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My beautiful dog, Willow, is now fully recovered from her surgery and completely released from her fetching pink onesie which, in truth, got put on for vet visits only (blushing). I’d ditched it at home, but don’t tell anyone! She wasn’t bothering her tummy at all and I’d put it on her and 10 minutes later find it somewhere else as she’d completely walked out of it. In short, pointless!
Obviously, I’ve done as I was told on the exercise front and not taken her out at all, but she’s been stir-crazy. She is, after all, only two, and as she wasn’t allowed out and I couldn’t confine her to a crate because of her barking, howling, and obvious distress, she decided, instead, once feeling better, to get the zoomies. I’m used to dogs getting the zoomies, but these were like bullets fired from a gun and woe betide anything in her way. She’d just take whatever it was out in one hit!
Chasing her brother, Bear, from one end of the kitchen, down the hall, around the sitting room, up and off pieces of furniture, to race back down the hall again, I felt we were somehow defeating the object of the exercise ban. So, I begged the vets to let me take her out for lead walks again. They thankfully agreed but, I have to be honest, I was shocked when taking her out, she displayed the same timid, frightened behaviour that she’d exhibited when I first rescued her.
In just two weeks we’ve gone backward by 10 as, tail right between her legs, she was skittish and shouty every time someone came towards her, or worse, appeared behind us. Of course, as before, I know the more we get back to her routines and expose her to people, she’ll improve, but it’s clear that where trust is concerned, I’ve still some way to go with Willow.
Bear, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. He was definitely physically hurt in his previous home, but I’ve been able to show my little Bear that, with me, he’ll never, ever be physically chastised. Since then, he’s been a different dog. He gets it, he trusts me, he’s so much less worried about things, is much more laid-back with people and other dogs, and he comes to me for cuddles and to play daily.
With Bear, it’s more like he’s been with me for six months, rather than 12 weeks. His diet is going well too; he’s starting to get his waist back, but slow and steady wins the race. Like us, if you try to get the weight off too quickly, he’d be unhappy, hungry all the time, and become a scavenger. Though, I confess, I was tempted to eat the crust of a discarded pizza turfed onto the grass the other day, but, unlike Bear, I’ve never resorted to such shenanigans! I just had a moment where I clearly saw myself on all fours beating Bear to the pepperoni on the grass, but I digress!
One of the things I find literally amazing is how physically hot these little beasties are. As I have both main types of arthritis, I’m always hot from the inflammation in all my joints. Anybody who knows me has at some point remarked on how hot my hands are. They’re absolutely useless for pastry making, which is a good excuse to purchase ready-made.
In freezing weather, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions to hold someone’s hands, slip a paw up the sleeve of their jumper, or massage frozen toes. Even when I’m physically cold myself, to the touch, I’m always toasty warm.
My friend Kate is a medical professional and is always blown away by how hot my skin is. But I’ve met my match. These two little Dachshunds are even hotter than myself. I’m convinced that were you to dangle them by the tails into a teacup of cold water and add a tea bag, you would, in seconds, have a piping hot cup of tea ready for some milk.
Of course, I’d never, ever, dangle them by their tails anywhere, nor suggest that anyone else should, but as a visual metaphor, I think you’ll get my point. I fear that were a police helicopter using a heat-seeking camera to go over my house, there’d be two small, bean-shaped hot spots, literally glowing through the walls.
Willow more than Bear is sizzling and she has a propensity to glue herself to my person; over my head, across my face, around my neck, or up my jumper. I have a photo of Willow up inside the jumper I’m wearing at the time! I can’t see the hot water bottle coming out this winter. In fact, I’ve just purchased two ice packs to keep in the fridge!
Bear is a more comfortable adornment and infinitely more manageable as he can be persuaded to simply lay across my lap or in the crook of my arm like a baby. His slightly rounded tummy is amazingly therapeutic and when I run my thumb up and down his warm, velvety underbelly, I can feel my blood pressure plummet.
Dachshunds are just so different from Shiba Inu who are very self-sufficient in so many ways. Missing out on those early eight to 16 weeks with Dachshunds really does make a massive difference from both a bonding and training perspective. That said, it’s never, ever too late, it’s just a considerably longer process. But, I have the feeling that with this pair, keeping their distance just isn’t in their genes – they probably share 90% of their DNA with a limpet.
Henry, my original sausage dog 50-odd-years-ago, was a lap and bed hogger, but he was just one of those dogs who was born middle-aged. There wasn’t a silly or frivolous bone in his body and, in truth, he was the easiest dog I’ve ever owned, which for a 17-year-old was probably a good thing. He was quiet, confident, gentle, friendly, and incredibly well-behaved. So, I think what I’m saying is that he was quite different from these two who are loud, nervous, shouty, and naughty…in short, just delightful!
We’ve just come back from Poundbury Field and I’m once again reminded of small steps. Four weeks ago towel drying wet tummies was both a bit of a task and a battle as they were afraid to surrender to me. Today, harnesses removed, they both stood patiently as legs and bottoms were attended to, before rolling over for a warm, gentle tummy rub, legs waving about in the air.
Reading up about miniature Dachshunds, there was an article about trust being shown in how they respond to handling. The goal is a happy, upside-down dog, with their legs in the air. It seems I’ve won that one! Fear zero, new Mummy one!
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