Life With Snickers

SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER

2010-07-09T08:19:00.010-05:00

This week we visited the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center near Lake Michigan. It was an overcast morning which gave us the opportunity to listen to the birds, see misty spider webs, and enjoy the scent of roses that hung thickly in the air. I love these old fashioned shrub roses, their foliage thickly spreading across the ground.

The dew hung heavily on the leaves and flower petals, making the scent hang in the air so thick you could swim through it.

This peaceful walk was far from quiet. Life was all around me. At times I stood, closed my eyes and listened to the blackbirds, robins and chickadees. Squirrels called out their warnings to each other, spiders captured dinner in their webs and beetles happily munched on moist leaves.

HERB GARDEN

2010-06-06T08:51:00.006-05:00

Snickers wants to show you her new herb garden. Besides tasting good, it's so much fun to look at and enjoy.

Last year Snickers and I built the frame for an herb garden in the back yard. We filled it with dirt and fertilizer so this year we were able to plant the herbs.

One of our friends gave us the little garden angel and some of the herbs. Isn't it pretty?

Wehr Nature Center

2010-06-01T21:31:00.005-05:00

This month we visited the Wehr Nature Center. It was a rainy day, but we decided we wouldn't melt and braved the raindrops. It turned out to be a good decision. We discovered many spring flowers popping their blossoms. The center was in the midst of a sale of local perennials. Snickers helped plant these when I got home. Won't it be fun to see them bloom?

Hey Ralphie! You didn't do any work! Stay off my pillow!

Fox River Park

2010-05-03T21:06:00.004-05:00

Snickers has decided to go for Saturday mornings walks at some of the local parks. She still is limited to 2 mile walks, but that's a lot better than most people do who have all their legs. Snickers' friend Deb joined us. Snickers had lots of fun marking as many places as she could. It's important to make sure you spread your scent so everyone knows you are around. There sure are lots of funny smells around here. The is the Fox River Park in Waukesha Wisconsin. We had a nice trail to walk on, lots of trees, and a nice view of the river.

Snickers never seems tired, but when I try to give her a rest so her legs don't get tired, she is all terrier! Even though Snickers only has three legs, she does not know she is any different than any other dog. It's her goal to keep on going. There are trees to mark, smells to sniff, and critters to growl at! Put me down!

Snickers is Back!

2009-10-04T18:54:00.015-05:00

It's been a busy three years. I finished my MBA and Snickers moved the family to a new house. Snickers never left my side. The first thing we decided to do was take a road trip. Snickers thought it would be fun to visit the farm so she invited her pal Toby to come along.

It sure was a warm day! We helped to warm things up by cooking supper over the fire. It was worth the heat and we enjoyed a great dinner of stuffed peppers, rib eye and corn on the cob. Yummy!

Don't worry Snickers! We have food and water for all good little dogs.

Toby thought it would be better to look for people scraps. Hey, save some for Snickers!

After dinner, it's time for a little exercise. Hey, who put a mule in with the horses? Never fear, Snickers will take care of that! Uh oh. I didn't know the mule was in charge of the horses! Look out, Snickers!

Can you see the little white spot between the legs of the mule on the left?

Toby has seen enough. Time to dig a hole under the car and cool off a little bit. I'll bet a mule won't fit under here! Did you ever see a dirtier white dog?

Time to go home. Snickers is helping Uncle John with directions. No, not straight. Go left!

It sure is nice to see everyone again!!

Snickers Burns Her Bra

2008-05-31T20:20:00.004-05:00

Snickers is confused. She doesn't know where to turn. How could it be? A woman finally wins enough votes to be a presidential nominee, but behind closed doors, the guys say, "Not so fast!"

Aren't we always being told every vote counts? Then let them count! We should not go back to the days of suffrage!

Snickers has decided she will burn her bra in protest. Let's count all votes, not just the ones they tell us should count. The Democrats sure don't sound very democratic!

Protect your vote. Ask to have it counted.

Don't let your vote go up in smoke.

Snickers is Home Again

2008-05-17T08:51:00.008-05:00

We're back home and here to stay. At least until the next vacation.

We had a very busy month in April. Snickers spent more than half the month visiting Toby while we were jetting from one end of the country to another. We had the chance to visit the Master's Tournament in Augusta, Georgia and couldn't pass that up. We golfed four times while we had the chance. When we left Wisconsin it was raining and when we came home, it was sleeting. Today, it's sunny and will be 69 degrees. Hooray!! My spring flowers are in bloom and I can hear Robins warbling outside my window.

During this vacation, we visited my daughter Adriane in Pasadena for her birthday. It was mostly warm and sunny. We visited Wilson Mountain, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Huntington Gardens. One day we went to Universal Studios and spent time in the recording studio where my son in law works. All in all, it's a great vacation when you can spend time with the ones you love.

But for Snickers, she was home for only four days to rest, then back to Toby's house. My brother said that they played so hard, they were standing on their hind legs and wrestling like grizzly bears. Imagine that for a three legged dog! Small wonder she slept for two days solid when she got home.

Snickers says, "There's no place like home, especially if there is a spot of sun and a good rawhide to chew! Hey, don't forget to scratch my ears!"

Spring is a Long Time Coming

2008-04-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

Snickers and Toby got together for a nice walk to celebrate the snow FINALLY starting to melt. They are finding lots to sniff at. Toby is a little smaller, but Snickers keeps up while hopping on her remaining rear leg. She is a remarkable hunter. Even in the middle of the latest snow storm, she spotted a robin and took off through the latest fourteen inches of snow! Look at what good pals Toby and Snickers are!

Even the sparrows are finding time to snuggle. They were busy collecting dry grass to line their nests. It took them a while to push all the snow out of their holes. We were worried that they wouldn't find enough to eat so I put out some peanut butter. They seem to be doing just fine.

Snow for Snickers

2008-02-10T16:39:00.000-06:00

We have enough snow! Please, no more snow! This is a winter like we used to get when I was a little girl. It looks like the weather is definately beginning to cycle back to the days when we were worried about a new ice age. Can you believe this is what we were taught in grade school? I have heard rumblings from a some climatologists that this may actually be happening. Who knows? That's for somebody else to battle.

All Snickers and I know, this is too much snow for a three legged dog to handle! Today it is below zero and now it is a battle to get Snickers to go outside to do her business. It doesn't take long for her to get the job done and run right back inside! No chasing ground squirrels or bunnies through the snow today.

Snickers' Best Friend

2007-12-29T16:06:00.000-06:00

Snickers has been very busy over the last couple of months. She helped me get an "A" on my final accounting class, and worked with me on my first marketing class. I finished the class today! Poor Snickers is getting tired of all this schoolwork.

We are having a beautiful snowy Christmas season. Snickers' friend Toby is visiting while his humans are off to sunny Florida. They don't know what they are missing.

Snickers and Toby are working hard to get to know each other. There is a lot of playing and fussing and snuggling. Snickers is definitely the boss of the show. She has been very busy teaching Toby the house rules, especially the one about the new guy not being allowed to eat anything. The humans have had to step in to be sure that Toby gets his fair share. Just to make up for it, Toby makes sure he gets lots of hugs and pats from those same humans.

Sometimes Toby thinks he is still at home and pretends he is the Prince of the household. Snickers lets him think that, because while he is busy playing Prince, Snickers is able to steal off with some of Toby's chew toys. So many chew toys, so little time!

