Lyle Starbutt and Mona
Sep52009
I was talking to Light one evening several weeks ago, and she said, “What did Wolfie look like when he was a puppy?” So we googled for long haired dachshund puppies and found this:
Then I looked closer. The puppy was at the same Dachshund Rescue that Wolfie, Veronica, and Milton had all come from. “We can’t get another dog,” I told Lani. “Absolutely not,” she said.
A week later, I called Dachshund Rescue and was told the puppy had a pending adoption. “That’s great,” I said. “Very happy for him. We don’t need another dog. Thank you!”
The next day, we got a call from Dachshund Rescue. The adoption process wasn’t going well. Did we want to see the puppy?
The day after that, Kathleen brought a herd of dachshunds to see us including the puppy who had his own puppy, a four month old toy poodle that Kathleen had found in a paper bag at the gate at the end of her lane because the puppy’s back legs had no knee caps and couldn’t be repaired which is why the vet Kathleen had taken her recommended putting her down. Clearly, he did not know Kathleen. But neither Lani nor I is a poodle person, or a little dog person, or the kind of person who puts clothes on little dogs and talks to them in funny voices. Which is why we took the poodle as a foster only, sure that we couldn’t keep her even though the dachshund puppy loved her.
So we’re looking at this dachshund puppy who is all over the place with his long face and firm conviction that he’s immortal, and Lani says, “He looks like a musician,” and I said, “Lyle Lovett,” and Lyle got his name. Then since the little poodle’s stiff back legs make her look like a ballerina, I said, “Margot,” but Lani said, “Mona,” and the little poodle had her name. The dachshunds were too rough for Mona to be left alone with them, so she ended up sleeping upstairs at night with Lani and only coming down to play during the day, and Lani wasn’t sure she could handle any more neediness at this particular upheaval in her life so we decided Mona had to go back. Except when Kathleen called to make arrangements to pick her up, Lani clutched Mona to her bosom and said, “No, no, no,” and then we went out and bought her a hoodie to celebrate. She also has a shirt that says, “Security” and one that says “Killer” and a terry cloth hoodie with a duckie on the back for her baths. Because Lani and I are not the kind of people who buy cute clothes for small dogs.
Here’s Mona in her hoodie:
Then we watched Lyle dive into the dog toy cupboard until only his butt was visible which is when we noticed he had a brown star shape back there, so he became Lyle Starbutt. Of Battlestar Dachshund. Which is appropriate because Lyle thinks he’s a hotshot. His motto is “Watch THIS!” and his theme song is “I Believe I Can Fly,” which became all too prophetic when he leaped out of Lani’s arms and broke his wrist.
Here’s Lyle in his cast:
Here’s the thing: We did NOT need five dogs. But since Lyle and Mona have moved in, Veronica is acting like a puppy again, Milton is no longer the sullen teenager smoking behind the barn, and we laugh all the time. Well, we laughed a lot before, but now we laugh more. For example, Lani used to go in to wake up the girls on school mornings and end up fighting to get them out of bed amid much whining. Now she just puts Mona on the bed, and Mona licks their faces while Lani uses a funny voice to sing the Morning song, “I lick your face off, cause I love you,I lick your face off, cause it’s morning time” and the girls wake up laughing. (Go here to hear Sweetness singing “The Morning Song.”) Plus a sure fire way to crack all of us up is to look at Lyle and sing, “I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky,” while he runs around clunking in his cast.
So we did need five dogs. Wolfgang, Veronica, Milton, Lyle Starbutt, and Mona in her hoodie.
Who knew?
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63 Comments to 'Lyle Starbutt and Mona'
On September 5, 2009 at 9:15 am Wendi said...
Congratulations!!!
On September 5, 2009 at 9:38 am Becky said...
They’re adorable! I can see why the breed is called “toy”- Mona looks like a little doll in her hoodie! But, oh dear. You’re once again outnumbered. What does Wolfie think of all these youngsters running around his house and disturbing the peace?
On September 5, 2009 at 9:42 am Jenny said...
Wolfie is fine. He sits and watches them roll around and then sleeps. They tried to bite his ears once and learned their boundaries. Veronica, on the other hand, is reverting to puppyhood.
On September 5, 2009 at 9:58 am hollygee said...
