Newton's new family, and LD Weihl Sassy.

Newton found his forever home yesterday!!!! Things have been going very well in his new home. He is an only dog (though I thought he'd be more than okay with this, the leader-type he is) and has been doing well with their two cats. I was very pleased to hear that he is settling in well and his family seems to really enjoy him! I'm very happy and proud of him!!!

The same day Newton went home, "Sassy" came home with me as a replacement foster. Sassy came right off the track last weekend and was adopted the same day. However, her family had a very skittish 6 month old kitten, and while Sassy initially tested cat-workable, they didn't utilize the muzzle, leash, or squirt bottle in their introduction, leaving the cat more than petrified beyond what the family wanted to work with. So, she came back and will be staying with me for a while...or forever.

I have to admit, I think I am falling in love. This dog has been practically perfect since she walked in the door. She's not snarky, knows how to instantly pee when let outside, is quiet and okay with being alone, is responsive already to being called and listens well, rides wonderfully in the car, seems to be hitting it off with Ferguson, walks pretty well on the leash, and is excessively, almost unbearably, cute. She is meeting my criteria as if she has an innate check-list...we might be in danger of failing here. At x-mas when we visit my parents, we'll work on the small animal thing with Niles, the excessively mellow Westie, and WILL make use of squirt bottles, muzzles, and leashes. This is mainly because Eric definitely would like to adopt a cat one day, and while we can certainly adopt a cat that is very dog-friendly, knowing for sure that she will tolerate it would make the decision even easier. Additionally, knowing I can trust her at work with smaller dogs and my parent's dog is also fairly important.

So, we will see how things go and continue to progress. I'm so afraid to get my heart set on her, but I feel like it's starting to be a losing battle. But: I think I may know exactly what (or who) I want for x-mas.

Got a pal? Life is good.

^How they look most of the time.

This week has been so exceptionally crazy with work (seven days in a row with no breaks), that I've not even had an opportunity to detail more of Ferguson's progress in alone training since foster brother Newton arrived.

As I expected, as long as there is another pup, Ferg has been a-ok. What has also helped is that my schedule, as much as it sucked this week, was more more regular for him and there is a more rigid routine to follow. That means that while he was left more, it has been more clear to him what to expect, which I do think was a fairly significant contributing factor to his issues.

With the other pup around, even if they don't regularly interact (I mean, come on, they're greyhounds), I find myself enjoying Ferguson more. This is simply because he is the pup that I adore ALL the time and doesn't turn into a sack of pathetic mush at the thought of me leaving (which was at least once a day and would stress me out as hard as I tried to be completely neutral about it). He is steady, mellow, playful, easy-going and confident; everything I wanted in a hound, he demonstrates now (with the exception of being small, but this is something not able to be overcome). And so, I think the second dog around may be a permanent thing.

Additionally, I've brought Ferguson back down to 20mg of Fluoxetine, and perhaps by New Years, will wean him off completely, seeing as his anxiety is not really existent anymore (though, he still dislikes being confined to a crate when we are left, so the pups stay loose in the bedroom with muzzles).

As for Newton, while he is doing well, I think I might have mentioned that we will not be failing this go-around of fostering. He will make someone a greyt dog, but is probably not the perfect match for us in what I look for in my own personal preference of a hound. Newton has some alphaish tendencies in him that don't come out in snarky ways, but I find a bit annoying: must be first to do EVERYTHING even when I make him wait, is not much of a crowd follower/naturally obedient, and thinks it is up to him to keep tabs on everything and be in everyone's business. This especially drives me nuts in the car. He rides okay, but I was waiting in the car with the pups one evening and he simply could NOT settle. He felt like we were sitting ducks and needed to keep tabs on ALL that was going around us and was getting frustrated at the number of windows to look out of. This was in contrast to Ferguson, who was laying with his paws crossed and head down; I love how Ferguson has 100% trust in me that I am in control of the situation and has nothing to worry about. While Newton might possibly learn this over time, it is simply not natural for him. In any case, Newton is otherwise a pretty typical hound who is not lacking confidence/basic manners, so I'm sure he will make someone very happy. It is my hope that Newton gets adopted at the next adoption event in December :). Once he is, we'll probably get another foster, and then another, unless that special someone comes along...;).