Sometimes, after going for walks with the humans, there just needs to be a little quiet time before the chasing and "All-Dog Wrestling" begins again. After seven inches of snow, it takes a lot of energy for those little legs to make it through.

Toby's legs are a little shorter than Snickers and so he is able to sneak under the bed faster than Snickers. Snickers follows Toby, but gets stuck because it takes her longer to get out with only one rear leg for traction. In the meantime, Toby jumps on the bed to get a prime sleeping spot. After a few nips and a little scolding, all is forgiven. Best Friends Forever!

We hope everyone has a very Joyous New Year!!

My Dog, the Angel

2007-10-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween to all our friends! We are still out here mired in Financial Management. So far, so good. Two and a half weeks to go and we'll be done with the financial classes. Hooray!

Adriane and her husband Matt are visiting this week. Snickers got dressed to celebrate Halloween this year. She didn't like it very much, but the kids had fun giggling at her.

Dog Food, Chicken

2007-10-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Snickers has been eating home made dog food for about two months now. The vet was concerned that Snickers not become overweight and that the food be cooked completely. So far, so good. Snickers seems to be thriving. In the past, she would skip meals. I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to eat the same thing all the time, especially if it came from a bag.

Now Snickers gets fresh food mixed with kibble for crunch. She dances and begs for her meals, and licks her bowl clean. I have noticed that her fur is no longer course, but has become soft with a decrease in shedding. We give her a multivitamin once a day to replace the supplements contained in the dry dog food. This batch is a mix of chicken, sweet potatoes, and apples.

Just take a look at this happy dog!!

Dogs Play Games, Too

2007-09-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

It has been too long since we have left a message! We have been working hard getting through our Statistics class. Ugh! But we finally managed and came through with an "A". I can't believe how much work this is while working full time. I wish there were more hours in a day.

Snickers has been very busy guarding me while I am busy with homework. She keeps a close watch and never leaves my side. Sometimes she watches from her little bed, and other times she lays outside the door. Sometimes she will post guard on the stairs watching the front door for intruders. So far she has been able to keep them all away. Good Snickers!

We have a week off before the next class starts; Financial Management. This is supposes to be the most difficult of the three math related classes. I thought that I would take these three one after the other. Then, if they were too difficult, I wouldn't be wasting my money on the easier classes in case I flunked out. So far so good. Wish me luck!

Here are Snickers and me having a little fun with some friends Friday night. We were the big winners! A whole $1.50. I need to let Snickers help me more often. Take a look at my lucky earrings. They have diamonds, clubs, spades and hearts sewn on them in beadwork. My sister Patty made them for me. She's the best!

Gardening with Snickers

2007-08-29T21:02:00.001-05:00

Snickers is so proud of all her hard work helping to fertilize the flower patch.

Her work isn't done, yet. She keeps herself busy looking for ground squirrels, and other critters. She discovered the wolf spiders dragging their egg sacks around over the ground and thought they might be a new toy. I discouraged her and busied her with a game of catch.

We are very lucky that Snickers is willing to share her garden with us.

Aren't the violets and lilies pretty together? Thanks, Snickers!!

Accounting for Managers

2007-08-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Snickers has been very busy guarding me while I have been studying for my Managerial Accounting Class.

Yep, she takes this VERY seriously.

Nope. No getting past this dog.

Look out! She's there for me!

Oh, no. Not another garden picture.

Hey, what's going on here?

Snickers Gets HomeMade Dog Food!

2007-08-07T19:22:00.000-05:00

We have taken the plunge to reduce the amount of packaged dog food Snickers eat. Snickers had a routine Veterinary appointment, so we talked about home made dog food for Snickers. We were cautioned that we would need to be very careful about keeping Snickers weight down. It can be easy for a dog to gain weight when eating a home made diet. Another warning was that we would need to take extra care of Snickers teeth because she wouldn't be eating the crunchy nuggets.

So, we purchased a "finger cot" style toothbrush that fits over our finger. We have some fluoride free chicken flavored toothpaste to use with the toothbrush. Another caution was not to brush the inside of the teeth until we were sure Snickers wouldn't bite!

Making the dog food was easy. I weighed out 60% meat protein, 20 % fruit and vegetable and 20% grains and legumes. I didn't use onions or peppers. First I put the ground meat into a slow cooker until the fat cooked off. Then I drained as much fat away as I could. I added the vegetables, fruit and grain and cooked until everything was soft. Then I used a potato masher to roughly mash and mix it all together. I froze small portions so I could take a days worth out each night to thaw in the refrigerator. Everyone should talk to their vet before they try any homemade recipes. You, the dog and the vet all need to be comfortable with what you are feeding your dog.

Snickers just loves the food. We are carefully watching her weight to see if she will put any pounds on. Doesn't she look silly getting her teeth brushed?

Hey! How did this garden picture get in here?

Cats and Dogs

2007-07-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

My sister Patti has CATS!! Can you believe it? Not a dog! Snickers would probably not get along with cats. She does fine with other dogs, especially if mom is not around. If mom is around, Snickers needs to go into protect mode and not let other dogs near.

Otherwise, Snickers loves to play with dogs. But I think Snickers might want to eat a cat. She is always busy hunting and keeps a close watch on the wild grey cat that lives in the neighborhood. Patti has a very large golden cat named Leo. He is the boss of the cat kingdom at Patti's house. Isn't he a beauty?

Bathtime for Snickers

2007-07-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

Snickers tried to hide when she heard Dad running the warm water in the basement, but no success!

It's bad enough a girl has to get a bath, but to post it for everyone in the world to see! Oh, the indignity of it!

Uh oh, it looks like Dad is using that sweet smelling shampoo. That means Snickers will need to find some perfume to roll in when he is done.

What do you think Dad. Are we done, yet?

Ahh. This is the best part! There's nothing like a warm snuggle with Dad.

Snickers Celebrates the 4th of July

2007-07-04T19:27:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of fun celebrating the 4th of July at Venitian Days on Brown's Lake. My brother-in-law organizes the boat parade and we were invited to join them on the lead boat as we paraded around the lake. The theme was American Heroes. His boat was celebrating Lewis and Clark. I played Sacajaweia. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures.

A Daisy A Day

2007-06-29T20:59:00.000-05:00

Snickers has been so helpful by donating fertilizer, that I thought you would enjoy seeing some more of products of her hard work. I love daisies. Snickers seems to like them too. She keeps her eye out for those naughty ground squirrels and bunnies.

When she is helping with the marigolds and petunias, she discovered that this is where the mother robins like to bring their babies. She did some pretty hard sniffing while we were out here. There are so many wolf spiders in the ground hauling around their egg sacks, I think it is a matter of time before Snickers gets a bite on her nose.

Golden Retrievers Love Rat Terriers

2007-06-23T19:25:00.000-05:00

Snickers loves it when Harley comes to visit. She always has to do the sniff check to make sure it's really Harley.

Yep, it's Harley. Playtime! People are so much more complicated than dog's are!

Dachshound vs Rat Terrier

2007-06-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

Snickers and Ralphie are at it again! Ralphie is such a handsome dog, but he thinks his good looks make him the irresistible.

Snickers loves to play with him, and when they are together, they love to run and nip and jump on each other.

