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Dave Shabaz
From 2005 to 2019, I was the proud owner of a mini-Dachshund. Now, I know most men wouldn’t be proud of their “mini-Wiener,” but mine was smart and adorable. (OK, that was my one and only wiener joke, I promise.)
Her name was Lola and for 14 years, that dog rode shotgun in my passenger seat as I drove from San Diego to North Carolina to Iowa, back to San Diego and then back to North Carolina, where she passed away at the age of 14 in 2019, right before I moved here. She even took a road trip with me when I drove from North Carolina to Chicago to watch my Cubbies play. That dog had blessed more rest stops in America than any human I know, but she never got to enjoy a Bucee’s. That will change with my current dog.
In 2020, I was lucky enough to get an 8-week old Chiweenie, which is half Dachshund and half Chihuahua. Her name is Ivy and I named her after the outfield walls at Wrigley Field, the happiest place on earth.
Ivy just celebrated her third birthday and I believe she’s calmed down enough for me to attempt our first road trip. Next week I’ll be driving to introduce her to my family in San Diego.
This is going to be an adventure and I’ll be sure to write about it when I get back, if I survive.
Lola was a traditional mini-Dachshund, 7 pounds, tiny legs and never in the mood to run anywhere, so when I pulled into a rest stop or gas station, I could stand and let her roam around the grass without a leash, because I knew she wasn’t going anywhere out of my reach.
Now, Ivy was blessed with the personality and long legs of a Chihuahua and she’s a 10-pound tornado. These are the characteristics that she has that will inevitably cause my stroke.
She’s only still around because she’s so darn cute. Lola and I shared the identical inactive, indoor lifestyle that I enjoyed, especially in the North Carolina humidity. Ivy is finally starting to chill out a little bit, but she still has 50 times the energy that Lola used to have.
So, this coming weekend, Ivy and I will pack up my truck, which includes a brand-new car seat for her, and head off on our 20+ hour adventure. This trip is going to be the polar opposite of what I’ve been used to in the past. There’s no way I’m going to let her off her leash when we stop to “do our business.” With my bad hip, I’ll never catch her. But hey, she might surprise me and be extremely well behaved. I’m only bringing her because my family is dying to meet her. I honestly think they could care less about me coming, they just want “Ivy Time,” from what my sister Sharon calls it.
I come from a family of dog lovers. My oldest sister Linda just lost her dog, who was also 14 years old and she’s really excited about meeting Ivy. I told her she might regret inviting her to San Diego, but she’s still excited. Pray for Linda….:) n
If anyone has any advice for Ivy and I on our road trip, please email me at: Dave@ssnewstelegram. com. She’s definitely going to pee at a Buc-ee’s, that’s #1 on our list of things to do. She may not appreciate those amazing bathrooms there, but I’m sure their grass out front is top notch! Wish me luck, I’m gonna need it!