Anything to make Ferguson happy <3

Newton

Well, he kind of fell into my lap, but say hello to my GEGR foster, Superior Newton.



The best way I could describe him would be "Humble."

To avoid being redundant, Newton has his own blog that I will proceed to update until he is adopted (hopefully in early December). Feel free to visit here.

He is a cutie, and will make someone a greyt hound.

The Sleepover: What We've Learned

Overall, it was a good weekend. We learned so much, both about having two greys, and about Ferguson! Specifically, I understand now why the adoption group thought that Ferguson could be an only dog; he is confident and fearless with everything, especially compared to poor timid Walter. Big noisy truck goes by? Ferg doesn't bat an eye. People coming in and out of the house all the time? Nothing but a tail wag. Have to walk near things he's never seen in his life? He takes it in stride. In fact, pretty much the ONLY thing Ferg is afraid of is being left alone, and he turns to a sad whimpy puppy. But, as we confirmed, as long as he has a pal, even a far less confident one like Walter, he is fine.

I first left them with Walter in the pen, and Ferg right next to him in his crate. We learned that Ferguson actually prefers to not be left in a crate when we're not at home; he tolerated it with Walter there, but he did much, much better (no panting, no tossing and turning) when they were left upstairs in our room loose with muzzles, where I'm pretty sure neither of them moved until we returned an hour later. Ultimately, I will say, the ease in which I felt like I could leave the house without worry was wonderful, and not something I've felt in quite a long time.


All ready for bed!

Walter is such a handsome guy :).




The letter I wrote to Walter's mom:

Kristy,
What a fun day we had! Walter did much better last night, and only got antsy around the time you said he would (8ish) so just one "shh" was all that was needed. I think part of the problem the previous night was that he was cold! We turned the heater on for the dogs, and they seemed much better. I also had Walter sleep in Ferguson's "Thundershirt" as an extra layer/source of comfort, and it seemed to work well :). He is just too funny...we learn more about him all the time, and I've also learned a lot more about Ferguson too! They are a good pair, and the only time anything other than "friendly" occurred was when Walter sniffed a little too long at Ferg's private area, and Ferg made a quick little grr sound...and that was literally it for the whole time they've been together!
So many cute little stories! One with the car: we took our ride to the picnic, and while Walter was uncertain about the car at first (we had to lift him into the back), he did lay down eventually and stayed put (which was good, since we didn't have my partition this time). On the way home, however, Eric opened the trunk and Walter SPRANG into the back in one graceful leap! What a jump! I was so impressed; while he's a timid dog and hesitant to try new things, once he makes the positive connection...wow!!
At the picnic today, he had a pretty good time. It was chilly, but he had his coat and was kept cozy. He was quite shy of people and would back away from them, but would completely disregard his timidness in favor of sniffing another dog...he sure does love other dogs :). I think it was a good experience for him, and he always had his buddy Ferguson, the social butterfly, right by his side. We even met his former foster family, who commented on how far he's come :). Yay for Walter!
With Ferguson, one of the funniest things is how they are in the house when they both have their muzzles on; they rub on each other like crazy, and even turned it into a way of playing together. Walter, we've also noticed, likes to rub on you like a cat and even arches his back...too funny. Additionally, Eric and Walter are best buds; Walter follows him everywhere and wags his tail every time he comes in the room :). It helps that Walter is Eric's favorite coloring in greyhounds, so he's a little biased ;-).
As for my experiment, a lot of things have been made more clear. Ferguson is fine (as I expected) as long as there is another dog. He is still ridiculously attached to me and would always choose me over another dog, but accepts being alone much more readily with another dog with him. Also, we've learned he doesn't especially enjoy being left in his crate. He tolerates it and likes spending time in there by choice, but does better when with the other dog in a more open space. When we went out this evening after the picnic (both dogs were and still are pretty exhausted), we tried leaving them in our bedroom with muzzles and soft music, and I came back to them snuggling, calm and relaxed on their beds. I've been taping their alone sessions, and there is no denying the improvement in Ferguson; he didn't even get up when we left him this evening.
SO, thank you so much again for letting Mr. Walter visit with us this weekend. It was very educational! We'll continue to work with Ferguson, but the ease in which another dog relieves his anxiety is well worth noting....and maaaaaay be something we'll look into in the near future if the right one comes along. As for Walter, I'm pretty sure he'd also love a confident little sister to continue to help build his confidence ;-). Anyway, sorry for the long letter. We'll see you tomorrow evening around 8? I know Walter will be thrilled to see you!!! ~Jenny

