A Day in the Life of a Tripod Dog

Oh my gosh! I am just so excited!   Last weekend Mama brought in a new foster dog and he is a tripawd like me!  Mama works with Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati to help save schnauzies.  His name is Winston and  he is missing his left front leg instead of the right front like me.    Poor little guy was dumped at the shelter by his owners because he “wouldn’t listen”.  Guess those folks don’t know schnauzers too well because not listening is in our genes!

He’s a pretty neat fella, about 4 years old.  He’s growly, I think he just loves to hear himself talk!  He’s never mean, just growls to be growling. Mama calls him a chunky  monkey too.   I don’t understand exactly what that means since I thought he was a dog and not a monkey but I suspect it might mean he needs to lose a few pounds.  He reminds me of a fire plug!  But we all know us tripawds don’t need to carry any extra weight, our remaining joints have enough strain on them as it is.

I have never met another tripawd so I am pretty stoked about having him as a foster brother.  He gets around just fine too but it is funny to watch him pee!  He can’t lift his leg up like I can, he tries but then gives up and squats like a girly dog!  But I bet he will figure it out if he watches me enough.  He is already copying my “burn outs” that I absolutely MUST do after I pee on everything in the neighborhood.  Mama says she sure hopes someone will give ol Winston a chance and adopt him.  She knows first hand how special us tripawds are.  We can do anything we want and just have that extra special something to make up for our missing limbs.

If you would like to read more about Winston or consider adopting him, check his page out on Petfinder:  http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17043508

Remember, as the site says: It is better to hop on three legs than limp on four!!

Winston chillin on the couch

Wow!   Addie at Blind Squirrel Productions sent Mama an email this week saying they loved me and that a clip of my audition will be on the website in a couple weeks!   I still don’t know or really think me and Mama will make the final cut to the TV show, but at the very least we’ll be on the web.   I’m holding a press conference and autograph session this weekend…….Zippy’s Audition

I have the most exciting news to tell you!   Geez, 2010 is great so far.   First off, I have a foster sister right now named Duchess.  She’s pretty cool.  Kinda looks like Benji.  I sorta have a crush on her – she’s awful cute!   But I have a special lady in my life named Bunni.  She lives in Pittsburgh and we just have an online relationship right now but she’s my gal.  Guess it doesn’t hurt to flirt as long as I still love my Bunni!

OK, besides that:  The most exciting news of the year!  I might get to be on TV!   And hopefully at the very least on the internet in a video.   My mama found out that there was filming today in Cincinnati for a show called  Tales For the Pet Lover’s Heart that is sponsored by Kroger and Purina.   Mama came home from work last night acting all excited and made me get a hair cut and a bath and then she put a new bandana on me.  I couldn’t figure out why I was getting so snazzed up but I loved the extra attention.   Well, I had to wait until this morning to find out what was going on.  Mama packed me up in the car and off we went.  Rode for about a half hour and then I see Dad standing outside a building talking to another lady with a dog, who I later found out was named Charlie.  We had to hang out and wait for awhile but then we got to go in.  Mama sat me up on a table and they hooked her up with a microphone and turned this thing on I heard em’ say was a camera.   Then they asked Mama to tell my story.  So she did, right from the start about how I  was a stray with a bad broken leg found in rural WV.  And the awesome folks at Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati  saved me.  And then I went into a couple foster homes (thanks Mama Debbie and Mama Iris!) and finally ended up with Mama and Dad and Ringo and oh yeah, Jasper.  They asked Mama some other questions like what she loved best about me and she said everything!   And how I am such an inspiration with my big heart and spirit and that she really doesn’t have it so bad when she thinks about me and what  I went through.  Wow!  It was so cool to hear Mama say that. I know she loves me but it was extra special to have her telling everyone on camera!  

