Meet Fritz!

La Posada de Taos allows guests to bring their dogs.  As listed on various pet-friendly accommodation websites, we've always allowed folks with well-behaved dogs to stay with us. 

I'd like to introduce everyone to our best friends, Fritz and Roxy.  First:  Fritz.

Fritz is a Mini-Schnauzer.  When he's in the room, he is convinced that he is "in charge" -- the complete center of attention.  That's primarily why our little boy lives upstairs in the Innkeepers quarters and only gets to pay visits downstairs once or twice a day before or after his walks.

He's very vocal, as they say.  But he's also incredibly friendly.  He'll bark, bark, bark his "Hello" until you give him his scratch behind the ears, then he'll bark, bark, bark his "Thanks."

Fritz at La Posada de Taos in his Christmas Regalia

We adopted this cute little guy in late-July 2001 and he's been with us ever since.  Someone had already clipped his ears and docked his tail by the time we adopted him -- a practice we think should be outlawed.

Since he was fully grown when we met him, we assumed he was at least a year old.  During his most recent visit to the Salazar Vet Clinic here in Taos, the doctor did geriatric blood work and pronounced that he's as healthy as a 3 year-old.  That made us very happy, since we believe he's at least 11 years old now.

As with any aging dog, we've tried to stay on top of various things that our "Old Man" might need, such as dental work -- he's lost 3 teeth so far -- and something called Schnauzer Bumps which I don't describe.  Although he can go from zero to Mach 9 in about 10 seconds, Fritz sleeps more than he used to these days.  We take him to a nearby open space and run with him as often as we can.  We're pretty sure that dogs get the same benefit of exercise at 7000 feet as people do.

Fritz knows he's a handsome dog and he's completely willing to show off his good looks to anyone who would notice.  Because mini-Schnauzer's don't shed, they have to be groomed every 4 to 6 weeks to keep their hair from matting (I call it the "Brillo Pad" look).  After a grooming, Fritz is especially interested in showing off his "new look."  Because we keep his hair short (except for the beard), Fritz wears a variety of seasonal sweaters.  His favorite look is the Space Man cape (photos later)

When you visit us at La Posada de Taos be sure to ask how Fritz is doing and we'll see if he's awake for a visit.  Just be prepared for a very vocal greeting.