Dachshund wannabe

Life has gotten a little busier in our household. We are up to 20 paws at the moment.

As I posted in December, I was away at a puppy mill seizure in Quebec. Well, the last two dogs left from that seizure came into our rescue just over a week ago. I am fostering one of them, a dachshund wannabe or a chi-wiennie.

She has a dachshund body with the head and legs of a chihuahua. She was named Angel because of her ears. Angel has dachshund sized ears that stand up like a chi's; one of the volunteers thought they looked like angels' wings, so Mary Beth named her Angel. (I still say that she could receive satellite TV with these ears. I am surprised that her neck and small head can support these ears). The vet guesses her age to be around 6 yrs old.

Angel is very skittish about people. She is much more comfortable around my gang, than around me. It took some time before I could move her from the "safety" of the exercise pen in the basement up to the main floor. I would go downstairs and just sit beside her pen, reading or crocheting. I would "chat" with Angel, but not look at her or pay particular attention to her. Slowly she got used to me enough that she would eat while I was in the room. In the beginning, Angel would be interested in her food bowl, but would not make herself vulnerable enough to eat while I was around.

Angel is pretty good about urinating on her pee pads, but she has not quiet figured out yet that ALL bodily functions should happen on the papers. One thing she has taken to very early on and very well, is her nice, soft, comfy bed. It is definately her security place.

Angel had another little break thru tonight. For the first time, she took a treat from my hand. It was a slow process, she had to work up to it and I could not look at her while she approached, but she did finally touch my hand with her nose and gently lick off the treat. I had to stay on the other side of the baby gate as well. She still jumps and skitters to the opposite corner of the area when I change her pee pads, or fill her water bowl. It is a little dance that we do, so that she is always in the furthest corner away from me. It breaks your heart to see how afraid and unsocialized she is. But she has come a long way in a very short period of time. She definately has the potential to make a loving and loyal companion.

The owner has not surrendered the dogs from the seizure; this is going to be decided in the courts, so I am not comfortable posting her picture here at this time. Depending upon which way you look at her, she morphs between looking more chi and highlighting her doxie body. Her bark is definately that of a chi. Angel has only recently found her voice here and she does not use it that often. Mostly after my guys start up the chorus, she will join in.

If you are counting, then Heidi, Pogo, Valentin and Angel total up to 16 paws. Yes, I am an accountant. The last 4 paws belong to another foster, a special needs doxie like Heidi.

Add to it all, a broken snowblower, year end at work as well as for the rescue's books, and you get an idea of life in our household at the moment. I am seriously considering sending flowers and a Get Well card to my snowblower - I ache all over from shovelling.

Well, I am off to tuck everyone in for the night,