Help! I need some advice!

[Mickamack]

A good friend of ours has a brother who owns a mini dachshund. It's a chocolate male, less than a year old. Our friend has said that he'e always liked the dog...thought he was real friendly and not "barky" like my Mickey.

Well, his brother wants to get rid of the dog. Apparently, the dog is not doing so well with potty training and the current owners are getting fed up. My friend said that he thought the biggest problem is that his brother and the family don't spend the necessary time with the dog in order to properly train him. My friend said that he thought the dog was really smart and friendly, just didn't have someone to spend the time with him that he needs.

I told my friend that some dachsies require a lot of training. That they can be very head strong and stubborn and they are not the easiest to train. You have to be consistent and extra patient...they will eventually get it. And I told him that most people don't know that...they think the dog will pick things up easily and automatically, without too much intervention.

After thinking and talking about it overnight with my husband, I talked to my friend the next day and told me that WE would find a home for the dog. Either we would take him ourselves, or my mom seemed interested or even my husband's mom might want the dog. And if even none of that panned out, we would foster the dog until we could find an appropriate home...through rescue.

I urged my friend to please, please, please tell his brother NOT to place an ad in the paper. Puppy mills scan the papers for dogs just like this, or, sometimes evil people look for little dogs like this to use as bait for dog fights.

My friend went back to his brother, and his brother now wasn't sure he wanted to get rid of the dog. However, after thinking about it for a week, my friend said his brother called and wanted to give up the dog.

So now, it looks like we're rescuing a dog...can I call it that??? His name is Oscar, so if he were to stay in our family, we'd have to change his name. My mom's chocolate mini is also named Oscar...it would be very confusing.

I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start. I guess I just want the dog to be safe.

We would have to introduce him to Mickey, who is very agressive towards other dogs. He did well at Dachsie Day...after about 15 minutes of barking his head off. Should we have them meet in a neutral spot? If the two were to get along, we would probably keep him ourselves, because we've been talking about getting another dachsie anyway.

Please, I would appreciate ANY advice or suggestions. I want to do the best for this dog and for Mickey and for our family.

Thanks
Karen

[Tanya]

Karen,
Yes, you can call it rescue I believe. It has been my experience that meeting in a neutral place is best...that way your pupper won't feel like he has to defend his territory. Your pup might feel that he has to protect you though so you should still be careful. When we introduced Josie to Punkin, we met at a nice park area and took them both for a walk together. We also brought along treats for them and NEW toys...not Punkin's toys. After a while, they were best buds and stayed that way until Punkin went to the bridge. Goodluck with Oscar and if you need rescue help please let us (DRNA) know or CCDR know. We would love to help!
Tanya

[isobelsmom]

Karen,

It can be difficult to intro a new dog to an establsihed home, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'll tell you how I do it here, both for healthy and injured animals.

Healthy:
The first thing I try is to have the two meet on neutral ground. One person per dog. Your attitude is important here. If you are nervous and expect the worst, your dog will pick up on that and act out--they sense our emotions, but do not understand why, only that this is a situation that is upsetting mom so we (dog) must be aggressive or fearful or whatever. Make sense? OK, then I allow the sniffing and such. If there is overt aggression: snapping, lunging, etc. I correct by voice, lead and many times come armed with a squirt gun to interrupt the behavior. Carefully watch the body language of both dogs. A certain amount of posturing and such is allowed--but not outright aggression.
Then I bring them into the yard and do the same thing. Then into the house---the established dog goes in first. Mickey would get everything first: fed, petted, etc. Then Oscar. This establishes that you back Mickey as dominant---and do not forget your position as alpha in the house.

Injured:
This works with both injured and healthy animals. I just bring in the new dog (all other dogs are behind baby gates or crated) and the new dog is put into a crate. All other dogs are allowed to sniff and such at the new one. This can be difficult as the new one will guard his crate--use a squirt gun if things escalate. Dogs will get used to one another in time.

