A Note from Rowdy and Bette

Your Long and Short of it All hosts 'Bette' (left), and 'Rowdy' (right). 

Dear Gentle Readers,
    
    Well, Hello!  Please excuse our absence, but we are currently vacationing at Chicago's exclusive Chez Schiro Salon and hope to be back online in a few days' time.  We hope that your Dachtober is going as swimmingly as ours. 


Yours in Dachshund Love,
Rowdy and Bette.....

A Note From Rowdy and Bette: The Summer of Love

We just wanted to pop in and let you know that yes, we ARE still alive and all is fine at The World Headquarters of 'The Long and Short of it All.'  We've appreciated all the notes and comments with concerns about our absence.
It's the Summer of Love, 2013.  Good Lord.  We've never experienced a doggie in heat in our entire lives, and hopefully, we'll never experience it again.  We'll spare you all the sordid details. but suffice to say that your busy new hostess 'Bette' most definitely did NOT like the little undergarments Dad tried to get her to wear.  She spun herself in circles trying to get it off until she nearly passed out.
All the neighborhood dogs are lining up on the sidewalk outside the fence, but Bette has both eyes set on our neighbor, 'Martini,' a tall handsome 11year-old chocolate smooth pharaoh hound-lab mix who lives next door.  And your host 'Rowdy' is simply beside himself over the rejection. 
We're waiting on Bette's spay until she's more fully grown.  It seems you don't want to spay or neuter too early, and definitely not too late -  it's a fine line - but we're going to wait until she's at least 12 months old or so for the procedure. 
We tend to think that many dogs are getting spayed and neutered too early these days - and sometimes with good reason, but please be sure and make an informed decision with your vet if you're in a similar predicament.  Here's an awesome recent study to investigate.... https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/130401s.aspx

All of this of course leads us to this new video by youtuber y cozican - featuring what many consider to be the hottest song of the summer.  Turn up the volume and have a great Monday!  You know you want it.

'The Long and Short of it All' Turns Six Years Old

Your hosts 'Bette' and 'Rowdy'

 

It's not the most exciting Dachshund news in the world at the moment - nothing you should go and shout from the mountaintops - but 'The Long and Short of it All' turns a whopping 6-years-old today!  That's an eternity in the world of the world wide web. 

We just got back from an extended vacation, and we're still catching up with everything that has happened while we've been off sunning ourselves.  Thanks for all the emails and comments about some pretty exciting Dachshund news events that occurred while we were away.  We'll get to those later this week.  In the meantime, it's our anniversary - so we're gonna relax and work on our tummy tans just one more day.  We gotta look hot for speedo and bikini season.

 

 

 

This concludes post number 3,147. 

A Note From Bette and Rowdy: Please Stand By

Your Long and Short of it All hosts, 'Bette,' and 'Rowdy'

Dear Gentle Readers,

We're going on a little vacation, but we'll be back real soon with more Dachshund news, fun, videos, photos, art, pop culture, stories - you name it.  In the meantime, give your Mommas a great big wet kiss for Mother's Day.  MWAH!!

Yours in Dachshund Love,
Rowdy and Bette.....

It's All About The Birthday Boy

Woof!

Your Long and Short of it All host 'Rowdy' turns 2 today!  He got to sleep in several minutes later than normal this morning and enjoyed a great little walk in the park this afternoon.  His favorite birthday present ever is having his new little sister 'Bette.'  Dad might have stopped on his way home tonight to pick up some raw chicken feet to treat the Dynamic Duo on Rowdy's special day.  And that's cause He's such a good boy.

Rollin' With Rowdy

He's such a good boy

 

Move 'em on, head 'em up Head 'em up, move 'em on Move 'em on, head 'em up Rawhide Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, Ride 'em in, Let 'em out, Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide!  RAWHIDE!

 

All About Bette: Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Going To Be A Bumpy Night

Kisses!

