Danger! Tripping Hazard!

Freddy, the wiener dog, and his girls have been getting underneath Mommy's feet something awful. Mommy shuffles along as much as possible - but it's not a natural walking gait - to keep from tripping over the little doggies. But, that doesn't really help.

So far this morning, Mommy has already lightly, lightly kicked all three wiener noses with the heel of her tennis shoes. Then, Mommy tripped over Freddy, but caught her foot under his body and nearly dropped-kicked him across the room.

Luna is the worst! Mommy has already tripped over her three times this morning and stepped on Luna's tiger twice! Mommy really hates that because it feels like she's stepping on a little doggie, panics, trips and stumbles, or throws herself against the counter or wall trying to keep from completely stepping down on a little doggie only to find that it's Luna's tiger. No wonder Mommy feels like she has a sprained ankle this morning. Oh, well....life with wiener dogs.

"Steven, don't touch my tiger!"

Luna, the wiener dog, loves when the boys "play tiger." They don't take the tiger away from Luna - they just touch it and she lightly growls. It's quite funny.

Although Steven has never taken Luna's tiger from her, Luna growls a little bit louder when Steven touches her tiger. Here, you can see Luna saying, "Steven, don't touch my tiger!"

We're hiding.

Luna...destroyer of squeaky toys.

Luna, the wiener dog, is driving Mommy crazy! Luna has a new tiger. Malibu has a new hedgehog. But, Luna wants whatever woobie Malibu is playing with. If Malibu has the tiger, then Luna whines and cries for the tiger and refuses the hedgehog. If Malibu has the hedgehog, then Luna whines and cries for the hedgehog and refuses the tiger!

It's not enough that Luna destroyed the squeaky toys in each woobie. Yes! She chews through the woobie until she's bitten the squeaky toy and it stops working. So far, Luna has left the squeaky toy inside the tiger. But, Luna surgically removed the squeaky toy from the hedgehog. That's so not nice....that's Malibu's toy.

Malibu's new squeaky hedgehog.

Malibu, the wiener dog, has a new squeaky hedgehog. She loves it! Malibu has kept the hedgehog with her all day, like it's her baby....except every now and then she bites and shakes it.

Luna loves Malibu's new hedgehog too. In fact, Luna has snubbed her new tiger because she wants Malibu's hedgehog. It has caused quite a stir since it arrived this morning. These girls just love squeaky toys!

Dirty, dirty Bu!

Malibu, the wiener dog, was filthy, filthy dirty. She had more dirt on herself than any left out in the yard. She was so dirty that she couldn't open her right eye. Malibu bounced off the couch a couple of times before Mommy was able to catch her. Mommy gave Malibu a long bath, so now Bu is mad at Mommy. But, Bu! You can open your eye now!!

Luna's Tiger

Luna, the wiener dog, got a new toy three days ago - a squeaky tiger. Luna has not let that tiger out of her sight, much less her mouth, for the last three days. It goes wherever Luna goes, literally. She even sleeps on top of it. She keeps it next to her when she eats, but she'll stop eating and grab the tiger if she thinks anybody is after it.

Luna "hides" the tiger around the house. But, we always know where it is because she sits in front of the "hiding" spot and guards it. If you go near her, she grabs it and runs off. Funny.

Malibu kills Woodstock

Malibu, the wiener dog, also received a new toy - Woodstock, as in Snoopy's Woodstock. Malibu was very, very happy to get a new woobie. She just decided to kill it. She went crazy. She'd shake it, smack it around, and then run circles around inside the house as fast as she could. And, then, she did it all over again and again. Poor Woodstock never had a chance.

What'cha got.... what'cha got... what 'cha got???

Freddy, the wiener dog, had a  big surprise today - a new toy! This time instead of a woobie, Freddy received a small rope toy, at least Freddy-sized. He was very, very happy to have his new toy. And, he definitely was not sharing.

Luna wanted to play and chase with the rope toy, but Freddy was quite insistent that she would not play with it. His growls were not friendly and clearly told her to back off. She did.

Freddy left his rope toy for a few minutes when Bu came running inside. She skidded to a stop at the rope toy, grabbed it, and went running around the house with it. Freddy came back into the room and was not happy to discover Bu with his toy. Bu took off running through the doggie door with Freddy on her heels. She dropped it as soon as she reached the pool patio, and Freddy took it back.

Freddy was so happy to have his humans throw his toy back and forth across the room for him. But, he kept it close so Luna and Bu didn't have another chance to play with it.

Mine....mine....mine....

