On The Road Again February 2, 2010

This past weekend, we took a short respite in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portsmouth is a seaport town about an hour from us. There are lots of shops, restaurants and nightlife–and it was someplace we wanted to spend more time exploring. We stayed at the Sheraton near the harbor. It was nice to find a nice hotel that was dog-friendly and didn’t charge an arm and a leg to bring your dog; in fact, there was no extra charge to bring the dog. They did make us sign a waiver stating that we would be responsible for damages, incur a pretty steep cleaning charge if there were “damages” of that nature, etc. But we knew that Jasmine would be no trouble.

After we checked into the hotel, we put Jasmine in our soft-sided carrier and went for a walk. It was fairly chilly–probably in the ‘teens–and while Jasmine was in her pink fleece jacket, we felt that she would be better off in the carrier, especially when we started walking into stores. We were right. Most of the stores didn’t even notice that we had a dog in tow even though Jasmine’s head popped up over the top of the carrier. Of course, when she was noticed, hearts melted everywhere. “Awwwww…how CUTE” was a common mantra. We found that she was calm and less stressed this way than if she was on leash. Perhaps it’s because the world is so big and that she’s so small, but she gets very skittish when we’re walking in a high-traffic area. This way, she could enjoy the new sights and smells and not fear being trampled.

We walked around downtown Portsmouth, and we even found a gourmet dog treat store! Bonus! We also bought her a “Woofie Pie” at one of the local stores–a Whoopie pie made just for pups. She definitely was ahead of the treat game.

She spent an uneventful night in the hotel room. She has definitely benefited from our travels. New places are still scary, but she seems to calm down more quickly these days, and she seems to enjoy these little trips.

However, it’s clear that there’s no place like home. When we returned, she bounded around the house with joy.

Jasmine’s Christmas (Catching Up) January 31, 2010

Working for a start-up company sometimes means that you put some things aside for a while. Unfortunately, this blog went by the wayside as I was planning and executing a new website. So now I’m playing catch-up!

We had a wonderful first Christmas here in the house. Everything was beautiful and white. We decorated the sun room and heated it with the little Vermont Castings stove and put our tree and lights out there. You could see the lights from the tree from the street. With the snow around the yard, it was a magical feeling.

Hubby and I have a “no gifts” tradition. We generally don’t get each other gifts for Christmas, birthdays, our anniversary, Valentine’s Day, etc. Instead, I get to buy a piece of bling every year (I particularly like shiny, sparkly rings) and hubby gets to buy a power tool or two. Of course, this works a bit in my favor because I get to play with the power tools and he just can’t pull of bling like I can.

This Christmas morning, I awoke and took Jasmine out for her normal morning’s business. I walked out onto the deck, waited for Jasmine to finish, and then walked back in to the sun room. I looked at the tree, and lo and behold, there were a TON of presents that weren’t there the night before. Santa? Well, Santa definitely visited Jasmine. However, Jasmine–that little minx–had gone out and bought a bunch of things for me! How she got that penguin wrapping paper folded and taped with no opposable thumbs…it was very impressive!

Santa brought Jasmine some lovely sweaters and a holiday hedgehog toy! Oh boy! Jasmine gave me some very lovely items. I guess she just wanted to let me know how happy she was here in the house and here with us. And Santa…well, Santa knows that Jasmine is such a love that she would never get NEAR that naughty list!

We all had a lovely Christmas, and it was so nice to share it with Jasmine.

Merry Christmas December 24, 2009

Thank you to everyone who comes to visit and cheerJasmine on in our journey to give her the life she deserves. We’re so happy you’re here, and we hope that Jasmine’s ongoing saga brings you a chuckle or two–but more importantly helps you on your own journey with your canine companion. We know that Jasmine has brought tremendous love to our family. We wish you all the same joy and love in your lives.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Jasmine the Jumper December 21, 2009

The worst thing in the world to see is a dog that has had IVDD jumping off a bed or a chair. Our sometimes squirrely little pup did just that–not once, but twice–this weekend and put me into hovering, overprotective mom mode.