But whenever Ralphie decides he is the boss, Snickers has to let him know that he really isn't. Ralphie is 5 pounds heavier than Snickers. I can't help wondering what would happen between them if they were together for more than a day or two. Snickers is pretty tired by the end of the day after all the reminders that she is the boss. Would she tire out and just give up?

Ralphie and Snickers Say GoodBye to Jody

2007-06-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

We had a going away party for my niece Jody. She is moving to St. Louis. Snickers and I will miss her. I've been lucky enough to work with this exceptional person for the last several years. Snickers loves her because she takes care of her when we go away on vacation. Jody isn't in these pictures because she is too shy, but we all love her and say good-bye. We wish you luck!

No More Stuffing

2007-06-08T21:07:00.000-05:00

We lost another baby today! I was surprised to find another baby, unstuffed! I'm not sure why Snickers makes up her mind to rip up her babies after weeks of taking care of them like puppies. It is a mystery to me. She is so gentle with them, right up until the dasterdly deed.

We can't get mad at her because she is still good with all the rest of the toys. The house is littered with them. It is as though we had our own baby in the house.

How can a dog this cute be so naughty?

Cardinals Are Gone

2007-06-04T19:55:00.000-05:00

Our baby cardinals have flown the coop. Here are the last two pictures I was able to take of the babies. They are from Friday and Saturday. By that time, they were making little chirping noises and their eyes were opening. Even their feathers had filled in. We had a lot of rain today. I hope they were able to stay dry!

For those of you trying to guess Snickers real name, you need to watch the John Wayne movie Rio Bravo. Snickers got her name even before we knew she was the dog we were going to adopt. It was a deal I made with my husband so that he would agree to have a dog. Isn't she pretty?

I've Been Tagged

2007-05-30T17:03:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you eight things about me you don't know. My friends Boo and Ben Benjamin are playing a game with me and they want to know my secrets.

I love Buddy cuz I think she would taste really good if I caught her.

I don't like Buddy at all cuz when I snap my jaws at her, she pecks me really hard on the nose and I don't think she should do that just because I'm trying to eat her.

My favorite nap spot is laying between mom's legs. It's so warm there! Sometimes she kicks me out because she gets too warm.

I think worms taste good.

The best smelling perfume is mourning dove poop.

I dig up mom's flower bulbs and eat them when she's not looking.

Sometimes I like playing with Ralphie, the dachshound, even though he nips at my last three legs and ears.

Snickers isn't my real name.

Aren't my baby cardinals getting big? I just took the second picture today and the first one two days ago. I'll bet next time we take a picture, they will be chirping.

Now I am going to tag Peony and Kingsley.

Bird Watching

2007-05-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

We checked on our baby cardinals this morning. They have a fluffy coat of feathers and open beaks. The eyes are huge and still closed. They have a very busy mom and dad right now. I can't wait to see what color the feathers will be.

Snickers was very busy today hunting and chasing birds. I think they enjoy teasing her. She will see one perched on the lawn, and run to chase it down. By the time she reaches the bird spot, it is gone. Snickers does the next best thing and sniffs and rolls in the spot. Could the bird have left some glorious perfume? Then another bird will land on the lawn, and Snickers has to chase it down. She was so tired by the time we came indoors, she needed a nap. But Snickers, not on my furniture!

Cardinal Chicks

2007-05-24T19:29:00.000-05:00

We have had an exciting week. Yesterday, I had to rescue a baby robin out of our window well. The poor thing had fallen in and couldn't get out. When I leaned over to reach for it, I was surprised at all the robins swooping and chattering at me to get away at the baby. It was so frightened, but as soon as I removed it, the baby flew to it's parents. I don't think I've ever seen such a big flock of robins before. They were all sitting in the locust tree trying to encourage the little one to fly out.

Today, when I came home from work, I took a peak at the cardinal nest. Two of the eggs had hatched. There are two completely helpless little chicks and three eggs still to go. The chicks only had about 3 pin feathers on their heads. I'll bet by next week, they'll be covered in feathers. I'm going to have to keep a close watch on Snickers so she doesn't get at the little birds.

Spring is Here?

2007-05-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

It is soooo cold today, it doesn't feel like spring time. Snickers and I went outside to explore to see if it has really arrived.

We found Bleeding Hearts in bloom.

Hydrangea in Bloom.

Cardinal's nest filled with five spotted eggs.

Tail to chase.

Wondering where dad is at???

Sea World

2007-05-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

One of the places we visited in Florida was Sea World. We always look for things that would amuse Snickers, and we saw this squirrel thieving in a stroller. He must have found some yummy crumbs because he was in here for quite some time.

Often I have heard about orcas, or killer whales, but was shocked when I saw the size of Shamu. WOW! He is HUGE! I have a new respect for these animals. The trainers say that they always ask the whales to perform, they never tell. If you look closely, the trainer looks like a tiny insect on the face of Shamu as he pushes the trainer through the surface of the water. At one point during the show, Shamu pushed a trainer back onto the stage, and he was so powerful, the trainer flew from one end of the stage to the other, and slid off the other side. The show is incredible. If you have the chance, I encourage you to go for a visit.

Home From Florida

2007-05-12T09:05:00.000-05:00

We just got back from our vacation in Florida! Snickers got to have a vacation from us, also. It was probably good, so she could get over being upset about the bad manicure. She is better now, and all healed up. My niece stayed with Snickers and took her every day to play with Daisy, the miniature dachshound. Snickers got a new baby from my niece. She loves it and keeps it with her other babies. Snickers was so happy to see us when we got home, the picture I took of her running to meet me is a blur! Aren't homecomings great when you have a dog?

Manicure Gone Bad

2007-05-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

We are such bad doggy parents. The trim guard wasn't working correctly on Snickers nail clippers and we accidentally trimmed a nail too short. Boy, did we feel bad. Poor Snickers didn't let out a peep. She must be so used to having been in pain from having had the bad leg. I know it hurt, because when we put the medicine on to stop the bleeding, she winced, but never made a sound. So, the rule is, check the clippers before you clip!

Rat Terrier Spring Time

2007-05-04T16:47:00.000-05:00

Snickers tulip garden is in full bloom. I need to thank her for the fertilizer.

The plum bushes don't have a scent but I love the delicate lilac color of the tiny blooms.

My cherry trees are another story. The whole neighborhood can smell their sweet scent. It doesn't take long for the blooms to turn into sprays of tiny cherries.

The dwarf crab apple is so dense, the birds never nest in it. But the songbirds love to hide in here so the larger birds can't catch them. Don't the bright red blooms add a beautiful splash of color?

Uh oh. Snickers smells something. Is it a rat?

No!! It's some new perfume! The best things in life are free!!

Snickers Garden

2007-04-30T21:16:00.000-05:00

I thought you would enjoy a picture of Snickers with the tulip garden she helped plant. Snickers furnished all the fertilizer. She did a good job and found perfect places for all the bulbs. I think she is pleased with how it turned out.

Home From Golf

2007-04-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

Snickers loves when her dad gets home from golf. That means it is time for a walk in the park. They are always happy to see each other.

Princess Snickers

2007-04-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

Snickers is such a little princess. She is so busy protecting the house all day, that by the time we get home, she finds her throne and gets comfortable. Once her humans sit, then it's time for her head scratch. Look out Buddy, if Snickers wakes up, you may be the evening snack!

