Thursday, October 31, 2013

It's Hallo-weener!

As I promised my furiend Frankie Furter and his brother, Ernest Von Schnitzel, this year I'm dressing up as a dachshund druid.


Minimalistic? Maybe.


But what can I do? Switzerland has yet to discover Halloween. (Christmas decorations are already on sale here, ugh).


I wanted to dress up as a chug-a-long Swiss train... maybe next year. A girl can always dream.


For now, Happy Halloweener!


I designed a whole Happy Halloweener product line for Tootsie's Shoppe!


Don't fur-get to celebrate with a hearty meal of your favorite kibble.


Be sure to visit all the wonderful fur-friends who are celebrating Halloween(er)!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Mannlibode Q&A

Thank you for the great questions you asked about my hike. In today's post, I'll try to answer some of them.

Sweet William the Scot: Can you see your home from way up there at 3700 vertical feet?

Tootsie: Not my home, which is three hours away, but I could see our Walliser Sonne Hotel down below. For the record: we climbed 3700 feet, but the summit elevation is 8000 feet above sea level.


Lady Vicki: I wonder how the avalanche barriers work.

Tootsie: Avalanche barriers keep avalanches from breaking away by physically holding back the snow. This also prevents the snow's various layers, which build up over a season, from sliding down on top of each other. This specific kind of avalanche barrier is called a snow rake.


Lady Vicki: [Was] it nearly lunchtime?

Tootsie: No, it was already dinner time!


Hailey and Zaphod and their Lady: Do you feel the difference in the oxygen up there?

Tootsie: Not at that elevation (8000 feet above sea level), but I start feeling it if we go just a little higher (10,000 feet and above). But Mom says, "By golly, I sure felt it!"


Snoopy: Did you really climb all that way?

Tootsie: Yes! Dachshund Daddy picked me up whenever he sensed an objective dachshund hazard, but that mostly happened on the downhill side. For example, on the way down, Dachshund Daddy didn't let me jump down off steep rocks.

The Wieners (and their mom): We'd care about other things, like the smells, searching for critters, and of course finding some kind of foodables.

Tootsie: Spot on! There were countless smells from a wide array of critters and many burrows to investigate. I even tracked a mouse, though I didn't realize it was a mouse. (Mom saw it run away.)


Unfortunately, marmots were nowhere to be seen. Too late in the season?

As for foodables, I've become a big fan of Swiss huckleberries. Mom used to feed me some, and by watching her, I learned how to bite the berries off bushes all on my own!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Mannlibode with Four-Paw Drive

The upper section of the Rhone river valley, known as Obergoms, offers countless hiking options. The Mannlibode loop from the town of Gluringen is scenic but strenuous; four-paw drive is highly recommended.


Do you see me in the photo below, making my way up the mountain with Mom?


We walked all the way up from the valley floor. Can you see how far down it is? Over 3700 vertical feet (1100 vertical meters)! I am mighty!


There is something so satisfying about looking down to where you've been -- and where you are going again. It makes me feel as if there might be continuity in the life of a sausage.

There are many avalanche barriers on the mountainside, and we got to walk right in between them.


And here I am, making my way down the mountain. Do you know what I'm thinking about?


(Hint: kibble.)

Friday, October 25, 2013

More Halloweener Cards

We're following up on yesterday's quest for the perfect dachshund-themed Halloween cards. Click on each image to find out more about the card and the artist.

Today we have a lovely dachshund in a bee suit collecting treats,


a dachshund duo,


and a wirehair who knows how to strike a balance. Don't you love her hat?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Hallowiener Cards

Halloween is fast approaching and we're on a quest for the perfect Hallowiener card. We've been sniffing around on Zazzle because it's very hard to find Halloween cards at brick-and-mortar stores in Switzerland.

Look at this adorable black-and-tan relative of mine ensconced in a pumpkin on this cute card by Julie Ellison! Trick or treat? Definitely a treat!


Boo! A heterogeneous dachshund trio with a black-and-tan who bears a striking resemblance to the author of this blog stars in this adorable card by Norma Golden.


Check out Superdog's super-snout in this quirky creation from SJDesigns1.


And how about the dachshund dressed up as a clown from NothingButtDogs?