We are now letting Jasmine sleep with us on the big bed (I got tired of being woken up in the middle of the night to an overly anxious little pup who just wanted to snuggle). Yeah, I know. Sucker. Well, she decided yesterday morning to jump off the bed when I was in the bathroom. Hubby was just trying to pet her, and her “scaredy dog” attitude towards him went into overdrive yesterday for no apparent reason. She leapt off the VERY high bed onto the carpeting. Hubby called to me and I ran in to see what the hullaballoo was all about. He told me, I called Jasmine out from under the bed, and I checked her. Thank goodness there wasn’t any damage to her back!

The implication is that I can’t trust her on the bed at all when I am not in the room. Hubby seems to think that dogs have some natural instinct for danger. Um, yeah maybe when there’s a predator that’s about to eat them, but jumping off a bed? Nope.

The second incident occurred yesterday evening. I placed Jasmine in hubby’s lap for a little peanut buttah treat. He finished giving her a little bit of peanutty goodness when she leapt off the recliner and onto the floor. My heart was in my throat! She was once again unharmed, but it’s just so disconcerting to see her do these things…I know that doxies jump off of furniture all the time. But a dog with a history of IVDD…there can’t be any latitude.

So I’m watching her like a hawk. I don’t want her to hurt herself again. Okay. My heartbeat is back to normal now.

Jasmine and the Yellow Trail December 19, 2009

I had a busy morning preparing a nice lunch for my Mom as a little pre-holiday treat. After the meal was on the stove and simmering, I jumped into the shower. Jasmine is my constant companion, and she usually sits in front of the shower door and waits for me–as she did this morning. Hubby came up to say good-bye before leaving to pick up my Mom. Jasmine scattered away into the bedroom and returned after he departed (normal Jasmine behavior).

I dried off, coiffed and primped, and went into the bedroom to get dressed. And then I saw it. The great Yellow Trail. All around the bed. It was like Jasmine took some paint and dripped a Jackson Pollock-like stream all around the footboard of my bed. I took a closer look under the bed and then found that she did a complete circuit around the footboard. UGH! It wasn’t as if she hadn’t gone out an hour or so earlier. It wasn’t as if we don’t do the same thing every single day (with the exception of Hubby coming up to see me–not an every day occurrence, but still in the range of “normal”). I have no idea what scared the pee out of her or if she was protesting in some way. All I know is that I’m glad I had a jumbo-sized bottle of Nature’s Miracle and lots of towels.

Bad dog. Of course, I couldn’t admonish her because I didn’t catch her in the act. And even if I had…I’ve had her squat right in front of me for no reason at all.

Someone once told me that a puppy mill rescue may never be totally housetrained. I still haven’t been able to get her to signal me when she goes out. My strategy has been to take her out regularly and consistently. Some times that just doesn’t work.

Jasmine the Work Mate December 16, 2009

I’m coming down with my first cold of the season (ick), so I decided to work from home today to keep my co-workers relatively safe from my germy-ness. Jasmine is a great work companion. She loves sharing the recliner with me and my computer. What a lovely way to work.

Jasmine Works Hard

First Snow December 14, 2009

I know that it has been a few weeks since my last post. Holidays tend to make everything a little nuts, and our schedules have been hectic. Fall turned into winter all of a sudden, and then Thanksgiving happened…and now Christmas is just around the corner. Where did the year go?

A week ago, we had our first snow of the season. And then Wednesday, we had our first REAL snow of the season.We got about, oh, a foot of snow (give or take). When you have a 9-inch tall dog, a foot of snow…BIG deal. Especially when it comes to potty habits.

I tried the “this is fun, let’s romp in the pristine white fluffy stuff” fake…didn’t work. I tried the usual routine to get her to go out…no dice. So I had to revert to carrying her outside and plunking her down in her “spot.”

I don’t know what Jasmine experienced at the puppy mill, but it seemed very clear to me that snow was a new (and not pleasant) experience for her. We had some serious shoveling to do to clear her spot. And while we got most of it off the ground, the ground was still a bed of snow and ice. Jasmine was not happy. Neither would I if I had my bits a couple of inches off the ground. She slid around on the ground (I did too…I was not happy either). She shivered her “I’m a poor abused dachshund” shiver and after what seemed an eternity, she did what she was supposed to do. Kind of. She did the “maybe she did” squat and I later found that she wet her bed. Grrr.