I hope this helps a bit and good luck to you.

mary

[dutchman]

Karen,

Congratulations on the rescue. It is a rescue after all it's not a pup and his people decided he needed a different home so I call that a rescue. You have already received some good advice. One thing to remember is that the two dogs may start playing sooner than you think they will. If you aren't use to the way two dachshunds can wrestle and play together you can easily mistake this play for aggression and fighting. Since Mickey has some history of aggression this play vs aggression line may be difficult for you to determine and I suspect you will want to error on the side of safety.

Let me describe briefly how Frank (a standard) 9mo. when we added Tanner (a mini.) 15mo-2yr. play. And yes Tanner has some aggression problems but not with all dogs and so far he has wanted to run to and make friends with every dachshund he has seen. Frank will generally start the play He may place his entire mouth around Tanner's neck or shoulders and roll him to the ground. I try to discourage his taking Tanners whole face into his mouth since I'm always scared of a tooth hitting an eye by accident. If Frank wants Tanner to chase him he will keep nipping Tanner in the but or on his cheek till Tanner gets ****** off enough to run after Frank. Both boys will grab ahold of each others ear or more often cheek and pull. They also like all dachshunds use their front legs a lot to try and take each other down. Frank is known to consider any leg front or rear a great handle to grab Tanner. Even when it looks to me like Tanner has had enough and starts bearing teeth snarling at Frank I have found that if I seperate the boys they will lay there looking back and forth between me and their brother with tail wagging like they are asking me if they can't go back to playing. So now it's only when the occasional fight breaks out over a toy or more likely a chewie that I step in to separate them. I can tell the fight from play from the pitch of their voices. When they first start to play you can use a water bottle to help cool down the action till you can better judge what is play and what is a fight. Be very careful using your hands to separate them. Oh on ocassion I have had to use the watter bottle on Frank so that he will leave Tanner alone long enough so that Tanner can take care of business.

Good luck,

Tom and the boys (Frank and Tanner)

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by dutchman on October 27, 2000 at 10:36 AM</font>

[Mickamack]

Well actually, I am somewhat familiar with how 2 dacshies play together because Mickey is always playing with Oscar (my Mom's dachsie). They roll one another and bare their teeth sometimes...and sometimes we have to step in and say "Hey! What's going on here?!" That's usually enough to stop it.

And Mickey had a GREAT time at Dachsie Day. For the first 15 minutes or so, we kept a muzzle on him, with no leash. That way he could approach the other dogs on his own terms...sniff and such. But after that, we took off the muzzle and he really loved playing and running with the other dogs.

Later in the day he even let Augie into our house, and sleep on his pillow. Gabby and Danny (Georgette's 2 dachsies) stayed outside. Mick could see them thru the sliding glass door, but I don't think he bothered with them.

Soooo, I know he's capable of being friendly with other dogs. He usually surprises me in a good way and exceeds my expectations. But I just want to do everything as best as I can. I'm sure there would be scuffles, so I appreciate all your comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming!

Thanks!
Karen

[Wienergal]

Good for you, Karen! It was generous and kind of you to rescue this latest victim of human ignorance. I'm constantly amazed that people buy puppies--i.e., BABY animals--and somehow assume that the puppy will automatically become a mature, adult dog, without any effort on their part. Did they think they were buying a stuffed animal? Probably would have been better off doing that. Of course, a lot of people think that way about their children too, so....

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/disgust.gif

Along with the good advice everyone else has given, I'll just add that, in my experience, there can be some initial aggression that seems to arise out of a need to establish the pack structure, and that this will dissipate quickly--provided one of the dogs is willing to be submissive to the other.

When our little foster Angie met Arnold, her foster mom's dachshund, she immediately showed her teeth and snarled. But by the time they were ready to go home, they were just fine together. Arnold, being very submissive by nature, seemed depressed for a few days, as Angie took over the house. She did all kinds of dominance tricks--she'd walk up and just take his toy away from him, then walk off and drop it. But now, 10 days later, they are the best of friends--they play, nuzzle each other, sleep together. I think it just takes some time--and a little vigilance on your part.

Lucky little dog, to be coming to live with you, Karen. A chocolate mini? Once he's housebroken, you'll probably have to fight off potential adopters with a stick! We could have adopted Angie out to a dozen people, at least--some of them strangers on the street, who just fell in love with her.

