Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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.



Tuesday, October 13, 2009

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!



Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Krazy Kool

Kool always seems like such a quiet little guy. He's pretty relaxed and laid-back. I mean, yes, he gets excited when he sees people and other dogs, but for the most part, he embodies his name...just cool.

However (and there is almost always an "however"), there are times when I cannot believe he is the same dog! He cracks me up with the crazy stunts he pulls. I think I've told you about the time he climbed up on my nightstand in the middle of the night. Well, this is just as weird...

Kool likes to hang out in the bathtub. Not when he's getting a bath (although he's a pretty good boy when it comes to that) or when I'm in the shower. Just to hang out.... At first I didn't really realize what he was doing. But I've caught him twice now. I hear these weird noises coming from my bathroom, like toenails on porcelain. Yes. Kool has jumped into the tub and is inspecting all of my soap and shampoo. I have no idea why he does it. One night, he woke me up with being noisy in the tub. What a weirdo.



Friday, September 25, 2009

BADGER!!!! (aka My Friend's Cat)

I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with the history of dachshunds. They're German, and their name means "badger" hound. They were bred for their long bodies to fit into badger holes and hunt them.

Well the boys' instincts have kicked in, and they have decided to go on a badger hunt in my house. Kool and Swift have been introduced to my friend's cat previously in her home. She mostly stayed away and hid under the bed. They didn't interact much, but my friend has a dog, too, so I didn't think it was going to be a problem if I cat-sat. Oh, how wrong I was...

The first night when Kim dropped Nymphy off, the boys were so excited. They jumped and jumped, trying to get to her in Kim's arms. I put the dogs in my bedroom and let Nymphy explore the house a little. When Kim and I decided it was time to let them be together, I let the boys out. Poor Nymphy...she ran and hid behind my hutch. The dogs kept barking at her and whining. Eventually she got brave and hissed and swiped at them....they yelped and backed away. We thought everything would be fine, so Kim left.

Well, the boys did not want to leave Nymphy alone, and the poor kitty got so scared she pooped!! I locked up the dogs and cleaned her up. I decided that was enough for the night. I let Nymphy have the run of the house and kept the boys in my room. Over the next couple of days, I tried to let Nymphy and Swift and Kool spend some time together. It became a pattern - Nymphy would find a new hiding spot every night, and every morning, the boys would try to find her. They would run to all of her old hiding spots before they found her new one. It would cause a riot, so I would rescue Nymphy and lock her in the bathroom while the dogs had their walk and breakfast. Then they would go in their kennel during the day.

One day, Nymphy had had enough. Swift just would not leave her alone. She was under the couch, and Swift could fit under as well. (Nymphy isn't used to being chased under beds & couches. The dog she lives with is huge!) So Nymphy hissed and scratched at him, but it didn't stop Swift. He'd just yelp and whine and continue barking. I couldn't get to Swift because he was under the couch, but I finally pulled him out. Well, Nymphy got him good! He was bleeding everywhere! I put him in the bathtub to clean him up, and his only wounds were on his snout and on his ear - they just bled a lot.

That was the last straw. If cuts and scratches weren't going to stop the dogs, nothing would. I decided to keep the animals away from each other until Kim came to get Nymphy. I'd take turns letting either the boys or Nymphy out. Of course, the boys knew where Nymphy was when she was locked up. They'd scratch at the door and whine and bark. I couldn't believe how badly they wanted her. I could just hear them thinking, "Mom has a badger locked up in there, and I can't believe she won't let us get her!!!!" :) I'm sure Nymphy was glad when Kim came home!



Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Boys on Vacation

I took a business trip to Denver a couple of weeks ago. I left the boys at my friend, Carme's house. She and her husband have owned dachshunds for years, and now they have one long-haired dachshund named Rocky and a cute little mutt named Chewy. Rocky is a bit older than my guys (probably around 8 or 9), and he is definitely the alpha dog at his house. It's quite interesting to see Swift (who is the alpha at our house) interact with Rocky. Of course, Swift brought his new orange squeaky. Well, Rocky loves squeakies, too, and since it was his house, he decided that orange squeaky must be his toy. I think Swift was a little taken aback that another dog would dare take his squeaky. Kool just lets Swift do whatever, so Swift is not used to having to share toys. But it all seemed to go all right. Swift stayed with Carme and Jerry a little over a year ago, and he and Rocky got into a little fight over the ball. Rocky got him good and ripped a little patch of hair off of his snout. Swift looked pretty funny for a while, but it grew back. This time there were no fights; I think Swift is learning to give in a bit, which is definitely good for him!

One of the nice things about Carme and Jerry's house is that it's a house! They have a huge fenced-in backyard so all 4 boys can run and play. It took Swift and Kool a little getting used to running free with no leashes. I felt bad when I had to bring them back to the apartment, and they were limited to leash-only walks. :( That's all right. Gives me more motivation to take them to Marymoor!

