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Great Pyrenees => Great Pyrenees Discussions => : LaurieW August 26, 2005, 09:38:08 PM
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Bella & Lucy got to come home today after what seems like an incredibly long wait (almost 2 weeks)!!!!!! :D
The drive home went well except for the Dallas traffic - something is always clogging the roads.Â
Bella is frightened by new places & her new home was no exception. I made her her own special place in an extra large pet yard pen...put in a couple dog bed cushions (she's so thin & bony that I worry about her lying on a hard floor), toys & Lucy, her foster friend. Also gave her half a tab of Rimadyl - she was spayed yesterday and just looked like she felt bad. She & Lucy took naps & then it was time to pack up & go to their new vet (Dr Hemenway has been my vet for Miko, Dona, Gremlin, & Fang for the last 12 years and is a sweetheart!!!) for a check up. Bella is 59lb & Lucy is 15lb. Other than looking a little sad from having their operations yesterday, both got a clean bill of health - this is good news, since they got exposed to the sweet Miss Sadie Parvo (who also has kennel cough).....I am anxiously waiting to see if they develop any signs of illness. Casper got a booster against Kennel cough today.
Casper was thrilled that he had 2 new playmates, but unfortunately neither wanted to play when they first got home......so, after getting home from the vet check and another long nap & some food, Lucy got brave enough to venture out of the pet yard & explore. She is sooo cute!! She & Chessie, my cat, are the same size & they are a riot to watch them chase each other!! ;D
Currently, Bella has gotten a little braver and come out of the yard to explore only to find a couple of Casper's rawhide chews - she promptly confiscated one & dared anyone to take it from her! So, naturally, I went to the pantry & got more out so that Lucy & Casper could have some, too.
Please say a prayer that everyone stays healthy & that they learn to tolerate each other....they had so much fun playing when we went to Bagheera's mom's (their foster mom) to visit.....it's sad that the stress of the day is making things difficult. :-\ The few times that Casper has tried to engage Bella in play, she has taken it as an attack & quickly tried to escalate things with growls & snaps. He's such a happy thing, that he doesn't seem to get it.
Thank God for Lucy & Casper who seem to be the happiest dogs alive!!! :DÂ I'm praying that Bella is just doing a "girl" thing & stressing..... too bad dogs can't eat chocolate when stressed!!! ;D
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oh I am glad everything is going good.
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I hope things get better! Poor Casper--he must be so disappointed that they don't want to play. I'll bet they relax in a day or two! (Cute photos too!) :)
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I am soooooo hoping that they relax & start to have fun.Â
The cute photos with the red in the background were taken by Bagheera's mom....TY, Karen!!!! :)
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Just give them a few days & they'll be playing more than you would like them too!...lol...I'm sending prayers for their health!
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They will get it all figured out among them in a few days. Good Luck ;)
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Here's wishing them good health. They're adorable! I'm glad they got to stay together. I'm sure that helps with the adjustment.
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Many thanks to all of you for the good wishes!
Here's day 2 (so far): Neither have had accidents in the house (I figure that is just a matter of time ;)) Both seem to be adjusting to different food without too much digestive problems. They like Casper's grown-up dog food much better than puppy kibble.
Lucy has decided is is great fun to chase Chessie, the monster cat, and when they really get going, Bella joins in. :DÂ Chessie seems to be handling it okay....someti mes I'm not sure who is chasing who.
Bella is still growling and snapping at Casper. >:(
Casper isn't feeling well today, has hardly touched his food, and has not tried to join in with any of the cat chasing games (but then, he's never tried to chase the cat); he's only tried to get Bella to play one time. :-[
Their adjustment may take a while, but I'm not giving up hope that they'll eventually be best friends yet! :)
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Hooraaaay! Day three is much better than day 2 or 1! :D
Late last night, Bella decided she didn't feel so bad any more & she, Casper & Lucy played for 2 hours! ;D Lucy was the instigator with a play "attack" on Casper's ears. They were sooooo cute, double teaming Casper! :D The play progressed from inside to outside, where Bella kept asking Casper to chase, but the big goof would just stand there, let her run like a nut around the perimeter of the yard, & played with her only on the patio. (was this part of whatever has been making him feel bad this weekend?)
The puppies are eating well and seem to be adjusting much better today. No growls or snaps from Bella at Casper at all today. Lucy is my "guard dog" & likes to bark at noises in the night.
Casper still is not eating much and mostly lying around. He & the 2 girls did play for a short while this evening. Is it just adjustment? Or is there something in a kennel cough booster shot that would make him feel bad?
Bella's wound from being spayed is healing nicely and so is Lucy's, but Lucy has a hard lump just to the right (her right) - she doesn't seem too tender & is the life of the party, so I'm trying not to worry about it too much. :)
Bella has discovered that there is a dog next door and if she crawls on her belly in the grass, she can just peek under the fence & sniff noses with him.......I'm wondering if I need to go & get some boards & stake them infront of the spaces - none of the spaces are big enough for Bella to get through, but I'm not so sure about Lucy....so I'll probably look at some of the odd pieces of lumber in the garage to see if they'll work. Another project!!!!! The list seems to be endless!!!! ;)
I'm using the NLIF with the puppies, and so far, things are going okay - but we've only been working on "sit", too......
Bella has taken to greeting me by putting her paws on my shoulders & giving me a puppy kiss - it's so cute that I'm torn between teaching her "no jump", or letting her get away with it. I'm a tall girl - 5' 8 1/2" - and Bella is supposed to be only 7 or 8 months old and she can easily raise up & put her paws on my shoulders---- how tall is she going to get??????