My whole “interview” or audition took about 10 minutes or so.  The folks at  Blind Squirrel Productions in North College Hill, Cincinnati were super cool and so nice.   And a big thanks to Kroger and Purina for letting folks like my Mama talk about how cool rescue dogs are.   I hope that my clip makes the  TV show that will air at some point.  You can click on their website link above for days and times to watch the show from last year.  At the very least I hope my video goes on the website.  Dad said me and Mama did really good!   Now I know why they kept fawning over me last night and calling me “Hollywood”.   Ringo and Jaz were pretty jealous when  I got home and told them about my big debut and adventure.   But I think it kinda impressed my foster lady friend Duchess.  She kinda looks at me now with this sappy gleam in her eye.  Uh Oh.   Don’t tell Bunni!

Dad caught some of it on our little flip video cam but it is probably too big for Mama to download here.  She said she’ll figure out how to trim it and post a short version later.   Chow for now!   Zippy, aka Mr. Hollywood

Wow!   I can’t believe the new year has come and is well underway.  I’ve been with Mama and  Dad now for 8 months and the time has flown!  I guess that’s because I am just so happy to be in my furever home and have two cool brothers like Ringo and  Jasper to hang out with.

Like most of the U.S., we have been getting lots of snow this winter.   Boy do I love snow!  Mama calls it doggy speed.  I love to go out and sniff it, snort it, run through it and then come inside and act like a crazy man because I am so fired up from playing in it.   But there for awhile it was deep enough I couldn’t really get in it too much  because I was sinking up to my neck.   Not good – me no like being suffocated in snow!  Ringo and Jasper like the snow a lot too and chase each other.  That is, until Jasper gets to the end of his 16 ft leash and about strangles himself.  It is so funny to watch him take off at full speed and get jerked back when the leash runs out.   ha ha ha!!  Even I learned not to do that.  He is still so-o-o puppy stupid.  I overhead Mama tell Dad she thought Jasper was dumber than a box of rocks.  I don’t quite get the exact meaning of that (I thought rocks came out of the earth not out of a box….hmmmmm…maybe I need to google that…) but it must mean he is pretty dumb!  He’ll probably get smarter as he gets older.  At least I hope so because right now he is is kinda giving all dogs a bad name by acting so stupid!

We dogs had a freak out moment a couple weeks ago.   Mama starting putting stuff in these big blue bags on wheels.   She was running around like mad to get this done.   We all kinda thought those big blue things might be suitcases but since we didn’t see Mama putting any of OUR stuff in it, we decided they couldn’t be.  Mama and Dad would never go away without taking us with them.   But Yikes!   They did go away without us!  They carried the big blue bags out to the car and then suddenly this lady who we had met a few times showed up at the house.   Her name is  Doris and we really like her.  Turns out she was coming to take care of us while Mama and  Dad went on vacation.  They went to some place called Cabo.  When they came back we had to sniff all their stuff.  It sort of smelled like sand and salt and suntan lotion.  Just what is this Cabo place?  Turns out it is in Mexico (Ringo told me that – he’s wise about stuff like that) and they went to stay with Dad’s sister, our  Aunt Lo Lo. 

 Doris took such great care of us and she loved hanging out with us.  I think we may have driven her a little crazy with our wild play sessions and constant need to be leeched on to some human, but she never complained and loved us anyway.   We missed Mama and Dad but we liked having Doris around so much that it wasn’t so bad.   We hope if Mama and Dad go away again that we get to go too, but if not, we really hope Doris comes back.   We must admit we were glad to see Dad pack  the suitcases away in the closet.  Next time those things come out, there darn well better be some dog leashes and treats going in them too!

Wow!  What a year 2009 has been for me!  It started out pretty scary.  I had just been pulled from a shelter in WV, still with my right front leg intact  but very damaged,  after being rescued by an Angel from Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati.   Her name was Debbi and she took me to live with her for awhile.  It was there that I earned my nickname of Whiney Butt.   Mama Debbi said I whined all the time about everything!  I whined when I had to go out when it was cold, I whined when I wanted attention, I whined just to hear myself talk.   You know, smart guys like me have a lot to say, just a pity no one has figured out how to translate dog-speak into the human language.   Maybe I should start working on that…..

