Dog Days

Dog Days- (from the Latin diēs caniculārēs ) refer to the hottest, most sultry days of summer.  It is sort of appropriate at our house right now.  It is definitely hot and sultry outside, but inside we are still dealing with dog days.  Yep, since Belle and Moose are both gone, I have resigned myself to dealing with the dogs.  Interestingly they are keeping me fairly busy right now.

First of all you have to know our dogs.  Fenway is the sweetest, most loving Fox Red Lab.  Technically she is a yellow lab, but her actual color is much closer to a golden retriever.  She has both yellow and chocolate labs in her family tree.  She follows me everywhere, in fact sometimes I just walk from room to room in circles while she follows me.  Sadly Peter Pan and I get great entertainment out of that- this is what our lives have come to.  She also thinks she is little (probably because she grew up with a dachshund sister) and will try to sit in my lap if I sit down.  She is a good, good dog although we have not really trained her so much so she has a few bad habits (like jumping up on people and she won't stay!).

Bella (or Satan) is a whole different element.  She is a half wire haired, half smooth haired miniature dachshund.  Peter Pan and Moose say she is ugly cute, and she is a little different looking.  Belle and I sort of got conned when we bought her I think.  In any case we love her.  Unlike labs, dachsies are much more dominating.  I call it "Napoleon Syndrome" but Bella can be extremely aggressive with other dogs.  She is also very protective and territorial and like all dachshunds believes that everything she surveys is hers!  She also has an annoyingly high pierced bark, which we hear most of the day.  The worst thing is that her house training is just sort of guideline and if no one responds to her need to go out quickly, she goes wherever she pleases.  Again, I blame us because we haven't really spent enough time or energy training her.

Since Peter Pan and I are both home right now we have been trying to walk them regularly.  This is always and adventure.  You never know what they will do, find, or get into.  I usually take the little one, and Peter Pan takes Fenway.  They each have their own walking issues.  Fenway is just desperate to see, smell, and explore EVERYTHING!  She has to wear a harness to cut down on the pulling and still Peter Pan has had a sore shoulder since we started.  Bella wants to bark at everything and attack any dog, bike or jogger who comes near.  So much for pleasant walks.

Both the dogs have had health issues for the last few months.  They have both had seizures, puncture wounds, and now Fenway has an ear infection.  I hate when something is wrong with them.  They can't tell you what is happening.  They are so helpless.  Most of all, I am a poor judge of when something is really serious or just a nuisance that will pass.  Fortunately my sister is a vet, she doesn't live near us, but I can text or call anytime for advice.  When she visited she took care of some strange wound on Bella and helped me clean Fenway's ears, plus she cut both of their nails.  It was awesome!

So, since I have no kids at home, no sports to obsess over, and no work right now, I am officially a crazy dog lady.  They are so sweet and cute, how could I not be!