Camping

Kim's boyfriend, Clay, has a great (and huge!) group of friends. They do all sorts of stuff together, and people come if they can, so there's always different people there. This past weekend, Clay invited me to a birthday party being held at Kurt's house. Kurt has a pretty big property next to a creek, with a stone gazebo with a fireplace (and electricity!), an outhouse (with a running toilet!), and a few other fun things. Everyone brought tents and camping gear, so we had a big campout in Kurt's backyard. There were probably 30-40 people there, and about 20 stayed the night.

Kurt owns Hans, a German shepherd. Kim and Clay brought Lenny, their pit bull mix, and Sonya, a collie, was there, too. I brought Swift and Kool and took Elsie along, too. 6 dogs running around with 30 people was pretty crazy.

I was a little nervous letting Elsie off her leash, since she's not technically my dog. However, I did it and am glad I did! She had a blast, running through the weeds, splashing in the creek, and playing with the other big dogs.

Swift and Kool were in their element, too! Everyone thought they were the cutest things, and of course, they took full advantage of that. The boys had a good time pretending to be big dogs, too. They'd take off running after the other dogs, and everyone got along quite well. I think it was good for Elsie to be exposed to many different people and to be able to run and play. I also think that she bonded a bit with the boys. They seem much more comfortable with her at home now.

It got a little chilly that night, so I was thankful I had 3 dogs to snuggle with. Swift likes to crawl inside my sleeping bag, and he makes a nice little heater. Kool, however, likes to wander around the tent and doesn't settle down. He may or may not have gone in and out of the tent all night - who knows?! My tent is a 6-person, so I usually put up the divider and Kim and Clay sleep on one side with Lenny, and I sleep on the other side with my two guys. Kool likes to go over to the other side and bother Clay when he's sleeping. :) I have no idea where Elsie slept. I brought her into the tent when I first went to bed, but I didn't see her the rest of the night. Kim thinks she slept outside.

Apparently, none of the dogs slept really well, since when we all woke up the next morning, they were dead tired. While we were waiting for breakfast, Kool curled up in my lap and slept for about an hour. After packing up and going home, all 3 dogs slept the rest of the day. It was a very nice, quiet Sunday.

My dogs do so well camping. We should go more often.

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New Dog

At the beginning of the year, I decided I wanted to do some volunteer work. I chose the Seattle Humane Society. Unfortunately, my schedule did not match up with any of the available shifts they had. They contacted me and asked if I would be interested in fostering a dog. I said, "Sure!" So they signed me up for orientation, and a few days later, I brought home Elsie!

Elsie

At first, Elsie was quite shy. She just lay on the floor, taking it all in. The first evening, I kept the boys separate so Elsie could settle in. The boys did not appreciate this large dog invading their house. They barked and whined. When I finally introduced them, they tried to lunge at her. I felt so bad for her. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Over the next fews days, Elsie opened up quite a bit. She loves to go outside, so I try to keep the patio door open for her so she can wander in and out. She discovered the stash of toys, and now every night, almost every single toy is out. Swift does not appreciate Elsie playing with his toys. So far, she's left orange squeaky alone, so hopefully, we won't have any fights. Elsie has tried to play tug-of-war with Swift and Kool, and she had Kool going for a few seconds.

Elsie is only two-years-old, so I think it's bit different for the boys. Swift is used to playing by himself because Kool is an old grumpy man (he's 6), and Elsie is just so playful. The boys are slowly getting used to her, though.

Swift actually joined Elsie on the couch

It's been really hot the past few days, so I let the boys and Elsie have free run of the house one night. I got up after a bit to get a glass of water, and all 3 of them were in Elsie's kennel. It was adorable. However, when I got up the next morning, Swift and Kool had kicked Elsie out and were sleeping in her kennel and she was sleeping on the couch! No fair, boys!

Elsie has a big kennel that the boys love

It's been a little difficult with the three of them, especially potty breaks. But it's worth it.

