Art

I am always decorating the house and being an artist myself I am very inspired by little Zola. I was roaming etsy today and I noticed I'm not the only one inspired by little weiners :). Here were some of my fav's:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_16&listing_id=14531860

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_16&listing_id=14166374http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_16&listing_id=10422109

Chewing

As all pups, Zola loves to chew. Surprisingly, she learned quite quickly what was allowed as far as chewing. The vet recommend the CET chews for chewing as well as a treatment for dental hygiene. Zola seems to love the chews and they also help for bad breath. For the concerned pet parent, Zola and I recommend these chews. They are a bit more expensive than the standard raw hide but we all know that raw hides aren't great for dogs digestive system. The only downside to the CET is that they seem only be available through the vet, but for those online shoppers this shouldn't be an issues. Happy gnawing!

Adolesence

Here are some recent pics of Zola, taken yesterday.

That yellow duck is Zola's favorite toy although it slightly phallic.

Here she is again with her toy, and crazy eyes!
This is by far the most disturbing picture of Zola. She is my viscous attack dog...Dachshunds are known for their deceivingly big bark.

Parasites

Unfortunately, earlier this week I found a flea crawling on Zola. She has been itching a bit, and after checking several times for the dreaded parasites I began to think it was merely allergies. Immediately after the discovery I proceeded to give her a bath and I haven't seen one since but she still seems to be itching. I have been researching various preventatives and decided against the common brands such as Sentry and Sargent's and have been considering using Garlic/Brewer's yeast combo and Diatomaceous Earth on my lawn and possibly inside (although I have read many people are skeptical about putting it on dogs or in living areas). Oh the things we endure for the love of our pets!
Here is a link I found helpful:http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/384

On a lighter note, one of our favorite pass times is watching the tube. We relax for hours between neighborhood strolls and playing tag in the backyard. Our mascot has become the Michelin dog, even beyond reality dogs play an important role in loyalty and companionship. (I bet the Michelin dog deters fleas)

This is Zola before we brought her home (around 6 or 7 weeks). Zola was born to the noble, Zoe Cocco and Sir Kirk of Compton. She is the one with white and was the surprise of the litter. She was the last of the three and the only to show the sire's piebald gene. The other 2 are her brother whom were such curious cuties. The larger one (seen on the right) was Haas. We found out that Haas passed around last fourth of July. Saddly, he wasn't even a year old and the people that had him left him outside most of the time. After the fourth he apparently found some left over fireworks and devoured them, this was a fatal mistake. The owners took him to the vet where they were faced with a questionable $1ooo surgery or putting him to sleep. Needless to say he crossed the rainbow bridge before his first birthday. This September when we throw Zola's first birthday bash we will honor her big brother and praise our precious pooch.

Beginnings

This blog is a tribute to Zola Von Z. Zola, a chocolate and tan piebald, mini dachshund was born September 29, 2007. She will be a year old before we know it. I was inspired to start this blog after reading Marley and Me by John Grogan. The book was a turning point in my life. Even though the themes were a bit cliche I realized that a dog is not only a companion who provides unconditional love and loyalty unlike anything found between human beings, they also remind us of our mortality and the short time we have here. After reading Grogan's book I realized that not only should I try to spend as much time as possible with my little mut but also those around me.

That being said, this blog will help me make light of the things that upset me and remind me that they are only trivial. I would also like to document my personal relationship with my pooch so I can look back on it and remember our precious time to together.