Here is Baby in her first coated outing. This was in between two of the many times her legs popped out of the leg-holes and had to be put back in. Nothing a safety pin won't fix.Baby has been with us for three weeks now. If I had to describe her personality in one word, I would say ''worried'. But very gradually, she is calming down. Following is 'all about Baby' in case you are considering adopting a sweet little chihuahua-dachshund.
Sleeping
Until a few days ago, Baby's bed was a crate beside the human bed. You know that sound old men make before they spit? Baby would make about 20 of those every morning when I let her out of the crate, all the while bouncing up and down, wagging her tail so hard it was just a little black blurry thing. This is only cute the first few times, so one night I left her in the x-pen on the main floor because she was fast asleep inside her fluffy blanket. She was still excited to see us in the morning, but there were only three old-man noises, and now she doesn't make them at all.
Of course Baby's favorite place to sleep is in the human bed. She burrows her way all the way to the bottom and doesn't move until morning, when she creeps up to the top for a snuggle.
During the days, she naps in her x-pen under the fluffly blanket, or (if there's anyone on it to curl up beside) on the couch.
Food
She thinks every bite of food is going to be the last one! I make the dogs sit quietly while I get their dishes ready, and Baby is a challenge. When I say 'stay', she sinks to the floor and creeps away. She will circle the perimeter of the room on her belly, trying to find a way to get close again without me noticing. This morning we started food training. I put a dish of human food on the floor beside her and told her to leave it. She crouched and trembled and whimpered for about ten minutes, and then finally sighed and laid down beside it. But we have to keep working on this one.
She is quite protective of her food - not with people, because I can put my hands in her dish or take the dish away and she doesn't react. But if other dogs come near her (and by that I mean into the same room) she will grrr at them. She sometimes has food left over, and will leave her dish. Ginny, waiting patiently, will head over to finish it off and then Baby races back to protect it. She may be hungry later, you see!
Other Dogs
When Baby first arrived, she was very quick to grrr and snap at other dogs - they all frightened her. But she's met so many of them now that she's learning to sniff butts and be normal. She will still 'snap and miss' sometimes, but so far they all just blink at her. I think they sense that she's not dominant. She's very happy around dogs she knows - she and Ginny play like puppies for long periods of time, racing from room to room.
Strangers
Baby will grr and snap at strangers who immediately reach out to her, and even at me if I grab her suddenly. But this is fully a fear reaction (I suspect she has had a bad experience in the past). If you let her approach and sniff on her own time, she'll be your best friend in less than 30 seconds.
Walks
Baby's only concern about walks is that it might be too cold. But once out there, she's in her glory and forgets all about shivering and worrying. She's even learning to play with Ginny's friends instead of running away from them. She loves to sniff in the tall grass, and sometimes has to be retrieved. But if you have her attention, she comes immediately when called - on the run, as though she hasn't seen you for weeks. For walks around the neighborhood, she loves to have the leash put on and can barely stop bouncing long enough for me to find the loop on her collar.
Housetraining
She's house-trained as long as you take her out regularly. If you don't take her out, though, she will go from looking worried (which you may not notice because she so often looks worried) to finding a place to pee in the house. She sometimes needs coaxing to go outside, but I make her go anyway and she'll always pee even if she doesn't really have to.
Baby needs a non-excited human to help her stay calm, and one who will not 'baby' her. She is developing confidence slowly, and is a most loving little pal who will always be happy-happy-happy to be with her human!