We found that laying a thin bed of sand over the shoveled ground has helped with her accepting the inevitable. But she rarely goes out without a protest and THE look (as in the “you’re a horrible person for doing this to me” look). But she’s going out, and I will be enduring everything she endures. Of course, I will be doing it in my fluffy hooded down coat and she will only be in fleece. Pink fleece, of course!

Jasmine the Burrower November 6, 2009

It’s getting chilly. Mornings are in the 30’s. Days…they are still fair, but the evenings have also been brisk.

We keep the house temp fairly cool–especially at night. Jasmine has finally discovered the joys of burrowing through this experience. Instead of fluffing her fleece blankets, Jasmine has been diving under them and using her nose, mouth and paws to encase herself in their warmth. At first glance, she doesn’t even look like she’s there, but upon a more careful examination, there’s a little rise and fall happening as Jasmine snoozes. Uh, the snoring is a dead give-away as well.

Now that Jasmine is comfortable with not being able to see everything around her as she rests, I think it might be a great time to get her a comfy burrowing bed for her winter comfort. FetchDog has a great looking one called the Cozy Cave that looks well-made, comfortable and (most importantly) easy to care for. Since Jasmine’s incontinence hasn’t entirely disappeared (she sometimes has some issues when she’s in a very deep sleep), being able to launder the entire bed is important.

Jasmine becomes more relaxed and animated every day. She’s playing, demanding attention, romping in the leaves and attacking her “flea” toy. Burrowing is another step in the right direction.

Peanut Buttah! November 3, 2009

Blame it on Bob.

Our friend Bob gave Jasmine her first taste of peanut butter when we were visiting he and his wife in Maine. Jasmine, who doesn’t take treats from strangers, lapped it up like Bob was her long lost friend. No hesitation.

Of course, that was our cue to go get a jar of peanut butter and have Hubby be the “Peanut Butter Man.” Or, I should say, the “Peanut Buttah Man” with Hubby’s Boston accent (he says, “What accent?”).

Every evening, I put Jasmine in my lap. And instead of snuggling in to my nice warm lap for some quality time, she perches on the arm rest of the chair and wags her little flirty tail at Hubby. She looks at him hopefully, and I call out, “Peanut Buttah Man!” She wags her tail more and tries to look cute (not difficult). Hubby chuckles, and I pick Jasmine up and put her on his lap. He grabs the jar of peanut butter and digs out a fingertip of creamy goodness on his finger. She laps it up and sniffs for more. A couple of doses later, and the official peanut butter period has ended.

Then and only then will she come back to me and settle on my lap for an evening snooze.

Oh boy, does she have us trained well or what?

Jasmine’s Cure for the Workaholic October 22, 2009

I’ve been working a lot. I come home every evening, and I usually work after a full day in the office. Hey, I work for a start-up and that’s just the way it is. There’s a lot to get done, and I admit it…I’m a bit of a workaholic.

Jasmine has decided that my hours away from home are MORE than enough. Each night after dinner, I pull the computer onto my lap and begin plugging away. That’s when the campaign starts. First, it’s a cute face and waggy tail. She then sprints around the coffee table, jumps onto her bed and perches on the corner with a glowing, bright face filled with happiness and anticipation.

“woof.” Just a little one. Then a “maw maw maw” grumble to let me know that her impatience is growing. She is waiting for her “Have you been a good girl? Would you like a bone?” ritual. I get up, give her a bone and she comps away at the tiny rawhide treat until it is no more. Then it’s back around the coffee table for Round 2 of the battle of wills.

“woof.”  “maw maw maw.”  “Wooft.” When I try to ignore her, bits of her impatience are accentuated by the little wooft-tuft of air at the end.

I try to guess what she wants. Sometimes, it’s “training” (aka gimme a treat, will ya?). Sometimes it’s “play with me” (aka sit on the floor as I chew away at one of my toys). Other times it’s training followed by play.

And then the daddy of all requests that puts me out of working commission for the evening–lap time. When she snuggles into my lap and snores her little head away, well, I know that I’m not going to grab my computer, displace her on my lap and start working again.

Last night, I told my husband that Jasmine made me quit working for the evening. He said, “Good dog, Jasmine.”

She acknowledged her good deed by snoring just a little louder.