Ferg's First Sleepover

It's been a long week. Ferguson has been on Fluoxetine for over a month now, yet still seems anxious...it's driving me crazy. But, I've been configuring a different set up that might make his improvement more noticeable. For one thing, we're going to set up an ex-pen in the family room after disposing some trash-quality furniture left by previous renters (so it's space no one was using anyway). I think part of the problem is the amount of negative associations Ferguson has had upstairs, so if we move him downstairs where he can see more going on, I can begin without flaw the step-by-step guide that is in the book, "I'll Be Home Soon."

Additionally, we are going to be babysitting another greyhound from the Greyhound Welfare group that lives just down the road to see is there is a significant difference in Ferguson when he is left with another hound. At work, as you all know, Ferg's dangerous anxious behaviors ceased completely when he has been placed with another dog and has had the same result with 3 different dogs, so it sounds like a very good hypothesis. While it would be just GREAT if Ferg could get over his moderate SA on his own, it's important for us to keep an open mind to know what works. Additionally, having him stay with another dog that has no anxiety at all about being left might help contribute to his conditioning of people coming and going.

So, Walter is coming to visit this weekend while his family goes out of town for business. From his owner's description, Walter sounds like a very well-behaved, well-adjusted guy that is the same age as Ferguson. I think they'll have a blast. The plan for now is to first try having them stay in the Ex-Pen together; his owner seemed to think this would be no problem at all for Walter, and he very much enjoys the company of other dogs. Ferguson also seems to have little concern over personal space, so I'm hoping this will work for them. Of course, muzzles will be worn, dogs will be extensively exercised, and many practice sessions will occur before we decide it to be feasible. If it doesn't seem plausible, we may have to try crating Ferguson next to Walter in the pen, etc. But I'm really crossing my fingers that it will work out just fine.

I will have to videotape all the practice sessions and have them to compare. But, in the least, I'm quite excited to have Walter stay, and I think Ferg will be too!

RIP Gerta (aka, Gert the Flirt)

May 5th 2008 to December ? 2010?

I loved you sweetheart, and am glad I didn't see you being anything other than happy, bouncy, and the puppy I knew, adored, and cherished. Always in my heart you will be <3.

CP Dog Park Visit

Ferguson's official "membership ID" tag came in the mail, so we are now free to use the normally deserted dog park whenever we'd like! This afternoon, just as I suspected, no one was there, so we were free to use the park in peace. Ferguson had quite a nice time; I love to watch him run.



(if the link doesn't work, you can also view the video here: http://youtu.be/nkFehXACYtA ).

In the above video, he'd already run somewhat before I remembered I had my Ipod. Next time I'll try to get his first initial sprint. A few other photos we took while visiting:






As I mentioned before, I'm hoping that more frequent trips to a large open running space will help him cope along with behavioral modification to tackling his SA. He is certainly dead tired at the moment, passed out in the corner on his favorite yoga mat. It was overall a fun time.