I am sooooo thrilled that they are all getting along better...now if Casper could just start feeling better! :D
Peace,
LaurieW
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Hey Laurie! I am sooooo glad things are going better today!! It sounds like everyone is adjusting very well. I hope Casper gets to feeling better. I know that both of my labs after their shots just laid around for about two days. I wonder if the shots make them feel bad? He could also be having adjustment issues with his new playmates, but should come out of that just fine. We keep calling Sadie "Bella!!" Habits are hard to break. Lexi has gotten to the point where she just says "whoever you are... come here!" Took Sadie's stitches out tonight - That was fun! I like the absorbable ones much better. Sadie did switch over to her regular dog food (instead of the vet kind that we could only feed her a tablespoon every two hours of) today and ate like a champ. I think she thought she was starving!!! I love hearing about Bella and Lucy and that they are doing good! I will pray that Casper gets all better and is his happy self! Talk to you soon.
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Glad to hear things are improving ;D
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Bella's wound from being spayed is healing nicely and so is Lucy's, but Lucy has a hard lump just to the right (her right) - she doesn't seem too tender & is the life of the party, so I'm trying not to worry about it too much. :)
Kendra had a little lump like that after her spay, it went away after a few day. Cindy didn't think it was anything.
I'm glad Lucy didn't have any "accidents" inside. Her brother Deuce look right at me and peed in my kitchen today. Luckly I had a towel right there and stuffed it under him. All three pups peed in there today? Do you want another puppy?
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I'm glad Lucy didn't have any "accidents" inside. Her brother Deuce look right at me and peed in my kitchen today. Luckly I had a towel right there and stuffed it under him. All three pups peed in there today? Do you want another puppy?
AAAAAAH! I knew I was in for it at some time!!! Lucy had her first accident - luckily she chose to pee on a pile of old magazines, and none of it got to the hardwood floor! :D
Pup Daddy, I think I'm gonna have my hands full with these two & Casper (when he starts feeling better he's gonna revert to his old pesty, loveable self!!!)!!!!!! :)
Keep posting Donut's & Duece's pictures - and Fluffy & Sadie's too - they are all wonderful dogs & I know they're gonna find good homes! I especially loved the ones "Donut-kill", & Donut-tail". Lucy bit both Casper's & Bella's tails during the play session outside tonight! :)
Peace,
LaurieW
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Day 4: THE BREAK OUT!!! ;)
Had to go to work yesterday (imagine that!) - was lucky enough to be able to get home & check on the puppies midway through the day - everything seemed to be okay...so back to work! Got home to find all 3 dogs & the cat at the back door waiting for their "hello" hugs. Bella & Lucy had busted out of the pet yard!!!!! And yes, there was an accident waiting for me to discover it! The babies didn't want to go to sleep - but mom couldn't keep her eyes open.......
Day 5: LET"S STRESS MOM!!! (and it's only been the first part of the day!)
Every mom's nightmare - one of the babies runs away! Bella showed Lucy the 4 inch gap at the back of the fence where the hill falls away...and Lucy decided to be a good will ambassador to the dog next door! Luckily, the other dog didn't hurt her, and Lucy responded to severals calls to "COME!!" and wiggled back under the fence. Got everyone back into the house for breakfast and then tried to take a power nap before working 12 hours....but my babies had other ideas - such as chasing Chessie the cat up & down the stairs & under mom's bed! Got ready for work & came out to put Bella & Lucy in the pet yard - and there's blood on the kitchen floor! Checked both of them & could only find a little dried blood on Bella's spay incision....ca lled the vet & was told that if she was eating & playing not to worry or call someone else in to cover me at work...I am soooo hoping that everyone is okay when I get home to check on them in an hour!
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Day 5: LET"S STRESS MOM!!! (and it's only been the first part of the day!)
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Poor Laurie! But, the babies are worth the stress!
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It sounds as if things are wonderfully chaotic there! ;D You have described thus far about every day at my house!...Ain't fur babies grand?!!! :D ;D
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Day 5 - second half:
Got home during my lunch break to find that Lucy had busted out (actually, she climbs out) of the pet yard & was there to greet me with Casper & Chessie....I'd put Bella upstairs and she was soooo put out with me! But keeping her quiet was the only thing I could think to do when finding blood 5 minutes before I'm suppose to leave for work!!! :P Everyone seemed okay & no accidents or blood......so back to work. Decided not to bother with the pet yard or upstairs containment & prayed that I would have a house & animals left when I got back from work........
Evening went well - no accidents & lots of wonderful "hello's" when I came in the door....no blood, either!  :D Bella has that teenager "bottomless legs" appetite!!! ;D Poor Chessie has to eat on top of the fridge or else the puppies or Casper eat his food before he has a chance to get to it. :D :D
I love to watch them play! I get so tickled & just have to laugh to see Lucy "attack" the "big" dogs!!! ;D ;D The girls love to double team Casper!!!! It's good for him, he's been the "BIG" dog for too long!!! ;D ;D
Day 6:
So far, so good....Bella's incision leaked some more of the watery blood this morning, but she is still her happy self....so I'm going to watch some more....the area around the incision isn't red or infected looking....I'm just a worrier, I guess :-\!!!Â
Thinking of worrying....wo ke up this morning to find Lucy sleeping on the floor by the bed (she likes to crawl under it & pretend it's a cave!)...nothing wrong with that, except that she has the energizer bunny's batteries in her and to see her lying still made me worry that she was sick or something!!! Mom definitely needs more sleep!!!! :D :D
Lucy loves to ankle bite Bella & Casper to try & get them to play :D....I was tickled to see that my new name is "ankle biter" on the post list!!!! :D :D
I totally agree with Gypsy!! Fur babies are definitely "GRAND"!!!! ;D ;D
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It sounds like everything is going really well! Bella, Lucy and Casper are so cute! I'm glad they're adjusting to their new home. :)
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Wow - It really sounds like you guys have been busy!!!! I am so glad things are going good for you guys. ;D I still miss them like crazy. They were hilarious to watch! Of course, now we got a whole new set to watch, so it all turns out good. Sadie has taken up barking - at ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! Drives me crazy. Now I know why pupdaddy's policeman next door said Miller had to go!! She decided to start this at 2:30 in the morning last night. And... if that was not bad enough, she has taught Bagherra how to do it and boy do their voices carry! It is really worth it though because now she is happy and CAN bark. She was just so sick, it is really hard to get mad at her! So we do the "No bark" thing (which does not work at all - in fact, I think she thinks it is funny).
