Day 2 In The Life Of A Rescued Pup

Hello fellow Schnauzers!

(Taz and I talked and decided if you like us enough to stick with us this far, we’ll make you honorary Schnauzers and members of our pack.)

Phew!  We made it through the night!  But that new girl has a bowel problem.  We’re embarrassed for her.  WE do not use our house as a toilet.  Except for me when I’m very, very sick.  And Taz when she is on a fluid pill for her heart…sometimes she just can’t wait, even as the door is opening.  Sooooo embarrassing.  Our people tell us it’s okay and clean things so we aren’t reminded of our faux pas, but still.  We aren’t puppies after all.   Hmmmm, maybe that Simba is still a baby?  Who knows.  I will give her props though, when she had to “go,” she talked.  She jumped off the bed and cried.  Big Puppy learned quick what that meant.  It only took her one time to learn.  B.P’s as smart as me!

We thought we were going to get rid of her find her a new place to live today, but as we started the truck up, it wouldn’t go.  Something about a snake.  Big Puppy (aka Julie) said it was serendipitous that the serpentine belt decided to shed its old skin today.  Looks like that girl Simba is staying with us a little longer.

The neighbors offered to take her to the shelter.  But since they weren’t too interested in meeting the little girl they left on the side of the road yesterday, our people said, “thanks, but no thanks.”  (They’ve told us their views on the role of dogs in a household saying animals should be left behind when there is a disaster like a hurricane and not be allowed into shelters with their people.  We feel sorry for their poor dogs and our people don’t agree.  Think about it!)

Big Puppy called the no-kill shelter.  They wouldn’t have taken Simba anyway.  They only take pups from area shelters, the ones that are targeted for killing.  Some people say euthanizing because that’s supposed to be more humane.  But there’s nothing humane about making a conscious choice to kill a healthy living creature.

Alpha Dog (aka Jeff) and Big Puppy talked and decided we will take care of Simba and find her a new home.  She has suffered enough and will not be subjected to a shelter where maybe she’ll be killed.  Taz and I are glad.  Well, I’m glad anyway.  Taz still isn’t too sure she can share her people.

Big Puppy called our Doctor and made an appointment to have Simba examined and immunized.  We hope she doesn’t have parasites or heart worms or anything.  It’s not nice to say, but she’s kind of a tramp and who knows what kind of trouble she’s gotten into.  With all this diarrhea she has, something’s not right.

Feel kinda bad for Simba with her gut probs, but it’s great for Taz and me.  We get to go outside more than usual and you know we love that!  And we get to eat our favorite comfort food!  Rice with homemade chicken broth and ever-increasing amounts of chicken!  Since we’re not sick like Simba, Big Puppy puts some of our regular food in with the rice and chicken.  Simba wants to eat that, too, and it’s funny to watch how crazy Big Puppy is trying to keep Simba just to the sick puppy menu.  She says it’s important because Simba’s innards need to be soothed just as her skin and heart need to be soothed and loved.

So far, this second day is kind of boring.  No pictures.  Poop is not pretty.  But, jeez, Big Puppy could have put some pics of me in here.  I love modeling!

Well, stay tuned for Day 3 of our life with Simba.  It’s got to be better than today.

Love…Jojo

P.S.  Okay, Jojo…enough nudging.  I’ll put a pic of you in the post.  Just stop nudging.

 

I know you’re in there chipmunk…stop toying with me or I’ll get my sister.

I told you I’d get my sister. She’s mean and likes caving.

The Rescue of Ruby Marie, part 1

One Sunday morning back in January Alpha Dog took a drive to the grocery store.  On the way there, he wondered why our neighbors were taking so long at the intersection as he followed them.  Then he found out.

There was a bedraggled very small dog wandering very close to the road.  The past week had been incredibly cold.  Freezing, in fact.  Alpha Dog could not let this little creature stay in the freezing cold when it was clear it had been abandoned.  And who knew for how long?  Well, we figured it out.

We (Jojo and Taz) were very surprised when Alpha Dog brought this smelly, ugly creature into the house.  But Big Puppy (Julie) was even more surprised.  Alpha Dog came into the bedroom holding this thing in the air saying I brought you a surprise.  Big Puppy was thinking, “Oh, boy…ice cream.”  You should have seen her face when she looked at that ragamuffin that had a coat that was alive with fleas and covered in ticks.  It was dirty and smelly and looked like something out of a horror movie. Big Puppy thought, “This is just what I need.  Another animal to take care of while we’re moving and I’m dealing with PTSD and can hardly get out of bed.”

It had no tags.  And although we didn’t know the name, we figured out it was a girl.  She looked like a lion with a big fluffy front half and a shaved to the skin rear end and tail with a puff at the end.  Our people are calling her Simba, for lack of a better name.  We don’t think she likes it as she looks at our people funny when they call her that, kind of like they’re retarded or something.

Our people talked.  Alpha Dog(AD) had tried to take the dog to a (shudder) vet to get some help, but the vet had no interest in AD’s plight.  Someone at the Vet’s office (had brought a dog in for emergency surgery) told A.D. about a non-kill shelter in Daphne, Alabama.  Not open until Monday.