Speaking of which, that blue squeaky ball is Ferguson's current favorite thing and has been for a few weeks. It is Kong brand, and have a few other shapes made of the same material...perhaps I'll consider getting him some for Xmas so we can keep one in the car, and one for the yard at home.

Country Piebald

While perusing the pages of the new November, 2011 issue of Country Living, your Long and Short of it All host Joey let out a couple of big woofs when he turned to page 101 to discover a beautiful Piebald Dachshund named 'Dot' gracing the pages.  "Woof Woof!"  said Joey.  That means "Dot's Hot!"  Above, Dot lingers below a Pottery Barn clock in the family's mudroom. 

Here, Dot lounges on an estate-sale bench covered with oilcloth.  "I'd like to snuggle up next to her," Joey was heard to exclaim.  See more of Dot's Mission Hill, Kansas 1930's Colonial Home in the November issue of Country Living. 

Dachshunds are everywhere:  Country Living's Editor-in-Chief Sarah Gray Miller

Saturday Night Special: Dachshund Dragulous

The Unconditional Love of a Dachshund 

Vintage photo circa 1920s(?!) - source unknown.

Still Whining and Panting....

Don't Cry Ferguson...

My friends and I went out to eat this evening, leaving poor Ferguson for his first official trial run. I did everything by the book: extensive exercise first, leaving him for 20 minutes, k9 lullabies, right next to the DAP, etc. I recorded him with my webcam, and though I can't see him (it got dark quickly), I could hear him.

He was a little better than he's been in the past; that is, in the past, he would outright back for hours the entire time I was gone. Today, he panted excessively and would have episodes of whining occasionally. Because I think putting the video up would be pointless, it went something like this:

Ferg: *pant pant pant hrrmmmm hrrrooommm pant pant pant* silence for 30 seconds-2 min. Repeat.

Additionally, our room always smells of poo when we return, though I suspect it's just gas from the stress.

So, in short, I guess its getting better; it's certainly not getting worse. I think we need to build up our time a bit more, and see what things work for him. This outing was too long in that I wasn't comfortable leaving him out in our room for 90 minutes (plus, our room could use some cleaning), but in the future, I will mix it up and try different things with the initial routine being generally the same. We may even try doing an X-pen in the family room if I can clear out some of the stuff downstairs...I'd just worry for his paws :/.

OHH Ferguson. Good thing everything else about you is perfect.

Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Charlie!

Deep Thoughts

Thanks so much to Stephanie Rand for writing in with the tale of her beloved handsome 'Charlie.'  Boy was he lucky to find such a wonderful home with his new human.  She writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

First welcome Rowdy! You're adorable and I look forward to getting to
meet you and see you grow-up with your new pal Joey.
I have been reading your blog on a daily basis since adopting Charlie,
my older rescue Dachshund, on December 4th of last year.
I was thinking of adopting a dog for about a year prior to finding
Charlie - I did my research and found him on Petfinder. A lady - who
usually rescues cats - was forwarded an email saying Charlie was going
to be euthanized by the end of the day. She rescued him immediately
and then, after making sure he was socially adjusted, put a listing
for him on Petfinder. I was the first person to reply to her ad and I
met him a day later and then he moved into my home.

When Charlie first entered my apartment - after sniffing out the place
- he stood in the middle of the kitchen and peed while smiling and
looking right at me. It was as if he claimed territory to my apartment
- I loved his spark of personality from the start. I had been living
alone for about a year after a long-term relationship break-up. I
can't begin to express how much laughter and fun the little guy has
brought into my life on a daily basis. I like to take him to work from
time to time, we've gone to both Dachshund gatherings at Washington
Square Park and he has made some new friends on my block as well.

