Frankie the Dachshund

FB?

2010-12-10T20:50:00.001-08:00

You guys. Are any of my regular peeps (other than Baxter - Hey, Bax!!!) on fb? Argh - come on, people.

Just wanted to say...

2010-11-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! :) Hope someone drops some bits of turkey on the floor for you guys! :)
xoxo Frankie and Osk

Bath pictures.

2010-10-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Frankie says: Oh, I'm not supposed to be on the white couch. But, when there is a sun patch involved, I can't seem to help myself! Please don't be mad!

Get a load of that outfit. Mommy did not pick it out. Do you see Frankie in the background? Oh, she's back on the white couch where she isn't supposed to be!

Oskie protecting his toy. Even in his sleep!

Oskie fills up the entire tub! The big lug!

LET ME OUT!!!

Bath Day!

2010-10-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's a bit chilly outside (mid-70's) and Frankie is buried in a fleece blanket. I feel bad digging her out to plunk her into the tub, but she's a big gamey and it must be done! :) I'll try and take a picture.

Kitties are back!

2010-09-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yay! The kitties are back! Mama wandered back first and checked out the food situation for a couple of days and we had no idea where the kitties had gone. I looked all over the cul de sac and never saw them. Then, I went to take her food and water out one morning (it's 105-109 here right now, so fresh water is key for the poor things) and the babies were back!

Soupy (Frankie) wants to play with the kitties so badly. I took her to the mail box and she was wagging her tail trying to get over to their bush but I didn't want mom to move them again. Although, they are getting so big, I would like to see her even try to pick one up!

The little black one got stuck in a bush UPSIDE DOWN! He had one paw caught and he was howling so bad. I went out there, shooed mom away, and picked the little ingrate up. He scratched the crap out of me, but his foot seems just fine. Soup was very interested in the meowing!

We've missed you guys!

2010-08-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Above is the big news at our house. Feral cats. Fortunately for all of us, they are in a location the dogs can't see so the barking hasn't been a problem. This little starving mama had her babies in the bushes that join our house with our neighbors in our front yard! Aren't they precious? Anyway, long story short, we are feeding them (I know, I know! But I could not watch them starve). Two days ago we trapped them all (humanely) and took them in to a spay/neuter/release clinic. All were operated on and then we released them the following day. Now, the babies are gone! I'm sick! Mama has turned up to eat but we haven't seen the little guys at all. :( I miss them!

Oskie and Little

They are best buds!

I'm so sorry that I'm such a lame blogger! Anyone who is friends with me on FB knows I manage to keep current there just fine but for some reason this is a struggle for me sometimes! Lame excuse, I know, but true! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FRANKIE!

2010-07-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to find some pictures of all of us with Frankie. Here she is with my daughter, Rose (who turns 3 this Friday!!!). She was wonderful with the baby from day one.

This was one month after we got Frankie, so she was 16 weeks. I look ill. That's because I got PREGNANT right after we got Frankie and was very sick! Frankie and I spent a lot of time sleeping on the couch together. Oh, who am I kidding - we still do. ;)

Here is Big with Frankie. You can barely see her! This is at the dog park.

As usual, the pictures are out of order (it shouldn't be this hard). This was taken the day we brought Frankie home. That is Lucky, who has since crossed the rainbow bridge. Lucky was 12 when we brought Frankie home and she was remarkably tolerant of this active little puppy who showed up and took over!

Another picture from the first days of our lives with Frankie. I have never loved a dog like I love my Frankie.

Frankie and her daddy! So cute.

I LOVE this picture of Frankie running. We love to say there isn't anything cuter than a dachshund running at eye level.

Frankie curled up with Little.

My life really did change when we got Frankie. I love her dearly and we cannot imagine our lives without her! So, say a little "happy birthday" to Frankie wherever you are today! :)

Dr. Doom

2010-07-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Frankie was taken to the vet this morning bright and early.

She was put under and had her teeth cleaned. We thought she'd need 2 extractions but it turns out that wasn't the case.

"Hey! Take my picture, too!" says Oskie.

I'm trying to coax Frankie to eat. She had a hard time coming out of her anesthesia. She's been crying on and off all day. She stopped crying long enough for a piece of cheese. :)

As the evening has worn on, she's become much more like herself. I can't believe how much she's sleeping!

"Why did you do that to me? I thought we were driving to the dog park!"

Hottest Day of the Year!

2010-06-23T21:45:00.001-07:00

Frankie here. It's supposed to be the hottest day of the year tomorrow. 112-114 degrees! Here's what I'm thinking for tomorrow:

* wake up my mom so I can go outside for my morning constitutional
* lay in the sun
* eat (if there's some chicken broth on my food. If not, whine at dish until mom gets the hint)
* back outside to tan my belly
* come in for a nap
* chew on bully stick. Take Oskie's bully stick.
* outside for some sun
* repeat until sun goes down.

:) xoxo Frankie

Overkill?

2010-06-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Do you LOOOOVVVEEE my new bag? Oh, they had so many different things: pencil case, hard metal lunch box, pen with feather and dachshund on top, passport cover, luggage tag, ipod case, notebook. . . you KNOW you are dying to find out where this was purchased!!!!!!! The line is called Sausage Dogs.

I am a handbag snob. It's true. However, this is my new handbag. Consider me recovered. I am SO happy with this purchase!!!!!

I am tempted to keep you in suspense. Of course, it would be so fun to have you all run out to this store and then photograph and post your purchases. Hmmmmm. What do to, what to do?

BORDERS BOOKS! Get your butts out there! The sales guy said they will go on sale in a bit but right now it's full price.

I love my dachshund bloggers! :)

Silly Miss Frankie

2010-05-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Did someone drop a tasty treat under here?

Seriously, where is it?

Don't close the door!

