Dex's One Year Anniversary / Second Birthday!

Today marks one year that Dexter has been with Louie and me. Since I don't know when his birthday is, I consider this day to also be his birthday. The rescue told me that he was born sometime in 2012, so he is two years old-ish!

We celebrated in the usual fashion:

doggie IG life lately

Louie & Dexter's adventures as of late:

Posing like winter catalog pros on top of a snowbanks in northern Minnesota.

Crossing gender lines and modeling statement necklaces on antique chairs.

Posing on benches in the park in front of curious onlookers (..."She's a crazy dog lady").

Taking baths cuz the mud & puddles make for wet, dirty undercarriages.

Reluctantly playing dress up with old American Girl Doll accessories.

People often comment: "Those poor dogs," when they see some of my dog photos. But I figure, these dogs are so ridiculously spoiled, that the least they can do is hold still wearing something stupid while I take a picture. It's a small price to pay for getting fed expensive dog food, organic treats, and being allowed to roam free all day.

any fun weekend plans? no.

This guy has to go to the vet to get a decaying tooth removed on Friday. He is as amused about it as he was about wearing that hat.

And P.S.
I get asked that question (see this entry's subject) all of the time, as is the "norm" amongst friendly conversation. I feel pressure to have awesome plans and I rarely do.

things my dogs have been doing lately

I spend a lot of time with my dogs (as one can imagine). Digesting

Eating kibble and carrots can take a lot out of you. Such heavy foods.

Modeling clothes they hate

Dex hates that sweater that his Nana lovingly knitted for him. But it keeps him warm when he has to go outside.


Louie does not appreciate my knitting skills at all. To him, that cowl is THE WORST.

Sitting on toys meant for human children

Lots of snow means no kids on the playground. Jackpot.

Sitting in trees

Louie balances well on tree branches.

Dex hates winter

The subzero temperatures here in Minnesota have easily made my decision to put booties on Dexter when he goes out to go potty. He hates them but has gotten used to them. I'd rather listen to an ornery chiweenie than deal with frostbitten paws. Ugh, we are SO sick of the snow and cold. Spring couldn't get here any sooner.

bell museum of natural history

In October, my mother and I visited the Bell Museum of Natural History. It's located on the U of M campus in Minneapolis. The only reason I even knew about the museum is because my friend told me that his distant relative painted some of the murals in the exhibits. I was eager to check those out.

With only a few small floors to peruse, the museum felt stuffy and collegiate (I mean this in a good way). There was dark wood paneling along the walls, muffling carpet underfoot, and large diorama behind glass windows. It felt like something from an older era.

Within the dioramas, there were several birds, fish, small mammals, and some large mammals. All of which, I believe, are native species to Minnesota. There was a beautiful bald eagle and an impressive male moose there. I was also surprised to see a pack of wolves and a bunch of black bears. Some of the displays were species-specific, and some were scene-specific with multiple species in one diorama. Overall, it was pretty interesting. If you like nature, you'd probably like this museum.

This is a tree painted on glass in front of the background painting. So lovely!

A closer look. Such beautiful brush work.

Beautiful pheasant.

Look at those gorgeous feathers!

I may have liked the background paintings more than the animals.

This was really neat. They suspended the ducks in "water."

The museum did a really nice job of blending the background paintings of the animals
with the actual animals.

I probably would've had more photos of more displays, but I got tired of taking photos and wanted to just look at everything.

There was a kiddo birthday party happening while we were visiting too. Nothing tires you out quicker than a bunch of loud kids and their equally loud shrill-voiced museum guide.

Louie

Today is Louie's third birthday. This post is dedicated to him. It is wordy, picture-y, and there will be some feelings. You have been warned!

My Louie. He is the first dog that I have personally owned. He is a dachshund mix (I'm not sure what he is mixed with - the animal shelter where he was adopted from couldn't tell me, and my vet wasn't sure). He weighs about 23 lbs. I adopted Louie in December of 2010 from Animal Allies. He was about 4 months old when I adopted him.





