Back to work!

Well vacation and fun are over; time to get back to work. The wieners return to the farm for their daily job of patrolling the perimeters and keeping the mouse population down. They get such good exercise out there! I hope everyone is keeping their doxie in good shape by getting them lots of exercise. It's so crucial to a happy, healthy doxie. A shiny coat, strong back and happy attitude all are results of getting your doxie out everyday for some investigating, like they were bred to do. Forget the lap dog stuff! That's for cats! Hey and here's a great article snippet in the LA times from a rehab vet named Dr. Oxford about how to keep your doxie back in good health:

"As you may know, many dachshunds have a hereditary back condition called Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). This causes the discs to slowly degenerate, which makes them less resilient shock absorbers. Any activities that cause compression through the spine are considered high-risk for disc herniations and neurological problems including paralysis.

Such activities include running down stairs, jumping down from furniture, or jumping up and down on the hind limbs. At CARE, we encourage spinal flexibility and core strength by dozens of exercises. One such exercise is sitting up, a.k.a. "begging." This is a core strengthener that helps protect the back from injury. Also, I recommend fish oils that have concentrated amounts of omega-3s such as DHA and EPA. Not all fish oils are created equal, so make sure yours is independently tested for mercury and other contaminants, and that it meets its label claims."

So practice begging! Doxies know how to do that!