My Bu

My Pillow

My Nose

My Daddy

My Mark

My Sneeze

"I'm going to nap with Daddy....."

Tiny Bu in Daddy's big hand.

Malibu, the wiener dog, was very jealous of the attention Mommy gave Luna when Luna returned home from her teeth cleaning. Malibu decided that Mommy must be punished. So, Malibu gave all her loving to Daddy....at least for a little while.

She climbed up into Daddy's arms, gave Mommy a couple of dirty looks, and then napped with Daddy.

Luna is moving in slooooo-mooooo.

Still a little loopy.

Freddy, the wiener dog, lost his brother Otis at the age of six. Otis was allergic to anesthesia and nobody knew it until Otis didn't revive from his teeth cleaning. Needless to say, Freddy and his family FREAK when one of the doggies need a teeth cleaning.....but it was Luna's turn.

Luna just had her teeth cleaned and some extractions. While she was gone, Malibu was worried where her sister had gone. When Luna came home, both Freddy and Malibu ran over for the Big Sniff They were happy to see her, but didn't seem to like the "vet" smells.

Finally gets comfy.

Overall, Luna is doing well. She is moving very slowly, and her mouth hurts. It took a while before Luna  could get her jaw comfortable enough for sleeping. And, she made the mistake of barking. It must have hurt because she kept her lips slightly parted for a little while, and hasn't barked again. Luna's on pain meds and antibiotics.

Luna's still a little loopy. When Mommy asks her, "Luna, do you need to pee?", Luna gives Mommy a dazed look like, "I don't know. Do I?" And, Luna can't eat her crunchy food yet. So, Daddy is cooking scrambled eggs for Luna.

"My paw hurts."

Luna cannot stop licking the foot where she had an I.V. Poor thing. And, for a little while, Luna was making this faint "hummmm-umpf" noise, over and over again. It was quite sad. She'll feel better in a few days. Until then, Luna is moving in slow motion.

Summertime Malibu

Freddy the wiener dog, doesn't care when Mommy brings home girly stuff. But, Malibu does. Mommy was going to post on Facebook her new fabulous summer wedges and hat, but Malibu insisted that she be part of this summertime photo.

Tiinkerbell becomes a TV star!

Tiinkerbell with Julie Watkins,
news reporter, Jacksonville, FL.

Freddy, the wiener dog, and his family watched a TV news report about Tiinkerbell! Here's the link: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=,3609966&navCatId=20896.

Julie Watkins does a good job of telling Tiinkerbell's story and the rescue efforts of Pit Sisters and the Jacksonville community. Jacksonville is working toward being a no-kill community!

Lennox: The gloves come off.

Lennox with Sandie Lightfoot,
the dog warden who confiscated
Lennox from his family.
She testified under oath
that she believes Lennox
is aggressive and she is
afraid of him, how she cannot
control him, and how she is
"frightened" for her own
safety and refuses to
get near Lennox or go into
the same vicinity as
him due to his aggression.
Really?

Freddy, the wiener dog, and his Mommy are still very sad that the Belfast City Council executed Lennox, an American Bulldog/Labrador mix for no reason other than their own corruption and arrogance. This has greatly upset Freddy's Mommy because she has had dogs that an ignorant person would label "a Pit Bull type" dog, but were not. Freddy's and his Mommy have also had real Pit Bulls into their home as foster or baby-sitting. The Pit Bulls were all sweet, kind and gentle with no aggression issues....Not even when Freddy defended his territory. These lovable big babies just wanted to please and play.

Freddy's Mommy read this excellent blog: "Canine Aggression Issues with Jim Crosby. This blog looks at the facts behind canine aggression and fatal dog attacks. The data used here largely comes directly from Jim's on-scene and personal investigations into these cases." In particular, his blog post "Lennox: The gloves come off." http://canineaggression.blogspot.com/2012/07/lennox-gloves-come-off.html. Jim discusses and evaluates Lennox as well as two other dogs - one with "human focus aggression" (JoJo) and one that was labeled aggressive, but actually wasn't (Helo). "My evaluations never mention the dogs' appearance, as physical appearance has absolutely no bearing on behavior. In fact, "JoJo" wasn't even a breed banned in the UK. Neither was Helo."

Jim ends his post with: "I am so sorry Lennox.  We tried to get you a fair shot.  I just hope your death serves to be the seed for change, and that your sacrifice motivates others to fight unfair laws based in ignorance and hate." Freddy and his humans agree.

Please read "Lennox: The gloves come off." Thank you.

Wow. Freddy really told Malibu off.