Of course, your favorite bicontinental dachshund also came up with her own card. She's a superhero in her own way, because she can eat up her kibble in less than 300 milliseconds.


Fur disclaimer: though these are my own unbiased views, this post contains referral links.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Arosa!

We had a great weekend in Arosa, Switzerland. Here are some photos as proof.

Mom says that "riding a gondola with a little long dog against a backdrop of the Swiss Alps might be as close to heaven as she will come in this life."


We hiked to Löser, but we are not losers.


We also hiked to the HörnlihĂ¼tte, which Mom and Dachshund Daddy called the HornyhĂ¼tte.


I burrowed in a blankie,


and tested my doggles.


When ears fly, life is full. Do you agree?


Love,
Tootsie

Monday, October 21, 2013

Eischa welcomes you to Convict Zuoz

My fur friend Eischa lives and works at Convict Zuoz, a very special and super-dog-friendly hotel in the scenic Engadine valley of southeastern Switzerland.


As she patiently explained to me, the Romansh word Convict stems from the Latin convivere (to live together) and has nothing to do with the English word convict, which in turn derives from the Latin convincere (to conquer).


Eischa is the head of the Welcoming Committee of Convict Zuoz. Dachshund Daddy had already met her this past summer when he first used Convict Zuoz as a home base for his mountain explorations.


Convict Zuoz is a great place to stay for anyone who wants to explore this incredible area of Switzerland. You'll see Eischa in the morning and your day will be brighter and better.


If you come back after her bed time, however, please don't wake her up!




Friday, October 18, 2013

Don't step on it

Driving safety and scooping etiquette are similar. That's because unscooped dog poop is like a gas pedal in a speed zone.


Drive safely and wag on with my latest savvy sausage wisdom!

And in case you're wondering... yes, they are called speed zones in the USA. The picture below is from the Department of Transportation website.


Not only am I a savvy sausage, but I'm also getting my doggy driver's license!

Are you a hot dog?

Thursday, October 17, 2013

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of our Fall 2013 Burrower's Choice contest! We were happy to have entries from as many as three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia).

As per standard operating procedure, the name of each eligible participant was scribbled on a piece of paper, and all pieces were placed in Dachshund Daddy's wotten waven sun hat. One of the aforementioned pieces of paper was randomly selected by my paw. Can you see it?


And the set of four Time to Burrow cards is presented to... Bouncing Bertie!


Congratulations, dear Bertie. Please send Mom an e-mail with your mailing address. Mom's e-mail is idahobuzzy AT yahoo DOT com.


Dear Bertie, your suggestion to create a card with a Wirehaired Fox Terrier will soon be implemented.

Thanks to all the wotten waven readers and fur-friends who participated in our contest!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Have you burrowed yet?

Dear Hearts and Kindred Spirits,

Have you entered my Burrower's Choice Giveaway? All you have to do is visit Tootsie's Shoppe and come back here to tell me what you like, what you dislike, and what's missing. Enter now for a chance to win a set of four Burrower's Choice cards with free worldwide shipping! Don't delay, the deadline is today at 11:59 pm AoE (Anywhere on Earth).


In the meantime, I've added another piece of advice to my Savvy Sausage Wisdom product line. Samuel Beckett advised to try again, fail again, fail better. Here's my advice:


Keep on wagging,
Tootsie

Monday, October 14, 2013

My Cousin Oz

I am very pleased to introduce to you my Border Collie cousin Puppy Oz. We went to Tuscany over the weekend to meet him. Dachshund Daddy is ecstatic.


Oz is adorable and smart, but the first day I met him was a little rough on me. Dachshund Daddy cuddled Oz and sweet-talked him, and I had to bark and look away. Does that mean I'm not a savvy sausage?



Mom helped me understand that Oz is a cousin and that Dachshund Daddy has plenty of love to go around. She also explained that Oz's chew treat is his chew treat. Mom says that I don't eat chew treats, because I'm super special in my own way. I eat carrots.


By the second day, I had stopped barking, and I was enjoying the admiration of Oz. I think he is going to be a good friend. Mom said I can teach him English, and Oz will help me with my Italian.


Brava, Tootsie! Bravo, Oz!
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