Warm Weather At Last

2007-04-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

Snickers loves going for walks. She was so excited today she was leaping into the air and spinning around. She looked like a little circus dog. We saw lots of new plants, all waking up from their winter naps. It amazes me how they can emerge from the winter freeze intact and ready to go. Snickers stepped in some coyote poop without seeing it. All of a sudden she smelled it and spun around, sniffing in her own footsteps. I think she thought she was being followed. When she got home, she found some nice robin poop to roll in. Then she spotted the remains of a blackbird an owl had feasted on the night before. Oh boy, you would have thought she had some new perfume! She couldn't get enough of that roll! Snickers got a nice long bath when she came inside.

Results of Snickers Gardening

2007-04-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

Last fall Snickers helped me plant tulip bulbs. She donated her fertilizer and dug up bulbs she thought might look better in another spot. Even though we got six inches of very wet snow last week, the tulips survived and are beginning to sprout blossoms. Snickers is very happy she was able to help.

Home Made Dog Biscuit Recipe

2007-04-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

I have had this dog biscuit recipe for years and have changed it a bit over time. It is easy and fun to make. It would be a good family project. Snickers likes this treat so much, she pretends to have to go outside to do her business just so she can come in to get a treat. Who's training who?

Dog Biscuit Recipe

1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm chicken broth
2 tblsp molasses
1 3/4 - 2 cups flour, divided
1 1/4 cup rye flour
1/4 cup flax seed, ground
1 cup cracked or bulgur wheat
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 tblsp milk

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in broth and molasses. Add 1 cup flour, rye flour, flax seed, cracked oats, cornmeal, dry milk, garlic and salt. mix well. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. On floured surface, knead in remaining flour. Roll out half at a time, to 3/8 inch thickness. (the secret to rolling it out is to reserve some of the flour to sprinkle generously on your rolling surface and the top of your dough to keep it from sticking to your surface or your rolling pin). Cut into 1 x 4 inch biscuits (I cut into 1 x 1 inch biscuits because Snickers is a little dog and I don't want her to get overweight). Place on ungreased baking sheets. Combine egg and milk and use to brush tops of biscuits. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let dry overnight in the oven. This makes two cookie sheet full of biscuits.

Dachshunds Rule the Day

2007-04-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

Ralphie brought a gift for Snickers, so Snickers would always have a little dachshund to play with. I'm not sure what we'll name him, but Snickers seems to like the new puppy. She hasn't even torn his eyes off, yet, so she seems to think it's the real deal. She sure would have been a good mama!

Jewel of the Nile

2007-04-09T20:04:00.000-05:00

Snickers has lots of friends, even cats (as long as they don't get close enough to eat)! Auntie Patty came to visit us for Easter and brought a beautiful hand made necklace she and her cats made for us. Can you see the little cat bead at the bottom? Isn't it pretty? It's just for dress up. We have to use our regular collar for walks. I think Snickers looks very mysterious!

Happy Easter Everyone!

2007-04-08T18:23:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a Blessed and Happy Easter. Ralphie was visiting today and he and Snickers were the life of the party! The couldn't stop playing and nipping and chasing each other. There was lots of licking and yoweling, but no biting.

Even though Snickers is really good at baring her teeth, she was playing. Ralphie was neutered two weeks ago and no longer cares to try to do the deed. Snickers still didn't trust him and so wasn't letting him get too close at first.

Ralphie kept rolling over to let Snickers know she was the boss and finally Snickers seemed to believe it. As soon as Ralphie went home, Snickers curled up to sleep and I haven't been able to wake her. Ahhh!! Happiness is a fluffy dog bed!

Snickers Gets Ethnic

2007-04-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

We have been very busy with family matters since Grandma passed away. There have been many chores, and many visitors. Snickers looks for Grandma everytime we visit her home, but she doesn't find her. Her human Auntie is still living there and Snickers loves to wash her face when she sees her. Auntie shrieks with laughter because Snickers tongue is so long and soft. Snickers gets so excited she jumps up in the air and hops around on her single rear leg. This dog is amazing!

One weekend we had a Polish dinner and Snickers dressed the part with a cute little scarf covering her head. It didn't last long, though. Snickers ears couldn't wait to pop out from underneath.

Rat Terrier Likes Maltipoo

2007-03-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Snickers "cousin" Toby was visiting this weekend. Last time Toby visited, they were trying to decide who was boss. It was Toby's birthday, so we celebrated by giving them each a new toy. Snickers ran off with them both. It is clear that in her house, she is the boss and that seems to be okay with Toby. Here she is drinking Toby's water. Toby doesn't care about that either.

If we travel, Snickers is invited to stay with Toby and Toby is invited to stay with Snickers if his parents travel. It works out nice for the parents, but when we told Snickers, she didn't react very well.

In the end, they got along so well, that Snickers was pretty tired out. After Toby went home, all Snickers wanted to do was sit in Dad's lap and let him scratch her ears.

Spring Hunting Season

2007-03-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

Snickers was very busy today practicing her hunting techniques. I caught her shaking one of her babies by the tail. I'll bet it would have broken her neck if it was real.

She has been insisting on going outside and then chasing low flying birds. These birds are very active. The robins are staking out their territory and the mating rituals have begun.

As the neighbors walk by with their dogs, Snickers needs to bark a friendly hello. I think we'll be meeting the new yellow lab that lives next door.

Parents

2007-03-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

This post is in memory of Snickers human grandmother who passed away last week. One of the most important jobs she had over her 95 years was being a good mother. When she became too weak to move back home, Snickers visited her in the nursing home. They were always happy to see each other. Snickers enjoyed her visits because there was always something new to sniff. Snickers would have been a good mother if she had puppies. Look how she is collecting her "babies" and putting them in the sun to warm up.

Snickers Goes to School

2007-03-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

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I have started taking an on line business course and so am spending a little more time on the computer. Snickers still wanted to be a part of everything and was insisting on sitting on my lap. This made it a little hard to type papers so we compromised. I found a tiger striped dog bed for her that she loves. I put it in a sunny spot in my computer room and now we can spend time together and both be comfortable.

Piglets Have Curly Tails, Just Like Snickers

2007-03-12T20:28:00.000-05:00

I found a little stuffed piglet to bring home for Snickers. She seemed to know I had a new toy for her even before she saw it. I brought it into the house stuffed under my shirt. She followed me around without taking her eyes off me. Finally, I had to close myself in my computer room just so I could get a good picture of the new baby. Snickers stood outside the door and cried until I let her in. As soon as she saw the piglet, that was it. She has a new baby! She carried it gently in her mouth and ran around the house with it, never letting us near her! What a sweetheart.

Happy Three Legged Dog

2007-03-08T17:29:00.000-06:00

There isn't a happier dog alive than Snickers. She is so much fun to come home to. Once we are home, she plays and plays until she has no energy left. Then she insists on sitting in our laps to snooze. When she tires of her toys, no problem, there's still that tail that keeps following her around!

Snickers and Cat Adoption

2007-03-04T20:08:00.000-06:00

Snickers' Aunt Patty has adopted many animals. But guess what? Not a single one is a dog. Snickers doesn't really get that, because after all, dogs are the best creature on the face of the earth. All of Patty's animals have been cats. She and her husband have adopted stray cats for many years. As they catch them, they do their best to tame them enough to take to the vet to be spayed or neutered. When one stray cat had a litter of kitties, they adopted them all. They were waiting for the kitties to be old enough to take to the vet when we all got a big surprise. One day, my brother-in-law found one of the "males" in his boat nursing a new litter of kittens. Within a week, all the little females delivered new litters of kitties. They found new homes for all the kittens and all are now spayed or neutered. One cat grew into this big beautiful cat named Callie. Recently Callie became very sick and needed a special diet and an IV to recover. It is certainly an act of love to care for these cats. Isn't Callie beautiful?