Good luck!!!! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm30.gif" border=0>

[wireweiners]

When I bring a new adult dog into my house, I also try to introduce them on neutral territory. I also will give the new dog time to explore the house and yard without the resident dogs hassling him. For example, new dog will have time alone in the house to explore while resident dogs are outside and vice versa. I will take new dog out in the yard on leash with the most laid back resident dog and then keep adding pack members as new dog becomes accustomed to the house and each dog. Takes a while but has worked for me. After several vicious kennel fights, my dachshunds are separated somewhat when I am gone. Rita and the pups are together in the dog room, Katie and Pippin get the living room/kitchen and Wheeler stays in my bedroom. They all run together in the yard and when I am at home.

[Heather]

Only thing I would like to add is attitude is everything. Keep your cool, as someone said below, don't be nervous. Dogs will know how you are feeling, and act the same way.

I recently picked up a rescue that was scared to death, and I just pretended it was all fine, and he came around.

Good luck with your new baby!

[Marci]

I certainly couldn't think of anything to add to all the excellent advice here but had to say that all I have read explains alot about Lucy's behavior when Mickey came to visit! Not that I didn't realize it then but I had higher hopes!

Anyway, they were definitely better on neutral ground! should've startedthem off that way that day! Now I know better.

Good luck with your new chocolate baby... They will be so cute together I bet... Two chocolate kisses!! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm30.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm20.gif" border=0>
Marci

PS- Good to "read" you again!! Hope all is well w/you!

[Jennifer]

You've got some great advice. We recently introduced Betty into our family and our 12 year old grouchy blind dachsie had no problems accepting her (they are now best buddies and snuggle up together). It has exceed all our our hopes by far. We were just hoping that Oscar would ignore the new dog and not be aggressive).

The only thing that I would add is to be sure to feed them separately and to keep chewies and toys away from them as they are getting used to each other. The only issues that we've had is over food and toys/bones.

[Augie Dog]

Hey, guess there will be one more pupper at Doxie Day 2001!

If Mick and Augie (total strangers, both males too meeting on Micks turf) can get along with no fur flying, I am sure that it will work out.


How many more months until Doxie Day? Days? HOURS!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm30.gif" border=0>

------------------
!Augie Dogie!
For President 2000
~A dog that speaks~
~his mind and will~
~tell the truth!~
( As He Sees it )

[WOTANSMUTTI]

Karen!

I'm glad you got Oscar.I'm sure it'll all work out fine in the end. you have them little guys figured out already...

Good luck on the potty stuff. Wotan is keeping his stubby little paws crossed!

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif
Sonja

[Dolly's Mom]

Karen,

Congrats on wanting to give Oscar....or whatever his name will be <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm29.gif" border=0> a great home...hopefully with you.http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif Everyone has given you great advice. I can agree enough with the KEEP COOL aspect. They KNOW if you're nervous and RELAX when you're calm.

BE HAPPY!

Sandi

[Wienergal]

So, Karen--what's the latest with Oscar????

[pluto'slanie]

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/wavey.gif Hi Karen, what nice news. We'll have at least one (maybe 2) new additions to ne doxie day. I too will heed all this good advice.

I am in the process of adopting a little sister for Pluto - a little girl 8 years old, 9 pounds that wienergal helped rescue. If it comes to pass and CCDR approves me you'll meet her with her big brother Pluto next summer. Keep us posted on Oscar and I'll let you all know what's cookin' in Brooklyn. Lanie

[Mickamack]

Well, no news quite yet. We are waiting to hear back from our friend. His brother is the one with the dog, so hopefully we'll get his number today or tomorrow and then can set up a meeting time. I was hoping to meet the dog, just us, some time this week and then maybe on the weekend have Mickey and Oscar meet on neutral ground. I just want to see what kind of situation we're getting into before I put Mickey into the mix. I'll let you all know as things progress.

[Mickamack]

Well, we met Oscar last night. Just Chris and I went to meet the dog. When we rang the doorbell, we didn't hear any barking...in fact I had to check to make sure we were at the right house. All of a sudden the door opened and the owner was holding Oscar on a leash. He was so quiet! I walked in and said in a friendly tone "Hi Oscar!" His tail started wagging and when I put my hand down to him, he started licking my hand.

