Bad feet

Yesterday we had to say good by to Brutus in Pennsylvania and to Mollie in the West. Brutus was a black Lab, a real outdoors man and Mollie a dainty little poodle, who drank water from a crystal bowl. They were both great doggies and will be missed.

It was supposed to be the last day for Schatzi's medication after the spay, however the pill bottle absolutely disappeared from this house. Searching from the fridge to the dirty laundry, to the china cabinet, the trash, a rosemary pot, the desk ---- nothing. A cat must have stopped by. So Schatzi had to live without. She looks great, and I am hoping, the missed dose will not hurt her.

Another driving lesson.
Any American dog has to know what to do with a car. Not like Ohren, our # 2 dachsie, who chased a motor cycle down the hill, and jumped out of an open car window in a curve because he wanted to go home. He did not like the new place where he was moving to. He also took Max, a very young and inexperienced dachsie along , while searching for the old house. Safety in numbers.

Schatzi however, has no confidence in stopping the world from whizzing by. She puts the brakes on hard, always in mom's neck. But wait a minute --- there are treats suddenly and a different harness. Maybe, it was not that bad after all.

At the pet store looking totally baffled, a clerk helped us with a step in harness. Dad thought, maybe the soft pink one, which is rather wide around her neck might scares her from barking . A different design might help, also because she does not want to walk anywhere.
The clerk, a dog trainer, looked at her and knew she was a terrified little girl. He knew about puppy mill survivors and also about their paws. I watch Schatzi all the time very gingerly climbing out of her basket and carefully putting her feet on the floor. The man looked at her pads and the callouses .This is caused by living in a cage with a wire floor, which splays her feet. This is equal to a club foot in people and very painful.
I always noticed that she holds her right foot in a strange angle and her leg is bowed out. Now we know.

A lady at the pet store talked with her and Schatzi's eyes got huge but held on tight to her Dad. Still very afraid.
The lady also knew about mill doggies, since she rescued Delila, a dachsie. She said, it took at least 2 months for her to feel comfortable.
We are way ahead of that curve already !

Tomorrow we will try on the new harness. What a beautiful color, french lilac to go with her Briget Bardot look !