Snickers likes looking at Callie's picture, but I think she would try to eat Callie if she got the chance. Little Rat Terriers are great with the family, but they love to hunt so much, they get mixed up when they are around other four legged animals.

Doc was Rescued Too

2007-03-01T21:42:00.000-06:00

Snickers has a big dog friend named Doc. Doc was rescued on his death day by a good friend of mine. After he was born, the breeder realized that there was something wrong with him mentally. But he was such a sweet puppy, my friend asked if she could take him home. Doc grew up into a very sweet and loving dog. He doesn't know anything else but love because that is all he has ever gotten. Doc looks like he weighs about 70 pounds and when he sees someone new, he likes to run over to get petted. What a giant sweetheart. He's not very fast at learning new things, and will never be a watch dog. It doesn't matter. He is a great stress reliever. My friend always has someone at home who loves her. Doc got Snickers a new Barbie purse just because he likes her. Snickers could smell Doc, and she couldn't wait to open her present. She loves it! Another new baby!

Snickers Can't Find a Place to Pee

2007-02-25T21:18:00.000-06:00

We just got our second blizzard of the season. It is still snowing outside, but it rained earlier in the day. It sure made the snow we got last night wet and heavy and sloppy. The deck was covered with snow and there was no path for Snickers to get out onto the lawn to go potty. She made do by finding a spot on the deck. That worked until dad got out there to shovel a trail for Snickers.
There are lots of bunnies hopping around looking for food. I think they are hiding under the deck to protect themselves from the snow and wind. Snickers is finding the bunny poop and bunny tracks and following the trail. Good thing for the bunnies that the snow is too deep for our three legged Snickers. I think she would be a very good hunter.

Elephant Baby

2007-02-24T09:45:00.000-06:00

Snickers has a new Elephant. She still plays with the unstuffed baby elephant and carries it around the house. I thought she would enjoy a new stuffed elephant and thought that she treat is a a new baby.
Was I ever wrong. She pounced on this new toy and shook it until she felt it was dead. Then she started tearing pieces off. I had to take this one away because she was so aggressive at tearing it apart, that I was afraid she would choke on pieces. Back to the unstuffed baby elephant for Snickers!

Melting Snow

2007-02-20T21:29:00.000-06:00

Snickers is enjoying the warm weather today. As the snow melts, it forms a crust. Every bunny print and twig and turd is catching the focus of the sun and melting holes through the snow.

All the snow melt spots give Snickers a chance to hunt mice and ground squirrels. We're back in business!

Snickers Loves Yellowstone

2007-02-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Here is another link to an article speaking of Roosevelt's contribution to Yellowstone. It is interesting to note that his experiences and friendships developed as a young man strongly influenced his decisions later in life. Although he was considered an environmentalist, he didn't have many of the tools available to him that we have today. Many of his decisions were necessarily based on personal experience and the word of the experts of the day. He is an example of having a vision for the future, setting a goal, and working toward the reality of the goal. We all can work to help conserve and protect, no matter how young or old. Go here to to view the "Old Faithful" webcam.

Snickers and President's Day

2007-02-17T18:16:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, we celebrated Washington's Birthday, Lincoln's Birthday and there was talk of celebrating other President's birthdays. Finally, it was decided that we should celebrate all the President's birthdays on a single day, President's Day. Snicker's is going to Honor President Roosevelt this year. She even dressed up in costume for the occasion. President Roosevelt loved the outdoors. He is responsible for setting aside the National Parkland that makes up Yellowstone Park. When you visit the park, as you enter the northern gate, you will cross through the Roosevelt archway marking his contribution. I have added a link to the National Parkservice so you can visit this extraordinary park. We were lucky enough to visit this park two years ago and I count this as one of the highlights of my life.

Valentine Birthday Adoption Day

2007-02-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

Snickers has a new love. (Sorry Boo)! Ben Benjamin is wonderful. What a guy, sending pink roses and babies breath to Snickers! You have won her over.

Snickers received so many thoughtful good wishes from her puppy friends. We celebrated two years with Snickers by having a wonderful salad and fresh ham chunks. Yum Yum.

Snickers loves salad, but you can see what she likes best. The ham is the first to go.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!! May all your dreams come true.

Snickers Gets Snowed In

2007-02-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

Brrrrr...... Enough already! We're just glad we're on the west side of the Great Lakes instead of the East side. Here we are getting "inches" of snow and there they are getting "feet" of snow.

Snickers is pretty mad at me for making her wear this jacket. She likes to think she is the boss and tougher than anybody else. She's really not. She ran and hid behind the couch when she saw me pull out this penguin suit. I think she looks cute in it.

Good thing the snow was light and fluffy. We are on our third day of it and we expect to wake up to more shoveling in the morning. I had to bribe Snickers with a shot and a beer to get her to go out and help shovel.

Happiness is a New Bone

2007-02-10T17:14:00.000-06:00

There's nothing like a warm quilt and a new bone after a cold winter walk.

Parakeet Teasing Rat Terrier

2007-02-08T19:02:00.000-06:00

Buddy loves to do tricks. One of her favorite games is to sit on the bow of my glasses, then I take them off and swing her. She will sit and swing until she is bored.

Then she drops herself and hangs upside down and chatters at Snickers. I think Snickers would love to catch her and eat her.

Look at Snickers watching Buddy play on the table. Sometimes I wonder who is watching who?

Parakeet Dream Catcher

2007-02-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

Snickers is part Cherokee. Not really, but I am. Buddy is my second parakeet. She is a female and doesn't talk very much, but loves to snuggle. My first parakeet was a male and he spoke over 35 words. Once I was having a meeting at my house with a volunteer group. Hank wouldn't stop talking, he was so excited to have all the company. Finally, one lady leaned over to shush him. Hank walked over to her side of his cage and said, "Hey Baby. How about a kiss." That bird was the talk of the town! I had saved Hanks tail feathers as he dropped them over the years. When he died, my sister made a beautiful dream catcher out of his feathers. I have it hanging in my office. It reminds me what a wonderful sister I have and what a special gift Hank was to me.

Bird Watching

2007-02-04T16:07:00.000-06:00

What's a girl to do when it's 8 below with a -22 degree wind chill? Hmmm... How about bird watching?

Well, maybe bird hunting??

Okay, maybe we can be friends.

Better yet, how about dinner?

I'll catch you tomorrow. Time for my nap.

Too Cold for a Walk

2007-02-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

Today is a good day for staying inside,curled up in the master's lap with the new baby. Yep, Snickers is taking good care of her new toy, but still has the remains of the baby elephant. I think I will add new stuffing and give it back to her. She had it for so long and took such good care of it, it will be fun to see what happens with the elephant now that she has adopted a new baby. It is only 1 degree outside today and we expect 10 below zero tonight. That's weather you need to plan for. All the beer and brandy has gone into the basement from the garage. All the cupboard doors that have plumbing have been opened to the house to keep the pipes from freezing. Snickers needs to wear her coat when she steps outside and even she is leaving her baby at the door and not taking her out. If we need to go out, the cell phone rides along so help can be summoned if needed.