I think it's a butter wrapper for me to lick.

Ahhh, a full tummy. Time for a nap.

Swimming Pool

2010-05-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hey - it's me, Frankie. Let me tell you one thing I hate. The swimming pool. Why anyone would voluntarily get in that thing I cannot imagine. But, my people seem to think it's hilarious to scoop me up and carry me out in the pool.

Usually, it goes like this: my mom picks me up and walks down the steps holding me snug. Once I see where she is headed, I get very still because I know what's coming. She holds me in the pool and lets me go, and I swim to the edge. Then she laughs and says I look like a spotted torpedo or a river otter. Then she dries me off and gives me a treat. Then I lay in the sun for an hour to dry off.

If I'm still feeling peckish, I go near her again because I really don't mind going in if there are treats involved. . . :) xoxo Frankie Mae

Finally!

2010-04-21T21:07:00.001-07:00

HERE IT IS! He does this all the time - I can't believe how hard it's been to get a photo of it! He sticks out his tongue when he sleeps. Oh, Oscar. You are so funny!

Then if we move around too much, in it goes.

Another funny Oscar thing is that he closes his eyes in nearly every picture! For all of these, he was fully awake! The little tongue sticking out is my favorite thing about Oscar. It makes me laugh every single time. :)

Just too hard to capture!

2010-04-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

This is our outdoor kennel. It's nice for Oskie, especially, because when we are gone, he can come out here instead of being inside in the crate.

This is a close up of the reason I posted these pictures! The honeysuckle! It's just starting to bloom and is about to go crazy. Mind you, this is only it's 2nd year! It's taken over and it's so fragrant and wonderful. I think I might hang out in the kennel myself for a while! :)

My favortie thing about Oskie is too hard to capture! I have a picture on my cell phone - I wish I could figure out how to get that picture on to my computer! Until then, I thought I'd show you a picture of Osk that I love. This picture is so funny! He loves to tool around the yard and poke his nose in and around all of the plants.

Did I tell you that he got stung by a scorpion?! Just like poor Frankie last year - remember that? A clever blogger would link that post HERE (pretend it's highlighted), but you're stuck with me, so just try and think back. ;) Anyway, I was making coffee and heard a big YELP and looked over and he was rubbing his nose on the carpet and that scorpion was making a break for it! Of course Frankie was running behind my legs - she remembered and wasn't offering Osk any help at all! :)

I'm still going to try and capture Oskie's little habit. Now I felt I've built it up too much and you'll be disappointed, but I'm also up for the challenge! Almost had it this morning! :)

Here comes the sun!

2010-04-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Frankie looooves the sun. She knows where all of the good sun patches are in the living room and she knows what time they are at their warm and toastiest. Frankie follows me around everywhere, except mid morning when she can always be found in her favorite living room sun patch.

And I love this dog so much that when we were moving furniture around, I took into consideration that sun patch, and placed the furniture around it. What? Too indulgent?

Oskie (we rarely call him Oscar anymore) is sun patch neutral. He never seeks them out. When the dogs are outside, it's the same thing. He is on the hunt - checking out every leaf and bird and possible pee spot. Frankie does her business and flops over in the grass or on the pool deck. It's hilarious!

Next post, I'm going to write about my FAVORITE thing about Oskie. And oooh, is it a goodie! How's that for suspense? ;)

Long time, no see! :)

2010-03-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

My life is crazy. It's so hectic here sometimes!

Okay, on to the dogs.

Frankie is doing well. My husband has been out of town for a few days and she sleeps with me when he's gone - I loooooove it! :) She's such a little heater! I think I like it more than she does, though. Sometimes, she has me put her down so she can crawl into her own bed in the middle of the night. I try not to take offense.

Oscar is OBSESSED with tennis balls. He has popped 3 already. He rolls them around and chases them all by himself. I have to take it away to make him go outside to go potty and to get something to drink. He exhausts himself!

The dogs had their first real scuffle. Oscar nipped Frankie (she made a move for the ball, which is funny because she cannot fit her mouth around it). They growled and got a little carried away but then kissed and made up. No skirmishes since!

Okay, I'm off to catch up on your blogs!

Hi, again!

2010-03-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

Here I am snuggling with Frankie.

I looooove my rawhide.

She's beautiful! :)

It's me, Oscar. Mom says to tell you my owie is healing nicely. I'm adding that it itches and I'd like to chew it constantly, but I know I'm not supposed to!

Also, there are lots of birds in our yard. I'm sure they are trying to get in the house and do some damage, so I'm watching them closely and chasing them out of the yard!

When I'm not being the resident watchdog, I like to chew on my rawhide. Seriously - it is the highlight of my day. Sometimes, Frankie takes it and leaves hers and I just switch with her.

Okay, I've got to go. Naps to take, yards to fertilize, birds to chase. :)

Rain, rain, go away!

2010-03-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, the rain! It's nice but the dogs hate it so.

Oscar is healing again. He and Frankie are getting along well. He still seems to be a little neurotic but he's mellowing out some.

Frankie is still her soft and sweet self. I love that dog! She doesn't always love me - especially when Oscar is near my lap on the couch, but she's coming around. She does seem to love Oscar, though. She licks him and they play all the time. It's so sweet.

I'll try and get some pictures of that!

Oh my gosh. Seriously?

2010-02-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

Okay - you are not going to believe this. Oscar has managed to open his wound! And it was totally closed! I have no idea what is going on. He's been - ahem - licking himself a bit the past couple of days and I finally thought to take a peek at his personal area and the wound is open. *sigh*
It's such a bummer. He's back in the neck cone and towel neck wrap thingy. I am bummed. Why would he do that? Grrrrr!
Fortunately, he's still on the stinking antibiotics from before so hopefully he won't get an infection!

Friday!