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Dachshunds on Parade

Every year, the town of Ellensburg, WA, hosts Dachshunds on Parade. This year was their 8th annual event. I decided to take the boys with me and drive the two hours. It was so much fun!

It was a pretty warm day, perfectly sunny for a day at the fair. When we arrived, I wanted to dress up the boys, but they were sick and tired of being in the car for two hours that they escaped while I was trying to put on their clothes! I was worried that they would be hit by a car in the parking lot, but luckily, there was a nice gentleman who caught Swift, and I was able to get Kool before he got too far away.

We walked into the fair, and there were wiener dogs everywhere! There were all kinds of doxies - all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some were dressed up. We saw a hot dog, the Three Musketeers, Princess Leia with Yoda and Chewbacca, a hippie, and lots of other adorable costumes. There was a costume contest, stupid pet tricks, and a parade. And, of course, no dachshund event would be complete without wiener dog races!

Swift and Kool at the Parade

I just so happened to run into a couple of friends from my dachshund meetup, Amber and Anna. Amber owns Dobby and Baxter, and Anna just got Moose, who is a mini-version of Swift! Dobby is quite famous for his running. He's won several races and always runs at the Seahawks game for doxies.

The dachshund races are always the most exciting part, and it took a couple of hours to get through all of the heats so all of the dogs could participate that wanted. Dobby ended up placing 4th in the mini-doxie race! Good job, Dobby!

Amber's other dog, Baxter, loves to play in the pool at their house. He runs around in circles, chasing after the waves that's he makes with his feet. There was a shallow kiddie pool to help the doxies keep cool at the fair, and Baxter had a blast.

We will definitely be going again next year!!

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McDonald's

Now if you've been following my Twitter updates, you know that I've been working on losing weight and staying away from fast food. So even though this post is about McDonald's, I swear I've been sticking to my goals! This story is from a little while ago, so that's why it's about McDonald's.

Whenever I run out on the weekends for a quick errand, like to go grab some fast food lunch, go to the ATM, or pick up some groceries, I like to bring the boys along with me. My weekends are my time with the guys, so I like to keep them with me as much as possible. The dogs loooove going through the drive through - they sniff and sniff at the scents wafting through the open windows. They also love the attention they get from the drive through staff.

Kool and Swift usually get a french fry on the drive home, and if they're really lucky, I'll buy a 4-piece McNugget just for them. On this particular instance, I was feeling really generous, so I bought McNuggets for them. I break them into smaller pieces because the boys just swallow them without chewing. We got home, I fed them their McNuggets, and I ate my burger. I was cleaning up and decided to take the trash out. However, I forgot my McDonald's trash. In the few minutes, it took me to walk downstairs to throw away the garbage, the dogs had managed to get onto the TV tray and pull down the McDonald's bag with all of the wrappers. When I opened the door and caught them in the act, Kool stopped immediately and just stared at me. Swift, however, must not have heard me come in, because his entire head was inside the McDonald's bag. I got really close to him and just waited. He pulled out the McNuggets carton, and just as his eyes were far enough out of the bag, he saw me. He stopped, with the carton still in his mouth, halfway out of the bag. I could tell he was thinking, "Uh-oh. I've been caught." He slowly dropped the carton and backed away. Then, of course, he rolled over onto this back, so I could rub his tummy, like he always does, when he's been bad. What a silly dog!! I had to laugh at him - I couldn't even punish him because he looked so cute!

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Grandma!!

My mom came to visit for a weekend. She had met Kool before, but she hadn't met Swift. Of course, I talk about the dogs all the time, so she hears all about them. And she's seen tons of pictures and videos of them. The boys were their normal, adorable selves the whole time she was here.