To hell with writing and working out problems, if you just publish pictures of all dogs, all the time — well maybe one or two cats, too — I’d be so happy.
On September 5, 2009 at 10:48 am Rox said...
Every time I mention to Nina that you have several dachshunds, she says, “Mommy. Stop torturing me!” When I mentioned you just got a dachshund puppy, she was VERY unhappy with me. One dog, that’s all we have. It’s so unfair.
On September 5, 2009 at 10:50 am Jenyfer Matthews said...
You were doomed from the moment you did your google search. They are just TOO cute! I’m not a fan of poodles or little dogs either, but who could resist that face?? Congratulations!
On September 8, 2009 at 6:09 am francois said...
I agree with Jenyfer – as soon as I read the first sentence the rest followed inevitably.
On September 5, 2009 at 10:54 am Kim said...
You RULE Jenny! And s does Lani. I love your new babies!
On September 5, 2009 at 11:26 am Katie Mack said...
LOL. Mona in her hoodie is so damn cute.
On September 5, 2009 at 11:32 am robena grant said...
Oh, they are gorgeous. The world needs more people like you and Lani. They are both lucky dogs, especially Mona, there aren’t a lot of people who would have rescued her. I adore their names, and now I’m humming “I believe I can fly” hope I don’t break my wrist. : )
On September 5, 2009 at 12:10 pm jessie said...
Your puppies are very cute. The next thing is we will want Youtube videos.
Hollygee, for your kitty fix, google Maru Stunt Cat. Maru has a ton of videos.
On September 5, 2009 at 1:38 pm Cherry Honey said...
Fair warning, Lani: At the first Discovery class meeting, you’re singing us the Mona song.
On September 5, 2009 at 2:10 pm Lori J. said...
Aww, congrats. Mona is adorable in her hoodie. Does she need any special treatment or handling?
On September 5, 2009 at 3:15 pm Jenny said...
Not so far. For all she knows, this is the way things are supposed to be. She even climbs flights of stairs if we’re not watching her. Getting DOWN stairs is a different matter, but it’s a different matter for Lyle, too. Up is easy, down is evidently too scary. Which is why they get stuck halfway up stairs a lot.
On September 5, 2009 at 2:24 pm Diane (TT) said...
Mona is so precious! So, if you are not small dog people who buy cute clothes for same, are you also not people who carry small dogs in handbags everywhere?
I hope Lyle’s foreleg heals quickly and he learns from the experience – casts aren’t nearly as cute as hoodies.
So creative to use Mona as a good-mood alarm clock. Any change that decreases the amount of whining in the world is definitely an excellent thing!
On September 5, 2009 at 3:13 pm Jenny said...
Lyle has a new cast. Don’t ask.
Lani has a pink bag she bought to carry Mona in. It has hearts. Any minute now she’s going to be wearing leopard capris and pink tube tops and sunglasses and calling people “Darling.” Lani, I mean, not Mona. Although at this point, she’d probably put the leopard capris and tube top on Mona, too.
Full disclosure: I bought the duckie hoodie and the T-shirts. But Lani wanted them.
On September 6, 2009 at 8:21 pm JulieB said...
I _have_ to ask. I had a cat with a broken paw.
On September 5, 2009 at 3:20 pm Louis said...
Ah, a tale of the dogs story!
Marvelous!
On September 5, 2009 at 3:31 pm Jill said...
Mona is adorable. She looks like a stuffed dog. Pretty and perfect.
On September 5, 2009 at 3:41 pm Lani said...
I will blog soon, and will include the Mona in the Morning song. If you’re lucky, Sarah will sing it. If not, you’ll be stuck with me.
Also, I will share the story of the bag, and continue to defend that we are NOT the kind of people who dress up toy dogs and put them in purses. Because really. We are NOT.
On September 7, 2009 at 3:40 am Micki said...
LOL! What’s wrong with being a hybrid? Smart, sassy women who know what’s what . . . and also happen to dress up wittle doggies and put them in a heart purse? Everyone should acknowledge their inner cute!
And I have to say, these are adorable dogs. To paraphrase a favorite SFF author, “Jenny, your biological kingdom increases!”
On September 5, 2009 at 4:00 pm AgTigress said...
Congratulations on the new babies. They are both very sweet!
