I like a challenge. I like to learn new things. I like puppies. (Duh.)
I’m working my way up to taking in a pregnant rescue, but at the moment, I have my hands full with Henry the beagle’s heartworm treatment, (60 days of cage rest), and Tres the tripod’s FHO surgery and rehabilitation. However, it’s been weeks since we had a young puppy (I’m so spoiled.) So, the same day that Sophie went to her forever home, we picked up two 8-week-old puppies (before her crate got cold.) I like a full house!
Welcome Lucy and Bernie! NOLA Lab Rescue took in an accidental litter of Dachshund-Catahoula puppies. I used to take one puppy in; this time I thought, I’ll try two!
DACHSHUND + CATAHOULA = CUTE!
I guess mom and dad used a ladder of some sort to make this happen…
These puppies inherited all of the cute, and none of the stature! Their legs are short, their bodies are long, their ears are floppy, and they are ready to win your heart over. They look very Dachshund. Dachshunds are scent hounds who were bred to hunt tunneling animals, such as badgers, rabbits, and foxes. But what, you might be asking, is a Catahoula? Catahoulas are a Louisiana breed. They are an amalgamation of native American dogs, Greyhounds, and Spanish Mastiffs, bred to track and drive feral hogs and cattle in swamps and forests. What an odd, cute mix!
Lucy and Bernie are spunky, playful, active puppies, and we adore them. Lucy is the more active of the pair. She likes to explore and squeeze into tight spaces. Bernie is a little, rounder and calmer. I have them set up together in a puppy playpen next to my desk, but they are mostly roaming the house. They sort of imprinted on Gary, and they follow him everywhere he goes. They get along with all of the dogs, and totally ignore the occasional ‘get off my lawn’ sort of growl that comes from 90lbs Ringo and Henry the Beagle. Tres has just doted on them. If they are in the playpen, you will find Tres next to it. They are often napping with Tres. He is very protective of them.
It is an absolute joy having tiny puppies in the house. My face hurts from smiling. If you need a puppy fix, I highly recommend fostering. You get a few weeks of them and then they go off to their happy forever homes and your house will be calm again. Win. Win. Okay, there are some messes to clean up, but so what. Your floor probably needed to be cleaned anyway, right?
Speaking of messes…
This is New Orleans in May – so, rain, then storms, then more rain, until the yard is a soggy, muddy mess. (Basically, payback for the nice winter.) Some of the dogs do not like it. (Some like the mud a little too much, but have been trained not to roll in it, ahem, Pen.) When it rains, we play inside. Because we have tiny puppies, which are A) not potty trained, and B) not fully vaccinated, which means no paws on the ground yet, we have puppy training pads at the doors. Guess what I found out? My foster dogs that have spent quite a bit of time in shelters got used to using those too. So, we have big dogs peeing on tiny little puppy pads, and missing quite a bit. Ugh! I’ve been cleaning floors quite a bit this week. Good times. Thank God for hardwood floors. If this house were carpeted, this would not be okay.
Time for an important warning: ROOMBA AND DOG POOP ARE MORTAL ENEMIES If you are lucky enough to have a robot vacuum, and I can't recommend this enough, it is life-changing, then FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CHECK YOUR FLOORS BEFORE LETTING ROOMBA DO ITS WORK!!! enough said.
Back to the many joys of puppies….they are just a blur of happiness. Occasionally, they sit still long enough for a photo.