He was so friendly and sweet! And absolutely NOTHING like my Mickey! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif Don't get me wrong, Mickey can be a real sweety, but he would have barked his head off for about 5 minutes and certainly wouldn't be up for kissies until he really got to know you.

My husband sat with the owner for a while because he was helping to create a web site for him. So while he was doing that, I sat down on the floor with the dog. He was so gentle and docile. I couldn't get over it.

He is not a chocolate mini. He is a red, maybe red sable, shorthair midi. He's less than a year old and I would guess that he weighs about 14 lbs. I would think that he would weigh 18 lbs full grown. He's got that true dachshund nose, long and pointy.

They didn't get him from a breeder, but a pet store! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/eek.gif And they don't really seem to know how old he is. I know they've had him less than a year, but I don't know if they got any papers with him or not.

The family has 4 small children who were tugging and pulling on him. Pulling his tail and laying on him...sort of being rough with him in my opinion. But this dog didn't flinch at all.

They've had dachsies before and said that he's not anxious like their previous dogs. He doesn't freak out when they leave. They have a little farm, so he's used to other animals. They've been training him in a crate. And they said that he's doing much better with potty training. He can make it thru the nite, and doesn't have too many accidents in the house.

For less than a year old, I thought that seemed pretty darned good. I can't imagine WHY they want to get rid of this dog!!! I thought they were having trouble training the dog. From what I saw last night, I can't see that. Maybe they just don't want the hassle of a dog...who knows...I think we're going to have to ask them flat out.

Our next move is that we are going to take the dog for an afternoon this weekend. We'll pick the little guy up and take him to a neutral spot and let him meet Mickey and maybe my mom's Oscar. If that goes well, we'll bring him back to our house and let him sniff around and just see how he does.

I think we're just going to take this one step at a time, but I'd still appreciate your comments or suggestions.

Thanks
Karen

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by MIckamack on November 03, 2000 at 08:02 AM</font>

[dutchman]

Hi Karen,

Only you know what is in your hears but from the sound of things so far I would say you have found a new companion for Mickey. As far as his coming from a pet store<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm4.gif" border=0> instead of a breeder I suspect a larger number of dogs that come through rescue originate as pet store dogs. Coming from a pet store he most likely was a mill baby<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm4.gif" border=0> . He may have a slightly greater risk of future back or other genetic defects showing up than those dogs that come from a good breeder but many of us who have adopted rescue dogs know these guys need good homes and since even a dog from the best breeder can suffer a back injury we choose to accept the risk,

I would say unless you have a major problem with Oscar and Mickey getting along or your or you husband have a problem with Oscar's size I don't see a reason not to bring this guy into your home. As far as his size is concerned, I had grown up with midi females 12-14#, then had Aggie a 8.5# female, and then along came Frank. Frank is now one and his current weight is 17.6#. He doesn't seem so huge any more. It's only when he and Tanner my 11# mini are standing side by side that I realize just how big he is. In play Frank uses his larger size to bully Tanner but if any serious disputes break out Tanner's dominance appears and Frank steps aside and gives Tanner plenty of room. It can be hard to see a hurt look on you little boys faces as he steps aside for the new guy but you also get to the the joy on both their faces when they play. You have to let the dogs themselves determine their relative place in the pack just make sure they don't forget you hold a higher place than either of them.

We can't really make your decision for you. I too would be curious as to why they are getting rid of him but at least you have a better chance of finding out than many of us with rescue dogs have. In my case Tanner was a night deposit at a Dumb Friends League so no history was available on him prior to his going into a rescue foster program.

