New Puppy: Day 60

We have survived 2 whole months!  Survived might be a bit dramatic, but there have been moments it feels like the correct phrase.  It's been 8 weeks of cleaning up carpets (and bedding, towels, chair coverings, ect.), constantly picking up toys, training, commands, bruises, little sleep, worrying about bring away from home for more than 6 hours, and the phrase 'no bark' on repeat. It's been 60 days of kisses, smiles, cuddles, and so much love.

Marco and I learned the best way to keep him out of his stitches after surgery was to wear a onsie.  Marco was not impressed, but he also didn't have another vet visit.  I have learned philodendrons have a mysterious draw to little puppies, but are not wholly poisonous (thank the creator).   We have learned strawberries are tasty (and hopefully he doesn't find the ones growing on the deck) but tomatoes are not (at least those plants are safe).  And Patrick has learned to play.

I think that's been the greatest gift.  Watching Patrick instigate a wrestling match, or let Marco chew on the other end of his bone, or tug at the other end of Inchy when Marco jumps up on the bed with the stuffed worm has been heartwarming.  Marco has allowed him to enjoy playing with another dog again and Patrick in turn is showing an incredible amount of patience towards his little brother.  They sleep almost touching on the bed.  Marco can jump up and plop down on part of Patrick's legs and he only looks at him now instead of huffing off.  The kisses are going both ways.

That's not to say we don't have our moments of jealousy.  Patrick is allowed to roam free during the day where Marco needs to be kenneled for his own safety.  When I get home I generally have a happy Patrick to greet me and I spend a few moments giving him some personal attention.  But when I go upstairs and open the crate, Patrick blocks Marco from jumping up to say hello to me.  When I'm cuddling with one of the couch, the other is not too happy they are being left out.  We are finding little ways we can spend a few moments of time together and I know the struggle will lessen.

Even with the downs and mostly ups, we are a happy family of three.  I couldn't have imagined how complete our home would feel adding our newest member, but it feels like it was fated.  We are one little healthy, happy pack!

New Puppy: Day 1

We are officially a family of three!

Marco was altered (such a nice way of putting 'had his testicles surgically removed') on Monday.  Little guy was a champ, I was a wreck.  When Patrick was neutered at 18 months, it did not go so well, so I was bracing for another long road to recovery filled with extra weeks in a collar, not wanting to eat, torn stitches, and lots of worry.  But his foster mom (my aunt) called and said everything went just fine.  He was home and she was trying her hardest to keep him calm, but all he wanted to do was play with his foster sisters (Bell 12 years, and Gabby 8 month).  He didn't seem to be in much pain.  He bounced back from the anesthesia undaunted.  But keeping him calm was going to be a challenge with his two sisters running around playing while he was in his kennel.  Maybe it would be best if I came and got him tomorrow.  He can be quiet at my house where Patrick ignores him when he's in his kennel.   So that was it.  I had spent weeks preparing for his arrival and now we were there.  I was excited and nervous.

After I got home form work yesterday, Patrick and I went for a walk, had dinner, and jumped in the car.  I pulled into the driveway and Marco went nuts with excitement.  Patrick spent a few minutes playing with Gabby and Bell before we loaded up the little guy and set off on our new adventure.

We made it home and the goal of the evening was to relax and spend some quality cuddle time on the couch.  With my aunt being Marco's foster mom, we had a chance to have a few sleep overs so the boys could get to know one another slowly.  We had spent some time cuddling on the couch before, but somehow last night was different.  Patrick senses this is different then the last time Marco was here.  I think he's figured out this is permanent this time.  He was far more clingy than normal.  I sat on the couch and he immediately jumped up and was in between my legs, as close as he could get.  Marco chewed on a bone on the floor for a while and then jumped up and joined us as well.  I was covered in puppies.  It was heaven.

Then we all went up to bed.  Again, we have done this before.  We all co-existed on the bed quite well the last few times Marco has stayed with us.  Last night was completely different.  Marco tried to creep closer to cuddle with Patrick and Patrick was less than thrilled.  Marco tried to get closer to me and Patrick stretched out to keep him off to the side.  Both boys played musical positions all night long until Patrick eventually stretched out along my side with his paws curled around my legs and I stretched a hand out so Marco could lay his head in it.  It was not a very restful night for any of us.  Marco was walking like he was half asleep.  Patrick didn't want to get out of the bed once Marco and I were out of it.  And I have been functioning on pure coffee all day.

It gets better.  I know it does.  They boys like to play.  Marco brings out a side of Patrick I haven't seen in a long time.  Patrick enjoys showing Marco up when I give a command.  There personalities are different and yet complimentary.  I can't wait for the day we are all settled into a routine.  For now it will be extra love to the oldest, and quiet time for the little one.  The next few weeks are going to be long.  I am not going to get much more sleep for a while.  But I have both boys to keep me going.  To make me laugh.  And we have each other to love.  What an adventure this will be!

