I’m reluctant to buy a dog poop bag dispenser simply because if I attach it to one of my Dachshunds, the dispenser would over power the little dogs and they would end up dragging it on the ground.

If you remember a while back, I found some cheap dog poop bags and Tuesday Morning.  I believe that I got 60 bags for about $3 or about a nickle a bag. Each roll tends to last about a month and I was able to make the bags last into January.

During January, I had to resort to the zip lock bags, so our dachshunds didn’t get to go on very many walks.  (It’s been a cold wet winter here in Southern Calif. so we didn’t need to use them to often anyway.)   But with spring arriving, the somewhat warmer weather, I had to go out and buy some more bags.

I’ve gotta admit that I’m cheap or perhaps thrifty, but I don’t like to pay full price for anything especially at pet stores.  So I started shopping around for some bargains and found that eBay was about the best place to buy bags.

But you have to realize that you sometimes have to buy in bulk to get really good prices. So I bid on some 28 rolls of bags and ended up paying around $12.  The seller had free shipping and didn’t charge tax so it was a good buy.  Now we have 28 rolls of dog waste bags that should last a few years.

Biodegradable Dog Waste Bags 2 Rolls / 500 Poop bags B US $17.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 17:25:08 PDT Add to watch list

4 Rolls Pet Dog Waste Clean Pick Up Poop Bags - Blue US $0.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 17:38:50 PDT Add to watch list

Pet Dog Waste Poop for Bags on Board 3 rolls 60 bags US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 19:34:49 PDT Add to watch list

Pet Dog Carbage Case+Waste bags Poop for Bags on Board US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 19:42:58 PDT Add to watch list

3 rolls 60 bags Pet Dog Waste Poop for Bags on Board US $0.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 19:48:33 PDT Add to watch list

12 rolls 240 bags Pet Dog Waste Poop for Bags on Board US $7.50 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 19:52:17 PDT Add to watch list

Pet Dog Carbage Case+Waste bags Poop for Bags on Board US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 19:57:38 PDT Add to watch list

I don’t want to spoil the review, but Odie likes his Snuggie.  Because he is a typical skinny short hair dachshund, the Snuggie works really well for him.

However, I don’t think I would get one for the girls since they are long haired and don’t really need the extra warmth in our mild Southern California weather.

But if you happen to have a long-haired dog, look at the next size up or at least measure your Dachshund first to get the proper sizing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the review as much as Odie enjoys his Snuggie!

Dog Waste Bags to the Rescue

I ran out of my favorite dog waste bags, aka Ralphs 1 gallon bread bags, and been reusing the plastic grocery bags.  Besides only able to recycle grocery bags once, they’re pretty useless and you might as well use a paper towel instead.  They catch the wind and you end up getting crap all over your hand from the little holes and tears in the bag.

I finally gave up looking for the cheap bread bags — which you can get 75 for about two-bucks — since no one is buying them or Ralphs is pushing the more expensive zip-lock type bags.

I really didn’t want to start buying dog poop bags since they’re priced in about same range as zip-locks, but my ever so friendly neighbor with the “keep your dog off my grass” sign gave me a dirty look indicating that I better have one or else.

Sorry for the regression, but I managed to find some really good biodegradable dog waste bags at Tuesday Morning which sells Pet Zone’s Pik-Up-Bags for about half the price you would get in a pet store.  I don’t know if they carry them all the time, but I got a month’s supply until I can go back to my regular bags.

I’ve been reluctant in buying a pooper scooper, but with my back out of wack, it’s been hard to go outside and pick up the mounds of Dachshund mess that is starting to pile up.  After all, I’m only a dog pooper scooper!

The main reason we switched to this diet is to bulk up Odie’s poops so it will help him express his anal glands naturally.

It’s very simple to make.  I just pick up frozen chicken breasts from CostCo and a small can of pumpkin.  Two breasts are defrosted in a microwave for about 20 min and then cooked about 7 minutes on high until done.

I slice the breasts into small pieces and add a can of pumpkin.  It makes about 6 servings for a small dog a miniature daschund.  Total cost runs around $0.75 per serving which is cheaper and far better than normal dog food.

