8-26-08   55 Days These photos, taken at dusk, are all in the order in which they were shot. They are a show and tell of tonight's play session outside.                   Dinner was first. Now nearly finished, Polo starts on the stainless. I never noticed the label when taking the photo!                   An unfortunate state of affairs for Polo.                   Pax likes to put away the groceries, too. Their bowls are already a bit too small and he strives with his tongue to reach the last little bits.                   After dinner comes the call: Gentlemen, start your engines!                   Collisions and pile-ups are a frequent occurrence.                   Pax's attention has been caught by smells lingering in a crack in the cement and he intently follows along. Pax definitely has an affinity for following scent.                   Back at play, one barks while the other one bounces. What a pair!                   Beginning to tire, Polo lies down and gnaws on my laces.                   After a time, Pax lies down, too. Puppies fight sleep like little children.                   It's time to pack the putt putts in and call it a day.

8-17-08   45 Days Pax and Polo went to Columbus to pay a social call on Christian and Julie and their kids Jamie, Andrew, and Claire. They have four dachshunds of their own and Pax and Polo got to meet them all.                   Pax high-fives Andrew nose to nose.                   Polo wraps up in Andrew's shirt after biting awhile on Andrew's shirt.                   Andrew does not want to disturb Pax's sleep and he asks for a pillow. Christian says Here, I'll give you a pillow.                   Polo sleeps next to Jamie, the picture of restful innocence. The older the puppies get, the shorter the periods of rest and innocence.

8-13-08   Six weeks old today!                   The big rat goes bellyup to Pax!                   Polo tussles with his brother. He is gaining on Pax in size and they are fairly evenly matched. The action and attitude around here increases with each new day but they respect each other's "That's enough now!"signals very well.

8-6-08   Now playing!                   I love this photo of Pax as leading man in "Shoelace Shenanigans".                   Right butt moist from a sudden plop onto wet grass, Polo heads up the walk with all the dignity he can muster. Flags raised high, P pup expeditions are good for 10 feet or so before return to base camp.

7-30-08   "Fore!" (They're underfoot.)

7-23-08   Pax and Polo hit the big 3.0 I played with them when I got home from work tonight. Polo wagged his tail furiously and gnawed on my finger. Pax licked my face and bit my nose. Some teeth are just beginning to emerge. Pups are active for short periods, then fall out again. You can see which state they were in (Active vs Out) by the time I changed clothes and took camera in hand. Once asleep they are not easily aroused. 'Beauty sleep' I think it's called.

7-16-08   Pax and Polo 2 weeks old

7-9-08   Puppies are one week old!

7-2-08   Nexus x Olive puppies arrive! Two red boys! I am leaning toward the names Brass Pax and Bravo Polo von Dorndorf though they are not yet set in stone. Pax and Polo are healthy, vigorous, and sometimes loud! Olive has a lot of milk and is an excellent mother, if exceedingly protective and proactive. I thought Olive's mother Marta was good at moving puppies to where she wanted them but Olive takes the cake. When Olive so much as makes a half-turn in the whelping box, she picks the pups up and puts 'em right where she wants them! They don't like it much and screech in the process but, like all good German mothers, Olive ignores their protests.