Brrrr, Cold Dogs

2007-02-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

You can't call us "hot dogs" now! It's only 1 degree outside and it's going to get even colder this weekend. The snow that is out side is just crackling. Snickers runs outside, does her business, turns and looks surprised at what she's done, sniffs, and runs back inside. No barking for Harley, or chasing rabbits for this little terrier. Let's get back inside and curl up on Master's lap.

Dogs Love Peanut Butter

2007-01-31T19:30:00.000-06:00

Dogs love peanut butter, and I love to feed it to them! It is so much fun to watch them lick their lips and the roof of their mouth. It sure keeps them busy for a while. Plus they will love you forever. Haha, isn't she funny to watch? Her face looks all crooked and silly.

More New Puppies

2007-01-29T20:07:00.000-06:00

I work at the best place. People try to be supportive of each other and encourage each other's interests. Today when I got to work, I had two little surprises looking up at me from my keyboard. Aren't they adorable? I need to find names for them. I think one looks like Snickers and the other looks like Boo Casanova. Click on my link and see what you think.

Snickers couldn't wait to meet the new additions to the family.

I.thought for sure she would want the one that looked like herself. It could have been another new baby.

First she sniffed the two new puppies.

But look, it's the Boo Casanova look alike that turned out to be her favorite! Look how gently she picks it up.

New Puppy for Snickers

2007-01-27T16:46:00.000-06:00

We went to the pet store this afternoon and surprised Snickers with a new toy. I had it in the bag and before I could get my coat hung up Snickers pulled it out and claimed it as her own.

Bob had to work to try to get the toy away and cut the tag off.

It squeeks as though it were alive! I wonder how long that will last? This one came a spare squeeker just in case.

Off Snickers runs to hide her new baby! Catch me if you can!

Dog Rings

2007-01-26T18:01:00.000-06:00

Snickers loves to play. You could almost say she lived to play, except she also lives to eat, to be petted, to snuggle, to hunt.....

Snickers could pull your arm off with these ring toys. Bob loves to just tug on them with her. I won't tug because it hurts my hands. I hold my hand down the way Bob is, but I won't take the ring. I wait for Snickers to place it in my fingers. Once I have it, she lets go and I throw it for her. She plays with each of us differently depending on how we like to play. She doesn't care who plays or how, she just wants to play. Isn't it amazing how much strength she has in her legs?

Snickers Takes Care of Mom

2007-01-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

Yep, mom's got a sore nose from yesterday's clunk. Snickers is keeping a close eye on me. She seems to be able to sense the bruise. She likes to put her paws up on my shoulder and lick my face. When she isn't doing that, she is curled up in my lap either watching for intruders or watching me.

Don't worry, Snickers. I'll be fine.

Can you get any cozier than this? Happiness really is a warm puppy.

Snickers Lands a Knockout Punch

2007-01-24T16:49:00.000-06:00

I learned a lesson today. Don't bend over your dog to give them a kiss on the top of the head while they are still excited to see you. OUCH!! Snickers jumped and moved her head up at the same time.
Mom got nailed right in the nose. No pictures today, I'm busy with an ice pack trying to get the bleeding to stop.
I guess every winning fighter earns a prize. Snickers will get a chicken chew strip to get her out of my hair for awhile.

A Death in the Family

2007-01-23T20:15:00.000-06:00

This was a very sad day. Snickers decided to kill her baby. That's right, she figured out it was a stuffed elephant and not a real baby and tore a hole in it's head. Then she pulled all the stuffing out. I found bits of the filling all over the parlor. I can't believe she finally did this.
She had eviscerated every one of her toys within a month of getting them. But the elephant, she has had for almost a year. She has taken this baby outside to go potty, to the food and water dishes to eat and drink, and even to bed when it is time to sleep.
What happened to make her turn on her baby? I think it is my fault. I put the baby in the washer and dryer and made it all sweet smelling and soft. She no longer recognized her scent on the toy. Could it be she no longer recognized it as her own? Bad me. Too bad, so sad. We need to shop for a new baby.
I always thought that if you found a baby bird outside a nest that you shouldn't touch it, but instead should leave it for the mother. I learned that this is not true. Birds will keep their young if returned to the nest quickly enough without injury. But if the baby is left too long and the body temperature is too low or the baby bird is injured, the mother recognizes that the baby will die and will push it out again to make room for the surviving young.
Nature will win, if we let it.

Rat Terrier and Snow

2007-01-22T19:11:00.000-06:00

Good thing Snickers only has to worry about getting three cold feet! She looks like she is about ready to come in the house and warm up.

Doesn't it look like a crystal wonderland?

It is still snowing in this picture. The world looks so peaceful from Snickers' back yard.

Snow In Snickers Yard

2007-01-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

Snickers finally has some snow in which to play. She is enjoying hunting for mice and calling her dog friends to play. Harley came over but was running so fast I couldn't get a good picture. Snickers loves to play with that big Golden. What a gentle giant!

Puppy's Bath

2007-01-20T14:45:00.000-06:00

Saturday's are a good day to get the laundry done. Today, I took Snickers' baby and gave it a bath along with the towels. When it came out of the dryer, I gave it to Snickers. She sniffed it, gently took it from me, and ran into the parlor to place the baby behind the chairs in a sunny spot so it could warm up. Isn't she a good mama? She stands close by her baby so I won't take it away for another bath.

Snickers' Stair Fun

2007-01-19T16:47:00.000-06:00

Snickers is such a silly dog. When we get home we have to follow the same ritual every single time or Snickers cries like a baby. Is she spoiled or does she need the ritual to feel secure, or am I a human trying to get into a dog's brain? I finally followed Snickers command and ran up the stairs to put her on the bed and rub her tummy. Then I ran downstairs and filled her dog dishes with food, a treat and fresh water. Then I ran back to the stairs and played doggy hide and seek between the stair rails.

Come to think of it, who's the one that has all the brains here? Sounds like a good life to me! Where's my tummy rub?

On a different note, everyone seemed to enjoy the miniature quilt I posted. Is there any interest in an a little class with Snickers, or would you rather I stuck to just Snickers?

Snickers and the Miniature Quilt

2007-01-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

Remember the little one inch fabric squares Snickers and I cut out a while back? Well, here is the product of one of our ventures into quilting. I gave this miniature to my boss for Christmas when I was her Secret Santa. It was so much fun to make. I was very happy to be able to give it to her.

Snickers was a little funny about posing with me. She is still a little timid when around new objects.

Snickers Pads

2007-01-16T19:50:00.000-06:00

Because Snickers is a three legged dog, we try to keep her pads in good condition. This can be hard when it gets cold and icy. We finally are back to our good cold snowy Wisconsin weather. We received about 4 inches of snow, and when there is snow, there is ice.

I needed to put a little salt outside on the ice around the walk. I use as little as possible, but sometimes, you just need to bite the bullet for the sake of safety. I don't want to risk falling, and I don't want Snickers to fall. I've noticed that she will like her paws to remove salt and snow which can further damage her pads. I've tried using these little booties with pads, but she doesn't think very highly of them and would just as soon they disappeared.