This summer my apartment was broken into and Charlie happened to be
home at the time. He wasn't hurt but he has stepped up his growling
and barking when he hears any noises in the hallway to make sure we
both remain safe. He has also become an extended member of my family -
this summer I took him up to Vermont to spend a week in a cabin on a
lake with my Dad and sister. He went in the lake for a swim and really
enjoyed all the new sniffs and life in the woods. He loves to visit my
Dad's house and run around the yard and take naps with his granddogdad
on the couch.

Charlie at Work

Who's a Good Boy?

Teresa Berg/DFW Dachshund Rescue on CBS News!

(If you can't see video embedded here, click the title of this post to view)

This was on CBS Sunday Morning News a few days after our Maggie's passing when we were taking some time off the blog, but thanks so much to reader Jo Anne for writing in to remind us to post this!  It's awesome!   She writes:

Hi Joey and Rowdy!

I'm just one of your many loyal blog followers and I came across a really neat video about a lady using her skills to increase adoption rates. I had never thought of doing so before, and after watching the video I sure want to follow in her footsteps!

We have featured Teresa Berg's work here in the past, and also many stories on DFW Dachshund Rescue.  Ms. Berg was featured again this week on Dogster:  Teresa Berg’s Five Tips For Better Dog Photography, so be sure and check that out.  Also, fans of her work will want to know that her 2012 Picture A New Life Calendars are ready for delivery at DFW Dachshund Rescue.  100% of the proceeds go to Dachshund Rescue.

Dachshund Humor

Smiles everyone, it's Friday!  Thanks so much to 'Tootsie,' the Bicontinental Dachshund for writing in:

Dear Rowdy & Joey,

We were so saddened by the passing of Maggie. I have loved reading your blog with my humans since they rescued me.

And welcome, welcome Rowdy to the able companionship of the J-man.

I think your rowdiness, dear Rowdy, has already inspired much fun. We love your posting about the Wiener bitch.

To welcome you, I herewith enclose one of my cartoons from my own dog blog.

We look forward to many more barks!

In admiration,

Tootsie

Make sure and check out Tootsie's adventures on her blog!  She's an American by birth and a naturalized Swiss citizen who has some wacky adventures!

Vintage Dachshund Pride

Up on a pedestal - where every Dachshund belongs.  Aren't you proud of your Dachshund?

Vintage photo circa 1910 - source unknown.

Fun Stuff

Ferguson and I went to Greyt Expectation's Fun Run in Herndon VA, and he looked greyt! We got there a bit late so only had time for the last run, but BOY did he like it! He took it so seriously; someone was standing at the other side of the indoor field squeaking a squawker, and though the other three dogs he was with went in the complete opposite direction, he saw, focused, and RAN, all on his own at top speed! He made me so proud :). I think he would make a very good lure courser...

Unfortunately, while I was attempting to take pictures my camera decided its battery was low and turned off before I could do anything (of course, once I get home, it's working 100% fine. Urg. Technology.). So, I will attempt to make up for the complete lack of photos with a few cute ones I got off my camera I took a while ago during Ferg's recovery time for his paws. Enjoy:

Dachshunds in New Scorsese Film: HUGO

Watch closely Dachshund fanatics, and catch Martin Scorsese's first 3D movie, Hugo, an adaptation of the childrens book "Hugo Cabret," this Thanksgiving. 
Thanks to our good friend Jerry for sending this in.  Will the Dachshunds be even longer in 3D?  Can't wait to find out!

Dachshunds in Politics: Westminster Dog of the Year Contest 2011

The 2011 Westminster Dog of The Year competition took place in Victoria Tower Gardens on October 13, 2011 in London, England. The annual competition was won by Conservative MP for Tiiverton and Honiton Neil Parish with his Labrador 'Wilberforce,' who was among the 15 Conservative MPs to enter versus only two Labour MP entrants.  Politics may be a dog-eat-dog world, but for one day at least, the dogs were cute and cuddly.  Above, Harriett Baldwin MP stands in sight of Parliament with her English Cream Dachshund 'Poppy' during the competition.  Source.