I am not sure if you remember Barry when you came to get Bella and Lucy, but they have another puppy coming in from Canton that looks just like him. They have to be from the same litter. Same ears and everything (I do not think the blue eyes though). They are calling on pupdaddy for that one!! We shall see. He is really good with the puppies that come in. Donut has already gained double his weight! Yay pupdaddy!! Of course we cannot have anyone come in here for about six months because of the parvo and the kennel cough. Speaking of which, have Bella and Lucy had any problems with coughing? Stormie (our lab girl) got it, but the others seem to be fine (which is kind of weird, since they are all up-to-date on their shots). Now we are giving two of them antibiotics and cough medicine. Stormie has been throwing up a lot though, so it is hard to keep her meds down. No problems with the parvo part though thank goodness. A cough we can deal well.
Hope to see pictures of Bella, Lucy and Casper soon!! They are all so pretty. I am so glad they found you (and you them)!! It sounds like everyone is so happy.
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I am not sure if you remember Barry when you came to get Bella and Lucy, but they have another puppy coming in from Canton that looks just like him. They have to be from the same litter. Same ears and everything (I do not think the blue eyes though). They are calling on pupdaddy for that one!! ...
I had to turn them down, one too many dogs with him. I'm PupDaddy, not PupIdiot!
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Day 6:Â CRASH IN THE NIGHT!!! :o
Actually had what's become a "normal" day here - chase the cat, chase each other, eat like there's no tomorrow, one tiny accident late in the day (total count for the week:Â Lucy 3, Bella 0), tear up paper, chew on the hardboard that supposed to back one of mom's cabinets and hadn't gotten nailed down on the cabinet yet, double team Casper while playing "king of the stairs", and most unusual of all - they slept a lot!!!! ;D
Casper is still sulking a bit that he's not the only dog anymore...he's taken to growling at Lucy when she ankle bites him to get him to play. Those baby teeth hurt can hurt, and Bella has some bruises on her belly from them. So far, no parvo & no kennel cough...Bella was sneezing a lot for about 48 hours, and both Bella & Casper have developed a green eye drainage. Just a tiny amount of blood from Bella's incision - it looks like she is having a little bleeding from her vulva - is this normal??? ???
Lucy keeps trying to climb into the bucket of fresh water that I keep for them outside, so I put her on the first step of the pool (6 inches) to see what she would do - she just stood there and then calmly climbed up & out. I'm hoping she'll like the water...I used to love having races with Miko (lab/blue heeler mix that went to heaven in spring '04) in the pool. Casper thinks the pool is EVIL!! Bella ignores it. I tried to get Casper in the pool twice earlier this summer - first with treat bribes, next by just picking up his 90 lb self & placing him on the first step - after much effort, got him to the second step & swam 3 circles - I was covered with scratches and he was one wet MAD dog!!! He wouldn't take a treat for even trying to swim, and went & hid in the yard!!!LOL!!! Silly thing doesn't realize he's dealing with a mom that taught a golden retriever - Dona - (also a rescue, also in heaven - spring '05) who'd never swam to swim!!! I am going to persevere!!!! :D
Silly mom thought everything was going okay until.......CR ASH!!!! :o It's 2:15 AM and Lucy is barking like crazy, Bella can't be found, and Casper, the big goof, just looks up from his place on the bed & then lays his head back down as if he can't be bothered!!! :P Somebody forgot to tell him that he's supposed to be a GUARDIAN dog!!! ;)
I go investigate and find Bella cowering in the downstairs hall and infront of her in a big pile is the kitchen stool, the total gym, and the vacuum cleaner....now the kitchen stool lives in the kitchen about 30 feet from where it is now, and the vacuum cleaner lives in that hall, and the total gym has a place in the living room near the doorway to the hall......HOW did she get all 3 together in a pile????? Poor thing, I think she may have peed on herself in fright, 'cause she smelled like urine and I couldn't find any wet spots on the carpet once all the equipment was back in place. It took a while for her to settle down and bring her tail out from between her legs...she kept looking like she could jump a mile any minute if one more thing fell down!!! ;)
AAAh, the joys of having fur babies - well, any kind of baby, for that matter! :D :D :D
Lucy weighs 20 lb this morning - that's 5 lb in 7 days - gotta try keep up with PupDaddy's record with Donut, ya know!!! ;)
As soon as I figure out how to change "JPEG" to ".jpg" I'll have pictures to post! Any of you computer saavy people out there that can tell me how???
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DAY 7:
Had to work yesterday (day 7) & gotta work today, too! (need money to feed those hungry bellies & pay the vet bills!!) ;)Â
Checked on the cuties half way through the day - everything going well....got home & could smell the "accident" as I walked through the door....poor Lucy!!! :-\ It's tough having a mom that has to work long hours! Got everyone outside, then fed & cleaned up the mess (yuck).....and then it was play time for 2 hours. :)
They played inside, they played outside, then they played inside again. One of their favorite games inside is "king of the stairs"....kinda scary after I read some of the threads about stairs & puppies on other BPO areas! Lucy, the younger one is taking to the stairs with no problem...last night I noticed that Bella gets about 3/4 the way up & stops, rests, then completes the journey - is this a sign of too much too soon, or early HD??? ??? She has no problem going up or down when playing the game, just when following mom or her doggy friends......
