Birthday Boy

I almost forgot to write about Blarney's first birthday. It was much anticipated since he was born on St. Patrick's and only a few days off Joan's.

We had Tazo over for the party. Blarney got more that the usual treats and a couple of bones almost as big as his head. He and Tazo spent the day playing "keep away" with their bones. Tazo would take hers off into the yard and work it for awhile. Blarney would wait for the opportunity and then dart in an steal it. They were on top of each other, rolling and wrestling from dawn to dusk. A dog day to remember.

The Best Boy Ever

We took Blarney on a dog walk last week with about 15 other small dogs. First he found another "Tazo" and pestered her constantly. She looked like Tazo and I guess for Blarney she was a reasonable facsimile. He went to her immediately and nuzzled just as if she was "his Tazo". Several minutes passed before the other dachshund warmed up but eventually they were chasing and playing like old friends. This behaviour came as a complete surprise for the owner. His dog was a rescue dog that has had many socializing problems and doesn't take to other dogs easily.

We were able to let Blarney run without the leash. It was encouraging to know he could run among all the leashed dogs and not step out of line. Several times we called him back to us and he was there in an instant. We often saw him throw a checking glance our way from somewhere up ahead. It made us feel confident and proud.