Day 15

Ferguson continues to do well with our rehab alone training. He has been panting a lot less, and seems more compliant about the prospect of going into his kennel. He randomly gets tasty treats, and the length of time he spends in there varies drastically, so he never quite knows what to expect, but that it's really not that bad.

Something else I've recently learned about him is that he appears less stressed when left with his muzzle on, both in and out of his crate. I recorded him while I left the room (leaving him out and muzzled), and while he seemed to miss me, he didn't pant, and seemed more able to settle himself than before. Of course, he also decided that it would be okay to wait on our bed for me (in our house, no dogs on the furniture, ever), but he seemed compliant and gladly hopped down when asked like it was no big deal. To be truthful, if that's all it took to make him happy, then by all means (He still needs to get down when asked though). The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't then leave him with something tasty to distract him...though lately he still doesn't bother much with them anyway :/. Oh well. We'll figure it out.



Today, I was also productive in that I registered Ferguson in PG county so that I can apply to have us become members of that dog park down the road we always walk passed. We got the licence, and I've since applied, so we're waiting to hear back on whether or not the "board" has accepted our application. Having the park will be nice since no one is ever there when we've seen it (probably a deterrent to most people), because then Ferguson will have a large area in which he can run at higher speeds legitimately and regularly. There will definitely be videos of this to come, at least while the weather continues to be nice :).

I Have My Morning Coffee In My Bed

Do you prefer the German or the English version? By youtuber Detlef Cordes
who notes: Dachshund Hella having her morning coffee in bed.
 

Feeling Rowdy

Apparently your new co-host at The Long and Short of it All isn't the only one who's feeling a bit disorderly and a little boisterous.  Meet Rowdy!   Thanks so much to his human, Kris Wilson, for writing in:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I've been reading your delightful blog since shortly after our dachshund joined the family, about a year and a half ago.  I was so sad to hear of Maggie's passing and so glad to hear about your rescue Rowdy.  I love the name as you can tell from this guy -- this is our own sweet Rowdy taken when he was about 6 months, one of my favorite pictures.  He looks all black but in the sunlight you can see he is a very dark chocolate.  He is an absolute delight to our family.

An Indian woman at Dad's place of work said of the name 'Rowdy':  Rowdy is a very good name, something different. Indian language the meaning of ‘Rowdy’ is "courageous unprecedented king."

Who Could Blame Her?

bitch [bich]
noun

1. a female dog: The bitch won first place in the sporting dogs category.
2. a female of canines generally.

This is a dog blog!  Viral photo source unknown.

Wiener Racin'

It's our favorite time of the year - Dachtober! - and all the Dachshund events are in full swing around the country and the world.  We're not so sure where these Wiener Races were held, but the light-hearted video will kick off your week with a smile.  By vimeoer Backyard Auter who notes:  After breakfast today I saw a bunch of people walking dachshunds around downtown. I was informed that it was an annual wiener dog race. I quickly drove home and grabbed my GH2 and came back to catch the action.

Video Progress

(or, if that doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed-JfzrvZl8 )

Here's Ferguson practicing alone training for about 5 minutes. We've been practicing frequently and will continue to do so to help him get more comfortable. Nothing really happens in the video, though the power did go out, so you see his ears perk up and look a little confused for a moment. He just lays there and pants, but recently I've had a difficult time figuring out if he's stress panting or if he's really truly hot...actually, pretty sure I'm driving myself insane with the concept. I guess we'll figure it out in the winter when our room becomes freezing. *sighs*

In any case, this video is 2 days shy of 2 weeks being on fluoxetine. I've not seen any dramatic changes yet more than what I would assume if we were relying only on behavior modification, but we're just half-way before it reaches full effect. Not expecting any miracles, but if it IS stress panting, even that lessening would be great.

As for work, yes, he likes Svara just as much as Lily, so we're set there. I'm hoping this madness of coordinating schedules will end by the time November comes around...