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Swift has quite the crazy tail. It never stops moving! When I went to pick up the boys, of course, all the dogs had to come say hi to me...except Chewy. He stayed pretty far away. Jerry told me that apparently Chewy's face is the exact same height at Swift's tail, and poor Chewy kept getting hit in the face! He learned to keep his distance from Swift. Awww...poor Chewy!



Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A New Squeaky Has Arrived

So I finally gave in. I bought a new orange squeaky. Swift went over the moon for it. I actually like this one much better. The squeaker must be broken or something, but it doesn't squeak nearly as much or as loud as the old one did. At first I thought it was just because it was new. But Swift has had it for a while now, and it does the same thing. Some nights, he just sits and squeaks it, but no noise comes out. I love it! I never have to take his ball away again.

This proves that Swift knows the difference between his toys. When old squeaky died, Swift would favor one toy every few days, but he always switched it up. Now that we have a new orange squeaky, he rarely ever plays with anything else.

I love watching Swift play with squeaky. You can just tell it is his absolute favorite thing in the world to do. He gets so intent, and his tail wags like crazy. He's such a cutie-pie. He reminds me of the hamster from the movie, Bolt. "Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball...." He cracks me up!



Monday, August 10, 2009

Showing Off and Hamming it Up

Swift is such a little show-off. I had friends over on the weekend, and Swift just couldn't help himself. The only trick he knows really is how to sit up on his hind legs. He looks like a little prairie dog when he does it. It is absolutely adorable, and he knows it! When he wants attention, he just sits up on his back legs. He's even learned how to do it on the couch and the bed! Of course, he won't do it for the camera, so I don't have any pictures of it. What a cutie.



Friday, August 7, 2009

Do Dachshunds Get Hiccups?

They certainly do! Swift gets hiccups all the time. He's been better lately - not so many. I think it's because he eats his food so fast and he's been slowing down recently. I've started watching the boys eat because I had a theory Swift was eating Kool's food. Swift was getting pretty chubby, and poor Kool would want dinner twice a night. So I started watching them, and sure enough, Swift would gulp down his food and then start eating out of Kool's bowl. And Kool, being the sweetheart and non-confrontational dog that he is, would let him. Kool also didn't eat a lot, so sometimes he would just walk away and let Swift finish. Once I started putting water in their food and letting it soak, Kool would gobble down his food almost fater than Swift. Maybe it's because he's a little older and likes the soft food. If Swift tries to eat Kool's food now, I yell at him and pull him away. So I think he's learning that only his food is his and he's taking his time to eat it.

All that to say, well, Swift got the hiccups last night in bed. I know that when I get hiccups, they hurt sometimes, so I feel bad for the puppy. How do you get rid of hiccups for a dog? Well, I was thinking of all of the ways that humans try to get rid of their hiccups, and I thought, "Maybe I'll try to scare them out of Swift!" I waited a bit and just breathed in and out very slowly so as not to disturb him. All of a sudden, I yelled, "BOO!" Of course, Swift jumped up and looked at me as if I were crazy (which is probably true). But once he settled down and lay back down, did he have the hiccups anymore? No. It worked!



Wednesday, July 29, 2009

It's been a few days since I posted. It's been really really hot here in the Northwest - around 100° every day since Sunday. I feel so bad for the pups, especially Kool with his long hair. We've been just lying around the house in front of the fans, trying to cool down. The first couple of nights, the dogs just didn't get it, and they still kept trying to lie down next to me or on top of me. I think they finally realized that it's freaking hot. Now Swift doesn't run and play nearly as often - he just stretches out and lies quietly. Kool has apparently found his cool spot - the tile floor on my bathroom. Usually, he curls up in a blanket (or clothes or towels - whatever is lying on the floor), but now he just lies down on his side and pants. It breaks my heart when I see them staring at me, panting away. I wish I could do something to make them cooler, but I don't know what to do! I can't even cool myself down. I'm tempted to bring them to work and hide them under my desk in the air-conditioning. I haven't put them in their kennel when I've gone to work - I feel so bad for them. I want them to be comfortable. They've both been pretty good - putting their housebreaking into training. I'm proud of them. If I can get a picture of them panting, I'll post it.



Thursday, July 23, 2009

Adventures at Marymoor


I absolutely love this picture of Swift. My friend, Cat, and I took the boys to Marymoor Park, the off-leash dog park in Redmond. Cat has a pretty cool camera, and she was able to capture Swift off the ground, running with his orange squeaky. (This was, of course, before squeaky died - rest in peace.) I think it's so cute how his tail is sticking straight up in the air and his ears are flapping behind him!

I've taken the boys to Marymoor several times. It's always the same story - Swift running ahead of me and Kool plodding along about 100 feet behind me. Swift is pretty good about not getting too far away, though. It's pretty funny when I turn around and see Kool all the way behind me. Since he's so little, he gets lost in the midst of big dogs. People will look at him and kinda of giggle and say, "Who do you belong to?" My doxies are usually the smallest dogs there. Sometimes we'll run into small dogs, and the boys love it - someone their size! They're pretty good with the big dogs, though - which is surprising to me. Whenever I walk them on their leash, they will bark and screech at any other dog they see. However, when we're at the park and they are off-leash, they're completely fine with the big dogs. Sometimes, though, a big dog will get a little hyper, and Swift yelps, jumps, and runs for me. It's funny because I know the other dog isn't hurting him at all - he's just frightened.