As far as a pup vs an older dog. For may of my adult years I went without having a dog because I figured being single and working full time it would be difficult for me to give a pup the attention it deserved. When I finally decided four year ago that I could accept an older dog into my life I also decided to go the rescue route. Aggie my first rescue was 2 by the time I was finally able to bring her home. Frank was six months when I got him at the local Humane Society, and Tanner's age was estimated at between 15 months and 2 years. I don't' regret having given any of them a home. They are all individuals some have come with more baggage than others. You have actually gotten to know more about Oscar already than I knew about any of my kids before I added them to my home. In Aggie's case (I got her from Hearts United) I had a small photo on a web page and a brief phone description. For Frank it was a quick meeting at the shelter then I signed the papers and it was a good thing I made my decision when I did because a couple hand heard he was there and most likely would have taken him. They were very nice they had two dachshunds at home and we had meet at the previous years weenie roast when they heard I had just lost Aggie an that she had been my only dog they were very suppurative of my getting Frank. In Tanner's case I had a few e-mails exchanged with my rescue friends then they brought him to my home. I took him on the condition that the first week be a foster so if there were any major problems between Frank and Tanner I wouldn't have to feel to guilty about turning Tanner back over to them. They knew me well enough and I had previously offered to do short term fostering.

Good luck with what ever your decision is. Like I said only you and your husband can know what is truly in your heart. If you are like me what ever you end up with it will worm it's way into your heart and you wonder what you would have done without it.

Tom

[Mickamack]

Well, I think in our hearts that Chris and I would LOVE another dog...we are just dog people. But things may be getting trickier the next few months.

Not many of you know, but I am 3.5 mths pregnant with the baby due early May. We are thrilled, but that would mean a new dog and a new baby in about 6 months time.

Another thing that is a concern for us is if we would need to go somewhere for the day or vacation. Right now my parents watch Mickey. They are great about it. But we are afraid to impose too much on them with babysitting a baby, and not only 1 dog, but now 2. It's not too bad to find someone to watch 1 dog, but 2 seems to be a different story. I don't think my mom would care, but my dad is a different story.

So then do we put them in a kennel...I don't know. Despite our concerns, we both came home last night RAVING about that dog. He was just such a sweety, and I think Mickey would love having a new best friend.

Either way, I feel convicted to get the dog out of that house. I feel that if we don't take the dog, these owner are going to get rid of the dog one way or another, and may not be as careful as I would be as to who got the dog. I certainly don't think these are bad people, they just don't understand about puppy mills, etc because if they did, they wouldn't have bought the dog in a pet store in the first place.

Oscar is not fixed and I'm sure a puppy mill would love him. I just coulnd't let take that chance. If I have my way, we will take the dog and then decide if we want him ourselves, or if Chris' mom would want him. If either of those didn't work out, then i would try to find another home, maybe thru official rescue.

So I just pray that we will know what the right thing to do is.

[Heather]

Hi Karen, hubby and I faced a similar problem when we got our second. It is hard to find someone to watch two, luckily I have a very obliging mother in law.

My only advice is follow your heart. IMO you will really be upset with yourself if you don't take him and he ends up with a mill or in a pound. I am in no way trying to guilt you into this, just giving my opinion. I could not leave him there.

Best wishes to you, and congrats on the baby!

[dutchman]

Karen,

Congratulations and good luck. The plus with Oscar and a new baby on the way is that you have seen how he behaves with kids. But like you say that would be many changes in a short time and yes figuring out what to do with multiple dogs can be more difficult. There are good boarding kennels out there and many will give you a break if you have two dogs that can share a common run. some vets also do boarding for their clients. Mine doesn't but the one my folks used for their dog did which was great because we knew they really cared about the individual animals.

Again best wishes, your hearts are in the right places just don't let them take you into a situation that is more than you are prepared to handle right now.

Tom and the boys

[Mickamack]

We picked up Oscar on Saturday for him to meet Mickey and my mom's Oscar. We drove up to the owner's home to get him around 10:30am. When we got there, the family didn't really know where the dog washttp://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/frown.gif They have a big farm area with a mountain in for their back yard. They've got a pond and ducks, and cats and horses, and another puppy, an australian shepard mix. They just let the dogs run free...The other dog came when they called for him, but Oscar did not. So, for about 15 minutes, they searched for him until he decided to show up.

That made me VERY nervous...I just couldn't let my dog go like that, with no supervision and knowing he won't come when you call him. He could have fallen in the pond. Or gone in the woods, where there are coyote and bear....http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/caffeine.gif

But we took Oscar for the afternoon. He got right in our truck and before we were on the highway, he had fallen asleep on my lap. He's so gentle.