I check Snickers pads for cracks and use warm water on a towel to rinse them at least once a day during this period. If Snickers pads show any sign of cracking I like to use udder balm or Vaseline at night to soften them. Udder balm is readily available in Wisconsin, it is used by dairy farmers to put on cow's udder's to keep them in good condition for milking. It is also a popular hand lotion for men and women alike.

Snickers Edible Garden

2007-01-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

My brother is blogging about creating an edible garden as his yard rather than having grass and plants that you need to water. He has an interesting pole bean garden against his house, and pineapples and ginger along with fruit trees. My girlfriends think he needs to also grow edible flowers like nasturtium.
Snickers really doesn't care too much about those plants. But she loves peppers, she likes to dig up bulbs and tubers. Her idea of an edible garden is lots of bunnies running around, mom turning the dirt and finding worms to munch on, dad putting out bird seed so there are birds to hunt (the birds are too smart for Snickers) and lots of tree squirrels and field mice to catch and shake. What fun!
I think by watching Snickers at work, it might give us an idea of what we might have eaten when we lived in caves.
Check out his link to your left at Robert Brinkmann's Garden Blog.

Snickers Finds Snow

2007-01-14T16:12:00.000-06:00

Oh, Dad. Do I have to wipe my feet when I come in out of the snow?

So what do you think? Should we go for a walk or take a nap?

Ok, nap works for me.

Hooray for Snickers!

2007-01-13T17:14:00.000-06:00

We had much work to do today; shopping, and visiting relatives. We decided again to see if Snickers was comfortable alone in the house. She has been with us for over a year and we have left her alone periodically for longer and longer times. Today she handled it for four hours! This time her hiding place was curled in her bed. She was at the front window watching us as we pulled away, and when we came home, she ran to the front window and watched us when she heard the car pull in to the driveway. But this time she was barking and scolding us! Bad parents!

Snickers' Early Spring

2007-01-12T19:05:00.000-06:00

Snickers found some lilies coming up. We have lilies scattered throughout our gardens. Some bloom in the spring and some later in the season. It is still too early to see green. The weather is expected to get into the 20's this weekend.

Where did that bunny go?

We found a wild geranium greening out. Snickers and I need to get out this weekend and give these babies more cover. I didn't spread out straw this fall expecting a mild winter. I didn't anticipate this much early growth. Snickers added some of her personal fertilizer to one of my bed we planted with bulbs. We found a couple bulbs had been dug up and munched on.

Snickers' Daisies

2007-01-11T18:52:00.000-06:00

On Snickers' quest for critters she discovered that the daisies are greening out.

We heard the weather man talking about the warm winter weather in Wisconsin. He said it was a combination of global warming and an unusual northern flow to the El Nino winds. Just west in Colorado they are being buried in snow. Today we got rain mixed with flurries. Look out daisies! You should still be asleep!

Snickers Sniffs out Sedum

2007-01-10T17:10:00.000-06:00

Snickers found sedum shoots in various places around the yard. I usually like to keep the dead foliage throughout the winter as cover for the critters. But the shoots are so big, I am risking cutting them down so I don't damage the new growth later on. Although my husband is enjoying the golf, I don't like the warm weather right now. We need to have prolonged hard freeze to kill theinsects that seem to be growing more abundant.

The shoots are quite large already. I don't normally see this until sometime in March when the weather warms.

I wonder what will happen when (if) we get the cold weather and snow that we typically see? I covered these green shoots with the cut dried foliage to help protect them.

Climate Change in Snickers Backyard

2007-01-09T19:35:00.000-06:00

We have heard quite a lot about climate change recently. Is it happening, isn't it happening, is it the fault of humans, and so on. Climate change is truly a cyclic phenomenon, you need only to look at the history of the planet to know this. But I don't think there is any question that the imprint of humans and their use of carbon based products is having an affect in accelerating the process of climate change. There is so much we could do to minimize the imprint we are making. Do you know that right now in the State of Wisconsin, we have a company that dumps mercury as one of its byproducts in manufacturing. This company wants to convert to a process that does not use mercury. It is asking the state to freeze its electric bill for ten years so they can afford to pay for this conversion. The state "powers that be" are actually arguing about whether or not they should agree to this. Maybe I'm being short sighted, but doesn't it cost the state a whole lot more to pay for mercury cleanup in our soils and streams? What is the cost to the fishing industry, the Great Lakes, tourism? What are the health care costs to children born of mothers who eat mercury polluted food? I could go on.

Anyhow, here we are in the first half of January and we are documenting buds on our maple trees.

We also found buds on our elderberry bushes. There are many new shoots popping out of the ground with fresh leaves. You may need to click on the pictures to enlarge to get a better view.
Snickers and I hope the weather gets much colder to kill some of the bugs that are dormant out there. We hate mosquitos. West Nile Virus has become very deadly for the birds and other animals.

Snickers the Rat Terrier Finds the Scent

2007-01-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

The weather was so warm this weekend that Snickers and I went for a walk around the yard to check things out. She took me for a good sniff around when she caught the scent of some small critter.

She stopped by the downspout as if to say, "Okay, I found the critter, now what are you going to do about it?" We have seen many ground squirrels come and go in these spouts and have caught some in those humane traps. When we do, we transport them miles away so they don't move back in. If Snickers got hold of them, there wouldn't be anything left! (She practices on her toys).

Snickers Hiding Spot

2007-01-07T11:59:00.000-06:00

We needed to get up at 3am to have Adriane at the airport for her flight. We decided to leave Snickers out of her kennel. We do this occasionally to see how she will tolerate it. She seems fine for short periods, but then tends to stress out and make a mess. We hadn't been able to find her secret snuggle spot until today. We returned home about three hours after we left and found a nice warm spot on the love seat in the parlor. As soon as Snickers heard the car door slam, she became quite excited, but was not destructive while we were gone. Was this because it was an early run, or is she becoming more secure? We'll need to continue to explore.
My neighbor just rescued a yellow lab. They have had it for several weeks now. He is two years old and came house trained. He wasn't sure how the lab would behave when left alone, and so first started with a confinement to a hallway, then a small room, then several rooms and now the dog has the run of the house. He has never had an accident and is not destructive. The only issue is that he didn't want the dog to sit in his recliner and so has been putting a large heavy pillow on the recliner to keep the dog off. Every day, he comes home from work and finds the pillow up against the front door and the dog has been in the recliner.
I think they both know which seat is the most comfortable in the house! We look forward to introducing Snickers to our new neighbor.

Snickers the Three Legged Rat Terrier and Toby the Maltipoo

2007-01-05T21:59:00.000-06:00

I thought you would enjoy watching the three legged rat terrier in action. Don't blink or you will miss her. She is racing around with Toby, the Maltipoo. They are about the same size and are racing around to see who ends up with the favorite bacon strip chewy toy instead of the plain rawhide. I'll give you three guesses who the winner is! Snickers doesn't know she only has three legs!

Time with the Girls

2007-01-05T21:03:00.000-06:00

This was a fun day for me. Snickers has been so busy keeping watch over everything that she was pretty worn out today. My daughter and son-in-law came in late because they were visiting as many people as they could fit in. Snickers woke up and groweled loudly to be sure we were awake. We helped her check everything out and when we knew it was family coming home, we all went to bed.

The girls all got up early. Snickers got fed and watered, then she promptly fell asleep in her kennel.