2010-02-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, I love Friday! It means that there are more of my family around the house! I'm a little concerned because everyone is packing lunches for tomorrow as if they are going to be gone.

Hmmmmm.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T20:18:00.001-08:00

Oscar here.

2010-02-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

Hello, all. It's Oscar here. Frankie said I should just write about my day, so here it goes.

I ate this morning and it was so very good. It's nice not to be hungry all of the time - although I do want to eat much more than I am given! After a brief nap, I was hauled to the vet.

This is where my day takes an ugly turn.

I was supposed to get one shot. This turned into a visit with the doctor, a temperature taking (a-hem! excuse me back there! We have only just met!), TWO shots, and then I heard my mom mention that I was seen scooting across the gravel outside. This comment got me put into a very awkward position indeed! There was some squeezing back there that I did not appreciate, although I do feel much better now. I'm not going to let my mom know that, though!

Also, my family was gone a lot today. Not for long periods of time, but in and out. I hate to be alone and I am much happier when I'm in the kennel with Dixie if they aren't here. She's very cuddly. They say she's 12 years old, which explains why she just lays down and sleeps all the time.

I am hopeful that tomorrow will be a little better. But even the worst of days are still great in my new forever home!

See ya!
Oscar

Healing Nicely

2010-02-15T14:02:00.001-08:00

Finally, some good news! The dogs seem to be healing nicely. Oscar is still on his antibiotics and all 3 dogs are coughing but usually only first thing in the morning.

Oscar is still tail chasing but he is easily distracted from it and it's only once in a while so I'm letting that go for now. Choosing not to worry about it. Burying my head in the sand, if you will.

We have been home all day today - the 3 kids and I. My husband is out of town. The dogs have been loving this day nearly as much as we have. It's been good to stop the world for a day and just hang out together. Such a blessing.

Oscar has hidden so many toys! It is so funny - I can't even tell you! He gets such a devious look about him, too, when he is searching for a good spot to stash his wares.

Frankie Mae

2010-02-11T13:01:00.001-08:00

Oh, my Frankie Mae was so little!

I think she's coming around again as far as Oscar is concerned. They have been playing (a bit too rough for my taste but I try and let it go) and she's started to sit on my lap again. Oh, it really hurt when she was ignoring me! Stinking dog.

Both dogs still have kennel cough. They both sound like my aunt who smokes 3 packs a day. I called the vet who assured me that they were probably fine and to let it go a couple of more days before we bring them in.

This bottom picture of Frankie was taken the very afternoon we got her. She was 2.5 pounds. Such an exciting day!

Reality

2010-02-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

I hope my mom is getting the hint.

Every night, she tries to put me on her lap as usual. I jump off and whine to my dad. It doesn't matter of Oscar is there or not.

It seems Oscar is staying and I am - to use a term Frankie Furter Price might use - very much not amused by it. Turkey turds and cat crap! That dog it getting on my last nerve!

He has chewed through 8 of my toys. He has given me some sort of infection and now a cough! Even though I was just forced to get a shot, his germs have somehow found me! He takes my mom's lap and sometimes she carries him!!!! I won't stand for it.

My mom has forced "him" off of her lap for me, but I will not be tempted. Let her sit there and cry into her kleenex. I'm ignoring her for the foreseeable future!

What next?

2010-02-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Vet called to check on Oscar. I mentioned he's got kennel cough now - they prescribed antibiotics for him.

Frankie has something wrong with her eye. It's all gunky and red. She looks like she has pink eye! I'm hoping it's just a clogged duct or something that will go away on its own. . . wishful thinking?

Oscar's incision is still open, by the way. These medical issues are getting tiring - I can't wait until both are well and we can just resume our normal activities! grrrrrrrr!

Sneaky Oscar!

2010-02-05T13:41:00.001-08:00

So, things are calming down around here as we all find our feet with our new family member. His incision is still not healed all the way and now he has kennel cough but I'm picking up his antibiotics for that today so it should be cleared up pretty quickly.

Oscar has destroyed several of Frankie's stuffed toys. She likes to squeak them but rarely rips them to shreds but Oscar loves to. No big deal since Frankie has so many and only really like 2 or 3.

One thing Frankie loves so much is her pizzle (bully stick, some call it). It takes her FOREVER to get through one but she really carries it around. Well, Oscar decided he also loves it. Oscar was carrying it around and the next time I saw him, he didn't have it. Frankie must have thought the same thing and went looking to see where he'd dropped it and it turned up behind the magazine basket! The next time it was lost, it turned up on the bottom shelf where the kids keep their lego bins!

This dog is HIDING the pizzle! I can't believe it - it is so funny. Now, I totally watch carrying it around and looking for a new place to hide it from Frankie. Today we're going to Petsmart after the vet and I'll get a couple more.

This dog cracks me up! :)

Tussle

2010-02-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

Well, the honeymoon is over. The wieners got in to a tussle. It started with a toy that Frankie hasn't played with for literally a year. I cannot remember the last time she showed any interest in this sheep. Oscar, on the other hand, really likes the sheep. He carries it around everywhere.

Frankie decided she wanted it. Even though Oscar is underweight, Frankie is only 7 lbs! He's much bigger than she is. I heard growling, a couple of snarls, and a piercing yelp. I still don't know who got hurt. Afterward, both dogs were licking each other which has to be a good sign. Frankie immediately ran up to me and licked my face - she probably wondered why I was jumping around like a crazy person.

I'm sure it was bound to happen and will maybe happen again. But, I feel guilty that at that moment, I was praying it wasn't Frankie that was hurt. She's so fragile with her bad hip and I just found myself thinking, "Oh, no! Frankie!" Then I felt horrible for playing favorites.

Ugh!

Another Manic Monday

2010-02-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Oscar is pretty cuddly.