Best thing about day 7: MIDNIGHT SWIM!! ;D IT was just too funny!!!!!!!! During the outside part of the play session that was filled with lots of zoomies & rolling in the grass, Lucy decided to check out that first step on the pool that I showed her last night!!! She walked right up, jumped down & then snuggled into the water like we snuggle into our blankets on a cold night (or into our guy's arms!)!! :D I was laughing hard, and running inside to get the camera & praying that she didn't drown herself before I could get back outside to get a pic!! What a happy dog! To be thoroughly wet & outside with friends to chase & nip & grass to roll in & agapanthus stems to bite & chew & destroy!!!! LIFE IS FUN!!! ;D
What an absolute JOY to have these critters around!!! :D :DÂ You're right, Pup Daddy - they are sooooo worth every effort and every anxiety and every clean up job!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Day 6:Â CRASH IN THE NIGHT!!! :o
As soon as I figure out how to change "JPEG" to ".jpg" I'll have pictures to post! Any of you computer saavy people out there that can tell me how???
First, read you camera instructions, and see if there is an option to change to default to the .jpg extention.
If not, when you start to attach the picture to you subject, you click the "browse" button, you then go to the directory where your picture is. You would click on the picture you want to attach, but before you click and choose "okay" click the right mouse button, and choose to "rename" change the file extention form .jpeg to .jpg, and you're done.
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TY, TY, Pup Daddy!!!! :D
It's been a long day after a long week at work :P ...when I can keep my eyes open and my brain unfogged enough to change all the pictures (in the morning...well, later in the morning as it is 1:30AM), I'll post a whole bunch of them! The instruction book & cd to the camera are buried somewhere on my desk...so it'll be easier to change the pictures than the camera right now..... ;)
BTW - very cute pic of donut on your avatar!!! :)
The pics will show y'all what I came home to tonight!!! :o :o :o Seems my little darlin's were having a party while I was at work!!!! ;) I got some serious housecleaning to do!!!! :P I'll pick up the worst of it tonight before turning in...the rest can wait 'cause my babies want to play!!! They don't know that mom is nearly asleep on her feet!!!
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It was a late night after cleaning up from the dog's party with packing materials and yet my little energizer bunny Lucy was up bright & early & ready to play!!! :) Day 9 has started!! :D
She & Bella found a great spot to dig up in the back yard....after Lucy had gone for a morning dip in the pool (thank goodness - I shudder to think what the pool would've looked like the other way around!!! ;) Sometimes it was hard to know if they were digging or fighting over who would get to lie in the cool spot!! :D
There actually have been some quiet moments.....fe w and far between.....Lu cy gave Chessie puppy kisses!! :-* :-*
Bella & Lucy needed baths after the dig - oh boy, that was not fun for Bella!!! She had to go & sulk afterward..... I think she forgave me when I took her by my work and showed her, Lucy & Casper off - She got lots of attention for being soooo pretty with her fur clean & soft!
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Those pictures are wonderful and priceless!!!! I just sit here and laughed. They look GREAT and oh so happy!! I think I forgot to tell you Bella does not like water much - I bet if anyone can teach her though - you can. Thank you for posting all the pictures! ;D
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I think I forgot to tell you Bella does not like water much  ;D
Hahahahahahaha hha! NOW you tell me!!!! TY, Karen!!! ;D :D ;D :D ;)
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Hey Laurie - Thought I would share this picture I found of Bagherra and Lucy.... It was so sweet! Give all the babies kisses from all of us!!!
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Wow!!! That is just adorable!!! Thank you so much for posting it!! :D
I took some more pics to Wallymart today to get put on disc so I can share them in the thread & hope to post them tonight....the saga continues!!! (oh no!)....... ;D
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Days 10-13:Â Finally, a semi-normal routine.....
My fur babies have continued to adjust & have settled into a routine (of sorts):Â play in the morning, eat, play some more, sleep, sleep some more, potty break, play at dusk, play harder, eat, chew bone chips, sleep, play late at night, sleep...... :)
Lucy can now jump onto the bed & it's like having a human child sleep in your bed with you...she wiggles, she moves, she "talks", she crawls, she tries to chew on mommy, she walks on mommy & Casper, and plops herself down at the top of the bed just above mommy's head on mommy's pillow and curls her body around mommy's head....someti mes she has to groom mommy's hair, and sometimes she wakes mommy up by giving her puppy kisses in the morning..... :D :D :D
This morning, mommy ignored Bella (she was nosing the levalor blinds at the window & making lots of noise)....and when mommy finally woke up, Bella had snatched one of her leather sandals & chewed through the strap  :-\  ....a few days ago, mommy woke to the sound of gnawing & went & checked....Bel la looked very innocent, but on close examination of the area where she was lying, the baseboard had been chewed on :o  ....Lucy accidently/on purpose spilled mommy's ice water this evening and Bella spent several concentrated minutes looking for & chewing the ice cubes... :DÂ
Well, stupid mommy thought it was funny that she was chewing ice cubes (mom's addicted to chewing ice, too) and so she put crushed ice in the water bowls when she brought the furkids in to eat supper.....and, because Bella has taken Zoey's advice about how to drool, all the water she picked up with the cubes leaked out of the back of her mouth where her lips are loose, and onto the floor....Lucy thought that water splashing was great fun and began pawing at the water & cubes that remained in the bowls and splashing it out & then zooming around the house with wet paws (yup - headed straight for the hardwood dining room floor first, too!!)!!! :D :DÂ Think they were just trying to help mommy keep the floor clean??? ;D ;) ;D
I've been looking at Casper & Bella (pure pyr) & Lucy (pyr/collie mix?) & wondering .... Casper was originally thought to be a Pyr/lab mix, & then a Pyr/German shepherd mix (when he developed a sensitive stomach & I had to do an elimination diet to find out what it was - greenies); but after seeing the cute pictures on the Kuvasz site, I'm wondering if he's got some of that breed in him too? Whatever he is - he's a lovebug! He's starting his fall "molt" and I'm having fun pulling his undercoat out - it's kinda like popping the bubble wrap...ya just can't pop one bubble, and I can't do just one pull! Fortunately, he's really good natured and tolerates his mom messing with him. ;D
Chessie the cat decided to help mom put together some cabinets on Labor day, and the 3 dogs lined up to watch....Caspe r decided to get camera shy just as I snapped the picture (he doesn't like the infared beam or the flash).... :-\
Lucy kept falling asleep so I put her on the bed & she crawled right up to my/ummmm, her pillow---it was too much to resist posing her with Miko's bear......I am soooo blessed to have these sweeties in my life!!! :D
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What great pictures..I like the very last one. Such pretty eyes!!