Freddy, the wiener dog, has a regular schedule, which he likes. Mommy's alarm clock sounded at 5:45 a.m. As usual, Malibu climbed onto Mommy and furiously licked her face to encourage Mommy to get out of bed. But then, Freddy did something unusual - He also climbed onto Mommy and started licking her face. Freddy only had a couple of licks before Malibu joined back in. This, apparently, did not meet with Freddy's approval. Freddy turned his face to Malibu, gave a great big gigantic yawn in her face while at the same time made trash-talking noises at her. Mommy has no idea what Freddy told Malibu, but she immediately hopped off of Mommy and didn't lick Mommy's face again.

Mommy would really like to know what Freddy said to Malibu. Malibu won't sit with Mommy if Freddy is next to her. Wow. Freddy really told Malibu off. It's good to be pack leader. 

That's a d-i-r-t-y Bu!

Freddy, the wiener dog, and Malibu love to dig in the dirt. Freddy doesn't really get muddy, but Bu does. Mommy watches for Muddy Mailbu and brushes her off before coming inside. However, Malibu can sneak past Mommy.... Here's Malibu after sneaking back inside with her muddy self. Mommy didn't realize it until Bu started flinging it around the couch! {Notice Bu's black chest......}

Bid to save Lennox from destruction has failed.

Lennox, Bulldog/Lab mix.

7/11/12 - It is tremendous sadness that Freddy, the wiener dog, announces that the Lennox was destroyed right after midnight in Belfast. "Belfast City Council on Wednesday confirmed that the destruction order has now been carried out, after a 28-day reprieve ended at midnight." Please tell Belfast City Council how you feel: lordmayorsoffice@belfastcity.gov.uk.

Below is an article Freddy's Mommy found online. She haven't been able to find it again, but it states our sentiments exactly!!

"Despite a massive two year long campaign to save him, Lennox the dog has been put to sleep under a court order, two years after he was seized for being of Pit Bull type. Lennox was not a Pit Bull but in fact a Labrador/American Bulldog crossbreed.

Officials claimed he was aggressive and unhandleable, despite photo and video evidence to the contrary as well as statements from people who had contact with him. This poor dog was made to sit in kennels for two years, away from his family, and has now had his life ended prematurely, not for attacking anybody or causing a problem, but purely for being of Pit Bull type.

For those who don't know, the law regarding 'dangerous dogs' doesn't require DNA testing to prove a dog is indeed a Pit Bull (or other 'dangerous' type). Instead it relies on a broad set of physical characteristics to determine whether a dog is 'of Pit Bull type' - these include a large head, broad chest, and short fur. The act means that even if you know your dog is a Labrador crossbreed, Boxer crossbreed, Staffie etc, it can still be classed as 'Pit Bull type' and seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Your dog does not have to have bitten somebody, threatened anybody or have done anything wrong, it can be seized purely because it resembles a banned breed of dog, even if you know for a fact that your dog is of a different breed.

Furthermore, even dogs that ARE truly Pit Bulls (or other 'dangerous' types) are no more likely to be aggressive than any other breed of dog, provided they are trained, socialised and brought up correctly. Yet even if they are friendly, sociable and well trained, they can be put to sleep purely because they are Pit Bulls.

A dog being put to sleep because it is uncontrolably aggressive is one thing. A dog being put to sleep purely on the basis of it's breed (or in some cases, being classed as 'type' regardless of breed) when it has done nothing wrong is abhorrent. 

Help to fight to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and save another dog like Lennox from suffering: http://www.endangereddogs.com/EDDRCa...AgainstDDA.htm"


7/10/12 p.m. Lennox's family denied a last visit. In a statement from the Barnes' family: "We are sorry to say at the present time Belfast city council seem to be intent on killing our boy. Despite previous assurances otherwise, we have been denied the opportunity to say goodbye. We have also been told that we cannot collect his body and bring Len home. We have been informed however that we will receive "some" ashes in the mail."

7/10/12 p.m. Update: No response from the BCC.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/07/10/thousands-try-save-lennox-dog

7/10/12 a.m. Update: Peter Robinson, current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has urged the Lord Mayor of Belfast to intervene and save the life of Lennox,  suggesting that the Belfast City Council and Mayor should seriously consider allowing the death row dog to be relocated to the United States. No response from the BCC yet.

7/9/12 a.m. Update: None. No word from Northern Ireland. Please continue to send emails. Thanks.

7/9/12 p.m. Update: None. Nothing confirmed at least. Still praying for a pardon for a family's loving dog.