Cuddling with Frankie.

"Is he going to destroy all of my toys?"

Who me? I love this picture.

Sharing. It's amazing.

Tried to get some "before" pictures of the skinny guy.

He hoards the toys, often bringing them on to my lap and falling asleep on them!

So, the details:

heartworm NEGATIVE! :)

Neuter stitches - INFECTED. :(

We have to clean it with this blue stuff twice a day. No pills, though, so that's good.

They suggested we roll a thick hand towel around his neck and duct tape it to prevent him licking his incision. I don't see that working, but we'll give it a try.

Purchased some doggie diapers today, which was a new low for me. Haven't put them on him, yet. Hopefully the towel thing will work. So far, we've spent around $50 in dog cones! lol. I'm telling you, he can get past them all!

Thanks for all of your well wishes and prayers for Oscar. So far, so good! :)

Name Change - and VET HELP!

2010-01-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

As in, we need some vet help.

First - we changed his name to Oscar. Very happy to have that name. We love it. And he actually responds to Oscar, so we must be a little closer to whatever his name was before!

Second - help, people. This dog is a contortionist and has gotten AROUND his cone and bitten his stitches! His area is very angry looking. My husband is a PA and said he isn't worried. We had to get him a HUGE cone and it's too big around the neck, so we have to tie it to his collar.. He can barely lift his head! lol. He only has to wear it when he's kenneled at night and when we are gone.

We see the vet in the morning at 9:00. Wish us luck. He hates his cone. I see LOTS of cone in his future. I pray to the good Lord above that he doesn't have to get put under and restitched and that his heartworm comes back negative. Then, I think I'll really feel like I can relax.

Poor Oscar. He's had a hard go of it so far. I hope he gains some weight. It's strange to think he needs to gain Frankie! She's 7 lbs!

Charlie?

2010-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

We're testing out the name. Feel free to help if a great name strikes you!

Charlie slept great last night, I assume. I didn't hear anything from him until around 5 and my husband took him out to use the bathroom and he was quiet again until I got up to put Frankie out at 6:30! He sleeps with our big dog, Dixie (lab/coonhound) who we rescued 11 years ago. She's so slow now - all she does is sleep, sleep, sleep. She has some bathroom issues so she sleeps in her kennel in the house. We closed the door last night with Charlie in there, but Dix didn't seem to care. She is literally the most laid back dog on the planet. A Dixie blog would look like this, "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." Every day.

Charlie started to lick his stitches yesterday and we had to give him the cone of shame. I hate doing that to him! He started trembling again and scraping it on everything but we had no choice. And he can STILL get at his area! He's a contortionist!

He and Frankie ate side by side with no big problems this morning. He is SO underweight. I don't think you can tell from the picture above. It makes me weepy to look at his bones above his tail. I just want to feed him 24/7. But, he left some of his food this morning - he and Frankie are both saving some, I guess.

Scheduled him for his free vet exam - we had to pick from a list of providers and our vet wasn't on there, but this vet is supposed to be good. We'll get his heartworm test done and hopefully get some tips on fattening him up. I will feel more relaxed, I think, when he's been seen by a vet.

Can you see Frankie in the picture, too? She just licks and licks his face in his cone! So cute. She's really happy - and I thought she was fine before. Now, I realize Dixie isn't the active companion she'd been looking for!

Took the children to school and went to the gym this morning - our usual routine - and worried the entire time I was working out that Charlie had to poop since he hadn't gone since 5 this morning. Found myself getting the baby (she's 2 but still) from the childcare, racing home, and he was fine. Just hanging in the kennel w/Dixie. He still hasn't pooped, but we'll try again later. No accidents in the house yet! Woo hoo!

My heart is positively swelling for this little guy.

It's a boy!

2010-01-28T16:42:00.000-08:00

The hiding black & tan was a boy. Found that out yesterday. Called again this morning to see if he was still there and long story short, he's ours. Had his personals altered today & recovering nicely so far! Frankie just wants to run & play with him but he just can't yet. More later!

Dog Pound

2010-01-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, dog pound. Why do you torture me so?

I admit, I did tear up shortly after arriving. There are just sooooo many dogs. It's impossible to fathom. And Phoenix has 3 different branches! Some of them were very scared.

We went to look at a wire-haired dachshund who was just precious. She was very sweet - not really timid at all. They had her listed as a "dachshund mix" because she "sort of" looked like a dachshund! lol. Anyway, we found out she was very aggressive w/other dogs so we couldn't get her.

We saw a black and tan little girl (adult, but small - still bigger than Frankie, who is only 7lbs). She had been brought in that day. She was so afraid and extremely underweight. Oh, she was shaking and hiding under her bed thing. No blankets in the pen at all and you could tell she wanted to burrow (and arrange her blankets for 20 minutes like F). She had a "bn hold." I asked what that meant. I was told that was not good at all. But then it turned out she just needed a behavior analysis as she had been brought in that day. Her owner, an elderly woman, came in looking for free food but when they couldn't give her any, turned over the dog.

I'm calling back today to see how her analysis went. I'm trying not to lead w/my heart on this but to think it through (as my heart tugs and breaks - lol). I mean, we have 2 dogs. We move a lot. When we go out of town, it costs a fortune to kennel the dogs as it is. Frankie needs a tooth pulled. There are a hundred reasons why we don't need another dog.

And truth be told, when I forwarded the email to my husband (damn you, Petfinder, for your daily emails!!!!!!!!!!!) I expected a sassy comment from him about how that was "great for someone looking for another dog." But, instead it said, "call and see if they still have it." This was for the wire-haired one. We didn't see the black and tan until we got there.

Someone talk some sense into me while I try and remember what the kennel # is.

