Oliver

Name Explanation: Just popped into my head
Gender: Male (neutered)
Color: Black/tan
Breed: Long-haired Dachshund
Where Obtained: Shelter
Commands Known: Come, sit, stay, down (doesn't like any of these), roll over, beg, bang-you're-dead, jump (through a hoop)

Oliver might be small, but he doesn't care. He lives with a pack of big dogs, so he plays like them all day. When the bigger ones go for a run, bounding about and racing each other through the grass, Oliver's stubby little legs send him streaking like a furry black bullet low to the ground, matching their pace. They bowl him over all the time, by accident or on purpose, but he takes it all with cheery good humor, dutifully rolls onto his back, and then pops up again ready for more. Butterscotch is especially taken with her mini friend, playing with him most often and treating him like her own baby puppy. Being a ham, he doesn't care in the slightest. Similarly, while all of the other dogs have been trained not to beg at the table (even Butterscotch, though she watches hopefully), Oliver sits right up beside me and begs and whimpers and rolls on his side and tries all sorts of ways to look appealing. The Collies give him dirty, scornful looks, but he keeps right up with his act.

Not having had a lapdog since Skipper (think days of Jake in DAA -- along with Bumblee, my FIRST dogs!), it's a joy to feel a warm, wriggly puppy-like creature poke his head under my arm and cuddle himself up in my lap. He small size also makes him invaluable at horse shows, for he can jump up and sit where the cats do. Oliver can be a rascal and get underfoot sometimes, but mostly he's a ton of fun to have around. Except when he goes laundry basket diving. He squirms into piles of clean clothes, makes a cozy nest for himself, has a nap, and then clambers out, scattering hair-covered, formerly clean articles of clothing all over the floor in the process.