Freddy, the wiener dog, urgently requests his readers to send emails to the United Kingdom to save Lennox, an American Bulldog/Labrador mix. Here's information from his owners:

Lennox in his prison cell.

"Lennox is a loveable 5 year old family member. He's an American Bull dog cross that we have owned since he was a little pup. On Wednesday the 19th May 2010 he was taken from our family home by Belfast City Council as they believe he falls under the dangerous dogs act for Northern Ireland. The Council, without seeking any proper professional guidance declared Lennox to be a breed of "Pitbull Type" and so they wish to kill him simply because he has the appearance of said breed. Lennox has never attacked anyone or anything yet the council have removed him from his home where he lives with my wife, myself, our 12 year old Daughter and his soul mate Juicy, a 2 year old female boxer. Belfast City Council are pressuring our family to sign him over to them to be destroyed however we feel the need to fight his case, he cannot speak but we will be his voice! If this was a human we would declare this racism. We ask every kind hearted person for your support, don't let them murder him."

Thank you for your help.

Freddy's Mom and Doggie Pee

Freddy, the wiener dog, admits that is a strange title but his Mommy has been wanting to write about doggie pee for quite some time....ever since we adopted Luna.

Mommy has been fascinated with Freddy, Luna and Malibu and their different ways of peeing. Strange? Perhaps. Freddy pees like a regular boy doggie. But, he lifts his leg so high that it looks like he could flip over in the other direction. Now, Freddy - probably like all boy doggies - needs to pee on everything. Marking his territory, no doubt. He also has to pee after the girls, especially Luna. Then, he kicks his hind legs back like a snorting bull. Mommy finds this show of dominance amusing.

Now, Malibu squats and pees like a regular girl doggie. Interestingly, Mommy rarely sees Malibu pee. She has to pee.....everybody and everything has to pee. But, Malibu is stealth. Of course, Malibu runs around outside all the time - digging and hunting for frogs. She has plenty of time to pee.

Luna is quite, quite different. She doesn't pee unless invited outside. Mommy has to actually walk Luna outside so Luna will pee, otherwise Luna won't go outside on her own. Luna seems to be able to hold her pee for a long time....long time. The best part of Luna's peeing is that Luna squats like a girl doggie, but then she lifts one hind leg like a boy doggie! Mommy has wanted to take a picture of this little acrobat maneuver, but she didn't think Freddy's readers would really want to see Luna's peeing. Anyway, somehow Luna manages to balance herself on all three legs while squatted way down. How is this possible? Mommy assumes Luna learned the Leg Lift from her daddy and brothers, but Mommy has never ever seen a girl doggie do this. It's actually quite cool.

Thanks for letting Mommy talk about doggie pee. Maybe now she won't be so interested in it anymore. 

Tiinkerbell's Time

A week ago Freddy, the wiener dog, introduced you to Rilind, a Pit Bull rescued by the Pit Sisters of Jacksonville, Fla. Now, Freddy introduces you to Tiinkerbell, their newest Pit Bull rescue. Tiinkerbell was found on a street in Jacksonville, Fla. She was rescued by the Pit Sisters on June 20th. Tiinkerbell is skinny and very tired and her feet really hurt, but she's in excellent care with the Pit Sisters.

Tiinkerbell is in the very early stages of care and treatment. When they brought her in, Tiinkerbell weighed about 25 lbs. Now, 15 days later she weighs 29 lbs.! Her teeth were filed down so chewing food is difficult. Her bloodwork shows an auto immune disorder.  The doctor is prescribing several medications to help Tiinkerbell get better. He said it will be a long road to recovery, but she's a patient girl.

Just like Rilind, Tiinkerbell has her own Facebook page if you want to follow her progress: https://www.facebook.com/TiinkerbellsTime.

As always, this new rescue group needs financial assistance for Tiinkerbell. Donations can be made by visiting www.pitsisters.org and specify Tiinkerbell in the notes. Care packages can be sent to 14286-19 #234 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32250. Thank you!

A couple of new photos of Tiinkerbell:

7/11/12 Update: Tiinkerbell now weighs 32 lbs.!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, USA!!

Freddy, the wiener dog, and his family wishes everybody a safe and happy 4th of July! Today's is America's 236th birthday. And, a special hello and thank you to all our armed forces and their families throughout the world.

God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above. From the mountains...to the prairies...to the ocean, white with foam! God bless America, my home sweet home. God bless America, myyyyyy hoooommmmeeee sweeeeetttttt hooooooommmmmeeeee!!