P.S. Oh my gosh - if anyone is looking for a pit bull, I know where there are 100 to choose from. Easily 75% of the dogs there are pit bulls. I just thought, "you are all doomed." There are so many! Is there even a pit bull rescue group? ALSO, my husband fell in love with an English Bulldog/American Bulldog mix that (thank you Lord) got adopted right after we looked at it.

Off topic...

2010-01-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Motherhood - wow it's not easy. I didn't THINK it was going to be easy when I had my first child 13 years ago but it's so much harder right now than I thought it would be.

I wouldn't repeat my teenage years (at least the early ones) again for anything. Especially middle school. But to see this 13 year old and recall how much he used to adore us hurts. And I know how lucky we are - he's a good boy, everyone always tells us how sweet and polite and helpful he is. He's getting good grades, attends youth group at our church and is even going on a mission trip this summer and getting ready to take confirmation classes. The latter I know he's doing for my benefit - at least in part. But he's starting to be sneaky with things like his math homework. Now, I have to check it which takes 2 hours every evening because he's making the lamest mistakes.

I guess it's just easier when they are small and all you have to do is feed and love them. Or when they are small and furry like Frankie, who really does just want food and a lap! :)

Rain!

2010-01-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Ooooh, it's been raining here! I'll tell you who doesn't like to pee in the rain (well, who does?) - Frankie. I had to keep picking her up and putting her in the grass. Then she'd wait until I turned my back and run up to the door. And she hadn't been out in hours so I knew she had to go.

She came in after finally peeing and shook. Then, she rolled all around on the carpet for 10 minutes. She wasn't amused! :)

Guilt!

2010-01-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

So much guilt! It's been forever since I've written anything.

Also, we left town again and put Frankie in a kennel again. :( I hate it. I wish we could bring her but there are times it just isn't possible. We got home tonight and I gave her a bath as soon as she got home (to add insult to injury). Now, she's settled on my lap under a fluffy fleece blanket dozing happily. I'm so glad she doesn't hold a grudge! :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-01T20:40:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a paper-tearing, present squeaking Christmas! ;)

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2009-12-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

Frankie Mae doesn't usually spend too much time in this room. Unless an irresistible sun patch happens across the floor.

Since the tree has been up, though, she's been hanging out in there a lot. She drags her toys in there and just cozies up.

"I wonder which ones are for me!"

Brrrrr!

2009-12-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

Temperatures have dipped into the 50's here. Frankie (aka: the Soupster) isn't happy about it at all. She dislikes the leather couch, but when I pulled out the Christmassy fleece blanket, she couldn't resist. I know she misses stretching out in front of the fireplace in our house in Washington.

Evolution of a Nickname

2009-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

"I like to play with the dollhouse, too!"

"What name will you call me today?"

"It's Miss Sill-Merica!"

Poor Frankie. I wonder if she has an identity crisis. She has so many names.

First, she was Francesca Mae Furter.

This became Frankie, obviously.

Then Frankie Mae.

Then Miss Frankie, and Silly Miss.

Then we called her Sill, short for Silly Miss.

Then, she was (and still is) Little Sill.

Sill became the Sillionaire or the Sillionator.

The, because she's so pretty she was Miss Sill-Merica. Sometimes with the song. "Theere she isssss! Miiisss Sill-Meeerrrrica!"

Next, The Great Sill-Dini.

That became Super Sill (it's a bird, it's a plane, it's SUPER SILL!)

Somehow, from that we got Soup.

She was Silly Soup, and now just Soupy. Or Soup-de-doop.

Most recently, she is the Soupster, or Soup Spoon, which is from me but doesn't appear to be catching on with the rest of the family.

Does anyone else do this with their dogs? When I call her to come, it's with her real(ish) name, Frankie. Or Frankie Mae if she's in trouble. Or "Francesca Mae Furter James Larson Edward!" encompassing a few of the middle names of our family. LOL!!! I didn't realize how funny this was until I was writing it out! :)

Please, let me know if you have any nicknames for your dogs!

Adoption Story - Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, my mom and dad wanted to have another baby. For some reason, it wasn't working and they had to go to doctors. This process was taking years. During this time, my mom fell in love with Dachshunds and wanted one. Dad said we should wait because any time now they would get pregnant and wouldn't want a baby and a puppy at the same time...

Eventually, my mom got mad at all of the things they were putting on hold while waiting for the baby that wasn't coming and daddy told her they could get a Dachshund!

My mom didn't know much about choosing a dog from a breeder because they had always gotten their dogs from the pound until me. But, she found a woman with dachshunds for sale and she seemed really nice. They went up to visit her and my mom was alarmed by the state of the garage where we were kept. It was clean, but there were a lot of dogs there and my mom got the impression this was only a business for that woman. She wanted to go! But, then dad spotted me. I was the smallest dog there and was avoiding all of the other dogs and people. They picked me up and the woman put a microchip in me (OUCH!) and they took me home.
That first picture is me in my "going home" box!
After a couple of days, I started to get really sick. My mom was in a panic. She took me to the vet who basically told her I was a goner. She called the breeder, who told her to bring me back and pick out another dog!!!! My mom said she KNEW they would do something awful with me and besides, she loved me too much already to let me go. She found another vet who got me all better.

Here I am resting up with my daddy!

A couple of months after they got me, guess what happened? My mom started to feel really sick and it turned out she was going to have a baby! Can you believe that? Everyone said it was my puppy influence that made all the difference!

What do we have here?

Oh, were you trying to take a picture of the baby or me?

Mom calls us "the girls." :)

My parents learned a lot from their experiences picking me out and purchasing me. First of all, mom said she will never buy another dog from a breeder. And she also said no more puppies. Although she wants tons of dachshunds, she will only take adult dogs and only from a rescue organization. There are too many dogs who need homes.

That's my story! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! xoxo Frankie Mae

Hi, all!