After hanging out with Debbi and her family for awhile, I was transported to Kentucky (And guess what?  Debbi said I whined the whole way!) and went to live with my next foster Mom, Iris.  Iris takes all of the special needs babies like myself.   It was with Iris that I had my leg amputated, something that had to be done to allow me a good quality of life.   At first, everyone was very worried about how I would do with the surgery.  But I surprised them all by coming through it with flying colors!  In fact, two days after surgery, I climbed a baby gate to play with some cool puppies Mama Iris was also taking care of. 

Then the day came when Mama Iris whispered in my ear that someone wanted to give me a forever home!  Yippee!  I was so excited.  I couldn’t believe someone finally wanted to adopt me.  I’d been with Iris for several months, as no one seemed to want a dog who wasn’t “whole”.  We got in the car and in just a few short hours,  I was meeting my new Forever Mama and my new fur brother Ringo.

Now it’s been six months since I found my forever home and I couldn’t be happier.  I have two fur brothers now -  as you know from my earlier posts, I have a brother named Jasper now too.  Me and Jasper and Ringo are like the Three Amigos, or Three Stooges, depending on how goofy we are acting.   We’re all true brothers now and love to hang out and play together.  But is it mean to say my brother Jasper is stupid??  Boy, that puppy has a lot to learn.   He’s so goofy and clumsy and has to work on his manners.  Poor Mama finally had to take all the ornaments and decorations off the Christmas Tree because he kept eating them.   What a dummy!   I tried to tell him but he wouldn’t listen.   Mama even feeds him Iams puppy food and the bag says it is supposed to help a puppy be smarter.  Guess Jasper isn’t reading the bag because he is dumber than a box of rocks!   But he’s my bro now and I love him anyway.  He definitely provides some cheap entertainment.

So as I reflect on 2009 and the new year coming up, I count my blessings that a neglected tripawd like me could have ended up in such a wonderful home.   And as an added bonus, that wonderful home has cats I can torture.   I really got it made in the shade!

Hello all!  I bet everyone thought I went into Witness Protection or something since it has been so long since I blogged.  Sorry about that!  I’ve been busy doing lots of cool dog things and just never got around to hitting the laptop.

What cool dog things have I been doing you ask?     Hmmmm……Where shall  I start?  How about starting with mole tag.    Ringo and I love to think we’re Great White Hunters and try to dig up moles in the yard.  Mama laughs at us because she knows by the time we dig up the run, the moles are long gone.  We have yet to catch one but boy do we like trying!  It’s so fun to dig and let the dirt fly.  It gets in my mouth, my ears, my nose but I kinda actually think it’s tasty so I don’t mind it in my mouth.  Getting it up my nose stinks though, no pun intended!  It makes me sneeze and Mama says I look funny with mud all over my face.  That hurts my feelings!  I don’t want Mama to think I look funny.  What if she takes me back to the rescue?  I must be a cool, handsome dog at all times!  The only down side to mole tag:  we both have to get a bath when the game is over.  No way will Mama let us back in the house looking like mud puppies. 

What other cool things have I been up to?  Well, I’ve chewed up at least a dozen chew toys. I just love to tear a hole in them and try to get the squeaker out.  It’s like finding the prize in the cereal box!   Exciting!!!   But Mama is afraid I will swallow it so she always takes the squeaker away from me and throws it in that metal can thing with a plastic bag in it.   I can’t figure out what that metal thing is??   Mama is always throwing good stuff in it like squeakers and food scraps but where do they go?  I never see them again. Maybe she is stashing it away to surprise me. One day she will take me to some secret room and it will be full of all the squeakers I snagged.  That would be like a dog dream come true. I am going to have to put some surveillance on her and find out what she is doing with all that good stuff.

