We Have a Roacher

When we got Roxie, we thought we had done all our research. We knew we wanted a greyhound. We knew we wanted to rescue a greyhound. We knew it would be a learning curve for the dog as well as us. We knew we'd have to teach them how to be a dog, because most of them never learn what it is to be a dog. We knew living on the 3rd floor of a walk-up apartment might be a little difficult. We were okay with all of this.

Roxie broke all of our expectations.

We are also okay with that.

Our research led us to find a great dog for apartments. A dog that will be quiet, and adaptable, and loving, and snuggly. Roxie melted our hearts. We weren't totally prepared for her when we got her (the kennel we bough on amazon hadn't arrived yet), but we made do. We let her explore the house. We ended up having to take her out the front way instead of the back for potty breaks, because the front stairs are much easier to manage. We watched as she slowly came to trust us.

Rhett was excited to get a greyhound in part because he thinks they're cute. He loves when they "roach." Roaching is when they roll on their backs in their sleep and stick their paws up in the air. Google "greyhound roaching" and see the hilarious results. When we got Roxie, we were told she wasn't a roacher. I won't lie when I say we were both a little bit disappointed because we wanted to have a funny dog. However, it was not a deciding factor when we got Roxie (if it was, I hope someone would question our adoption motives). So home she came, and she was still funny and cute.

She got scared at the noises she would make as she backed into stuff. Her spatial reasoning isn't all that great. It's sometimes really hilarious. She even found her own reflection and became really confused at that. She's learned quickly, though, and does okay now.

As we've seen her learn to trust us, we saw something we were told we wouldn't see in her. One morning I woke up and rolled over to find Roxie on the bed with me, roaching. Full on, back legs stretched out, front paws bent over, neck extended, belly up, roaching. I laughed out loud and snapped a picture to send to Rhett before she moved.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Roxie, the roacher:

Her foster mom was thrilled, and told me they only turn their bellies up when they are truly comfortable.

Our dog loves us. The more she shows us, the more our hearts melt.

Everyone kiss your dog today! Tell them you love them.

How to take care of a sick dog.

Roxies thoughts today:

"Mom, those crackers you're eating smell really good." As she puts her extremely wet and drippy nose on the one I'm about to put in my mouth. Thanks Roxie...

In fact, this is improvement. Roxie got a little stomach bug. Saturday she had diarrhea at on her afternoon walk (I know you wanted to hear about that...) Then that night she threw up. On the clean pile of clothes I had put on the guest bed to hang up later. I got to do some spontaneous laundry. Her stomach was gurgling all night, poor thing. I kept waking up worried. I had to check on her.

She didn't eat all day Saturday. We tried to get some Tums down her to help her stomach, but she wouldn't let us. She didn't even eat her favorite treats. Then Rhett had a brilliant idea. We randomly bough some wheat grass for a food project we're doing (see disneymeals.wordpress.com), and he said to me, "maybe she'll eat grass, dogs like grass when their stomachs are upset." So we gave it a go. We put the planter on the floor and she gobbled half of it up. Then proceeded to throw it up. We waited, and fed her small amounts at a time at certain intervals so she'd keep it down. She would go searching for it when we put it up. It was a little bit hilarious. The worst part is, she wouldn't drink. We got a syringe and would put a little water in her mouth at a time just to get some in her. Poor thing.

Sunday I was worried sick about her. We looked stuff up online and decided to not feed her breakfast just to let her stomach settle a bit. We went to church, and came back. While at church, a friend told me that her vet recommended rice for dogs with upset stomachs because it doesn't hurt them. We could tell she was hungry this afternoon, cuz that's when she was nosing at my crackers. So at her dinner time we tried the rice. She kept it down! Hooray! Her stomach is much less gurgley and she's drinking more water.

I hate when dogs get sick. I don't know what to do like I do for humans.

My tricks: In wintertime, keep some wheat grass around. Tums are great if the pup will take them. Soak white bed sheets in cold water with Oxi-clean before washing them in warm water to get vomit out. My stethoscope did nothing to help me. Rice is amazing! Don't feed the dog for 24 hours when sick, but do encourage water. After they eat a meal with rice successfully, you can add unseasoned chicken in with the rice so they still get their nutrients. Still offer the normal amount of bathroom breaks, even if the puppy is tired. Also, pamper them by letting them sleep on your bed all day while you're home (with a fleece blanket to protect your bedspread/sheets). Lastly, give doggie lots of kisses.

Puppy loves!

I love dogs

Have I mentioned that I love dogs?

Here I start my blog, about a dog. Well, dogs, really.

If I can I'm going to take pictures of me and said dogs on jogs, on logs, in bogs, playing pogs, drinking egg nog, in fog, drinking grog. I'll be blogging about doggie snogging, clogging, and hogging.

Why, you ask? Because I have a new dog. Her name is Roxie Hart. She loves to sleep all day and all night, and she's also really fast. Because she's a Greyhound. She had a horrible past, and doesn't trust people, she's very timid, shy, and spooked. She also loves cheese and peanut butter. We've never heard her bark, nor seen her run full speed (yet). Her life motto is: This is my life now. She's patient, curious, and stubborn, and very much a velcro dog.

Why else, though? I have another dog. I had to leave this one with my parents when I moved away, not because I couldn't take her, but because I don't think she (or my dad) would handle leaving very well. She is also a rescue dog, and didn't have a pleasant past. She is 2 doggies long and a half doggie high, and beautiful at every angle. She is a dachshund. She's also very curious, and keeps her nose in all of your business. She is outgoing and extremely food motivated. Car rides are her favorite. She does not like kids. Her life motto: Follow your nose. If she can't smell it, it doesn't exist. If she can smell it, she'll dig that treat right out of your pocket and eat it.

I love my girls. Danni the Dachshund belongs to me. Roxie the Greyhound is mine and Rhett's.

I will try to share the world from their point of view. It won't be easy, but I think I'll manage.

Have a doggie day!

Danni on the first night we got her.

Roxie on the first day we had her. (Rhett, Me, Roxie)

Roxie loves to be comfortable.

Danni loves to be warm.