Off we went to get our hair redone. We all got cuts and colors and looked like new women when we were done. All the guys think they are now married to someone else!

What a fun day. Tomorrow my son-on-law leaves to fly back to Arizona. We have one more day with our daughter and off she goes. It is always hard to say good-bye.

Party Dog

2007-01-04T14:44:00.000-06:00

Snickers loves entertaining and being entertained. As a matter of fact, she thinks it is mandatory that she is at the center of attention whether it is a human or another dog that is doing the entertaining.

Hey, don't forget to include my baby and me in the family picture!

Come on big guy! You can be rougher than that!

Come and get it, Toby!

Snickers at the Party

2007-01-03T22:54:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! We are so tired tonight. My daughter and son-in-law are visiting from Arizona and we had an open house tonight. We had plenty of guests and Snickers had a visitor also. My brother brought his Maltipoo, Toby. Snickers is the boss of them and wastes no time in letting Toby know. Toby goes along with this, but that doesn't stop him from chasing around the house and stealing treats and nipping and.... What a hysterical sight! They were doing figure eights around the parlor. I have it on video. If I can figure out how to post it, I will do that later this week. I can't wait to share it with you.
At one point, one of the guests stepped on Snickers foot. It was an accident, but Snickers thought the guest was being aggressive. We had to give her a time out to compose herself, and then we were able to bring her back out to make friends. Once she knew there was no danger, she was fine. Having a rescue, we will always have to be aware that situations may arise that might be frightening and be prepared to have a place for Snickers to feel safe. Because we were at home, we were able to kennel her for a short time. I don't believe there was any danger of a bite to any one, but Snickers had her ears back and was yowling and growling and looking at the guest in an unkind manner.
She is very sweet and friendly by nature, so she was back to playing with every one in no time. We will all sleep good tonight!

Canine Nursing Home Visits

2007-01-02T09:32:00.000-06:00

Dogs often visit nursing homes to help the residents. There is something about a snugly, wriggly, warm blooded animal that gives a person a warm fuzzy feeling inside. We took Snickers to visit Grandma and both were excited to see each other. This time Grandma is on oxygen so there is the noise of the compressor that is strange to Snickers. As we continue to visit, she will become accustomed to this noise and not be frightened. We reassure her that it is not a scary sound and won't hurt her. You can see she is a little nervous and wants to stay close to dad. As soon as we told Snickers that she was going to visit Grandma, she couldn't wait to see her. Here we are as we get ready to go and as we visit.
Before you bring your pet to visit family or friends at a long term care facility, be sure you check ahead of time to find out what the rules and regulations are. In our case, we needed to bring in a copy of rabies and vaccination schedule to show proof of compliance. We also needed to avoid the food tray schedule so that we didn't interfere with meal time.

New Year's Resolutions 2007

2006-12-31T17:25:00.000-06:00

I, Snickers, resolve:

to lick the face of every human that crosses my path

to finish my food as soon as it is put out and always beg for more

to play every day and make the humans play with me

that when I am done playing, I will jump in the lap of one of the humans and watch the other one so they don't escape my licks

to catch Buddy the parakeet

to search out and catch any bunnies or ground squirrels that run through the yard

to continue to stalk the cat that lives behind us

to greet the humans every time they walk in the house as though I haven't seen them for a year

to keep sneaking up to the pillow end of the bed at night (the humans don't realize I can guard them better from here)

not to be so frightened of the weird noises at the nursing home when we visit grandma

to make the humans take me for walks at least four times a week so they get their exercise

to beg for vegetables so the humans remember to eat right

to fall asleep in the human laps so they pet me and learn to relax

that I will remind the humans that love, friendship and kindness are the most important things and the more you share them, the more you get that back

Happy New Year Everyone!

Green Bay Packers

2006-12-31T17:06:00.000-06:00

Tonight we are spending New Year's Eve with some close friends watching the Green Bay Packers. They don't have a chance to get in the playoffs, but they are still playing for pride and we get to see one of the best quarterbacks that ever played the game, Brett Favre. And speaking of pride, I'm not so sure Snickers has any left after I made her pose with this Green Bay Packers sweatshirt!

Rescue Me

2006-12-30T10:04:00.000-06:00

I found this post on YouTube. It is a short video of a couple going to a shelter to rescue a Jack Russel Rat Terrier Mix. The road looks just like the one we were on when we found Snickers, but her shelter was fenced and allowed the dogs to run free outside. At night, most of the smaller dogs were put in kennels inside. The lady at Snickers shelter told me she needed to be leashed before they brought her in so she wouldn't kill any of the cats. Sometimes it can be a scary experience going to a shelter, but I think you'll agree that the smiles on the new owners faces and the relief you can see on this dog all make the search and rescue worthwhile.

Snickers' paws

2006-12-29T20:03:00.001-06:00

It always amazes me when I watch Snickers use her paws to manipulate objects. Maybe she's better at it than other dogs because she only has three legs. I think you'll agree she is pretty amazing.

Notice how she keeps her "baby" nearby?

Ralphie the Bad Boy of Dachshund's

2006-12-28T21:18:00.000-06:00

Ralphie got his name from the movie "The Christmas Story". The little boy in the movie is named Ralphie. This is one of my daughter's favorite movies. We got silly and bought her and Craig a Leg Lamp for Christmas. They laughed so hard when they saw it. It will go on a table in front of a window.

When you see Ralphie snuggled in my daughter's arms, it's hard to understand why Snickers doesn't like him. Don't let the picture fool you. He won't snuggle for long. Then off he runs to find more mischief!

All American Dog

2006-12-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

Although Rat Terriers are considered one of the first truly American dog breeds, I think Snickers has some Norwegian in her blood. When my youngest daughter was a Senior in high school, we hosted a Norwegian exchange student for half the year. One of her gifts to us was a cute little Norwegian girl Christmas ornament. Snickers thought it was awfully cute, too. I was able to rescue what was left of it, but I fear it is beyond repair. I'm not sure how she got it off the tree. I thought we had it elevated enough that she wouldn't bother anything. Live and learn. Sorry Birte!

Ralphie and Snickers

2006-12-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

That naughty dachshund was visiting again. This time he didn't try to do the deed with Snickers, but she remembered how much he was chasing tail last time he was here. Snickers let Ralphie know right from the start that there would be no funny business! Ralphie was very submissive to Snickers this time, but that didn't stop him from wanting to play. They were a lot of fun to watch, but I don't think Snickers warmed up to him. She gets along with every other dog she has met but still not with Ralphie. He is a good dog and very handsome. Here are Ralphie and Snickers with their human dads; my son-in-law Craig and my husband, Bob.

Doggy Christmas Greetings

2006-12-24T10:08:00.000-06:00

Snickers received a gift from Doggy Claus. She was so excited she couldn't stop wagging her tail. Once she got a start opening her gift, she ran to get her baby and brought it over so that it could share the fun. Who knew a stuffed elephant could be such an important part of her little family? Snickers and the little elephant are enjoying their organic doggy treats.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Raccoon Dog

2006-12-23T10:09:00.000-06:00

Tell me it ain't so! Items from the new clothing line from P Diddy have a Raccoon Dog trim. Macy's has agreed to pull the clothes from its shelves, but they only did so after DNA testing proved it was from this wild dog. It makes me shudder. This is a Made in China import. Please don't buy these garments. If there is no market for these dog fur items, they won't be made and imported.