We got Mickey and took them to a neutral spot to meet. At first, Mickey was aggressive, but only for a few minutes. Oscar thought this was fun and just wanted to play. Oscar seemed completely enthralled with Mickey. He chased him around like crazy.

The one thing that scared me was that Oscar seemed to play rough. I don't think he would mean to hurt Mickey, but while he was chasing him, I saw Oscar bite at Mickey back end several times and was rolling him over. I just don't think Oscar knows any better. Right now, he's used to playing with a much bigger dog and from what I saw of them, they played rough together, taking good nips at one another.

My mom came with her Oscar, and she got really nervous about all the rough play. Her Oscar wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with this. He hid under my mom's legs. She felt like this dog could really hurt Mickey and she thought Mickey seemed scared of this new dog.

We took Oscar and Mickey back to our house to see how they did there, and things seems to get a little better. We had to be firm with Oscar when play got too rough. Mickey started asserting himself a bit more so the play got a little more even, but we still kept a very close eye on it the whole time. Oscar and Mickey took a nice nap together on the sofa. Chris went to rub his chest and Oscar really loved it and started snoring.

My overall impression is that Oscar is a very sweet dog, that just hasn't had much attention. He didn't want to play with any of our toys, but I don't think he knows HOW to play with toys, cause he doesn't have any. I think with a little attention, he could be a GREAT dog, and I was glad to see that he and Mickey got along decently.

I don't think however, that WE are going to take him. I think it would be too much to ask of my parents if we were to need them to watch a baby and then 2 dogs on top of their own. Plus, it didn't go quite as well with her Oscar, so it would just be logistically difficult to make this work.

Instead we asked Chris' mom about the dog. She lives by herself and has been talking about getting a dog. This dog is already half trained, he's used to a crate, he's got a sweet docile temperment...he'd be perfect for her. She seems VERY interested, so we may have found a home for this little guy yet.

I got some pictures of him when he was at our house. I should have them back tomorrow. I'll post them as soon as I can.

Thanks for all your help and advice!
Karen

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by MIckamack on November 06, 2000 at 08:32 AM</font>

[Augie Dog]

Congrats on the addition to the family Karen!

How old it Oscar? Smooth, long hair? Weight.........

We *might* be looking for a brother for Augie. If Oscar is close to his age and size, ( Aug is not the same pupper that you seen at Doxie Day 2000, now 8 months and 19 LBS!) we may be able to help.

David

[Mickamack]

Oscar is a smoothie. He's red, maybe a red sable. He's definitely not a typical mini. He's less than a year old and I would guess that he's about 15 lbs. He's got big feet and big legs, so I know he's going to get at least a little bigger...I'd guess 20 lbs. He's not fat, you can still see his ribs, but he's a nice healthy weight.

Actually, seeing them play, he reminded me a lot of Augie...my mom said the same thing. I remember at Dachsie Day how playful Aug was and Oscar reminded me a lot of him. If you're interested and Chris' mom decides not to take him, I'll let you know.

Oh, by the way, he's not fixed yet.

Karen

[dutchman]

It's good to hear that there are several prospective homes for Oscar. The play you described sounds like typical dachshund play to me. When we first added Tanner and he consented to playing with Frank I was worried about how rough they would play at times. Tanner is a mini and about 11# while Frank is a Standard now 16.8#. Tanner will stand up for himself if things get too rough. I use to break them up at times but now just let them play. When I would break them up Tanner would lay there tail wagging looking at my as if to ask aw we were just having fun let us play. Just out of curiosity Frank being a standard and Tanner a mini I observer Frank whipping his hind end around and doing some heavy body checking at times did Oscar do any of that? Frank will use his full mouth on Tanners neck or back to take him down and any leg is a fair handle to try and pull on but like I said if I brake things up they just look at me and ask to continue play. Frank has one new scar on the top of his nose that looks like he may have been caught by a fang once. I don't know if that came from a warning that play was getting too rough or from one of the rare fights over a chewie or treat.

It sounds like you are working hard to get Oscar into a good new home. I don't blame you for not taking him right now. It sounds like you're head is in the right place not wanting to take on more than you can handle at this time. It's so easy to let our emotions run over us. When you are ready for another dog the right one will come along.