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THANK YOU!!!! I'm so glad you like my doggies (& cat) & the story of our lives!! :D :D
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Awesome pics & great stories!...It sounds like it is happily chaotic there!! :D
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TY, Gypsy! It is wonderfully chaotic!
I was worried what would happen with all their puppy energy today....
mommy woke up with a stomach virus & over 9 hours threw up 12 times, aches, fever....yuck. ...my babies were sooo good! They had their usual play session this morning and tried to use mom's bed as home base, until mom lured them out of the door & shut it - thinking, I won't have a house left when I can open this again....could hear lots of heavy breathing & pounding paws up & down the stairs......bu t when I reopened the door an hour later, they seemed to sense that until mommy felt better they needed to sleep & snuggle. All that energy was contained until tonight - mommy felt better & everyone went outside to zoom & play, even Casper! He's so into being dignified, that he doesn't always get into the play of the younger puppies...... :)
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Day 16: Proud Mommy!
Lucy made me soooo proud today! She asked to go out & use the potty outside!!!! ;D ;D She did it once a couple days ago, then "forgot" but no accidents in 2 days and today......... ......trotted up to the back door, nosed the blinds, & turned to look at me while I'm reading BPO posts as if to say....."are ya gonna just sit there???" ;D ;D
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(http://C:\Documents and Settings\Cindi\ My Documents\My Pictures\eowyn3.jpeg)
What beautiful pictures..... I know the chaos of which you speak, and I look forward to it everyday!!! Call me crazy.... but without it, I would just be lost.. I just returned home from the hospital after having surgery. The entire time during my stay there, I could not rest comfortably because it was just "too darn quiet".. And the minute I was able to walk in the door and be "pounced upon" by both babies.... I was in instant heaven.... Best sleep I had in days!
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(http://C:\Documents and Settings\Cindi\ My Documents\My Pictures\eowyn3.jpeg)
What beautiful pictures..... I know the chaos of which you speak, and I look forward to it everyday!!! Call me crazy.... but without it, I would just be lost.. I just returned home from the hospital after having surgery. The entire time during my stay there, I could not rest comfortably because it was just "too darn quiet".. And the minute I was able to walk in the door and be "pounced upon" by both babies.... I was in instant heaven.... Best sleep I had in days!
Thank you, Cindi! :D
Hope your surgery wasn't anything too serious & that you recover completely & soon! I know about not being able to rest in hospitals - it's either too quiet or too noisy, the beds are not as comfy as your own at home......But most of all, there is just something about those fur babies that make life better when they are around! :D I like to think that it is the unconditional love that they give to us so freely. :D
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Week 3: :D :D :D
Training!!!
My 3 doggies (and cat) continue to amaze & amuse me......all 3 dogs want to train at the same time....if I start working with one, they line up & each one has to have their turn at performing the latest command.....I get tired of it before they do (which is a good thing - always leave them wanting more!) :) We've got sit, watch me, sort of a down, sort of a come - their Pyrenees & Kuvasz heritage is getting in the way here!!! ;) Sometimes Bella & Casper look at me as if to say....."and just WHY should I do that??" ;D ;D Lucy is an attention hog & wants endless treats, so she is actually the easiest to work with! She starts puppy obedience class this Sunday.
Leaving the "den"!!!
I tried to take Lucy out the front door to get the mail & she was totally scared!! I was expecting some hesitancy, but all she wanted to do was to make a run back to the door....she knows the back door goes to a wonderful place to play and the garage door is the place to say "hi" to mommy when she comes home from work or where-ever.....we'll have to make the front door a good place, too! I had her on her leash - she does fine walking around the back with it....and it was just too much.....poor thing! She managed to get half way between the house & the street with lots of coaxing...unti l I took pity on her & scooped her up & carried her to the mail box & tried to get the mail (of course there was a ton!)....spilling the mail in order to keep her in my arms.......... sometimes I feel like I'm Curly of the 3 Stooges!! ;D
Teenagers!!!
Bella has "MOODS"!!! LOL!!! Just like a girl! She is escalating her play/aggression with Casper & Lucy a bit....I had to intervene a couple times with Lucy - Bella doesn't want to let up that throat grab/pin and I've heard some gurgling/strangling noises from Lucy :-\.......with Casper - I'm letting them work it out.....Casper doesn't try to hurt Bella during play, but she definitely does what she can to deck him....last night she tried a couple new moves....she lept out of the bushes along the side of the yard about 3 feet away & 3 feet into the air & landed on top of him -she's 65lb, he's 90lb - so it didn't phase him....then she reached under & grabbed the opposite foreleg & yanked backwards..... that downed him on his side for about 5 seconds....he is sooo agile! Jumped right back up! I started feeling sorry for him, so I called Lucy over to me, so it was a bit more fair & he wasn't having to deal with the little ankle biter at the same time - just the big one! Bella definitely takes advantage of the times when Casper's attention is diverted to fend off Lucy! Lucy takes full advantage of being smaller than Bella & Casper & dives under objects to get away from them & to launch a new play attack.......s mart critter!!! :D
Bella is now almost as tall & long as Casper! When I first saw her in early August, she was several inches shorter than him....she is growing! Lucy is growing, too - she wont be able to hide under things much longer - she got stuck under the recliner yesterday! LOL! I shouldn't have laughed, but I did, then rescued her. :D I still think she looks like a lizard when she lays spread out....I know the "survey said": Frog!!!! A couple days ago, a lizard attached himself to the outside of my kitchen window for about 24 hours...drove Chessie nuts trying to get at him! :D I think he was trying to catch the night bugs attracted to the light & got stuck....if he hadn't moved the next day, I was gonna go & rescue him....I've seen him scuttling about the yard, but never on the window before - he he he! ;D Casper remains camera shy - he hid behind the bush near the back door to avoid getting his pic taken! :D
Laughs!!!!
