Relaxing with Daddy

Not the most lady-like pose, but it's what she does after her walks. Relaxes, spread-eagle, for her tummy rubs and words of endearment. Someone said she's spoiled..... ya think?

The days are getting longer now. The sun has returned from its holiday and Michigan is slowly waking up. Nighttime lows are in the mid-30s and the daytime highs are getting up to 45 degrees. It feels gloriously warm after a long, cold, snowy snowy winter.

Rox is becoming a long-distance runner; well, a hiker more than a runner. She and Bob are taking long walks 2-3 times a day, sometimes in the subdivision, but more and more they are going to the parks and woods. She loves her parks. A hunters heart beats in her hairy little chest. Her wire-hair coat has become extremely thick. She has no fear of going out in the rain; it almost seems to run off her like water off a duck's back. And snow... she loves it!

She's found her friends and enemies on their walks. Each house where dogs live comes alive as they walk past. Some are barks of "hello" and others are barks saying "get out of here you little dachsie - I'll eat you if I could get over this fence." To some she responds, others she just ambles past with indifference.

One of the items on our spring agenda is to have Rox attend "finishing school". She needs some socialization with other dogs to polish her company manners a bit. Her cousin Zoey got the snotty end of Rox's attention at Christmas and we'd like her to learn a bit of compassion or at least how to not be bossy with others.

Another item on the list is learning to walk at heel. She'll pull my arm out on the outbound walk, but when returning home she drags her feet as if to say "I know we're heading home and I want to stay out longer." She's a smart one, for sure.