D is for Dogs

D is for Dogs

I’m so far behind in posting my ABC along! Everyone else is on G and here I am still on D. *sigh*

Anyway, D is for the 4 dogs that have captured my heart in my life. As always, click the images for a larger view.

The first dog was “Schnitzel” who was a Dachshund mix (at least 75% purebred). I believe all the pictures of Schnitzel are at my mom’s house so I don’t have a shot.

I don’t remember when we got Schnitzel but it was when I was a young child in Pasadena, Texas. Schnitzel was the son of a friend’s Dachsy Fritz and was one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever known. Every morning he would go over to Fritz’s house (block over) and visit for a few hours and then come home. He moved with us to Belvidere, Illinois in the middle of winter and didn’t like the snow on his belly one bit! From there he moved with us to Kansas City, Missouri. I remember the day he died as he was out making his rounds of the neighborhood when he encountered a German Shepherd. Never one to back down, he paid the price in the ensuing dog fight. He made it back home only to die at the vet an hour later. I was in the 4th grade and was crushed.

When I turned 12, I asked for a Dachshund puppy and received “Schnitzel 2”. He was so cute but dumber than a doornail. He was also racist and would get really mean with people whose skin color was not white. No idea where he learned that one. He moved with us to Houston where I captured this picture of my older sister, Lindy, and him in our bedroom. Schnitzel got cancer and died when he was 10 years old and I was away in college.

Fast forward to 1986 when we were living in Houston, Texas and my kids were 7 and 3. My daughter was a Brownie Girl Scout and her troup leader had a puppy that she could no longer care for. She asked if we would like her. Having moved into our first home that wasn’t a rental, we finally got my hubby to agree. Abigail (aka Abby) came to live with us and was loved by all. She was a Cocker mix and very cute. The kids grew up loving that dog and she moved with us to the woods in 1993. She lived to the age of 12 and is still missed.


During the time we had Abby, Curly came to live with us. It was 1995 and I was doing my apprenticeship in Veterinary Technology at a clinic in Waller, Texas. Someone ‘overnighted’ (ie left on the doorstep of the clinic) 2 puppies of unknown lineage. One of the pups had to be put to sleep because of advance mange but the other was fine. This long legged pup came home with me and became “Curly” for his tail. We think he has some Greyhound and Basenji in his background. He also thinks he is a cat and will let my cats groom him and play with his tail. He loved all the kittens I had when I was showing Birmans. Curly will be 11 years old this summer and is starting to show his age. He still runs our 5 acres each day, begs for dog treats and is generally a neurotic mess sometimes. The remodel of the house last year really upset him and he is just now settling down even though the contractors have been gone 3 months. He is good company, though.

So there are the dogs in my life. I’ve loved each unconditionally and a little bit of my heart lives in each.

Till later ~~ Dene