MatesBreed: DachshundBirthday: March 19, 2003 Birth Place: Czech Republic Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic Occupation: Junior Household Manager Duties and hobbies: - Evening walks with neighborhood dog friends - Sleeping - Eating anything and everything—onion, cucumbers, oranges.... - Going shopping with Grandma - Watching ants in the garden - Watching TV with grandma—murder mysteries are his favorite - Tearing apart used paper and boxes - Going through Honza's trouser pockets (if left within reach) - Running around with somebody's socks Mates (Matysek) is a very kind dog. He lives in a house with four people and although he is a small dachshund, he quickly became the head of the household. He has the very important job of monitoring our home and the activities of its members. Shortly after coming home with us, he began to sleep in a bed instead of sleeping in the big wicker basket we prepared for him. He has so many duties that he needs to sleep in a big, soft bed to relax appropriately. This also helps him make sure we’re okay when he patrols the house. He usually switches beds at least once a night to ensure we all sleep well. Mates' most important task is taking care of our grandma. He accompanies her when she runs errands at the store or the post office to make sure she is safe and doesn't pet any other dogs. There is a large garden outside our house, but Mates prefers to deal with most situations from the sofa or the balcony, where the view is better. Mates has four neighborhood dog friends - Max (a Labrador), Tereza (an Alsatian), Lara (a Rottweiler) and Jupina (a mutt that looks like a dachshund with longer legs). Almost every evening we go for a long walk with all of Mates' friends. This is, of course, the most important part of the day. Also, it's the only way to get Mates out of the house if it's raining. His friends are very important to him. One of the most incredible things about Mates is that he's very obedient even though he has never been to obedience school. He knows the usual commands like, "Come here," "Sit," and "Stay," but what's really remarkable is that he also understands less common commands like, "Get on the sidewalk because a car is coming" and "Show me what you want." When he hears the latter command, he promptly walks over to the fridge and waits for a treat. |