Please welcome your newest hostess to 'The Long and Short of it All.'  Her name is 'Bette,' as in Davis.  No, not Middler!  It's been nearly two months now since Joey has passed, and Rowdy was so incredibly bored that we started to look for a buddy for him.  It's a terrifying task to adopt another long dog after one has passed, with so many guilt factors closing in around you, from "it's never, ever, enough time so that I pay respect to the wonderful dog which has passed," to "how do I make the right decision to adopt a new friend?"  You think about these things through the course of your daily life:  "after THIS dog, the NEXT one is going to be this way.  We are going to do things like THIS, and boy will everything be great." 
It's been my dream for some time to be able to be owned by a Standard Dachshund.  A Big Giant Black and Tan Dachshund - almost a rarity in today's age of the popular mini's.  Shortly after Joey passed, a beautiful big Red Smooth was available through our local Dachshund Rescue, Rowdy's alum, MidWest Dachshund Rescue.  But it was just two weeks after the loss of Joey, and was just too soon.  And in just two days, the big handsome guy was adopted - GONE just like that.
Maybe once a year or so will we ever see a Standard Dachshund come up for adoption in rescue.  A good friend started to put out feelers among her reputable breeder friends - is there an adult Standard Dachshund out there who maybe has been showing, but has gone sterile, or who has finished showing and is looking for a permanent place to call home?
Enter Bette.  She and her littemates were bred for show, but as the 9th and last puppy available in a November litter, she needed a non-show home because of an underbite.  We took one look at that underbite which causes her bottom lip to stick out and thought - just makes you want to kiss that little lip!  So, while we weren't looking for a puppy really, we couldn't pass up this opportunity to give this girl a home.
Her breeder is fantastic - if all dogs came from breeders like this, there would be no dogs in Rescue.  A contract was signed that stated if we came to a point in our lives that we could not care for the dog, the dog is to be given back to the breeder where she will always have a home.  Other points in the contract included a spay clause, and that "this dog must never be tied up outside," but is to be kept as a dog in the home.  While we are still struggling with not getting a dog through Rescue, we are also proud to support the fine Dachshund breeders out there who are doing it for the love of the Dachshund breed, and not just for money. 

And we're in love with little Bette - she is so snuggly, and so sweet.  She is just beautiful.  At 4 months old, she weighs a whopping 12 pounds.  She should be somewhere between 25 and 28 pounds when fully grown.  She and Rowdy get along famously - they bonded immediately, and after sleeping together, they run and run and run and run and run. Bette gives Rowdy a run for his money when they play together - she doesn't take any crap - and it won't be too long before his little sister will be his big sister.  Rowdy is so happy!
From somewhere up above, we know that Joey and Maggie are smiling down on us and our new adventures. 



Oh yeah, turn up the volume.

Thank You

Thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for the kind words and notes of encouragement after the passing of your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey.'  It's been a tough month or so for so many good folks.  Thank you so much for just everything, we're having trouble putting into words, for all the wonderful comments and personal notes, cards, tributes on other sites, and also the many donations in Joey's name, from MWDR all the way to Rolling Dog Ranch.  It's wonderful that his memory can live on by helping out more of his long brethren.
We apologize for the lack of posts as of late - we've never been so idle in nearly six years.  We're probably looking at retiring the site, as it was always Joey and Maggie's work.  Rowdy sure helped out over the last year or so, but his insistence on writing on the subtle variations of chicken vs beef vs peanut butter rawhides didn't garner much attention.  We kid.  He's such a great little guy.  He looked for Joey for several weeks after he passed - he would be laying in his bed and suddenly dart up and run to a strange corner of the house, wagging his tail and sniffing - thinking that he heard Joey.  Maybe Joey's ghost was visiting us - who knows?
Thanks to all the wonderful Dachshundists who have stood by us over the years, thank you.  There may be an odd post from us every so often, but it won't be a day to day affair - unless we completely change our minds and start up 'The Long and Short of it All version 2.0'. 
In the meantime - Carry On, and Love Your Dachshunds.


Yours in Dachshund Love.

Deep Thoughts With Rowdy

One Word:  RAWHIDE.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy

Hey wait, that's not a Dachshund photo bomb

 

Please pardon our absence as our Dad's Dad, our Dachshund Grandpaw so to speak, has passed away, and was laid to rest this past week.  This really puts a damper on our Dachtober 2012 festivities.  We searched and searched for some photos of him with us to post here, or with Maggie, and nothing was to be found.  So make sure you get those cameras out right now because you never know when it's all going to be over.  It's been a trying week or so.  We loved him very much and miss him every single waking moment.  He was a wonderful man, husband, and father.

Here he is in 1956 when he was about 18 or 19 with his mom in St. Louis, Missouri.   We really love this crazy old photo. The doggie photo bomb is courtesy of a handsome guy named 'Inky' - apparently doggie photobombing is not a new phenomenon! 

Dad always got along well with Joey and Maggie, although they were a little afraid of him when he would come marching through the house, clunking those heavy cowboy boots that made such a racket.  Rowdy on the other hand, who lives for chaos, worshipped those noisy cowboy boots.

We'll be back in a few days.

 

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and Rowdy....

'The Long and Short of it All' Turns Five Years Old

A Note From Rowdy and Joey

With little fanfare, yesterday we celebrated the 5th Anniversary of 'The Long and Short of it All.'  Dad forgot the party hats, but won this Dachshund sign in a raffle basket at last week's MWDR fundraiser, so he put it around Joey's head and said "Now it's a party!  Smile!"  Do we look amused?  Shouldn't Rowdy be wearing a lampshade?  We weren't impressed in the slightest until Dad broke out the fresh strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream and blueberries.  Now THAT's a party! 
Every year Dad says that our anniversary is going to be the end of the blog.  It happened the first year, the second year, the third year, and so on, and when he kept going, he kept saying that five was the magic number - the fifth anniversary of the blog is going to be the very last post we will ever do.  Well, too bad he missed yesterday's deadline announcement because we're still here today and we're still blogging.  So stay tuned.
And so we wrap up Long and Short of it All post number 2,855.  Danke schön to all our loyal readers and commentors for sticking with us over the years - it's been a fun ride.  Thank you from the heart of our bottoms.


Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy....

A Note From Joey and Rowdy: Please Stand By

Your Long and Short of it All hosts, 'Joey,' and 'Rowdy'

Dear Gentle Readers,

We're going on vacation for a few days to visit our Grandma and Grandpa, but we'll be back in about a week.   We can't wait to play with our Dachshund cousin 'Rudy,' and his new brother 'Baxter,' who is not a Dachshund, but a young pup who will play with Rowdy the way he wishes Joey would play and wrestle with him - for hours and hours on end until their tongues are dragging the floor and they finally pass out cold from exhaustion. 

Enjoy the Long and Short of it All archives while we're gone, and make sure and give your Mommas a BIG WET SLURPY KISS for Mother's Day.  They deserve it.

Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy.....

Wirehair Wednesday: It's All About The Birthday Boy

I'm so cute I can't stand it - Rowdy, May 2, 2012

It's Wednesday....and you're tuned in to www.dachshundlove.blogspot.com on you internet dial....and this can mean only one thing:  It's Wirehair Wednesday!    And it's a super special day here at The Long and Short of it All, because one of your hosts, 'Rowdy,' is celebrating his very first birthday! 

Rowdy is shaping up to be a fine young wirehair Dachshund.  His fur is filling out, and he is looking forward to his first stripping soon.  He weighs about 19 pounds, but could stand to lose about a pound of puppy fat.   He's almost perfectly house-trained, and has had maybe four accidents in the house since we adopted him from MWDR at 5 months old - smart guy!  He still remains in a crate while Dad is at work, but hopefully he will earn his freedom soon - he's still just too rambunctious for now. 

He worships the ground that his big brother 'Joey' walks on, and the two of them will sometimes play for a good hour until Rowdy gets a little rough and Dad has to step in to calm things down a bit. 

Rowdy is a joy to have around - he's just insane and loves to play with his toys - he almost always has a toy in his mouth - squeaking away endlessly.

Happy Birthday Little Man.  Dad will have probably have some gifts when he comes home from work tonight to go along with that special dinner.

What The........Where In The Heck Are Joey And Rowdy?

IS ANYONE THERE?

We apologize for the lack of posting over the last week.  All is fine with Joey and Rowdy, but all has not been fine with our home phone and DSL/magical interweb!  It has been down for a whole week!  AT&T finally came to fix it just now - it seems they were doing maintenance last week and they "mis-assigned" our line.  Ahem.

So stay tuned for more Dachshund News, fun, and hijinx - we'll be back in the groove real soon.

Vintage mid-century Wirephoto source unknown.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy: Dachshund Vacation Photos

While Dad was off gallivanting around in Hong Kong (where?), we had a great time staying with our pals Sampson, Tommy Lee, and Gina Marie.  One afternoon, three of their friends came over, and boy was it a party.....a Dachshund Party!  All that was needed was a Border Collie to round us all up.  Here we are waiting for Ms. Human to give us a taste of whipped cream straight out of the can - let's repeat that:  whipped cream straight out of the can.  Joy, oh Joy.  Dad can stay in Hong Kong as long as he likes as far as we're concerned. 
Dad noted that he saw mostly poodles on the streets of Hong Kong, but he did see one Long Dog at a pet supply store - a pretty little red long-haired gal with hip problems who had trouble walking - but she didn't have back issues. 
Dad was going to bring us back some treats....maybe something that we haven't had before, something regional, exotic, and tasty - but the pet supply store owner quickly reminded him with her response: "I don't sell anything from China."  Yes.  And so.....the Kangaroo treats from Australia were awesome.  We love you Dad.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy

'Rowdy' and 'Joey,' your Long and Short of it All hosts

Dear Gentle Readers,

We are officially on vacation while Dad is off gallivanting around.  This is probably the longest time we will have ever been away from the blog - possibly up to two long weeks!   We're going to miss the Westminster Dog Show and all the fun that comes with Valentine's Day, but there's always next year, right?  If you get really bored, maybe have a look through the archives - there's lots of fun stuff to read!

Keep warm and snuggle up to your human.  We'll be back soon.

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and Rowdy....