Poodles are great dogs (and so are Dachshunds, of course): they really don’t deserve their reputation for being silly, frivolous animals, even the tiny ones.
On September 5, 2009 at 4:44 pm tennis41 said...
I’m almost afraid to ask but how is the cat (Annie?) handling this?
On September 5, 2009 at 5:39 pm Jenny said...
Annie died last year. The two new cats, Daisy and Zoey, live upstairs and never see the dogs unless they manage to sneak upstairs (they hate Milton) except for Mona who is smaller than they are. They put up with Mona.
On September 5, 2009 at 6:15 pm inkgrrl said...
I was wondering how long it would take for you to get to the next prime number… congratulations!
On September 5, 2009 at 6:50 pm Cindy said...
Too adorable!! Bogart, my soon to be 10 year old dachshund who thinks he’s a puppy is from Dachshund Rescue of North America………….I got him when he was a puppy (puppy mill releases to the rescue group), where has the time gone?
On September 5, 2009 at 8:02 pm Crystal Dee said...
Your two new babies are so precious. I have a Dachshund and Beagle mix named Daisy. She has the Dachshund body style and Beagle coloring. I love her greatly. There is just something about a Dachshund that catches at your heartstrings and refuses to let go.
Mona is a sweetheart. I’m so glad Kathleen is the person she is. The world would be a sadder place for the loss of such a sweet puppy.
On September 5, 2009 at 8:05 pm Beki said...
Oh, there’s nothing better than a rescue dogs. All of ours have been in one way or another and my heart dog is my long-haired doxie, Marlo (for That Girl). She is at least seven now and hasn’t lost her spunk. I think the flying must be inherent to the breed.
And I’d put a hoodie on that poodle too. There’s no way to avoid it, really, even if you aren’t one of THOSE women. Snort. Can’t wait to see the bag!
On September 5, 2009 at 8:24 pm Lori J. said...
Mona’s my new background pic. That face is too adorable.
On September 5, 2009 at 8:27 pm Kiersten said...
That is not a toy poodle, Mona cannot be a toy poodle! Because I don’t like poodles, toy or otherwise, I just don’t, and I fell for Mona at first glance. And Lyle! You struck gold again. (Also STOP CALLING KATHLEEN!
) Congratulations.
I’m the same way with cats; I just want to take them all home when I simply cannot have another one (I have 3). Getting out of PetSmart is a chore some days.
Sidebar: just heard you’ll be taking over for Bob at the NJ PYHIAB conference this October. Very excited to see you in person for the first time!
On September 5, 2009 at 10:18 pm WapakGram said...
Oh Heavenly Days- Dog Pictures! Even though they are the cute new kids in town, the welcome committee should get equal billing. It’s been too long since we have seen them all. How wonderful for all of you!
My younger son used to send in the burrowing cat to wake up his older brother. The cat was the only thing to wake him up and come out alive.
On September 5, 2009 at 10:57 pm Ericka said...
clearly not those people. ahem. those people don’t generally acquire their dog/accessories thru shelters, so i think you’re okay. the bag puts you pretty close to the edge though.
On September 6, 2009 at 7:52 am Lani said...
And here is the addendum post on my blog, complete with the morning time song as sung by Sweetness.
On September 7, 2009 at 3:45 am Micki said...
Oh, dear, if I get anymore cute, my cheeks are going to fall off from smiling so much! Thanks for sharing this!!
On September 6, 2009 at 3:41 pm Yvonne Lindsay said...
Has it occurred to you all that Light probably ‘knew’ this would happen all along?
Congratulations on bringing more joy into your household and for sharing them with all of us.
On September 6, 2009 at 3:48 pm Brandy said...
Awww, so cute! Careful, that’s how we ended up with EIGHT indoor cats. *G*
On September 6, 2009 at 3:57 pm Yvonne Lindsay said...
Oooh, oooh! Just thought of the perfect accessory for Mona–a green beret!
On September 6, 2009 at 5:21 pm Jenny said...
Just what I need, a poodle who moves silently through the night to kill me with her little finger. Paw. Whatever.
On September 7, 2009 at 5:41 pm Yvonne Lindsay said...
Never pays to underestimate anyone, or any puppy…
On September 7, 2009 at 6:24 pm McB said...
And I can just hear Lyle shouting “Nothing but good times ahead” as he launches into the air.