Oh yeah, and of course I have been chasing the cats.  That is most definitely my favorite past time. I love to see those cats puff up and get all mad when I bark at them.   You should have seen what happened the other night.  I was chasing Tootsies when she tried to jump up on the table.  She’s so stupid!  Dumb cat didn’t know that when a table has a tablecloth on it,  you can’t get good grip.   She hit the table, cloth goes sliding off with her clinging on to it.  And even funnier was the fact that this is the table Mama keeps the cat food on (because I LOVE to eat cat food so she has to put it where I can’t reach it).  The bowl full of food went flying off the table too.  I saw that for the opportunity it was and quickly scarfed up the food that fell on the floor.  But then I hear those pounding footsteps coming down the stairs. Mama heard the commotion and came running.  She was M-A-D!!!  I tried to look innocent but she knows better. I even tried to tell her I helped clean up the mess by eating the spilled food, but she didn’t go for it.  She told me I better behave and leave the cats alone.  Even worse, the bowl holding the cat food broke in the process so now she is garnishing my allowance to pay for it.  And all this happened because the cat is too stupid to know not to make a flying leap on a table with slippery material on it.  And they say cats are smart???  Yeah right!

I’m started to get a big head with my new found web fame.  Lots of people are reading my blog and telling me how great it is.   And now I am featured on another website, Max the Schnauzer!  Mama found this great website while surfing away and Max was kind enough to add my rescue story to his page.   Check out my story on his website:  http://www.max-the-schnauzer.com/schnauzer-cross-rescue.html.  Also be sure to cruise around the site. It has lots of great information and pictures about us schnauzers.   Max is a pretty cool dog!

Sorry I haven’t blogged for awhile.  Mama and Dad took Ringo and I on vacation.  Neither one of us have ever been on a vacation before so we were very curious as to what that meant.  We looked on as Mama and Dad ran around the house in a flurry, throwing stuff in suitcases.   Ringo and I watched in alarm, thinking they were packing up and leaving us.  Could it be because I chewed up the couch?  Maybe Mama and Dad are still mad at me about that and are running away.  Ringo didn’t think so though, he thought Mama and Dad were probably tired of the house always looking like a murder scene from all the toys we  kill and that they couldn’t take it anymore.  But all of the sudden Mama started packing up our stuff!   She was putting our leashes and food and favorite toys in a bag.   Yikes!   “Maybe they are taking a “vacation” to drop us off somewhere again”, I thought.   But I don’t want to leave, I like it here!

Thank goodness it turns out that Mama and Dad weren’t running away from us or taking us somewhere else.   We were actually going on a trip!  Mama sat Ringo and I down and explained this when she saw how worried we were.   Whew!  That was a relief!   Now we knew they weren’t mad at us but we still didn’t exactly understand what was going on.  First they pack up a bunch of stuff, then they stick it in the trunk of the car, then they put us in the backseat and off we go.  What is this all about?

Well, we soon found out.  We drove around in the car for what seemed like forever, even with a potty stop.   And then, we pulled into this beautiful place -  I heard Mama say we had arrived at Aunt Lo Lo’s.  Now we know Aunt Lo Lo but we thought she lived near us, not several hours away in a car.  Turns out Aunt Lo Lo has a really neat vacation place on a big lake!  Oh my gosh!  Ringo and I couldn’t believe it.  This place was cool!   There were trees and woods everywhere and we could smell the lake.   I bet this is going to be a blast.

Indeed it was a blast!  While we didn’t go out on a boat on the water, we got to walk down to the lake and check it out.   It was neat but Ringo and I both don’t care to swim so we really couldn’t see what the big deal was, except of course for the geese and ducks that were walking around.  Those are some big birds.   The birds that come in our yard at home aren’t that big.   And boy were they noisy!  Quacking up a storm, something about wanting free food handouts.   Stupid water fowl!  Don’t they know that the big, brown-eyed soulful look works much better for getting food than making such a racket?

