Through the Tunnel!

I've been learning lots of new stuff! I started my "Tricks" class and have been riding a skateboard, climbing in and out of boxes, and picking up toys. I also learned how to "play dead". When my mommy says "Bang!" and points her pretend gun at me, I lay down on my side and stick my legs straight out. She really thinks that's cute. I'm really good at "Sit Pretty", as you can see...

I also got to play on some agility equipment. I like to jump and run through the tunnels.

I'm growing bigger every day, and my mommy says I look more like a beagle-dachshund now. I'm 7 1/2 months old and she says I'm feisty. But I'm also very snuggly. I especially like to curl up under the blankets at night.

Doggy School

I LOVE doggy school. I get to go every week, and it's "Click"...a treat jackpot. All I have to do is pay attention to my mommy, and she gives me these really good treats. We do things like "sit" and "rest" and "stand". Then we get to greet everyone else's mommy, and they give treats, too! It's like Halloween, every week! Then we practice "leave it", walking nicely, and "recall" (that's just where my mommy calls me and when I come, she gives me the BESTEST hugs and kisses.)



My mommy loves to see me do new stuff, so I'm always trying to think up stuff she thinks will be "soooo cute". So now I give her "five", then "high five". It's really "high ten", but she says that's okay. I learned to back up, and she thinks that's really cool.



They are starting a new class that my mommy says is going to be very fun. Tricks, Rally, and a little Agility, too. I don't know what those are yet, but I'll keep ya posted. I know if there's a clicker involved, I'll be a happy camper!



[Dog training is not just about making your dog "be good". It's a great way to bond with your dog, burn off some energy, socialize your dog AND yourself, with the great side benefit of actually learning how to make everyone happier! We go to The Dogs Spot in Kansas City Missouri, and you can learn more about them by going here http://www.thedogsspot.com/. ~Suzy]

I am a Parvo Survivor!

If you don't know how horrible Parvo is, and how many puppies die of Parvo, you just won't understand how I beat the odds. Of course, since I'd already had 4 rounds of puppy vaccinations, what were the odds that I'd have it in the first place? Pretty slim.

But I did.

A "strong positive" for Parvo, my vet told my mommy. There were deep sighs all around, and I got scared. My mom had dropped me off at the vet that morning, because I'd started puking the day before. It was gross, but none of us really believed it was Parvo. They thought it might be something stuck in my intestines, since I sorta like to chew stuff I'm not supposed to chew. Anyway, my mom dropped me off and asked the doctor to run some tests and do an x-ray. It was just one of those "let's rule it out" tests. After the Parvo test came back positive, the doctor started giving me fluids and a shot to help me stop getting sick. By the time my mom got off work that night, I felt really horrible and I guess I looked really bad, too. I didn't have any energy, so I just laid there. I'm pretty cute, they say, but I didn't feel very cute. She picked me up and held me close. I could tell she was worried and didn't know what to do. Then she said "I'm taking you home". And she did.

She gave me fluids every couple of hours until I felt like a pincushion! She tried to give me all different kinds of foods that I normally like. But my tummy was hurting and I wasn't even interested in drinking water. My mom carried me around everywhere that night, kissing me a lot, and took me to work with her the next day. She gave me fluids in between answering phone calls and all that other stuff she does. She held me lots, and everyone looked very sad. At 10:00 am, she got really excited because a package she had been waiting for arrived. It was the UPS guy, and I normally like him, but I didn't care...I just laid there feeling terrible. I wasn't moving at all by then, and it even hurt to breathe. Next thing I knew, she was sticking a dropper full of nasty tasting stuff in my mouth. "Just 5 drops", she said. Yuk. It tasted so bad, in fact, that I decided to get up and drink a little water just to rinse my mouth out. She got all excited about that. Then I laid back down and fell asleep. I started feeling a little better that night.

The next day and evening, I was still really tired and didn't do much of anything. I drank a little water when she gave me that gross stuff. Slowly but surely, I started watching the world again.

The next morning, I even ate a little bit of a dog treat. Then some noodles out of my mom's soup. I was drinking water pretty regularly by then and she went to Burger King and gave me some chicken nuggets for lunch. Suddenly, I was really hungry!

She gave me 5 drops every hour for two whole days. It was gross, but it did make me feel better. She said that stuff saved my life.

I'm all back to normal now. I had lost a bunch of weight and couldn't walk very well because I was so weak. But now I can run and play. Even better, now, because I've grown a little and can jump all the way up on the couch!

My mommy still carries me around and kisses me all the time, though. I guess kisses aren't just for when I'm sick.


[Note: Parvaid and Vibactra Plus can be ordered here http://wolfcreekranch.net/parvaid.html I don't care what it is. I was willing to try anything. It saved Dixie's life. I believe that. -Suzy ]