Wirehair Wednesday: From Rowdy With Love

Rowdy, December 7, 2011

It's Wednesday, and that can mean only one thing - yep, it's Wirehair Wednesday!  Lots of good folks have been asking about the new addition here at the World Headquarters of The Long and Short of it All, our own wirehair boy 'Rowdy.'  Well, he's doing just great!  He keeps us busy with his antics - Joey and Maggie were nothing like this little wild-man when they were puppies.  He just turned 7-months-old a few days ago, and still acts like a 3-month-old who plays ALL THE TIME!  We figure since the first 4 or 5 months of his life were spent behind bars 24/7 that he's still got a lot of exploring to do to understand all that goes on around him.  He loves his toys of any shape and size and always carries one around in his mouth, almost like a mother dog would carry around one of her pups.  Sometimes he'll even carry a toy out when it's time to go outside to do his business, which attracts lots of smiles from all the busy city people on their way to catch the morning subway. 
His house training is going very well - he has had just 4 accidents in the house in the two months that he's been with us, and half of those were our fault for not reading his cues that he needed to go out, so no complaints in that department.  He was peeing on the blankets in his crate we discovered though, and talked to a dog trainer friend of ours who suggested that we remove the blankets (it's a human thing), and no crate accidents since.  We're hoping that he will earn the blankets back in his crate in a few months, but since he went potty in his crate the first several months of his life, that is what he thinks he is supposed to do, and it will take time to retrain that behavior.
He gets along with Joey well, but Joey is a laid-back guy who gets along with everyone.  They like to play together after they eat, but when Joey has had enough, he'll growl and gently bite Rowdy to tell him to stop.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, and Dad may have to intervene if Rowdy is getting too rough for Joey, who will soon turn 11.  They do lay together and sleep together, and it's great to watch them lick each other's faces and snuggle together - Joey will even roll on his back while Rowdy licks his face.
We still miss our Miss Maggie terribly, but Rowdy, and his cute little mug that puts a smile on our face every time we look at him, has sure brightened up our lives.

A Note From Joey and Rowdy: Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By

The computer at the World Headquarters of The Long And Short of it All in Chicago, Illinois, has crashed, and is getting a new hard drive installed.  Sigh.  And we had such a good Wirehair Wednesday planned for yesterday!   But hang in there - we'll be back real soon with more Dachshund news, photos, videos, history, and tales of Dachshund Love.

Please Welcome Your New 'Long and Short of it All' Co-Host!

Who, Me?

We're pleased to announce that the exhaustive search for your new 'Long and Short of it All' co-host is now over.  Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to.....black and tan wirehaired 'Rowdy!'  Yep, things are about to get a lot more "wirey" around here!  And the search wasn't really that exhaustive - we weren't looking for a new Dachshund, but Hot Toddy (his foster name), appeared on our MidWest Dachshund Rescue facebook feed, and we immediately fell in love with his soulful little eyes.  We can't thank MidWest Dachshund Rescue enough for all that they have done to bring some joy back in our lives after the loss of our beloved 'Maggie.' 

Rowdy was born on May 2nd, so he is just over five months old.  At the vets yesterday, he weighed in at 9.4 pounds, and the vet thinks that he will be about 16 pounds when fully grown.  Rowdy came in through MWDR with 10 other puppies as a result of a few puppy mill/large breeding facilities which closed down in Missouri.  He has been fostered for several weeks by a fantastic family near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Joey and Dad went to visit him a few weeks ago to see if he was a good match for us, and Joey took to him right away - they played some, and when Joey had enough, he let out a little growl, and Rowdy respected him and went and played with his toys.  So, Joey does like to play some, and he will also teach Rowdy how to be a great dog.

He is doing well in his new home.  Potty training is a work in progress, obviously, for a young pup whose world has just been turned upside down.  But in almost 3 days, he has had just one accident in the house.  He is distracted by the city noises when we go outside to take care of business, although he is less and less distracted as each day passes.  He loves to play, he loves his toys, he loves to snuggle, and like any Dachshund, boy does he love his food!  We're slowly switching him over to raw food, which he loves.  He hasn't had any diarrhea or stomach upset, so the transition is going well.  He is fascinated when Dad is in the kitchen - he'll just sit on the floor and watch in amazement at what goes on, and his eyes light up every time a cabinet door opens. 

Naming him was a tough job, and it was down to Rowdy, Barney, Harry Callahan (call 'Cal'), Cowboy, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (call Henry), Iggy, Teddy,Wiley the Wirehair, and Murdoch (Murdach?) the Dachshund.  Rowdy, after Rowdy Yates, the Clint Eastwood character in Rawhide was always near the top though, and it sounds a little like Toddy, and he was responding to it, so Rowdy he is, both in name and spirit.  It probably didn't hurt that there was a photo of Clint Eastwood on the sidebar to your right when the decision was finally made. 

And so, a new era has begun at The Long and Short of it All. 

Mr. Crazy-Eyebrows

Joey and Rowdy

Sing it Clint! Rowdy by Clint Eastwood.