Lucy loves to pester Chessie the cat and vice versa....I bought Chessie a cat tunnel to play in a few months ago - he loves to dive into it & play "attack"....Lucy thinks that's a grand game & the two of them are hilarious to watch! Sometimes one's head is in one end of the tunnel and the other's head is at the other end with both butts sticking up in the air....they move so fast I haven't been able to catch that on camera yet! ;D Lucy loves a little dragon I got at PetSmart & is trying to chew it's tongue off...her other favorite toy is a stuffed goose with a squeaker in it....she'll zoom around the house with it in her mouth, making a growling/grunting noise & biting on the goose to make it squeak.....I crack up with laughter every time!!! ;D ;D
Bella likes coffee!! :) I spilled a bit this morning (klutzed myself trying to shut the microwave door), and she came over to investigate & licked up the several drops on the floor as I was cleaning it off the dishwasher & counter! AAAAH!!! :D A girl after my own heart!! :D (It was Starbucks, too!!!) ;D
I'm gonna be a doggy foster mommy!!! :D I'm getting a 6 m/o Pyr that weighs under 30# & was left out with the goats with no socialization to humans..... :-\ :'( She needs love & food & attention & other puppies to play with.....no problem with any of that here!!! :D
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So glad that everything seems to be going relatively smoothly... I just love these updates!
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I love hearing about what is going on with you & the dogs!!!...Awesome pics!...I bet there is never a dull moment there!! ;D
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Great pics! Thanks for keeping us updated. I love to hear about your doggies. Good luck with the training. Kiah and I start tonight. I hope all goes well with your new pyr. Do you know what kind of lizard it is? It looks like some kind of swift? I love lizards! I have two bearded dragons. Both are male. I thought we had a male & female. The one even had a feminine name until we realized it was a male. I'm thinking about fostering for our humane society, but haven't decided yet. I don't know if I could handle the emotions.
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I'm so glad to have the wonderful BPO folks to share these stories with! Thanks for listening/reading/looking at pictures!!!! :D :D :D
I think my co-workers are starting to roll their eyes when I pull out the next set of photos! ::)
I have no clue what kind of Lizard it is....I named him Henry earlier this summer...he likes the brick wall along the garage - it heats up in the morning sun & stays that way into the night.
Your guys are way cute!
I've also got a rat snake living somewhere in the yard....he showed up on my front doorstep 4 weeks ago....natural ly, I went running for the camera & couldn't find it....when I did, mr. snake was mostly under the bushes...I grabbed his tail (eeewww - slimy!) and let go right away - mostly 'cause of the yucky slimy feel & it slithered off under the bushes shaking it's tail & making it rattle!!! Only afterwards was I thinking....ge e, that was a stupid thing to do!!!! Especially because at the time I didn't know what kind of snake it was & thought it might be a rattlesnake (I've only seen copperheads up close & personal!) So, I call Keller animal control...the lady at the police department talks to me as if I'm drunk (at 10AM!) but puts me through to the guy...40 minutes later he shows up and wants to see the snake! Idiot! But he was a nice one. By now the snake is long gone, but he had a helpful book with pictures....th e snake I saw looked most like a rat snake, not a rattle snake (whew!)....still there's that thing about the tail rattle.....I'd rather it be a rat snake, tho....a rat family moved into an empty bird house on my neighboor's side of the fence...no wonder the doves don't nest in my trees and the wrens don't use the rose bushes alonge the side of the fence!
Ditto on the "good luck" with training! I love that picture of Kiah with her toy in her mouth! It is soo cute! :D
I've been thinking about being a doggy foster parent for a year.....even more so in the past 3 weeks....the president of SPIN has 14 dogs at her place that need foster homes.
Yes, I think the emotions are going to be there, and are not going to be easy (Pup Daddy just placed Deuce) - but to love a critter (human or dog) back to health is what I do best - God gave me a talent & I have no choice but to use it....the skill, strength, peace, love, & grace comes from Him.
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Day 24: :D I'm a doggy foster mommy! :D
My foster baby arrived yesterday..... .while Pup Daddy & crew were playing it cool in Pet Smart (Good job, Donut et al!! Well done!!) :D ....Casper & I went to the Arts/Car (lots of great looking antique cars!) fair on N. Bishop street and endured the heat of a Texas afternoon..... with us were Papa, Louie, Pearl, Miller, & Cody.
Poor Papa looked sooo sad - he'd had to be shaved because he'd had embedded foxtails in his skin, plus he's elderly & has bad hips, and of course, that famous Pyr drool...made my heart break to see him... :'( Pearl & Louie hid in the shade under the table, but both were angels & let the kids crawl down there with them & pet them....Cody looked gorgeous (he belongs to Celeste). Miller was a sweetie, and let everyone pet him, too. :)
Casper got his picture taken by several fair goers - he wanted to walk around so we went up & down the street telling everyone to go & look at the puppies & Papa. The super nice folks in the bookstore that we were in front of cooked us hot dogs and let us take Casper & Cody inside the store to cool off. Pearl came home with Casper & I.
Pearl's story: Pearl & 6 other puppies were living on a goat farm in Louisiana with an 82 year old care taker...she ran out of food & couldn't afford to purchase any more from the feed store; all the dogs were starving - puppies & adults. The elderly lady's family took over the farm & her daughter was given an ultimatum to do something with the dogs. SPIN has 7 of the puppies and are working with the elderly lady's daughter to get the adult females fixed (and would like to get the males fixed, too - but first things first: stop the puppy factories.)