2009-11-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hi! How is everyone? I have missed a lot lately because my mom hasn't been on the computer. She promises to be better about it - it's just that our house is so crazy right now!

Mom tells me I'm lucky I'm not a person so I don't have to worry about any of it but I don't know what she means, since I'm the same as everyone else in this house! And I know when something is wrong - I circle around mom and follow her closer than usual when she's upset.

We can't wait for the holiday season! It's our favorite time of the year. Mom has been buying some decorations and her closet is filling slowly with bags of mysterious things! This is the time of year it's strictly OFF LIMITS! I can't wait for her to get my stocking out!

Frankie Furter is having people post their adoption stories on Thanksgiving Day. . . I wasn't technically a rescue. My parents (who have since learned better) had to pay for me but I'm going to write about it anyway. They did rescue me from a terrible situation!

love to you all! xoxo Frankie Mae

Snuggle Time!

2009-11-10T21:40:00.001-08:00

Oh, someone is trying to get their picture taken and they forgot to invite me.

Is everyone smiling? Are we ready to take it?

Cheese!

Kiss attack!

Oh, someone else needs a kiss!

Just me and my favorite person. :)

Christmas Un-Present

2009-10-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Guess what my dad said yesterday? That maybe I would get my tooth pulled out for a Christmas present. I do not find that very funny. I was hoping for a stocking full of bully sticks and a new blankie. . . he had better be kidding. Grrrrrrr -

**Note from Mom**
Frankie does have a tooth in the back that needs pulling but he was kidding. Poor Frankie. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Relaxing

2009-10-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have a new place I like to lay.

It's between the couch and the side table in our family room.

My mom moved a bed and blankets there for me and she put the bed on some cushions so I am up higher like the Princess and the Pea! I love it.

Laid up again!

2009-10-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

I had oral surgery yesterday - that isn't fun. Miss Frankie is taking good care of me. It never ceases to amaze me how in tuned she is to me - when I got home and laid down to sleep off my anesthesia, she was pawing at the bed. I picked her up and she sniffed all around my mouth and head, sniffed at the tape on my arm where my iv was and curled up next to me to sleep. It was so sweet. I love that dog! She means the world to me! :)

Wordless Wednesday - hee hee hee

2009-10-07T14:42:00.001-07:00

The good life.

2009-09-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh - I'm still living the good life! I think I would sleep better if Mom would actually switch beds with me. She takes up too much room. I want the big bed all to myself...

Shhhhhh!

2009-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Guess what? Dad's gone at a golf tournament so mom is letting me sleep in the *big bed* and it is SO fun! She boxes me away from the edge of the bed with pillows, though. I think she's afraid I'll fall and hurt myself in the middle of the night.

Don't tell dad! ;)

THANK YOU, RUBY & PENNY!

2009-09-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

You will just never guess who got some mail today! It's my first time ever getting my very own mail!

Oh! It's a Wubba from Ruby and Penny!!!!!!!! I was so excited - I snatched it away as soon as my mom squeaked it for me and she had to chase me to take the tags off. Look at that gorgeous picture of Ruby and Penny.

Catch me if you can!

Oh, I love my Wubba. You can't really see it well here, but it has my name stitched on one side! Then, you flip it over and it says, "Love Ruby & Penny." Oh, this has been so exciting.

Wheeee! I played so hard with it - and for the first time ever, I didn't care that the vacuum was on upstairs! :) Usually, I hide until it's put away.

I played until I couldn't play any more. But, I still didn't want my mom to move my new toy at all!

Maybe if I spoon it, she'll get the hint!

Thank you so much, Ruby and Penny! You made this dog's day!

Sad

2009-09-08T21:32:00.001-07:00

I'm quite sad. My grandma was here this weekend and I loooooooove her so!

But, she had to go home.

I'm spending my day staring sadly at my mommy. Between you and me, I think it's working. It's getting me lots and lots of lap time. :)

Grrrrrrr-lawnmower-rrrrrrrr

2009-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

As the top dog around here, one of my many jobs is to bark at the lawn mower. My people know better than to try and sneak out to mow our yard. I MUST be able to run a few circles around the lawn mower, just so it knows I'm keeping an eye out! It's very loud, though.

I like to get my ferocious barks in and then I let my dad get the job done. I know he'll be nice and safe, thanks to me!

:) Frankie

Frankie in the Flowers

2009-08-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

We are putting these pictures in for Mona and her mommy, who wanted some snaps of Frankie in the flowers. It was a riot trying to take these.

Here, my husband is holding Frankie and I am taking the pictures. He did not seem to understand that I wanted her to look nice and natural in the pictures, and instead, crammed her IN the plant. She was a good sport.

Frankie is not looking amused.

I thought I'd try both holding her and taking the photo.

Oops.

Not an easy task.

Ta-da! I think this is the only decent one in the bunch! These orangey-red flowers grow along our pool fence. Frankie was a trooper for her photo session. My husband says she isn't the most photogenic dog ever (true), and I actually deleted about twice as many pictures as I saved! lol.

More about Paris. . .

2009-08-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Because I can't stand it and I want to go back, I am writing another post about Paris. I promise this will be the last one! :)

Bonjour! Versailles.

My husband hid a little ceramic doggie in my luggage! We hide this dog in each other's stuff all the time. One time, I wrapped it in saran wrap and put it in a sandwich in his lunch. I also sent it to Iraq when he was deployed. Anyway, we are weird like that. So, we took the doggie all around with us! Here, he had his own train ticket to Versailles.

Sitting on my knee on the Metro.

A kitty (very pregnant!) we ran in to. She was very lovey dovey!

Look! The doggie went to Musee d'Orsay! This is a statue of Napoleon. See the doggie on the bottom corner?