Adopting Louie
On a snowy Thursday in December, I stopped by Animal Allies after work "just to browse." I planned to move to an apartment in Minneapolis the following spring, and I wanted a dog to bring with me. My only must-haves were that the dog be a male and smallish in size.

When I walked up to the glass window of a room with some dogs in cages, a little black dog perked its ears up and wagged its tail. It was so adorable! Floppy ears, big brown eyes, and the perfect size. I walked in and read the paper sign on its cage door but it didn't reveal any details about the dog.

Photo taken between the bars of the cage Louie was in at the shelter.

Sensing this cute little dog's desirability, I walk-ran up to the front desk to ask about it. He was a male (yes!), he didn't have a name (yes! No "Fido" to overcome), and he was available for adoption (awesome!). I immediately asked to take him out and meet him. I called my good friend, Amy, and asked if she would come to the shelter and meet this little guy with me. She was free and came to meet me.

We got a playroom and they brought this squirmy, jumpy, excited little pup in to meet us. He was even cuter in person! And hyper! He bounced around the room, running between my friend and I. He was so happy to be out of that cage. The moment I knew he was meant to be mine was when he jumped onto my lap and laid his head in the crook of my arm. Amy commented about how perfect he was for me. We were definitely a match. I told the shelter staff lady who assisted us that I definitely wanted to adopt him. He had just come in from the pound the day before and didn't have a name assigned to him* so I got to name him Louie. And he was mine. <3

*The story was that he was a stray that someone found and brought to the pound...which is total crap. He was in excellent health - a good weight and a shiny coat. It was winter in northern Minnesota, and no small dog like that could ever be a stray, not even for a few minutes outside in that weather! Whoever surrendered him to the pound really missed out on a great dog!

All of his accessories, toys, and treats were picked out with
the utmost TLC.

I have to admit, that I had a little bit of buyer's remorse at first. He was so teeny (12 lbs!) and I wasn't sure I wanted a dog that small.

My mother and I went shopping for doggie supplies before I picked him up (he had to be neutered before I got him). We picked out all his accessories and toys with utmost care. We thought long and hard about what to buy. We had discussions in the middle of the dog toy aisle about "whether or not his tiny mouth could pick up that size tennis ball."

First night at home. He still had that puppy belly.

When I drove Louie home from the animal shelter, he didn't make a peep. My mom and I kept gushing about how tiny and cute he was that first night (we were used to the size of our former 90 lb golden retriever). I took Louie around my parents' house and he ended up peeing in the basement. But that was okay, he was a newbie (and who could stay mad at that face?).

Louie lived at my parents' house for about 3 1/2 months. I visited him every night after work, and often fell asleep with him on the floor towards the end of the evening. Despite the fact that my mother was with him all day (she worked from home), he was my dog. He was always ecstatic to see me when I arrived. Louie helped fill the void that I had from the loss of our golden retriever, Petey, the year before.

My parents & Louie
I was surprised by how much my parents took to him. Especially my dad. He'd talk to Louie and let him sit in his lap, and even play with him. My dad didn't interact too much with our previous dog. My mom did and still does treat Louie like a grandchild. She worries about his well being ("Make sure it's not too cold for him...make sure he's comfortable there...make sure he stays warm enough...."). It's really very sweet. I suppose since I don't have kids, Louie and Dexter are kind of furry grandchildren for them (I heard somewhere that dogs as grandchildren are a popular thing now). I think Lou helped fill their dogless void as well. And I know for sure they think highly of him because he is allowed on the couch.


A great dog
As my vet said, Louie is a great find. He has been pretty healthy (seasonal allergies aside) and has a calm, friendly temperament. Louie rarely barks and is usually pretty chill once he gets over his ten minute excitement of meeting new people. He is puppy pad trained and housebroken, depending on where we are. He doesn't chew unnecessarily and obeys well. He isn't food-obsessed but he will do tricks for treats.

