Here is an update and a few pictures of Schnitzel (formerly Katie).  She is a great dog and is learning to sit and stay.  She has discovered retrieving is a great ploy to keep attention focused on herself so we spend lots of time in the yard learning to "come" with a tossed toy.  She has been to the vet and has a clean bill of health as well as her rabies shot.  She has adapted with no issues to having her teeth brushed daily and has learned very quickly that she is not the Alpha in the house; rather her older, senior brother holds that title and is treated as such.  This weekend I groomed her and that too was easily tolerated although she was a bit shy of the clipper noise at first.  Baths also do not bother her.  She is learning to walk properly on leash but needs some major lessons in socializing with other dogs while on walks because the current squealing, whirling goof at the end of my leash seems to invite aggressive behaviour from others.  She is also learning that the 4 birds that share her home are not to be touched when they are let out of their cage - even when they land on the carpet in front of her to explore the whiskers of the new dog in the family.  Oh - the temptation to chase is almost overwhelming!

She is a very loving dog and has settled herself into our family very easily.  She is well accepted by the other two schnauzers in the home and they are playing well although she tires them out immediately.  She has been disciplined by the other two a couple of times cause she seems to have no sense about dog manners and that trying to muscle in on another's food dish is a no-no.  Now she just waits patiently until they are done to lick out the last few morsels.  She did learn one new skill from her pack - and I am not sure whether I am pleased about it.  Our other two Schnauzers howl at sirens -and we live fairly close to a fire station - so there is a lot of howling going on here.  Yesterday, all three were outside in the back yard when a fire engine drove by a couple of blocks away.  The first two dogs began their usual routine and of course Schnitzel sang along - soon all three dogs were howling and yipping like a pack of wolves.  It is really funny to watch outside but not quite so funny inside, especially at 2 am.  Ear-splitting is what it is!

Attached are a couple of pictures from last weekend.  Schnitzel in the four poster dog bed that she shares with her Schnoz pack.  At the cottage - walking to the dock and taking in a bit of sun.  Next week, it may be a canoe ride.  She will wear the doggie life-jacket for the first session.

That is all for now, everyone is tired out from a busy day of walks, fetch and running around at the lake.

All the best,

Schnitzel and her pack

Update June '09 ... 

Schnitzel has wormed her way into our home and hearts.  She is a crazy, lively and happy dog and usually noiseless.  In fact, I have never had such a happy dog - she gets up in the morning with an actual dog smile on her face.  Her more sedate brother and sister (Schnuffle and Schandi) just sit and look as the whirling dervish begins the day whipping some toy around and chasing it.  Since arriving here, she has only had two accidents inside during the first few days when everything was new and scary.  She particularly loves going to the cottage where she has complete freedom and spends the entire day chasing chipmunks, squirrels and birds and does not seem to recognize that she will never catch one.  We have been canoeing with all three dogs several times and she stayed quiet and calm.  Unlike our other two, she seems to have a love of water and I am sure in the summer, she will be swimming daily.  She has learned to sit and stay as well as down on command.  She easily learned to always come when called or whistled for.  She is also learning that the four inside birds are not to be touched when out of the cage.  Like the other two dogs, she is beginning to ignore the inside birds completely. 

However, she cannot ignore the many squirrels that come daily to the squirrel feeder in the yard or those two that come to the window for their daily peanut treats.  I am not sure what excites her more, the squirrels or the peanuts because yesterday I discovered her stealing and eating the peanuts I had given to the squirrels - she actually managed to shell them!  She loves to eat - anything and everything - fruits, all vegetables, pasta of all kinds, seafood and anything else that we might be eating.  She can barely contain her enthusiasm as I prepare the dog meals in the morning and evening.   She eats her bowl of food at terrific speed and then hovers close to the other two while they take their time eating.  She has very quickly learned to keep her distance to avoid being growled at.  When everyone else is done, she cleans up any morsels that might be left.  Because she watches so closely and patiently for the others to finish, our older, male dog who was always a difficult eater has now developed quite the appetite and has put on some much needed weight.  She almost seems eager in the evenings to have her teeth brushed and to settle down with her pack in the four-poster dog bed.  What a life!

Schnitzel still has lots of socialization skills to develop when it comes to meeting other dogs when out on walks.  It is the only time when she makes any noise and she then is vocal to the point of screaming.  I am not sure whether it is fear, excitement or aggression as her hackles are raised - likely a combination of all three.  All her excitement soon gets the other two in a frenzy and I quickly have three screeching dogs on my leash.  The minute the other dog passes, everything is forgotten and all is quiet once more.  We have purposefully encountered other dogs at the cottage or had other dogs into our yard for a visit and her initial screaming noise quickly died down to be replaced by crazy running and playing.  We will have to have lots of other dog visitors to help her get accustomed to other dogs on leash.  But, that is a very minor issue in her life and she is a truly a joyful addition to our pack.