Please Welcome Your New 'Long and Short of it All' Co-Host!

Who, Me?

We're pleased to announce that the exhaustive search for your new 'Long and Short of it All' co-host is now over.  Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to.....black and tan wirehaired 'Rowdy!'  Yep, things are about to get a lot more "wirey" around here!  And the search wasn't really that exhaustive - we weren't looking for a new Dachshund, but Hot Toddy (his foster name), appeared on our MidWest Dachshund Rescue facebook feed, and we immediately fell in love with his soulful little eyes.  We can't thank MidWest Dachshund Rescue enough for all that they have done to bring some joy back in our lives after the loss of our beloved 'Maggie.' 

Rowdy was born on May 2nd, so he is just over five months old.  At the vets yesterday, he weighed in at 9.4 pounds, and the vet thinks that he will be about 16 pounds when fully grown.  Rowdy came in through MWDR with 10 other puppies as a result of a few puppy mill/large breeding facilities which closed down in Missouri.  He has been fostered for several weeks by a fantastic family near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Joey and Dad went to visit him a few weeks ago to see if he was a good match for us, and Joey took to him right away - they played some, and when Joey had enough, he let out a little growl, and Rowdy respected him and went and played with his toys.  So, Joey does like to play some, and he will also teach Rowdy how to be a great dog.

He is doing well in his new home.  Potty training is a work in progress, obviously, for a young pup whose world has just been turned upside down.  But in almost 3 days, he has had just one accident in the house.  He is distracted by the city noises when we go outside to take care of business, although he is less and less distracted as each day passes.  He loves to play, he loves his toys, he loves to snuggle, and like any Dachshund, boy does he love his food!  We're slowly switching him over to raw food, which he loves.  He hasn't had any diarrhea or stomach upset, so the transition is going well.  He is fascinated when Dad is in the kitchen - he'll just sit on the floor and watch in amazement at what goes on, and his eyes light up every time a cabinet door opens. 

Naming him was a tough job, and it was down to Rowdy, Barney, Harry Callahan (call 'Cal'), Cowboy, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (call Henry), Iggy, Teddy,Wiley the Wirehair, and Murdoch (Murdach?) the Dachshund.  Rowdy, after Rowdy Yates, the Clint Eastwood character in Rawhide was always near the top though, and it sounds a little like Toddy, and he was responding to it, so Rowdy he is, both in name and spirit.  It probably didn't hurt that there was a photo of Clint Eastwood on the sidebar to your right when the decision was finally made. 

And so, a new era has begun at The Long and Short of it All. 

Mr. Crazy-Eyebrows

Joey and Rowdy

Sing it Clint! Rowdy by Clint Eastwood.

Money Not Blown

I did not spend as much as I could have in merchandise, which is good, considering I had to pay for a tank of gas, food, and Ferg's licence before anything else. So, my spending was limited to:


^This cute shirt that Eric liked (he said it made sense, since I own a "golden" grey)

and



^Some really adorable stationary cards that reminded me of Ferguson.

All in all, I think if I were to go again next year, I'd definitely go ahead and arrange to stay for the whole weekend. Because of the lack of structured events, it was mostly just a collective place to veg with your hound on the beach while also doing a bit of shopping. It was lovely getting to see so many hounds though...I think Ferguson thought so too :). I regret not taking more pictures of them, but I thought it would be awkward for me to randomly photograph stranger's dogs.

Since we've been back, Ferguson is surprisingly alert; he seeems to have enjoyed the excitement and activity of Dewey to where he acts bored and a little restless at home. *rolls eyes* We just got back from an hour long walk along the paint branch trail again though, so perhaps that will take the edge off. He'll also be coming to work with me for the next four days. Hopefully he likes Svara as much as he likes Lily, as she will be his daycare buddy for the week, with the exception of Thursday.


^She is also pretty cute, and around the same size/demeanor as Lily.

Ohh Ferguson <3

Beach Photos