Ooh! Time to go home! Nearly to Seattle (flew nonstop from Paris)!

I'm glad I had a little stand in for Frankie while I was gone! One older couple we saw walking with their old, gray dachshund was so sweet. They spoke no English and we spoke horrific French, but they knew the word Dachshund and immediately stopped so we could fawn over their dog. She was very sweet! I still can't believe how many Dachshund owners we saw. It made me so happy!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-18T10:23:00.001-07:00

Bonjour!

This was part of some sort of add on the Metro.

Can you see the dachshund at the very tip top of the picture? I took the picture too quickly because I wanted to see if I could pet him before he walked by! His name was Sancho!

They love their dogs in Paris! Dogs are allowed nearly everywhere. I saw at least one dachchund every single day but one! And, surprisingly, a majority of the ones I saw were wire haired! My favorite one was lying at his mama's feet at a cafe.

The trip was amazing - if I could have had my husband and kids and Frankie there with me, I don't think I would have come home!

Mommy is leaving!

2009-08-02T21:07:00.001-07:00

It's me, Frankie. I am protesting my mommy leaving. Can you guess where she's going? She'll be gone for almost two weeks. I see her suitcase and I'm not happy about it. She says she'll bring me back some treats but I'm still avoiding her. At least I get to stay home with dad and the kids instead of going to the Pet Hotel! I guess it could be worse. . . but I'm really going to miss her.

HOT - HOT - HOT

2009-07-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Frankie says:

So, this is a spider that was on our patio not too long ago. Those are little spider babies on its back. Isn't that gross?

It is 114 degrees. That's even too hot for me (Frankie). Usually, I like to lay outside for about 20 minutes no matter how hot it is outside, but today the patio was scorching my paws! I flopped over next to the pool but came back to the door about 20 seconds later.

It was still so hot after it got dark that I didn't even have the energy to chase the crickets on our patio. I'm hoping it cools off soon so I can resume my daily patrols of the perimeter of our yard. You never know when a lizard or spider may be lurking around. The day after we saw that spider above, mommy called the bug guys to spray!

Back From Vacation!

2009-07-25T23:11:00.001-07:00

Big and Little at the Grand Canyon.

Mommy & Rose at the GC.

Sooo, we're back from a short vacation. Poor little Frankie had to stay at the PetHotel. She was not amused. As usual, she came home and ate and drank a ton, which always makes me sad. They said Frankie was friendly and played with her toys, chewed her bully stick (of course), and seemed to be eating.

We stayed in a little chalet on our trip and I missed Frankie so much I told the boys I'd reward the first one to find me a Dachshund to play with. Of course, there happened to be not one but TWO right next to us! They were very sweet, too. The owners let us come over and hang with the dogs for a little bit each day - we bonded over how owning a dachshund seems to make a person completely batty. ;) Seriously, Frankie is the first dog we've ever had that is mine and I am nuts for her. I wish I could have 10 doxies. My husband keeps telling me that I'm just biding my time till he kicks the bucket so I can surround myself with doxies! lol!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

love,

Alli (and Frankie Mae)

It's Frankie's Birthday!

2009-07-13T16:28:00.001-07:00

Hi! Today's my birthday! I'm 3 years old. Or 21, in dog years. Can I have a glass of wine? :) Today has been fun - my family has been home all day which I love. I got lots of treats and a new stuffed lobster toy that squeaks! I've spent the better part of my day carrying it around and it is f-u-n! I also got a new big pack of bully sticks, which are my favorite! Hope everyone else is having a great day!

Camping Recap

2009-05-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it. We went camping. It was - interesting. Frankie singing in the car. :)

Checking out the camp site.

What's over here? There were SO many holes to dig in and rocks to look under!

Checking the perimeter.

Did someone remember my blankets?

Ahhh, the warm fire.

Um, it's cold. I'm ready to go home!

Hi, all! Frankie here. I think I had more fun camping than anyone else. We were supposed to stay for 2 nights but only ended up staying one because baby Rose, it turns out, is an unhappy camper. It was also very cold and it was RAINING! The very best part was that I got to sleep in everyone's sleeping bag! I couldn't decide which one to stay in, so I switched often during the night. It worked out okay because I was up for my patrols anyway - checking to make sure all was safe and secure. . . it may have made it a bit hard for anyone else to sleep, but I had a blast!

Camping!

2009-05-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Guess what, everyone! I am not going to the pet hotel after all! My family is going camping and they have decided to take me along! I can tell my mommy is relieved - she doesn't like to be away from me. I've not ever been camping! I'm excited!

A new look!

2009-05-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

Alli says:

Hi, all! Here are a few snaps we just took w/my computer's nifty web cam.

I'm changing things up around here. A new look and a new way of posting, since sometimes there are things I have to say that Frankie can't quite express! :)

For instance, we're going away for a few days in a couple of weeks and I have to put Frankie at the pet hotel. I'm so sad! She hates it. She totally picks at her food and mopes around. It's hard for me to have fun when she's there but we can't take her this time.

Frankie says:

This is the first I've heard of it and I am NOT amused! As soon as the suitcases come out, I know to get suspicious! Even if my mom gets me the "special occasion" wet food, I'm going to ignore it!

Ouch.

2009-05-12T22:13:00.001-07:00

Poor me. My snout hurts.

I spent the better part of last night rubbing it on the carpet and licking it.

See how red my eye is? That's because my face hurts!

Scorpion - 1

Frankie - 0

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-04-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Simple Life

2009-04-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

Nobody can resist me when I'm laying in a sun patch.

Excuse me, I'm trying to sleep!

This is a nice sunny spot.

Ahhhh, sleep at last! :)

Rose's Dachshund

2009-04-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Rose has a toy dachshund that she lugs everywhere.

Poor thing! I'm glad she hasn't tried that with me!