Louie loves to play fetch and catch, but he is also happy to be a lap dog. Except for when my little niece starts plucking at his eyeballs, he is good with children. He is sociable among other dogs, and had a good report from the one day he attended doggie daycare.

I really couldn't have asked for a better dog and am looking forward to years and years of fun with him, because as Amy said: "Dachshunds don't die." <3

His favorite spot at my old apartment was at the window overlooking the alley.

Romping around in the back yard at my parents' house.
Louie loves being off the leash.

Loving that window seat at the old apartment.

Louie on his first birthday. He was so excited to wear his party hat.

Louie Facts

First Name: Louie is named after my paternal grandfather, Louis. When I knew I would get another dog for sure, I brainstormed dog names for days. I suddenly thought of my grandpa, and the name "Louie" seemed just right. I also asked my family members if it was okay to apply our grandpa's name to my future dog. They were cool with it.
Middle Name: Bartholomew (sounds even cooler in Italian: Bartolomeo)
Nick Names: Lou, Loosh, Ooshie, Loubie, Loushka, Loushkie Bits, Shkie Bits, Boob, Boobaloo, Louis Boobaloo, Bert, Lart, Cutie Boy, Goober, Booberteedo, Booberteeds...really, he only gets called "Louie" when he's in trouble  (:
Favorite Foods: peanut butter, soy beans, green beans
Favorite Activities: walking/running, playing fetch, playing catch, sleeping in sun spots
Favorite Toy: Nyla bone
Vice(s): if left alone in the presence of his own poop, he will eat it
Hates: wearing clothing/costumes/harnesses
Loves: licking peanut butter out of the kong toy
Funny: he has been known to fart and then look around confused, as if to think: "Who did that?"

Obligatory festive autumn posed photo.

Goober. <3

Dexter on Instagram

If you haven't noticed, I am a dog person. That being said, my dogs have their own instagram account (The Little Sirs). We've spent many an evening posing for smart phone photos. Lou and Dex have definitely learned what it means when I point that strange little box at them.

Here are some of my favorite instagram photos of Dex:

Dexter's grad photo.

Dinosaur costume. BTW, doing any sort of photo editing on a smart phone is THE WORST.

Dex as Yente from Fiddler on the Roof. Houndstooth scarf made by his Nana.

Little Red Riding Dex. I love the little pom pom on the hood. Obviously, he hates it.

Dex the Banana!

The day Louie was away at the vet getting tests run, Dex was acting kind of depressed.

Reindeer antlers! These were a holiday clearance purchase. These may also be for a cat...

Like Louie, he is a master of the doggy head tilt.

He is very flexible.

One of the first nights I had him, I gave him and Louie each a bone. Dex kept walking around with his in his mouth so Louie wouldn't get it.

Pattison State Park

The lake at Pattison. I could edit this photo all day long...in the end, it will still be an overcast day.

Last weekend, my mother's side of the family gathered up in Pattison State Park for my cousin's wedding. Despite the cold, rainy weather, the ceremony was beautiful and went smoothly. The leaves had turned around the little lake there, so had it been sunny, it would've been an even prettier backdrop for the wedding. I've never been to Pattison before, but I'd definitely go back. The campground was pretty decent, and there were a lot of trails to be walked (however, not last weekend, due to the mud and well, the busy-ness of the wedding!).

On Sunday, my mom, nephew, Louie, and I went to check out one of the waterfalls. It was only misting, so I brought my camera along.

There were so many beautiful colors among the changed leaves. The photos never do nature justice.

I think this is Big Manitou Falls. We weren't really paying attention to where we were. Smart, I know.

My mom and my floating nephew.

The algae/moss/mold on that rock was so cool. Not so cool in the photo itself.

Louie was a good sport in the cold, misty weather. We left Dex back at the warm RV with my dad. 

The reflection on the lake was so beautiful. Reminded me of Reflection Lake near Mt. Rainier.

It was so ridiculously beautiful out, aside from the weather. I love the colors of autumn!

I've started to put little watermarks on my images now, having attended a workshop about copyright/legal issues via the Springboard for the Arts.