The puppies have had no human contact and very little food and are "mini-pyrs"....they will probably never reach full size because of the lack of nutrition. At 6 months old (birthdate is thought to be in March '05), Pearl weighs less than Lucy (25 lb). She only a little taller - 20 inches to Lucy's 16 inches at the shoulder. :'( Pearl is very frightened by anything new right now....with time & care, that should get better.
I thought Bella came to me extremely thin, but Pearl wins that contest hands down. She is more a picture of skin & bones than Bella was. Bella at 8 months only weighed 65 lb....she's now closer to 70. I haven't weighed her, but she is definitely heavier when I lift her into the car - since she thinks it's evil & won't get in by herself!!! Bella is obviously taller than she was when Casper & I first met her. Bella had to tell poor Pearl that Bella was "Boss Lady" around here & snapped at her a few times... :-\ Pearl cowers - just cowers with fright at things you wouldn't think would bother a dog....such as - pulling the measuring tape out - it makes a clicking noise as the tape is pulled...it sent her running for cover! :-\
Lucy was my little goodwill ambassador again...she is very interested in Pearl (and not as threatening to Pearl as the bigger dogs)....last night she got in the pet yard with Pearl, laid down beside her & snuggled...the n sat up, picked up one of the tiny tuff tennis balls & dropped in right in between them so Pearl could play with it....Lucy then picked up the chick (or is it a duck?) chew toy & played with that.....Pearl mouthed the ball a bit, but because she's never had toys to play with...she doesn't really know what to do with them.......she accidently sat on a squeaky ball...that made her take notice and she did keep nosing it to make it squeek! Yaaay, Pearl!! :)
Lucy had her first day at puppy school today...she did great!!! :D I was soooo proud of her! She learns fast! :D :D :D She was a little shy about the "meet & greet" part of class, but didn't bark or growl at anyone! She had an advantage over the others 'cause we've been working here at home on: watch me, sit, 4 on the floor, take it, leave it, come, & leash walking, as well as potty training. I've never used a clicker with my dogs, but since Pet Smart is requiring it for their upper level classes and I think I want to train her for agility work...we added the clicker today.
The 2 Princesses had to play a game of "Queen of the Stairs" this morning...each one wanted to be the dog on the top step. ;)
When Casper woke up, he wanted to get a sunbath....Do your Pyrs do that?? He cracks me up with laughter when he asks to go out just to toast each side in the sun...he stays out about an hour, then asks to come back inside! ;D
Maybe it's a good thing that SPIN needed me to foster Pearl instead of Fluffy....I haven't stopped thinking about Fluffy since Casper & I met her at Pup Daddy's place (along with Deuce & Kendra)...........hel p me!! help me!!! I think I'm in love with Fluffy, too!!! LOL!!! ;D ;D I'd probably get her here & never want her to go to anyone else!!! LOL!! ;D ;D Casper liked Fluffy, too!!! ;D ;D
My 2 girls got into the wild side of the yard & ended up covered with seed burrs....had to spend an hour brushing them out of Lucy's coat...luckily, I saw Bella start to go to the same spot & was able to divert her attention before she got as bad as Lucy! Poor Lucy came out of the burr patch & looked soooo miserable! :( She kept shaking herself & scratching - as if to say, "get these off me!" I was disgusted with her, but laughing at the same time!!! :D
Chessie spends his time equally playing chase with the girls or hiding out on the highest perch he can find....I thought I'd taught him not to climb the ladders (by not rescueing him, & making him figure his own way down!)....but after not going there for a couple months, I heard him climbing them again!!! This time, I took pity on him & fetched him down! LOL! :)
Someone has been getting into my chair! I found the culprit in there this morning!!! :D Maybe one of the gang from Pup Daddy's house sent her instructions? Hee hee hee!! ;)
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Day 28: AAARGH! I want to rant, but I wont - instead, here's the score:
Score: Bella: 1 (see picture!) >:(
Laurie: 2 :D
My points were won this way:
1) Tonight, Lucy decided to push past my legs as we were walking along the edge of the pool & fell in the deep part...I turned as soon as I heard the splash & saw her dog paddling her way to the surface & then start to sink again - made a grab for the scruff on her neck & got her & pulled her out (all 25.6 lb with one hand - that's what adrenaline will do for you!!!) - soaking my jeans in the process......I was soooo relieved that it happened when I was close enough to help and that I didn't have to jump in fully dressed to get her out! Lucy wasn't harmed & after shaking off the water, zoomed around the yard inviting Bella, Casper & Pearl to play.
2) Pearl is starting to respond by looking up when her name is called; she has stopped running for cover when I approach; she's walking on leash with very little resistance; (she had no human contact until 3 weeks ago!)... and she wants to play! She tried to play tonight (after Lucy's dunking), but would get scared & make a run to hide under the bench rocker when Bella would respond.....Wo uld you believe Pearl's in love with Casper!?! Her tail wags like crazy when he comes near her!!!! LOL!!! Makes me laugh to think how an ex-male can collect such a harem!!!! LOL!!
Anyone out there know what I need to do to fix the stair? ???
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Day 28:Â Â Anyone out there know what I need to do to fix the stair? ???
1, spray that spot with bitter apple
2. wait 1 1/2 years until they are not puppies any more
3, buy and move into a new home
4, get a puppy
5, return to #1
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Day 28:Â Â Anyone out there know what I need to do to fix the stair? ???
1, spray that spot with bitter apple
2. wait 1 1/2 years until they are not puppies any more
3, buy and move into a new home
4, get a puppy
5, return to #1
1. Yup, did that & have been doing it......it wears off after 2-3 days....must've missed it on the last go round...... :(
2. Gonna do that..... ;)
3. Don't think I'll be doin' that..... :)
4. I have 3 - maybe I need one more? LOL!!......BTW....d id Fluffy get adopted? ;D
5. Gonna keep doin' that (also use ground pepper!) ;)
Thanks for the advice, Walter!! I love your sense of humor - makes me laugh every time!!! :D
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Day 32:
Wow!! Can't believe my babies have been with me for a month!!! ;D ;D
Everyone is settling in, including my foster, "Mini" Pearl.