She talks to it.

She carries it around.

And she loves to take it for walks.

IMPORTANT: Please to go Addie & Lucie's blog and read about poor Joanie! Poor little thing! We just made our donation to Joan of Arc and I hope you will, too, if you're able.

Pool

2009-04-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

I don't love to swim. Today it was more than 90 degrees and I walked around the pool a little bit and watched my people swim. Then I overheard my mom say she's going to get a new toy and throw it in the water to see if I'll jump in. . . sneaky! Sometimes, I get very close to the edge and lean over (there's a cute dog who always looks back at me) but I don't go in of my own accord.

Spring in AZ is a strange season. It went from regular to extremely hot in about a week! I wonder if it's going to cool down again before it gets really, really hot. I miss the flowers and plants in Washington!

Hope everyone else is having a great spring - and warming up!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

We had a very sunny Easter day. I hung out on the porch to observe the Easter egg hunt.

The kids were very busy in the morning before church. The Easter Bunny came!

I'm watching to see if someone will throw my new toy for me!

Stairs

2009-04-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Dachshunds are not supposed to be running up and (especially) down the stairs but I can't seem to help myself. My family has to put up baby gates to keep me in one place. Sometimes, I sit patiently and wait to be taken up or down, but other times I just run, run, run. My mom is getting pretty angry about it and I do NOT like the gates blocking me! She insists it's for my own good. . . and I heard her say she wishes we had a one story house! Me, too! :)

Snuggling

2009-03-22T22:52:00.001-07:00

Attack! :)

Ahhh, I'm almost asleep.

This is the life. My mommy says it's like having a newborn baby again. :)

Starting to feel better.

2009-03-17T16:33:00.001-07:00

My mommy was really starting to get worried, so I played a little bit last night and a little bit more this morning. She says I'm much more like my old self. Why can't I go to D!sn3yland, too? Oh well, I'm glad it's over and my family is home. And I did get an ice cream treat in the pet hotel that was pretty good. . .

Unhappy

2009-03-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

My family left town. They put me in a pet hotel and they were gone for five long days! I am not happy about it. Ever since I came home this afternoon, I have been showing my displeasure by moping around. I hope my mommy is getting worried! Grrrrr!

Lonely

2009-02-23T21:07:00.001-08:00

I was just warming up to Leroy when he was adopted.

I'm looking forward to getting another foster dog.

Guess what? My mom started brushing my teeth. Can you believe that? I DO NOT like it. She isn't getting the hint. She said it might improve my breath, but I gave her a look that clearly said, "NO PERSONAL REMARKS!" Sheesh!

Baby or doggie?

2009-02-14T08:47:00.001-08:00

What is this silly dog up to now?

We are having fun with Leroy, but today he has to go to the pet store for a few hours and be looked at by prospective owners. We are hoping he doesn't get adopted because we want to keep him for a while longer!

Foster Doggie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Look what my mom brought home. . . she calls him a "foster doggie." I don't know what that means. Here I am giving his rear end a sniff.

We call him Leroy. As you can see, he made himself right at home. He's one year old. The Dachshund rescue people found him running along a freeway. He was clipped by a car so he has a few little scars.

He's such a show off for the camera!

I will admit that at first, I wasn't terribly thrilled about this. It took me about 10 whole minutes to get on board with the idea. . . and now I LOVE him! He's so much fun! We play and play and play together and then we both sleep and sleep and sleep. As long as I am on my mommy's lap first, I don't mind if he crawls up to sleep while she's sitting on the couch.

Birthday

2009-02-06T13:39:00.001-08:00

It was Mommy's birthday on Wednesday. She got a new bike. Where is the basket for me?

Mommy

2009-01-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

I love to climb on my mommy.

I don't lick her face, but I like to snuggle her!

She calls it, "the leans." I love to lean against her all the time!

My Sister

2009-01-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Can you see Rose's feet? They are dangerous.

She's only 1 1/2 so she is still learning to be gentle.

We get along great but sometimes she makes me a little nervous!

Ahhh, up on mommy's lap is much better.

I know how to make her laugh! Kisses!

New Toy

2009-01-07T19:36:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite new toy. I got it for Christmas. I have a pink one just like it that I got when I was a tiny puppy, and I still love that one. If they thought this would replace my shabby pink bobo, they were wrong! I like it, but I love my old one still!

I wonder. . .

2008-12-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Now, I am NOT peeking! I'm just keeping guard.

I wonder which of these are for me?

Christmas can be exhausting! I hope everyone had a great day!

Poor Mommy (but yay for me)!

2008-12-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

My poor mommy is sick. She had surgery and was gone all day long! I had to stay home with a sitter and my human brothers and sister (Big, Little, and Rose). It was a LOOOOONG day. When mommy came home the next day she was sleepy - she's been sleeping for a week so I have had a LOT of cuddle and lap time! This is turning in to the best thing ever for me! :) BOL!

Photogenic

2008-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

I don't really like to sit still and have my picture taken. I'm giving my warning look to my mommy here, but she doesn't seem to notice.

If I'm on someones lap, then, that's another story! This is exactly the way I like to spend my evenings - but usually I am UNDER the blanket. I am always burrowing under something!

My mommy wants another dachshund. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It would be nice to have someone to play with but I don't know if I want to share my family! How many dogs are in your houses? Did you all come at the same time?

The Tree

2008-12-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

I love the Christmas tree. I love to sniff around and see if there are any squirrels hiding in it! This year, there is something different about the tree. We live in Arizona and it's hot here so our tree smells like plastic instead of pine. . . hmmmm.

Woo hoo!

2008-12-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

It's me, Frankie! I am testing out my brand new Blog! Here is a picture of me on Thanksgiving. I was really hoping that they would drop that turkey!