Wordless Wednesday

Because every dog needs a kid, and Allie is Patrick's kid.

Here Goes Nothing

I never thought I would be one of 'those' pet people.  The ones who buy sweaters and booties and make dog treats and buy special food and flash pictures faster than most parents...ok, so I still haven't gotten to the last part yet.  But if you ask, I have about 300 on my phone and I can share for hours.  I love my boy.  Really love my boy.  He did his circle thing and plopped down in the corner of my heart and that is where he will stay 'till death do us part.  And like all good romance stories it wasn't expected or, unfortunately for him..or maybe not really, even wanted.  So here is the story of 'Flex'.


'Flex' is a puppy mill puppy.  Who knows what his lineage is (though the pet store called him a Beagle/Boxer mix).  The only thing he was bred to do was look cute in a pet shop window so someone would buy him.  And lucky for him, someone did.  Out of the sometimes 25 'doggies in the window', he was deemed the sweetest and someone bought him, a cage, and a collar, gave him a name, and home he went.  He lived in a house with 2 adults, 1 teenager, and an 11 year old American Bull Dog female.  I am sure he received all kinds of love and attention.  He was too sociable to not have.  But one bad break up later, and 'Flex' found himself in that cage for most of the day.  He was left behind when she moved out and the guy tried to do the right thing and feed him, let him out to go to the bathroom and play with him some, and most importantly tried to give him a home until she could be located and asked if she wanted 'Flex' to come to her.   He honestly tried to do the ‘right’ thing.  Between teenage son, job, and older less puppy tolerant American Bulldog ‘Flex’ was being neglected.  It was time to find him a better home.  This is where I came in. Or more correctly my aunt.  Thanks to teenage sons in common, she met this puppy and vowed to find him a new home.  After weeks of trying, with no success he was heading to the shelter.  I was the last ditch effort to keep him from that fate, and I really didn't want another foster dog yet.  Shelters do a wonderful job finding homes or rescue groups for all the animals brought to their care.  I have known many animals from shelters and they are as loving and sweet as any animal from a breeder.  But it’s traumatic for the animal.  And if I could save ‘Flex’ from that, I felt I should.   This was to be a TEMPORARY solution.  Like any good foster mom, I was going to take him in, take him to the vet, and assess his personality…and then find him a nice home filled with people who would love him. 

The first thing I noticed about my new little friend was that he was very pink.  He was also extremely anxious so I figured that explained most of it.  He was skinny.  He was being fed ‘whatever the other dog ate’ and that also meant at and when the other dog was fed.  I am not sure he was getting enough food.  And the saddest thing I noticed, he has no idea who ‘Flex’ was.  Poor little guy had spent so much time alone in his cage, he didn’t even know his own name.  I knew we had a long road ahead of us to make things right for my new friend.

His first vet visit was actually via his surrogate aunt.  My sister brought him in to the first appointment we could get.  He was terrified but was a trooper for her.  What we learned has lead us to where we are today.  He might have Boxer in him somewhere (he does, if you spend time with him it really comes out), but he is most certainly a terrier mix mostly.  His muscle tone was very poor from being caged and fed an adult food most of his puppy life.  He was under weight by about 6 lbs which is a lot for a 30 lbs dog.   But her theory as to why came as a bit of a surprise: he is intolerant to gluten.  The food he was eating was actually making him sick.  And it had been for the whole year and a half he had been alive.  Super foster mom mode kicked in and after the initial prescription dog food to give his system a rest, we delved into the world of being grain free.  It took another 2 months to discover he was also allergic to corn.  The total number of foods he could eat dwindled quickly.  This road has been arduous at times.  He is a very picky eater.  Just because the label said he could eat it, doesn’t mean he would.  He’s not a fan of chicken, though he will eat it.  He hates fish.  Not crazy for venison or lamb.  It’s been a journey to arrive at healthy food he will eat.  I started this blog as an outlet and in hopes it might help someone else.  I was utterly overwhelmed by the information I found when I started, and not all of it was good.  I am not one for picketing Iams or Purina because they use inferior grade products in their foods.  I have known many dogs that lived long and healthy lives on their big brand food.  I am not a whole foods person who won’t eat anything processed and by extension and therefore my dog must have a raw diet as well.  I am a pretty run of the mill 9-5 kind of person who simply has to look at dog products in a different light because he can’t have most ‘normal’ dog things.  And I struggled to find people who understood that.  Not that there is anything wrong with ‘crunchy’ people as my crunchy friends would say.  They are great people.  They have wonderfully healthy pets.  But so do people who just want a healthy happy pet and can get that with a big brand food.  They wouldn’t exist if they didn’t work.  Unfortunately they didn’t work for my dog.  And yes, I say MY dog.  My foster lasted about 2 months before I was so smitten there was no way my new found friend was going to find a better home, he already had one.  And he has a new name, one that he ‘chose’ himself: Patrick.  He’s a wonderful, healthy, active, loving companion.  And this is our journey.