came time for my first walk to the big park! I was so excited all the smells! Mom claims I never even saw the park the first few times we went there because my nose was to the ground all the time. Then one day I looked up and "wow" look at this place, grass and trees for as far as I could see! I started to meet other dogs and everyone thought I was so cute! Mom continued to try out a few different leashes on me, all a big mistake though. There was the retractable leash, not recommended for training at all! Then there were really long leashes so that I could run around some which just got tangled up on everything. First, she would walk me to the park with the slip leash just to get me there, then change leashes. That's how I completely slipped out of my harness one of my first days at the park and went running off. Mom about had a heart attack. I am very friendly so when I stopped to say "hi" to someone he grabbed me. Whew, lucky mom, she wouldn't have been able to come home without me, dad would have been furious! So that's how we got started going on walks to Portage Park. Things changed a lot for me a few months later though. Mom, Dad and me went to puppy training at the shelter I was adopted from and the trainer believed in the pinch collar. I have had to wear one ever since because I want to pull a lot and go where I want to go. But isn't that all about being a Doxie?

My Training Days

Let me just say there were some adjustments made in the household after I arrived! Mom had never raised a puppy on her own before but had dogs growing up. Dad seemed to be the experienced one in puppy training. Before leaving the shelter they had to watch a video on potty and crate training. Mom confesses to being a bit naive thinking I would sleep through the night and not mess in my crate and bark to let everyone know about it. Dad took care of everything the first few nights until I got the hang of things.  Mom got really good at watching me start to sniff around the floor when she would grab me and run down the stairs to outside. Oh, did I mention we lived on the second floor? Technically two and a half flights of stairs each way every time I had to potty. Then there were the PRIs (puppy related injuries) banging chins, you name it, it happend to poor mom.  One day dad was sitting in the chair off the kitchen when I let him know I wanted up there. So I got picked up and held and cuddled while mom was screaming "No, she's in training!" She then came to the conclusion that I had become a bit spoiled in the shelter while being cared for. For the next several months I was kept in the kitchen with a puppy gate separating me from the front of the house. So I proceeded to destroy everything in sight. Mom again confesses to being naive when it comes to the chewing. She thought I would stop tearing things up once the puppy teeth were gone (note to readers still chewing two years later). Here is a list of my crimes during my kitchen days:

• Inherited cat bed with zipper covering
• Gym bag on floor
• Storage basket on floor
• Vintage kitchen wallpaper (mom would come out of the bathroom to find a mess)
• Bathroom rug(s)
• Shoes, shoes, shoes, and the tips off of the laces were my speciality
• Original oak woodwork
• Corner of island kitchen cabinet
• All toys except rubber Kong

I'll finish the list when I write next about being allowed in the front rooms! Thanks for reading! Love, Dolly.

My First Blog!

Hi! I am Dolly a dachshund mix. Mom is glad that they call our breed Doxie because she has a hard time spelling dachshund. She adopted me from a shelter in Niles, IL called Wright-Way Rescue. She had never heard of the shelter when she found me on Petfinder.com. She was in mourning after her last cat Herb had just passed. She had wanted a dog for the last two years after losing her job when the economy tanked in 2008 desiring more companionship than an elderly cat. So she typed in her zip code and there I was! Me and my four litter mates, my name was Zola then and I was six weeks old.  Wright-Way Rescue operated differently than most shelters, in fact, they just had a write up on cesarsway.com WrightWayRescue.net. She was able to "reserve" me for a meet and greet when I made it to Niles and could be adopted. But there were a lot of complications. Wright-Way rescued my litter from a "humane" society shelter and we were in very poor condition and pretty sickly. It took us seven weeks before we could be adopted! But mom waited and she was so glad she did! When she saw me for the first time right away she said "Look how big her feet are!" Well, us Doxie's are known to have bigger front feet than back so she was pretty sure I wasn't going to be a HUGE dog. She loved my brown brindling on my face and paws and thought I was really cute. So her and Dad said we would take her right away and didn't even wait to get to know me. Which is good because I was very distracted with everything going on and didn't make the greatest first impression in the personality department,  As she cuddled me in her arms on the way home from the shelter she told Dad that she wanted to name me Dolly and that was that! Please stay tuned for the next installment of my new life! Love, Dolly.