Meet Kelis

This blog has primarily concentrated on Alex and his antics so today I have decided to introduce you to the little Queen of our pack - Kelis.

Kelis is the biological sister of Kemora and her fur is classic Dachshund black with red accents. At just under ten pounds she is a real light weight. She is very, very smart and tries every trick in the book to avoid doing what is required by the humans in her life. Her favorite is to roll on her back and show her tummy for a rub. She knows its a long way down to her and hopes I won't force the issue. I love the way she demands attention from me by jumping up on my chest when I am sitting somewhere and sticking her nose in my face until I give her the attention she wants. She eats like a real lady ... slowly and with small bites. That means that I always feed her first in the feeding rotation hoping she might scomplete her bowl of food before Alex comes looking for more. It rarely happens but I try.

She has had a few physical problems. When she went to get spayed she was missing most of the usual female equipment and what she had was deformed. It was tested for cancer and was cleared but it made for a few anxious days. It means that her scar from the incision is longer and more noticeable than Kemora's. She also has a spot on her right hip where one of her hip muscles has been destroyed and the skin has no fur. Its not that noticable but it definitely means that she will not be entering any dog shows.

Kelis, while Queen of my backyard, can be terrified by new situations or when she is not in control. Once, when I took all of them to get their nails clipped she slipped her collar, bolted for the door and ended up peeing all over the tech in fear. When we are on our walks she barks furiously at anyone we meet while backing up behind me. Other dogs and humans terrify her ... even those who she has met before. My next door neighbor, Joe, has to win her affection every time we meet up with him. Even then she is pretty standoffish.

Her favorite place to sleep is on top of Kemora or squeezed between me and the back of the couch if I am taking a nap. She is always the first one to notice that something is going on at the back of the house and leads the dash to bark at whatever is intruding into her domain... a squirrel, the meter reader, someone walking by outside the fence, a bird flying by. She will sometimes stand in the yard, four paws planted, tail in the air and just assertively bark to let the neighborhood know that this is her place and to stay out!