It's Dolly's 14th and Tyler's 8th Birthdays! (11/29/18)

Dolly & Tyler with treats they picked at petsmart

This week, Dolly and Tyler celebrated their birthdays on Nov. 29th. SO, we went to Petsmart and they walked up and down the aisles sniffing out treats and toys they wanted.  Our Weimaraner Dolly Loretta (named for Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn) turned 14. Our youngest Dachshund, Tyler turns 8!
  In today's blog, you'll learn where they both came from, why they share a birthday, and what they're up to Today! 

DOLLY'S BIRTHDAY!  Dolly, our lovable, affectionate, obedient, loyal, protective, sweet Weimaraner. I remember when I drove to Tennessee in March 2005 to the Wolf Creek Weimaraner rescue to adopt her (our friend Jeff came with me). Dolly is the sweetest dog you'll ever know. Our friend Elvina calls her a "classy lady."

DOLLY FACES CHALLENGES OF AGING GRACEFULLY -
    Dolly has been having her health challenges but whenever something begins we take care of it immediately. She's got a medical file about 6-8 inches thick, but she's come through it all. Her recurring eye ulcers of the last 3 years have stopped (for now) with 2 eye drops daily. She's lost about 75% of her vision, but follows her nose.
   Two years ago I noticed that she would pant heavily and walk behind us. Then she could no longer jump into the pick up truck, or jump up on the bed. I realized that she was likely in pain from arthritis. We had xrays and confirmed arthritis in her hips. So, we started acupuncture and laser treatments.
   Months later, she was again able to jump up on the bed, and into the pick up truck and still does at 14. She also climbs up and down the staircase (we had to get stair carpet steps).
   She's had a few accidents in the house, but it's either when she gets excited or she's had too much water. She loves her brother Tyler, though, and they eat, sleep and play together.

Tyler and Dolly in Petsmart's toy aisle

TYLER GETS DOLLY'S BIRTHDAY!  Tyler came to us in December 2012 as a foster dog through Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue. His paperwork said that he was 2  years old, BUT he had NO birth date. Because he and Dolly became a tightly bonded pair, we made Dolly's birthday Tyler's birthday ,too!  They never go anywhere without each other.
 
TYLER HAS COME A LONG WAY - Once a terror, now amazing. 1 year of obedience training and 2 1/2 years of agility training made Tyler a new dog from his crazy, non-housebroken terrible twos (when we adopted him). He defends the house and us, fiercely. He still doesn't like other dogs (with exceptions, like Jeff's Myrtle, and Stacey and Nathan's Mopar - but Tyler has issues with their other (bigger) dog Hemi! - they butt heads).  We learned that Tyler must have been abused by a man with a beard and someone who often wore dark colored pants, because he always tries to nip them. Even if he has known them for years now. Some things dogs and people can't get over.
   Tyler is also famous for allowing me to pose him with any prop, in any situation. He's the best poser, ever!



IF SEPARATED- TYLER GETS MAD!  The first time I took Dolly to the acupuncturist (Dolly has been getting acupuncture and cold laser treatments every 2 weeks on her back legs and hips because of her arthritis- and it has done miracles!) , when I came home from the vet with Dolly, Tyler let me know he was pissed. Literally.

Tyler sitting with the huge bag of stuff he and Dolly chose at Petsmart

   We all walked into the kitchen, and then Tyler walked over to the living room rug, looked up at me and promptly peed all over it. I knew he was mad at me! Haha. I Learned my lesson. - Rob

Dolly's Story on her 10th Birthday (and Tyler's 5th birthday): A Special Weimaraner with 2 Famous Names

Dolly and Tyler celebrate today!

Today marks Dolly's and Tyler's birthdays (Dolly turns 10, Tyler turns 5). We know Dolly's actual birthdate, but don't know Tyler's, so because they're bonded we decided to make them the same day. 

A Special Weimaraner with 2 Famous Names

     A newborn puppy and her siblings should never have to experience what Dolly, our Weimarner did. Despite being abandoned, carried away a couple hundred miles, raised in a strange place with her brothers and sisters, she became the world's most loving canine companion.

    I (Rob) adopted our Weimaraner in March 2005 from Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue in Tennessee, when she was just 3 months old. She taught me what unconditional love was and prepared me to meet Tom -  the love of my life later that year whom I married in 2009.

The day Rob met Dolly in March 2005 in Tennessee

    Dolly Loretta, originally named Chloe, was born on Nov. 29th, 2004 in a litter of 6 at a breeder's house in Atlanta. When Dolly's mom stepped on a rusty nail and contracted tetanus, the breeder dumped the newborn pups at a shelter. They were a week old. The shelter called Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue in Knoxville, Tennessee (the nearest Weimaraner rescue) and Amber (the rescue manager) raced to Atlanta from Knoxville and picked up all six puppies. She and others bottle fed them for many weeks, raising and caring for them until they were 3 months old and old enough to adopt out.

    Timing is everything. On Feb. 22, 2005, I had a Weimaraner puppy named Buzz Wyatt who was killed by a speeding car when his leash opened on a walk. A couple of weeks later, my friend Lynn encouraged me to give that love to another Weimaraner and sent me web links to rescues for the breed. I searched through them and saw "Chloe" as she was called then. I fell in love. My broken heart was about to be mended, although Buzz Wyatt would always be in there, too.

     I filled out the required paperwork on line, did a 1 hour interview on the phone, had a local person do a home visit and I was cleared for adoption. On March 18th, 2005, my friend Jeff accompanied me on a 9 1/2 hour drive to Knoxville for my first in-person meeting with Dolly Loretta. It was sheer joy. I named her Dolly Loretta after my favorite singer, Dolly Parton, and my friend Jeff's favorite singer, Loretta Lynn (as a way to thank uncle Jeff for making the drive for this special occasion).

Napping is good on a birthday

     Dolly is now turning 10 years old. She and I have go through school together, and I've never seen a more loyal, obedient and extremely affectionate canine child. She follows us around the house and always needs to be with someone. She loves our dachshunds Franklin and Tyler, and has bonded like a mother to little 4 year old Tyler. In fact, Tyler keeps her young by playing, eating and sleeping together.

One of our friends calls Dolly a "classy lady," and she really is.

Rob Gutro