Tom and the boys (Frank and Tanner)

[georgette]

Hi Karen,
Congratulations. Actually it sounds as though your meeting had lots of potential and that things will work out quite well if Chris's Mom takes the "baby". I thought things would get worse when you got home. I hear (in your summary) that you are such a devoted person when you make a commitment - you're very careful and detailed and give your "values" lots of respect and attention. The baby and Chris and the dogs and your Mom are blessed - as you are with them.
<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm38.gif" border=0> -Georgie

[OwnedByChaucer]

All I can say is that in our multi-dog household, there's only been evidence of blood inducing play once (and I didn't see the blood, but I found a scab)...and it was on Chaucer, my 16 pounder. Now, I can't be CERTAIN that this little scab was induced by his five pound sister, but since it was on his ear, and she thinks his ears are her own personal chew toys....I wouldn't be surprised if she had something to do with the little scab. (plus, I've never seen him scratch his ears, so it seems unlikely that he caused it himself).

They play pretty rough--but it seems like it's "normal" and whoever is being "large and in charge" seems to back off when the other dog gives off certain signals.

Then again, our little one is ballsy--I've NEVER seen her slink away from anything, human or otherwise, and she has absolutely no fear when it comes to playing. (I swear she took a 4 foot (horizontal) leap off a futon (it's only maybe 18 inches off the ground, but I swear this dog can fly).

[Augie Dog]

Tom!

Aug bodychecks too! My wife's parents have jack russles. One of them is Aug's "girlfriend" named Kat. Kat is a BIG wire hair. Aug is just starting to be able to flip her down. They play VERY ROUGH and LOUD. The only way Augie can get leverage to toss or flip Kat is to get eye to eye with her (sometimes growling) then he slowly moves his back end around getting ready for a check, still keeping eye to eye. Then he will get his left paw up then his leg and either step over her neck body checking her to the ground or he will put his front leg in between her front legs, bodycheck and flip her.

This will go on for HOURS. You think that they are going to kill each other. There is so much barking and growling, then the running!

I think I'll give Aug a hockey stick for Christmas, GO LEAFS!


Karen, Oscar still squatting like a good boy?<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm41.gif" border=0>

[Mickamack]

I took some pictures of Oscar while he was at our house. I thought I would share them with you all. It seems like Chris' Mom is very interested, so hopefully, we'll have a nice home for this little guy!

<IMG SRC="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=986683&a=9843063&p=32660620&Sequence=0&res=high" border=0>

<IMG SRC="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=986683&a=9843063&p=32660619&Sequence=0&res=high" border=0>

Oscar asleep in the car...he certainly wasn't too nervous to go with strangers...
<IMG SRC="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=986683&a=9843063&p=32660621&Sequence=0&res=high" border=0>

[Mickamack]

Oscar's found a new home! Oscar's found a new home! http://216.74.85.16/ubb/smilies/pink.gifhttp://216.74.85.16/ubb/smilies/pink.gifhttp://216.74.85.16/ubb/smilies/pink.gifhttp://216.74.85.16/ubb/smilies/pink.gif

It looks like Chris's Mom is going to take Oscar. We are going to pick him up next weekend so we'll have the whole weekend to be with him. I am so excited that this little guy has a new home and I'm thrilled that he'll still be in our family and that I'll get to see him often!

Just wanted to let everyone know.

Karen

[Augie Dog]

That's great Karen!

We knew you could help Oscar!


David & Aug

[dutchman]

<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm44.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm44.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm44.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm44.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm44.gif" border=0> Hi Karen,

Good work, you will have to post some photo's of the whole extended family.

Tom

[georgette]

Let's see:
1 for Karen
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>
2 for Chris
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>
3 for handsome Mickey
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>
4 for Oscar # 1 (your Mom's)
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>
5 for Oscar # 2
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>
6 for baby-in-progress
<IMG SRC="http://216.74.85.16/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>

[Wienergal]

http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/spotting.gif WAY TO GO, KAREN! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/spotting.gif http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/spotting.gif

Great news!

That photo of Oscar asleep in the car made ME want to take him! What a sweetie!

[Heather]

You made a tough decision that was right for your family, then found Oscar the perfect home. That is really honorable.

Glad to hear it all worked out.