Pearl came up & nosed a sqeaky toy tonight (instead of turning her head away) & ran after it in a game of "fetch" - she'd get it & trot proudly to one of her hiding spots in the yard...she even came out from behind the junipers that line the fence when I called her to come inside....she starting to play more & more with Bella & Lucy - she & Lucy are very close in size even though Pearl is 2-3 months older than Lucy.... She still has moments of fear...and there are steps backwards for those that go forward...but her overall direction is in the right way - I'm sooo proud of her!!! :) She's also getting interested in what's happening when the other 3 are training - instead of hiding behind the sofa where she can't see us at all...she now lies down about 12 feet away & watches!
It's been Vet week here - 3 times so far!!! LOL!! Is it any wonder that after 13 years, my vet & I are good friends & on first name basis!?!
First - Lucy developed a small abscess where her spay incision was healing - that got better with drainage & pulling out the stitch that didn't disolve like it was supposed to...
Second - Pearl's ears started smelling really bad :P - it was time for her (non absorbable) stitches to come out, so off to see Dr. Ted...poor thing was shaking with fright after having to get the nasty stuff flushed out of her ear canals....she got lots of attention & loving from Dr. Ted's staff, to make up for it....and I took her to Petsmart for a special treat....she was frightened when we first walked in, so I put her in the basket....then she got brave & jumped out & wanted to walk all over the store!!! LOL!! She got scared again at the check out register (a really tall, big guy was standing in line behind me)...so I picked her up & put her on the counter to be near me & let her know it was okay....lot's of adults were in the store that day (kids were all in school) & they would come up & love on her & ask about her!! :)
Third trip to see Dr. Ted was today - Bella was tilting her head to the left & shaking it almost non-stop when I got home last night....I looked, but no sign of infection....a nd I just knew she probably had gotten one of those stupid burs in there......sur e enough, when Dr. Ted looked today - there are 3-4 of them all the way down next to the tympanic membrane! Choices were to do general anesthesia & flush (they are so far down that it would be very painful for her to do it awake - a different situation from Pearl's superficial ear infection) or to try Otic-calm flushes for a week & see if I can get them out here at home --- I'm gonna do plan B & hope for the best!!! All because I like wildflowers & encourage them in my garden & didn't get them out when they went to seed 'cause it got hot & I went on mission trips.....(give me a bit & I'll think of more excuses!!! LOL!!) :-\ ;) :)
Poor Bella! She hates the car!! She got car sick (good thing she had an empty stomach & it was just drool) when I took her with Lucy earlier this week....so she was NOT thrilled to have to get in the car today! What with being nauseated & drooling more than usual & shaking her head to try & get rid of the burs in her ear canal -- she was flingning the stuff every where!!! LOL!! I shouldn't have laughed, but it was funny!!!
I was chatting with the clerk at Dr. Ted's about Pyrs - there's one in the Saginaw animal control shelter which is the town my vet is located in....seems her dad wants a Pyr....I gave her SPIN's info when I went earlier in the week with Bella & Lucy....then found out about the one in the shelter & called the animal control officer to let him know that she might be interested.... the Pyr in the shelter is there for the 3rd or 4th time...his owner surrendered him rather than pay the fine again...seems he didn't want to fix his fence, either.... >:( Typical story: No shots, fur matted, not neutered, dog aggressive (but luckily not people aggressive), weight - unusually good at 120lb..... We've all seen the stories here on BPO...why do people get dogs & then not take responsibility for them? ???!!! The girl at Dr. Ted's office thinks her dad might like to give this dog a try....please keep the poor Pyr in your prayers!
While we were talking, the lady behind me & her daughter start petting Bella after asking permission (Bella's eating this up!!!) And the lady starts asking what breed she is...etc...I'm thinking.....h mmm....her daughter is in this cute pink & white cheerleading outfit....Donu t looks great in pink....they would match!!! So I told her about Donut & how to get to petfinder.com & look at her pictures...... .then I felt guilty 'cause I think Pup Daddy's heart is gonna break even bigger when Donut leaves than when Deuce left......I just don't see him letting her go.....
Well, it's finally time to leave the vets - and Bella doesn't want to move...she's perfectly happy just lying on the cool tile floor! I finally coax her up & we walk out the door just as several Semi's are roaring by along the highway & she gets scared & turns & tries to get back in the door & ends up in the corner of the front porch doing a melt down!!! I'm laughing, and trying to coax her back up - it's only 20 feet to the car...and nothing doing!!! :o So I pick up her front end & put her paws under her, and then try to get the back end up, and she lets all her bones "melt" (if any of you have toddlers out there you know what I'm talking about!!! LOL!!) - she & I try this several times, and finally I poke my head in the door of the clinic to see if Dr. Ted will come & pick up my bag of 71lbs of melted Pyr for me....now he's laughing, too, & suggests doing what we've all done in the grocery store with our human kids....tell them we're leaving & walk away.....so I go to the car & Bella the Princess just lies there until Dr. Ted picks her up & carries the poor Princess! LOL!! ;D
I would've taken her to PetSmart for a treat, but she began to drool copiously from the nausea & was flinging it all over me & the car...and I decided that it would be better just to go home....LOL!! Once we were in the house she made a bee line for the bedroom & her bed, but couldn't get in (I shut the door when I'm gone so they don't tear things up), and settled for lying down on the upstairs landing. Poor Baby Princess!!! LOL!!
The pics for today are of Pearl & Bella:
first one is Pearl hiding under the recliner (the recliner is decorated with Bella's wood carvings!!)
second one is Bella with her favorite treat - a rawhide chip
It's been grand sharing this month with y'all! Thanks so much for supporting, listening & reading!! :) Unless y'all tell me otherwise, I'm gonna let this be my last post for this thread.
Grace & Peace,
Laurie