Get a Long Little Doggie
3 years ago was the Big Blackout in parts Ontario and north eastern United States. During that time, TBIT and I lved on the 11th floor of our building. With the power out, of course, the elevator was not running. TBIT came home that evening to find the lady with the dachshunds who lived on the 12th floor sitting in the lobby. She had taken the dogs out for a walk just before the power failure. She was more or less trapped in the lobby because she had bad knees and had a hard time climbing the stairs. Both hands were required to hold the railing and she needed frequent rests. Also, dachshunds can't climb stairs. She'd have to carry them to get them up the the 12th floor but obviously couldn't. So TBIT did what TBIT would do. He tucked a doggie under each arm and started up the stairs. The lady slowly followed.
It's odd, we have seen the lady since we have moved into the buidling and know the dachshunds by name but don't know her name. The dogs, FYI, are Amadeus and Susie and are from the Dachshund rescue. Amadeus will ignore a chew bone but goes insane for a carrot. Susie likes toes. You approach her with naked toes and you are guaranteed to be slobbered on. We kept running into them in the elevator during the our first winter here when the doggies were wearing their wooly sweaters, then when the spring arrived and the sweaters were off, I mention he looked so much smaller. That's when I found out Amadeus was obese for a dachshund when the lady got him and gradually lost 4 pounds, which is a lot for a small dog. Amadeus is also very lazy. He only wants to go for enough of a walk to pee and then wants to go home. Susie wants to walk all day. The lady sometimes walks the two of them, lets Amadeus pee, returns him to the apartment and then continues walking with Suzie. When the lady is finished walking the two, she enters the building and takes off their leads and harnesses. The dogs then run around the lobby with an "I'm NAKED!" joy.
Since the black out, TBIT and I have moved to the 7th floor to a south facing, much brighter and quieter apartment. The lady and the dachshunds have also moved to the 7th floor. Sometimes as we all ride up in the elevator, the doggies follow us around the corner to our apartment as if they were coming with us. I knew they were more accustomed to us but I didn't know how much more.
A couple of nights ago, TBIT and I headed out for a nice evening walk. As we stepped out, we saw the lady with the dachshunds. She was pushing a baby stroller, in which, sitting and looking as pleased as punch was Amadeus. Susie was on her leash but had gotten away from the lady and when she saw us, she made a beeline straight for us. David kneeled down to intercept her and Susie threw herself on the ground, belly up in a "save me" pose at his feet. The lady, due to her bad knees and lazy dachshund in an old pram with stiff wheels , slowly walked over. She tried to grab Susie's lead but Susie dove between David's feet while he was still kneeling, just about knocking him over backwards. David grabbed the leash and handed it to the lady. The lady then explained the strange scenario. Susie had hurt her shoulder and wasn't to walk very far. The lady had borrowed the pram so Susie could stay out for a long walk without aggravating her shoulder. However, Amadeus, upon seeing Susie riding in the pram, refused to walk so she had to put him in it. When the lady took Susie out of the pram so she could pee, Susie took off running because she just loves to be out and about. The lady had been chasing her around the block, trying to get her back. So now, the lady picked up Susie while David offered to take Amadeus out of the pram. The lady said, no, it was okay and plunked Susie down in the pram next to Amadeus.
As TBIT and I walked away, I looked over at the scene and wished I had had a camera. Not only just seeing two dachshunds in a baby carriage was worth taking a picture but the way the seat on the pram was lowered and the dachshund were facing forward caused their two little bums and tails to stick out of the leg holes was really photo worthy.
Oh, and now there are 2 young basset hounds in the neighbourhood named Freddy and Sophie. We met them last night. I say they are young because I've not seen a bouncier basset hound than Freddy. They are also more lean and don't seem to have the thickening of the body that I've seen in older basset hounds. He saw us and bounded toward us expecting (rightly so) to be petted. My arm from hand to elbow got covered in dog drool. Poor little Sophie was very shy and hid behind the young man walking her. He said she is afraid of strangers but he's working on it. Hopefully TBIT and I will see them on their walks often. They are so cute.
My operations manager in Edmonton had basset hounds, true show dogs. The staff went to his family's home for a bar-b-que and the basset hounds latched on to me. One then proceeded to steal my hamburger off my plate and swallow it before I really registered my burger was gone. Them jowls on a basset hound are impressive.
Posted by Marmy on August 16, 2006 03:01 PM