Both of the boys love company. Swift's tail just wouldn't wagging, and he was just obsessed with his ball. I got a little jealous, because Kool and Swift paid more attention to my mom than they did to me. (I'm just kidding - halfway.) One day we came home, and I let them out of their kennels. Normally, Kool jumps all over me, while Swift does his "check" of the house and then comes up to kiss me. Well, they both shot right past me and ran right up to my mom! They completely ignored me. Talk about jealousy.

My mom slept in the guest bedroom/office/storage room on an air mattress. One morning, I let them in the room to wake my mom up. As I've mentioned before, Kool loves to kiss, and Swift loves to lick. They attacked her with kisses. She did the same thing I always do - pretended she hated it and "tried" to push them away. But I knew she really loved it.

I don't have any kids, so the boys are my mom's substitute grandbabies.

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Doughnut Dogs

When I sleep, I tend to curl up slightly. I like to sleep on my side, and I usually hold a pillow or my panda (yes, I still sleep with a stuffed animal) in my arms. My knees bend slightly, so I'm in the shape of a zig-zag.

Well, apparently, the space just behind my knees is the perfect size for Kool, and my belly is the perfect shape for Swift. I know this because that is how we sleep...every single night.

We don't usually start out that way. Kool will fall asleep at the end of the bed on top of the covers, and depending on the day, Swift will crawl his way under the comforter or fall asleep on the pillow next to my head. Sometime in the middle of the night, they migrate to their positions - Kool behind my knees, and Swift smushed up against my stomach - both under the covers.

I set my alarm for about 20 minutes before I normally get up - I need that extra snooze to help me wake up. So this is how my morning goes:
Alarm
Get out of bed
Snooze alarm
Climb back in bed, lying on the other side
Swift and Kool re-arrange themselves to be in their appropriate spots
Wait for Swift and Kool to settle down
Sleep for 1 minute
Alarm
Get out of bed
Snooze alarm
Climb back in bed, turning over again
Swift and Kool re-arrange themselves
Wait for Swift and Kool to settle down
etc
etc
etc

This happens every morning. I think I should just set the alarm for when I need to wake up, and then I won't have to worry about the dogs re-arranging their positions all the time and keeping me from my precious sleep.

Swift's body is so hot sometimes that I have to push him away from me. I don't know how he generates so much heat! You would think Kool would be the warm one with his long hair, but maybe because Swift has short hair, his body has to work harder to keep him warm. Of course he doesn't like it when I have to push him away; he'd rather lie right up against me. But I tell him, "I'm the human. I'm in charge. MOVE!" :)

Anyway, to explain why I titled this post, "Doughnut Dogs," when the boys sleep, they curl up. Since their bodies are so long, they can curl up completely into a little round ball and they look like doughnuts! I have doughnut dachshunds! They're absolutely adorable when they're sleeping. It makes me remember why I love them so much.

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Kool Kisses

Kool is a kisser. He loves to kiss me. While both doxies love to lick, Kool is definitely more of a kisser. Whenever I come home after a long day and let them out of their kennels, Kool puts his front paws on my leg until I lean down or pick him up. He goes crazy kissing my face. It tickles! And he doesn't just kiss...he nips a little. When I've been gone for an especially long time, he pretty much just nips...no kissing. I think he is just so excited to see me, he can't help himself!!

When I came back from vacation and picked the boys up from Carme's house, Kool went insane! He just kissed and nipped and bit and kissed. It was quite funny.

And it's not just me who thinks he's adorable at this. I took him home to Ohio with me in February of 2008. My mom and I took him to Petco for a Valentine's Pet Party. There was a kissing contest. I knew Kool was a little kisser, but I wasn't sure if he'd do it on command or if he would even kiss the employee judging. Well, it was just perfect. As soon as she picked him up, he gave her a little peck on her cheek! What a sweetie! He won 2nd place! So proud of my little boy...

So I know it's not just me that he likes to kiss. He kisses my boyfriend, he kisses Kim when we walk together, he kisses everybody. Kool is just a kissing fool!

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