On September 8, 2009 at 5:37 pm Deborah Blake said...
I loved the puppy pics (even though I’m a cat person, and definitely NOT a dress them up in unbelievably cute hoodies person, although all 5 of my cats are rescues, which I think counts). And Sweetness singing the morning song was, well, amazingly sweet. But the green beret poodle comment? That one had me making snorting noises through my nose and laughing so hard it threatened to collapse the keyboard. And I need that keyboard. So stop doing that!
And the puppies really are adorable. Do you think my cats could be conned into believing a little fuzzy dog was just a strange form of feline?
BTW–I saw that Bob put up the first chapter for WILD RIDE–can’t wait until it’s out!
Affectionately, the Chocolate Stalker from RWA
On September 6, 2009 at 11:04 pm Heather said...
I have four dogs (between 20-50 pounds each) and five cats. Talk about mayhem and dissention among the ranks. I wouldn’t change a thing. As my stepmom says, you can never have too many animals because it’s just that much more love in your home
On September 6, 2009 at 11:51 pm Sheena said...
Oh, I am so sorry to hear about Annie, though it seems she lived to a ripe old age. May we have pictures of Daisy and Zoey? Are they tortoiseshells as well?
On September 7, 2009 at 8:22 am Julia said...
I was so proud of myself for sitting down to write from 8am-Noon today on Labor Day, when I could be at the beach, and I was chugging along . . . and then realized I wanted to look at that Turning Points image to help me sort out a pacing problem . . . and I come here to get it and now I’m all gooey over two puppies I don’t even know, one with a bad wrist and one with bum knees.
Gosh, they’re cute. And as far as you not being the little-dog-in-bedazzled-dress types, I have two names for you: Mickey Rourke, and Amy Tan. If he can carry a chihuahua around and call it his soulmate, who can’t? And Ms. Tan’s nonchalant ferrying of two yorkies just about everywhere she goes is done in a very not-Paris Hilton sort of style. I picture you ladies putting your own, inimitable stamp on this, and I hope you take pictures!
On September 7, 2009 at 1:17 pm lady t said...
So precious! and I’m not the kind of person who uses the word precious.
Lucky puppies!
On September 7, 2009 at 3:20 pm Kathleen said...
I am a poodle person. My family has a toy and a miniature and they are the Best Dogs Ever. I’m very glad you now have Mona to round out your herd!
On September 7, 2009 at 5:23 pm Kira said...
Jenny, you still have some variegated yarn around? In pastels? Do Sweetness and Light know how to crochet yet?
Dressing up doggies in cute outfits is one thing; making your own cute and fugly doggie outfits … that’s a whole other level – of what, I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to lots of pictures
On September 7, 2009 at 6:44 pm Lou said...
Oh… my… God… they are JUST TOO CUTE!!! And, of course, you don’t need any more furbabies, and – of course – you are NOT the kind of women who dress small dogs in cute clothes… of course.
Soooo adorable!!! Good for you for rescuing babies that need it! I have 3 rescue dogs who enrich my life as do yours. Bravo!!
On September 8, 2009 at 5:15 am CrankyOtter said...
Thanks for spreading the laughs. I have to get my dog joy vicariously though you, so keep up the good work!
On September 8, 2009 at 9:39 am Bethany, Cherry Clawed said...
Thank you for sharing the photos and taking those babies into your home. My grandpa used to wake me up (not a morning person past the age of
by sending his super sweet fluffy mutt in to put his paws on the bed and lick my nose. It’s good to know other families do that and especially with rescue puppies. It’s cheesy but I swear rescue pets save their people as much as we save them.
On September 8, 2009 at 3:08 pm Marta said...
Not cheesy at all, Bethany. I’m with you 100%. If you want to see a heart-swelling example, check out http://glenhighlandfarm.com/campbckids.htm.
Lillie Goodrich and John Anderson started rescuing border collies by accident, and next thing they knew, their retirement became turning an old horse farm in upstate New York into a huge dog rescue facility. Then they decided to help rescue kids, too, and Camp Border Collie for Kids was born. Who’d have thought mixing at-risk inner city kids with at-risk mistreated dogs could make magic happen?
On September 8, 2009 at 12:36 pm Sure thing said...
Perfect.
On September 8, 2009 at 12:49 pm TerriO said...
