Another great day.

It was another gorgeous day.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any clients booked today...fortunately, I don't feel guilty about taking a day off and coming to places like this.  It was so gorgeous here yesterday that we couldn't pass up another opportunity to come and discover some more of the West Fork.  

We walked a little farther, and the boys as usual loved it.

Wally is proving to be a challenge for me, photographically speaking....because he's so low to the ground.  It seems like this is the only angle I could get him in today.  He's been attached to Papa's side, and he's also Scotts good luck charm when it comes to fishing.  

 

You can see how happy Scott is... he hooked a few that size today and it was a good way for him to end his Christmas break.  I caught two myself, one 13 inches...much larger than the average size rainbow trout in the West Fork.

Spot and Wally in their sweaters.  It got chilly in the mountains once the sun hides behind the canyon.  They had fun....they're tired, sore (well Spot is...Wally actually played with toys when he got back.) and asleep.  

Wally had a great week.  He's been to the Arroyo, Eaton Canyon, Chantry Flats, JPL Trail, and the West Fork since we've had him.  He must think he's in doggy heaven...and he is. 

It will be interesting to see how he does once Scott starts school and of course, I have to work.  Wish us luck on that.

Wally gets another dose of nature

We all got to go to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River today.  It was beeeautiful today and it felt like we were on vacation.  As usual, Wally loved exploring and the long walk tuckered him out.

He's the perfect fishing buddy...and if anything, I think he's Scott's good luck charm because he's had a lot of success fishing lately. 

Patiently waiting for their treats

I always find heart rocks...and it's been a while since I've found one.  Lately, it seems that I'm always watching Wally walk (because he's so dang cute) and he just walks over them, practically showing me the way to them.

It's only appropriate that I found a big one, and a small one :)

Like a lil baby

Every time we see him like this, every time he curls up next to us for warmth and makes little baby noises, we ask ourselves how anyone could leave him out in the rain and cold.

 He loves being held like a baby and he presses his head up against your chest.  He steals kisses whenever he can  and now that he's potty trained, can actually hold his bladder longer than I can!  Again...how? I feel bad making him go outside on a cold morning to go tinkle, and as soon as he goes, he can't wait to get back inside and under his blanket.

Someone's obviously very in love with Wally :) 
I worked all day, but Wally got to go fishing with Scott and made a pretty good fishing buddy.  He was tethered to Scott the whole time and patiently sat there while Scott fished.  He also said Wally caught himself a fish!  Well, actually....Scott caught a fish and he had the fish hooked, but in the water, taking a picture of it and that's when Wally reached in and grabbed it.  :)  How cute is that?  I told him he should have taken a picture of that, but he dropped his camera to go help the fish and safely release it back.

 

I set up a little donation fund for Wally.  He came at a time that financially isn't really the greatest for us.  If I would have come home from the pet store and said to Scott, "Hey, look what I got us!  I got us a puppy!"  He'd make me take it right back.  First he'd ask me if I was crazy and if I forgot we already have a dog,  and THEN he'd make me take him back.  But because Wally was in such a neglected situation, we talked extensively about what to do and decided to save him ourselves.  I've spent a small fortune already and appreciate what little you can give since he still needs so much, like (covers Wally's ears) neutering and shots.     

take a hike...

Don't let those little legs fool you, they move fast and can cover a lot of distance.  I thought little dogs were content laying on your couch all day, but in order for us to get Wally chill enough to even take a nap, we have to go on a long walk.  A.Very....long.walk.

You'd think Spot would be way up front, but it's Wally who usually leads the way. I love that Spot waits for me to catch up.  I have a million photos of him like this. He also takes good care of Wally out here and usually gets between him and bigger dogs.  How sweet is that?

There's lots of water at Eaton Canyon right now.  Spot will only go in the water if we're crossing, but Wally wanted to go swimming!  He LOVES water, and even though I didn't take photos of him in the bath yesterday, he didn't mind it at all.  That's going to make bath time easy :)

I hope you had fun today Wally, we sure did.

 

Mission Impossible? Hardly...

  Potty training Dachshunds isn't easy.  Part of the reason why is because their legs are so short...they don't need to do much to mask the fact that they're peeing in your house.  I guess that's why when I brought him home, I thought he was potty trained because I didn't see him doing the "obvious signs".  A bigger dog you see  blatantly sniffing around and then he lifts his leg over your new Pottery Barn couch.  This little guy, he didn't do that...and because I didn't know him very well, his ways of telling me he needed to potty were so subtle (because that's another reason why Dachshunds are hard to train, their subtly), that before I realized he needed to go, it was too late.  The first few days with Wally were a real challenge.  Not only because we had to potty train a dog we weren't familiar with...we didn't even know his name.   California was also seeing the worst rain storms in years, undesirable conditions for potty training a dog.  Over 5 inches of rain in one of those days of pouring rain.  We did it though! We dragged him out there every hour on the hour and praised like hell when he'd go where he was supposed to. He's had one accident since we "potty trained" him.  That's another thing.... I heard they're never fully house broken. I hope ...that because he gets 2-3 long walks everyday, that will give him plenty of opportunity to do what he needs to do. I'm also hoping that because I caught him in the act, and was able to stop him from letting go of his bladder completely, that he realizes he isn't supposed to go in my house. I'm glad I caught him in the act...and all I had to do was yell "No!" and then took him outside. You know, it takes work and a close eye.... but it's so worth it when they finally get it.

Wally, he started out not being my dog...but I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.  I met him back in October, when I would walk by the house on my corner and I'd pet him or give him doggy treats.  His owner put the house up for rent and I thought for sure he'd be gone with the move...but then I saw that he was left out, day and night.  When the rains came, we thought for sure he'd be put inside, but in the pouring rain on a cold night, we saw him rolled up into a little ball underneath a table. His food bowl was filled with water, and his dry dog food was puffy and floating in the overflowing bowl.  For months now, I'd noticed how the yard was not kept, feces everywhere and his only entertainment was a torn up yellow pages.  He had a dog house, but wasn't using it...my thought (since I couldn't get in the yard to find out for myself) was that since it was covered with a tarp, a leak happened and it was possibly flooded. 

No one was ever home, and the curtains were always drawn. I never saw anyone out in the yard cleaning up after him.  I never saw anyone walking him or out there keeping him company or playing.  California was seeing some of the worst rain storms and no one cared if this little dog was left out??  Less than a month ago I found a neighborhood dog that had been neglected and let out of it's yard over and over again... he got hit by a car and I found him and had to watch him die.  I wasn't about to stand by and let this little guy die too.  I took him home, wrote the lady a note telling her I had him and to give me a call she got home.  I never heard from her, and the note I put in a ziplock bag and taped with packaging tape on her back door was gone so I knew she got it. 

The next day, I walked by there and saw her Dad working in the yard.  He had just rid himself of the doghouse because he thought the pound took Wally.  I reluctantly gave him back, especially after seeing the house totally and completely vacant, but he promised me he'd take Wally to his daughter or put him inside.  The next morning, Wally busted out of the yard through a broken slat in the fence and was on his way toward a busy street.  I whistled and called to him, and he came running to me...laying on his back at my feet.  I brought him home and didn't make the effort to give him back.  I gave him back twice....once because I thought someone still lived there and again on an empty promise.  Never again...he's here to stay.