And then there were the squirrels and deer.  They were everywhere at the lake house.  Aunt Lo Lo’s place is on the second story so when we sat on the back screened-in deck, we were at tree top level and could see the squirrels almost face-to-face.  We were dying to get out and chase them but Mama wouldn’t let us.   All we could do is bark at them and listen to them chatter in return, something about us invading their space and peace and quiet.  And when we took golf cart rides (definitely THE BEST part of the trip!) we would cruise literally right past deer standing on the edge of the road.  Note to self:  Do not try to jump out of golf cart to pursue deer while on leash.  This makes for a painful choking sensation and gives Mama a heart attack when she thinks I am going to fall off the golf cart.

We also got to go on some nature hikes in the woods.  So many smells and new things to check out in one place.  I didn’t know where to smell or look first.  My sniffer was definitely on overdrive.   And so many new places to pee!   I got exhausted from lifting my leg so much.  I have a hard time keeping my balance sometimes when I have to go, so there were lots of “face plants” into the dirt while we were gone.  But it was worth it!  Any dog that comes down to the lake after us will know Ringo and I have been there.

I hope (and Ringo does too!) that Mama and Dad will take us on another trip very soon.  We loved it!  It was so cool to see the new sites and to spend extra time with with Mama and Dad.  We had all their undivided attention 24×7.   And we even got some new toys and some new treats while there too!   I was sad to have to come home until I realized CATS!   Yes, the cats were still home waiting for me to chase and torture them.   I guess all good things do have to come to an end, but there is always something just as good waiting in the wings!

Geez!   Where do we even start?   Once upon a time we lived in a pretty peaceful house.   It was just us and old Nikki, the elderly schnauzer.   Nikki was cool.  She didn’t harass too much, just a half effort at a chase once in awhile, and she always let us share her dog bed and food.  Then our world got rocked!  Mama and Dad brought this black dog thing home named Ringo.  We heard them saying he had been saved, literally by hours, from death row at some nasty shelter in South Bend, Indiana.  (Wherever that is! )  He was nuts!  We’re pretty sure he had no idea what we were as he tried to almost eat us!  But after a month or so, we learned to really love Ringo and he became our playmate.  He can be kinda rough sometimes, he has this thing for trying to pull us by our ears, but all-in-all, he’s  pretty cool for a dog.

Then came “Cats’ World Gets Rocked Round 2″ when Mama and Dad brought home ANOTHER black dog thing!  And this one was strange.   He didn’t have two front legs, only one!  We were rather perplexed by this.   We think dogs are weird anyway and now this.  But we were fascinated by him too.   We all sniffed noses and kinda got to know each other a bit the first night this thing came home.  (We found out his name is  Zippy and he was also saved from certain death by a kind rescue, Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati.)  Zippy seemed pretty mellow and kinda sad, like he wasn’t sure where he was or what was going on.  We thought this isn’t going to be so bad, he’s OK, not harassing us, seems like a good guy…

Well, that mellow fellow didn’t last long!   It took about three days for him to start chasing us, and I mean really chasing us, not playing like Ringo.  He started cornering us and we’d get so upset we’d growl and hiss and puff up like marshmellows.  And he’d just bark and bark and bark.  Does this thing have an off button?   Can’t you human people shut him up?  Don’t forget that us cats are quite dignified and sophisticated so we find it pretty demeaning that this Zippy has the nerve to get our fur up and then make us spend hours grooming it all back into place.  And that usually results in a hair ball that we then puke up on the carpet and then have to hear Mama gag as she cleans it up.

It’s been almost three months now since Weird Dog Zippy came and turned our world upside down.  We still aren’t sure about him.  We’re finding it hard to get any peace and quiet and no way does he let us weasle into Mama’s lap for some good lovins.  He also has this sneaky trick of eating our cat food when we aren’t looking.   And the other day he actually had the cahunas to blame us for destroying the couch!   We are quietly conspiring to find a way to get rid of him.  There must be a way…….

Life used to be so peaceful.....