Marymoor is next to a river (not sure which one...maybe it's a lake), and there are several spots for dogs to go swimming. Swift and Kool do not like to swim. They know how to, though. I know this because I tossed them in the water! Not too deep, of course, and I was prepared to jump in after them if they went under. They immediately swam right back to land. They just do not like the water, although Kool seems a little braver than Swift. Interesting.... I'll just keep tossing them in until they like it! I should find a place where I can go in with them. I think they'd like that.




Wednesday, July 22, 2009

It's Always the Quiet Ones

Here is my little sweetheart, Kool. This is a picture of him when I took him home to visit my parents. He wanted to sit on my mom's lap while she was at the computer. I guess he wanted to play on the computer, too. He is usually such a laid-back, sweet little doggie. But, as I said, it's always the quiet ones! My new nickname for Kool is Barky McBarkerson. He won't shut up! It drives me nuts. He barks at everything. He barks at the neighbors walking up the stairs; he barks at the dog in the yard in the next apartment building; he barks at people walking on the sidewalk when my window's open; he barks at everything. Kool's favorite thing is do is to sit by the window and look out and watch everything. For a while, it was pretty cute. Then, all of a sudden, he started barking at everything. Now, it's not so cute.

Sometimes Kool is quite hilarious. Both the doxies usually sleep in my bed with me, but I've been trying to curb that. (Which means convincing myself to sleep alone!) One night, after putting clean sheets on the bed, I decided that the dogs were no longer allowed to sleep with me. Of course, they were upset and whined for a while. They tried jumping up, but their little legs are way too short to get onto the bed - which is why they have a little set of stairs! I moved the stairs away from the bed so they couldn't climb up.

After I had been asleep about an hour, I hear some shuffling noises. I awaken but can't see anything in the dark. I switch on the lamp, and what do I see? Kool. Where is he? On my nightstand, trying to climb into bed with me! Apparently, I left the set of stairs next to my nightstand, and he decided he would have none of this sleeping on the floor thing. He was trying to make his way across all of the books and papers I had on my nightstand, which is what woke me up. I had to admire his creativity and courage. Of course, I then let both dogs sleep in bed with me that night! Kool is just the craziest dog. I love him to death!



Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Swift's Favorite Toy is Dead


Swift is obsessed with his squeaky toy. It's an orange football. He will just sit and squeak it all night long if you let him. At first, no one thinks it's that annoying. I tell them, "Just wait. Eventually you will want to throw the ball over the balcony." However, I am afraid that if I do, Swift will chase it and go plummeting down three stories - so I just grin and bear it. Every so often, I have to put the ball away in the doggie drawer. Swift always knows where it is, though. He will run right to that drawer. Sometimes squeaky goes into my nightstand drawer, but Swift remembers. He knows where that ball is.

One night I came home after work and gave Swift his ball. I left to run a quick errands and brought the boys with me. When we got home, apparently Swift forgot where he left his ball. He started freaking out. He ran all over the house looking for orange squeaky. He kept whining and jumping at the drawers where I normally hide it. I couldn't find it, either. I thought poor Swift was going to go crazy. All of a sudden, he remembered where he left it - it was hidden next to some moving boxes I had left in the dining room. All of that drama, just for an orange squeaky toy.

Well, poor squeaky is now dead. Swift was squeaking/chewing on it, and he punctured a hole in it. It stopped squeaking (yay!) He continued to chew on it for days, hoping to bring the squeak back. He finally ripped it in half, and I think at that point, he just gave up and ate it. Yes, he ate it. Not all of it, but pieces of it. I know this because I saw orange pieces of rubber in his...well, you know. I looked and looked for another one. I had seen them previously at the pet store, but passed up that opportunity to buy them. Of course, now that I actually need one, they don't carry them anymore. I finally found one online, but I don't know if I want to spend the shipping costs just for a dog toy. Ha. I probably will! I can't wait to see Swift's face when I bring home a brand-new orange squeaky.




Monday, July 20, 2009

Introducing Swift and Kool

Swift and Kool are my two adorable dachshunds. They were given to me as a pair in July 2007, when Swift was 1-1/2, and Kool was 4. They are named after hip-hop artists (supposedly) - Ken Swift and Kool Herc, but their names are actually quite appropriate for their personalities. Kool is a long-haired dachshund and is much more laid-back than Swift. Swift is a crazy little pup - his tail never stops wagging, and I cannot seem to train him to stop jumping! Kool is Swift's uncle, but I always call them brothers - it's so much easier to say, "Where's your brother?" than, "Where's your uncle?" or "Where's your nephew?" I would have to remember which dog I'm talking to. These two adorable dogs keep my life interesting. I don't know what I would do without them. There will be plenty of adventures to read about in the coming days...