I will be sure to take some pictures this weekend to add to this update.  Cheers, from Schnitzel and her pack of dogs, birds and humans.

Update July '09 ...

Hi there - attached please find a couple of pictures of Schnitzel lounging on the dock on Canada Day.  She spent most of her day with her pack trying to catch chipmunks and birds and just running around in the woods at our cottage.  She especially likes to chase butterflies and looks a little silly rambling through the yard, chomping in the air trying to catch them.

She is being trained to come to a whistle blow and hastily emerges from her adventures in the woods in response to the whistle.  She then immediately plops herself at my feet in a sit/stay to patiently wait for the cheerio treat that she gets for a good return.  She learns very quickly and is getting very good at this trick.  She also appears to be teaching her Schnozz pack mates this new approach to getting a cheerio.  She now also automatically waits patiently in a sit/stay for her bowl of food at meal times although we had to put a couple of golf balls in with her food at every meal just to slow her down a little.  She truly holds the world record for "fastest eating dog".

We have discovered that she is not a great swimmer as she gets too vertical in the water to keep herself easily afloat.  She is definitely not nervous or afraid of water, so we fit her into the dog life jacket and took her into the water to try to teach her to swim a little better.  This was hilarious!  With the life jacket on, she would just hang in the water without moving her feet.  The look on her face was
pure bliss.  Once she got the idea that if she moved her feet she could actually move forward, it was not long before she swam back to the dock.  The lessons will continue.  Hopefully, she will learn to swim
without a life jacket as she is kid crazy and should a child be swimming in the water, I am sure she will jump or fall in.

Schnitzel has also met several larger dogs from other cottages at the lake and I was happy to note that she socialized well and did not run off with them when they left to run home.  The whistle and cheerios
appear to be more tempting!

That is all the news for now -  all the best from the Schnozz pack members, Schandy, Schnuffle and Schnitzel.

 

Update December ’10 …

Hi there - thanks for the good wishes.  Schnitzel and her sister Schandi are anxiously awaiting Santa Claus to see what he might have left for them under the tree.  Sadly, we lost big brother Schnuffle to old age last November but he continues to watch over us from his place of rest high on the hill above the cottage.  Schnitzel and our entire family of birds and dogs are moving in early January to a newly built retirement home right beside the cottage in the Gatineau hills.  Needless to say, we are all jumping for joy.  We have decorated the new house and have our tree set up to welcome Santa.  Schnitzel finds her fun pulling the toy elves out from under the tree and throwing them around to play. 

She spends lots of time outdoors and seems to love the deep snow that already covers everything.  As soon as the lake is frozen solid enough, we will begin making cross country ski tracks where we can tire her out by chasing after us as we ski.  She also has had her first experience hurtling down hills on a toboggan (two weeks ago) with our oldest son and grandson and this week she rode down on our sled with John and I.  I have never seen a dog laugh but the look on her face was just that.  It is hilarious to see her sitting in the front, ears and moustache blowing in the wind as they head down the hill.

Schnitzel's sister, Schandi, is starting to age now as she nears 13 years.  She is losing her eyesight and sense of smell so she relies quite a bit on Schnitzel's lead when going out and about.  They still play together but little sister tires more easily.  When the playing is over, it is quite the sight to see them both jostling into a basket designed for one dog.  To me, they do not look comfortable, but they spend hours like that and seem to enjoy the mutual body warmth.

We have had several generations of miniature Schnauzers but I must say that Schnitzel is certainly the happiest, human oriented of all.  She is our first Schnauzer lap dog - she loves nothing better than to sit on your lap and make herself comfortable for a long snooze.  She loves to be loved and we love to provide it.

Thanks so much for Schnitzel!

Update February ’11 … 

Here is a picture of Schnitzel waiting on the sled for her turn to ride down the hill, and one of Schnitzel with her sister, Shandi.

Update December ’11 …

We wanted to pass on to you and the rest of the staff our best wishes for happy holidays, from us and our Schnauzer pack.  The picture attached was taken at our new home in the woods of Val-des-Monts (moved in last winter).  It's a perfect paradise for the dogs.  (And yes, it is from this year:  we had snow on the ground for a few days in early December!)

John is holding Shandi, our 13-year-old schnauzer, and Diana is holding our two adoptees from the Aylmer SPCA.  On Diana's left is Schnitzel (pound name was Katy), whom we adopted in 2009, and on her right is Schneider (pound name Kenny), whom we adopted in May, 2011.  Both dogs are doing very well, and loving their life in the woods.  Schnitzel has the most personality of any dog we've had.  She is full of energy and loves running around outside, but is also loving, affectionate and loves a good cuddle on our laps.  Schneider (who was a puppy mill rescue) has settled in to his new home, and is learning everything about being a dog from his sisters.  He is still sometimes shy, but loves a good walk, fetches balls and loves the snow.

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