We went for the “ride” to the Vet and he seemed ok.  The normal bad dog jump from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat trying to get a good look out the window.  As soon as we got there, he took off with a strong walk towards the Vet’s office and got a good whiff of dog fear and headed back to the car.

I knew at that point it wasn’t his back but his anal glands or something else.  Sure enough, his right gland was not coming out clean.  (Thanks, Dr. Martin, that was something I didn’t need to see or smell.)

Dr. Martin gave Odie an anti-inflammatory shot for the pain and a round of antibiotics to clear up any infection.  That seemed to do the trick.  He also recommended adding fiber such as Metamucil to his diet to bulk up his bowel movements.

I found a really good fiber (Konsyl) that is made for Diabetics and does not contain added sugar or sugar substitutes found in other over-the-counter fibers.  My thought is that this is a really good fiber for dogs.   I just mix in about a 1/4 teaspoon to his dinner every night and he gets a nice bulking poop to help clean out his anal glands.

This nightmare came true for Greg Lenoir who saved his Rat Terrier from a shark attack.  He letting his dog swim in a lagoon where a 5 ft shark viciously grabbed the dog and took it under water.  Greg dove head first with his fists balled and slammed into the shark.

He said it felt like “punching concrete,” but the shark let go off his dog and both swam back to shore while the shark went off in the other direction.  He rushed his dog to the vet to take care of some serious bite wounds.  Greg’s dog survived the shark attack and he will always be a hero to me and the Three Dachshunds.

Last night we weren’t watching TV and the remote was safely on top of the night stand, so what hit the side of the bed?

You guessed it right, a Dachshund.

Chloe has been having a difficult time finding a “safe” place to sleep on our bed.  She usually sleeps on our son’s bed so there’s be plenty of room for the four of us.  But with the summer break, he’s been staying up late and Chloe been with us during the night.

It’s not really all that bad since the two girls sleep at the foot of the bed and Odie in between us, but I had a nightmare  and end up kicking Chloe hard enough to make her yelp out of her sleep.

I typically don’t react to the dream state and it was a weird dream coming back from LAX on a bus through some of the less desirable neighborhoods. When some thugs decided to pull a knife, the reflexes kicked in an Chloe got the brunt of it.

Since that “Freddy Kruger” episode, Chloe moved from the foot of the bed to edge of the bed and out of kicking distance.

But apparently, she doesn’t know that I also like to knee “Freddy” in the groin and she went sailing off the bed landing 3 feet below with a “clunk.”

I picked her up and she went to the safety of the center of the bed.  At least that’s what she thinks for now…

Not that I let them eat the whole donut, but my Dachshunds sure have a taste for the the warm glazed donuts just out of the oven.

The funny thing is that when the four of us go for a walk, Chloe, Odie and Molly go in different directions. But if you say “lets go get a donut,” they’re headed off intently to get their donut.

So today is Dachshund Donut Day, take a walk with your doxie down to your favorite Donut shop and celebrate it with him.

Normally, I leave the curtains open, so the three can look outside while we’re working. But with the constant barking, I had to leave the curtains closed.

Since it was impossible to let them out during the day, they we’re pretty much couped up all day long. If I was able to get home during lunchtime, they were able to go for a walk and do their business.

So it was a stressful week for the dogs. But as Eric said, he would keep the paint off the dogs. Now our house looks great, the Doxies are clean, an can now go out and play outside.

Since I’m a perpetual clogged-up-sinus guy, it usually starts with my wife Ann saying “Molly stinks!” Even then I push it out to the weekend or several weeks later until I start noticing the problem.

The best shampoo that works for our long-haired Dachshunds is Hartz Groomer’s Best 3 in 1 Conditioning Shampoo Tropical Fruit Fragrance. It leaves their hair clean and silky smooth. It’s kinda hard to find but you can pick up a bottle at Walgreens, CVS or your local supermarket. It’s got a picture of a Red long-haired Dachshund on the bottle.

Odie is the first to go into the bath. With his short hair, he’s the easiest to clean and air drys in about 20 minutes. Molly goes in next followed by Chloe. In both cases, Odie had to help wash the girls wanting to hop back into the water with them.

The two girls always take several hours to dry since the absolutely hate the blow dryer. Just a simple towel dry and let them run around damp. When they get somewhat dry, it’s time comb out any tangles.