Tournament of Pets 2007, First Round: Kosmo vs. Charlie

The first matchup today pairs the infinite against the down-to-earth, the quest for eternity against an up-and-comer trying to make his name in a crowded field.

Charlie the Snowshoe, you are part of an elite club.  There are Charlies who can transport us (Charlie Parker), Charlies who can make us laugh (Charlie Parker), and the ultimate Charlie, "Charlie Brown."  And now comes Charlie the Snowshoe, entering the spotlight here in Tournament of Pets 2007.  Will we one day count this Charlie among the great Charlies of the world, whose names are spoken reverently? 

We may, but Kosmo will likely have something else to say about that.  This fierce competitor offsets the low-to-the-ground stature of a dachshund with a name that literally reaches for the stars, falling just a sibilant consonant short of the universe itself. 

I give you, from the West Bracket, #7 Kosmo vs. #9 Charlie.

Kosmo.

Owner: Heidi

Here is my "essay" and a picture of Kosmo.

We got our puppy, Kosmo, mostly because we were lonely. You see the month before, our first dog passed away. We missed him terribly. Anyone who’s ever had a pet knows the loss we were going through. But my husband had always said one dog and once he passes, no more.

Well even he could see how the family missed our beloved pet, so when a friend of the family told us that someone they knew had dachshund puppies for sale, my ears perked up. I didn’t tell my hubby right away but instead asked her a bunch of questions…how old are they, what color, what sex, long haired or short, etc., still not knowing if the family was really ready for another dog. So I called the woman who was selling the puppies and got the details.

They were black and tan…perfect because our 1st dog was reddish brown and we didn’t want to replicate our dog. How old…7 weeks, just being weaned from mom so soon will be ready for adoption. Another great response because we weren’t quite ready yet to adopt. All of the puppies seemed to be short-haired but dad is a long-haired so all is possible. All was sounding great. Only thing left was the sex, they only had males left. There were two females in the litter but the vet was taking one and they were keeping the other. When we had talked about a possible puppy, we were talking about getting a female but it’s debatable.

So I told hubby about it. He was apprehensive at first, not thinking we should get a puppy so soon. He didn’t want to taint the memories of our dog. But after much discussion, we agreed to go and see the puppies. The kids were ecstatic because they knew that once dad saw the puppies we were going home with one…and they were right!

After watching the puppies compete for our attention, we decided on one that was a little more timid. He climbed up on to my daughter’s lap and just laid there while the other dogs fought with each other. So the rest is history. He’s made a great addition to our family and has been a perfect fit since the first week.

P.S.: The picture I attached is him at 9 weeks old and he first day he came home with us.

Charlie:

Owner: Amelie B.

Charlie: He is a Snowshoe, not a half-breed Siamese. Charlie is pretty laid back and easy going; periodically, though, he feels the need to assert his dubious authority and will try to pounce on Merlin, his house-mate. Although Charlie is quite a bit bigger than Merlin, he is not the Alpha; Merlin shares that title with me!

We didn't "got" Charlie -- he "got" us! Charlie was probably the cat of some Snowbirds, who obviously, took good care of him (including having him fixed), but decided to leave him behind when they went home for the summer. He appeared at our door one day and wouldn't take "NO" for an answer, until we caved in and let him in the house; he's been here ever since! The one thing we can't seem to break him of is his hunting skills; no bird (beyond the geese on the canal), lizard or other small critter is safe in the neighborhood when he is on the prowl! Unfortunately, I have never known him to NOT be on the prowl!

I'm going to let this one go for 48 hours because I doubt I'll get to it on Sunday.  All comments/points from now to October go to help Mateo & McHale's parents get their honeymoon.  You can keep up with Mateo & McHale and their family by going to Caring Bridge and clicking “Visit a Caring Bridge Site.” Once there, type “mateoandmchale” into the blank and you’ll get to their site.