Big Puppy(BP) said if this dog is going to stay in our home for any time,  she has to have a bath and we need to deal with these fleas.  We shared our flea and tick medication with this little waif (not even 10 pounds!)  We all took a ride to  visit Dirty Hairy Dog Wash.  It wasn’t open.  So we went to the Shelter just to find it and see if someone might be there taking care of the animals.  No luck.  Back to Dirty Harry’s.

Thankfully, we did not have to go into Dirty Hairy’s.  Only Simba.  Just as well as BP cried the whole time she bathed Simba.  She kept finding places where Simba was hurt, scabbed and raw skin, more hiding ticks.  Caked in dirt that had to be scrubbed off and out of matted hair.  Turns out she had chewed herself raw because of all the flea bites.  Simba cried and BP cried with her.  The lady at Dirty Harry’s gave BP a very special shampoo to use on Simba to kill the fleas.  BP didn’t use the blow dryer on Simba.  She doesn’t with us either.  It’s a really scary machine and makes way too much noise.  Simba was scared enough.

This was the beginning of Taz’s jealousy.  BP held Simba in a dry, warm towel all the way home.  Even while we stopped at the place we’re moving to.  The good news there was a man was very interested in taking Simba into his home if no other alternatives worked out.  None of us want Simba to be destroyed or sent back to people who obviously did not take care of her.  Not even Taz.

Not only did I have a bath, but I got a halter, too. I don’t like it!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Rescue Ruby’s story!

 

The Art of Puppy Napping

As much as we love Site Sniffing, days when the four of us are at home together are the best!
After all, puppies typically work 16 hours a day perfecting the Art of Puppy Napping.  And we’re getting pretty good at it!

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Yes, we DO practice the Art of Napping whenever and wherever we can!

We are considering firing Julie as our travel blogger!

We’re not happy, Julie

Jojo says, “Julie is not meeting the terms of our agreement.  She is not letting the world know what we have been up to and we are not happy Schnauzers.  However, we, as a species, are quite magnanimous and will give her one more chance.

And, yes, we have altered the terms of the agreement as we are experts in the field of positive reinforcement and wish to give Julie a chance to be successful.  Especially since it can only help to make us look really, really good!”

And according to Taz, “Yeah, what Jojo said.  Julie is a screw up, but she’s my screw up.  And she gives me those good chewy pills twice a day, so I’ll just can’t fire her.  Unless she insists on giving me baths so regularly.”

Julie, groveling at the paws of the pups says, “Mea culpa!  Thanks for not firing me, but you’re not getting extra treats!”

And on to today’s feature presentation…

Kodak Moments From the Road

(Did you know we’re from the Rochester NY area, home of Kodak?

Thank goodness we use digital!)

We are waiting, Julie

We’re not happy, Julie

Early morning walks are the best!

A rest makes the walk more pleasant, especially when we’ve got good company

We’re Queens of the Mountain, Alpha Dog!

We LOVE the beaches along the Gulf Shore!

Sometimes we have our own personal island. Jojo is the Captain and Taz is the “little buddy”

Travel Action Plan Priorities

We two own good people. They take excellant care of us. Before we started traveling in our mobile dog house, they did a lot of work. The pictures below describe the most important things our people did. You should do these things, too, if you’re going to travel with your pets.

Make an appt for a wellness exam for your pet(s) before you go on the road.

Ask your vet about any parasites or other issues to monitor for in the areas you expect to travel

Have your pet vaccinated against possible travel related illnesses, in this case kennel cough.

Make sure you have your animal’s current license, rabies, and other vaccination records.

Get your animal’s medical history from the vet

Have notes of any special medical needs your animal may have. Don’t rely on your memory.

Keep all this info and records in one place in a water resistant portfolio. We keep ours in the car.

Get a pet specific and recommended medical handbook to travel with you.

• They also made a place in our mobile dog house for our toys and our beds.  (We’ll show you pics another time.)
• They got special water bowls that hold a lot of water and don’t spill no matter how crazy people drive.
• Food was a concern, too. We eat special stuff. Our people made sure they had enough on hand in case we needed to special order stuff.
• Same thing with water. Because we move a lot we kept getting weird water that made Taz sick. So now they carry gallons of spring water for us.
• Unfortunately they also got six months worth of flea, tick, and hearworm medication.
• Since we spend a lot of time in one place in the winter, those people of ours got us a second doctor in our winter home.  Aren’t we special?!  Absolutely!

Sometimes (like during flea/tick treatment) we wish our people didn’t love us so much!

Happy New Year and Birthday: Jojo at 7!

I may be a bit shaggier

I may get a bit colder

I may sleep a bit more

But I'm still on the job!

(I didn't know this was part of the job.)

And, I'm still learning and challenging myself.

Taz swears I don't have that "old dog" smell.

I'm still a Daddy's girl. (Except when I'm not.)

We Are The Schnauzers, The Mighty, Mighty Schnauzers

Hi! I’m Jojo. I’m bigger and much, much louder. Throw a tennis ball and I’m your friend forever.

Hello! I’m younger and smaller. I’m also very shy. But don’t forget, I’m in charge! BTW my name is Taz.