Alone Time

Each of our pets has a special spot in the house where they retreat when they want to be alone. Red Rocket has selected the cat kennel where Sophie and Kasha sleep at night. The door to the kennel is open during the day and he occasionally sneaks in for a snooze.

Tug Toy

Last night August and Red Rocket played tug-of-war with the green dog toy. When August put the toy down thinking the play session was over Red Rocket grabbed and tugged his shirt to tell him playtime needed to continue!

Finding Friends

Red Rocket has quickly assessed the personalities of the members of our family and has realized that when he needs a friend to play with he should seek out Maggie and when he needs a friend to "couch potato" with he should hang around Emma!

Kisses

After a long day at the office a man deserves to be greeted with lots of kisses!

Lazy Sunday Morning

Red Rocket indulges in a late morning belly rub and nap.

Psychological Trauma or Merely Mischief?

To cope with the psychological trauma of losing his leg Red Rocket symbolically amputates the hand of Edward's Iron Man figurine....or, he was just being playful. Edward quickly learned the lesson and collected his superhero figurines into their tupperware bin, snapped the lid shut, and declared to Red Rocket, "Not for you." The two of them then went outside together to play and Edward serenaded Red Rocket with a charming preschool version of "Who Let the Dogs Out."

How Do You Walk a Three-Legged Dog?

A Little Piddle

Since Red Rocket is not the product of a traditional PALS Animal Rescue fostering program we were unsure of his housebreaking status. The status report is: about 65-75% potty trained. He has had a few accidents, mostly the first day he was here with us. Most distressing for us is the fact that he frequently piddles when we reach down to pick him up - Emma did this when I first adopted her and it's usually the sign of a dog who has been mistreated. The good news is that with love and trust Emma quickly overcame her piddling habit so we are hopeful that Red Rocket will do the same.

Squirrel Hunting

Since Red Rocket taught Maggie that better access to food can be gained by jumping onto tables Maggie felt compelled to teach him something: how to hunt squirrels.

Hot Dogs and a Hot Dog Dog

Like most dachshunds I have known, Red Rocket is keenly interested in culinary delights. Yesterday Edward was enjoying a snack in front of the TV when Red Rocket jumped onto the coffee table to share in the snacking. Although I immediately swept him off the table and back onto the floor his ingenuity was not lost on our dachshund Maggie who discovered she could jump onto a dining room chair and then onto the dining room table to help herself to a lemon tea cake. Red Rocket followed in her footsteps this afternoon when August prepared two hot dogs for his lunch. Thankfully we saw where he was headed and pulled the dining room chair away from the table. Here is a picture of Red Rocket pretending that he had no intention of acquiring those hot dogs.

Three Legged Race

If you read the Wichita Eagle article about Red Rocket (see Red Rocket's Favorite Web Sites for the link) you'll discover that the "Rocket" part of his name was added after he lost his leg because the amputation didn't slow him down in the least. He runs better than he walks and joins Emma and Maggie in their daily race out the back door and to the fence to greet the three dachshunds who live behind us.

A Boy and His Dog

Our biggest concern about adding Red Rocket to our family was his relationship with Edward. When we visited Red Rocket at the hospital and when he came for his initial home visit he seemed rather wary of Edward. However, when we brought Red Rocket home on Thursday he settled right in and took Edward in stride. They napped together in the pink rocking chair and when Edward fell and bumped his head and dissolved into tears Red Rocket raced over and climbed into his lap and smothered him with kisses on his face and arms.