How adorable and that little Mona is too much. You can see in that picture she thinks she’s a supermodel. How else would you carry a toy supermodel than in a heart purse?
I’m more a dog person but kiddo and I got a kitten in May and he makes me smile every day. Well, he challenges me not to throw him out a window every day too, but mostly, he makes me smile. He’s an orange Tabby who found his springs this weekend. I’ve pulled him off the fridge several times already. And so the battle begins…
On September 8, 2009 at 2:25 pm Marta said...
I’m puzzled by the vet’s recommendation to have Mona put down. She’ll never qualify for the 100 meter at the Poodle Olympics, but she’s obviously more than qualified for gold at the Great Canine Companion Contest.
Last time we went to dog camp up at Glen Highland Farm (home of Sweet Border Collie Rescue), we met a wonderful couple (Joyce Darrell and Michael Dickerson) and their wheelchair-bound dogs. Those dogs did everything the other dogs did, including sheep herding. The only exception was agility, and that only because the course equipment wasn’t wide enough. Joyce and Michael had gone from refusing to euthanize their shepherd when he broke his back to starting a rescue/advocacy organization aptly named Pets with Disabilities. http://www.petswithdisabilities.org/directors.htm
On September 8, 2009 at 7:22 pm Diane L. said...
Oh congratulations!!! A new dachshund puppy is one of the world’s wonderful things!
On September 8, 2009 at 8:31 pm Shari said...
I have a feeling you are going to get gifted a lot of mini dog clothing next tour
On September 8, 2009 at 9:52 pm AlienEeeter said...
Wait ’till I show my boyfriend and go “See, all of my favorite authors have multiple animals–so I can too!”
Of course, you’re house is much bigger than mine, and 5 dogs and 2 cats is still not the same as 15 cats.
On September 8, 2009 at 11:12 pm Sheri said...
Right on! I am not the only one living in a zoo!! We have seven dogs (still got you beat by two) and many of ours came to us when we said “really, we don’t need another dog…”. But who would I choose to get rid of? Certainly not Chula, the Chihuahua mix who is anorexic and squints her blue eyes at you when she laughs! Or Boo, the German Spitz we rescued from the pound for my oldest daughter’s 13th birthday and is her constant companion. Or Lucy, whom we rescued from under a bunch bench and certain death when she was a mere 6 weeks old. Then there is Rosie, the 130 pound St Bernard that eased the pain of losing our old Shepherd, South, a year ago. And then there are my two Pom, Tavi and Jazz, who are the light of my life and make me laugh every single day, despite the fact that they still chew everything up and haven’t quite perfected the habit of doing their business outside every time! (and yes, Jazz has clothes–she’s a girl, after all!)
Do we NEED them? Define “need”. I think they need us. I KNOW we need them. Is the house crowded? Um, yes. Is there hair and slobber everywhere? Definitely. Do they enrich our lives by being in them? Absolutely! so yeah, I think my dogs are a necessity!
And your new babies–omg! TOO cute! I will have to show them to my friend–she has several dogs, two of which are Dachsunds. Thanks for sharing your new babies with us.
On September 8, 2009 at 11:14 pm Sheri said...
oh–that should read “bus bench”, not “bunch bench”… sheesh!
On September 9, 2009 at 9:14 am robena grant said...
Slightly off topic, but I just read your news on the Cinderella Deal and clicked on for more info. Read the chapter and love it. Also adore the cover art work. This might be the only Crusie I haven’t read. I’m anxiously waiting for January to buy a copy.
On September 9, 2009 at 5:27 pm Yvonne Lindsay said...
Robena, you won’t be sorry when you get the book. The Cinderella Deal was my first Jennifer Crusie and had me hooked on Jenny as an author. I have a Bantam Loveswept edition, October 1996.
On September 9, 2009 at 6:28 pm Mrs.MJ said...
Oh my gosh, your house is bursting with love, little girls and tiny dogs! You are so lucky!
On September 15, 2009 at 9:14 am Bethany, Cherry Clawed said...
Any DC Cherries who love long haired dashund pups, we’ve got a 2 year old at Washington Humane Society who is super sweet. I took him to an event over the weekend and kept thinking of Lyle Starbutt though this guy, Barnaby, isn’t quite as confident as Lyle sounds.