Vet Visit

Well folks, this year is wrapping up. And what better way to bring it to an end than with...........a teeth cleaning session??

Yep. Fun stuff.

I'm not sure when Hoss was in last, but in the 1 year and 3 months I've had him, we've been what you'd call "lax" on the whole dental hygiene front.

But, all news was good. No extractions! And the doc said everything looked really good!

I also had them do some bloodwork to check for underlying issues. No issues there either!

Bud got his shots up to date, too. What a day!

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Unseasonal Sunday

Can I just say, "Wow!" It is November in Iowa......and it was 67 degrees this afternoon. A weird, balmy air - something not typical of this time of year.

Of course, we had to take advantage of it! The boys and I, along with our neighbor and her dog Boz, went out to a local, vacant, baseball diamond for an afternoon of fun. It was fun to watch Boz chase the ball, and the boys chase Boz!

Big Dog in a Little Bed

Chris Farley would be proud......

Hoss, desperately wanting to nap in the sunroom with Mom, Jim and I, tries many positions on the floor but never one that was comfortable. The bed closest to him was Tito's little sofa. It does fold out to sort of a chaise lounge chair, but still.....

Who says greyhounds take up lots of room? Look how small he can make himself!!!!

Couch, collars, and just plain goofy

I have PROOF!!!!

I had blankets left on the couch from when my Mom, sis and cousin were here for the marathon. Guess they were inviting!

I was sitting on the couch, working on the laptop, when Hoss walked over and stepped right on up. At first I wanted to stop him............but I gave in. :) The boys are now allowed on the couch. Bud has even found it to be quite comfy, and will sit next to me when he is feeling snuggly.

I like this shot.....you can almost hear the dialog between them!

Fall is here, so it was time for some new collars. Of course, DogmaLondon.com had just the right ones to suit the boys' current moods.

Here is Hoss in "Inked" - it has various tattoo-like graphics, including one that reads 'I love Mom' :)

Bud is wearing "Super Dawg". He really has exhibited superhero-type actions lately. Whether it is stealing toys away from Hoss before he is even noticed, or sliding quietly into the favorite bed at night, knowing very well he will have to fight a battle of wills in about an hour when Hoss decides HE wants to sleep there. (Note: this is where Bud's superheroness falls short, as Hoss always wins the battle-for-the-bed.)

Here are some shots of the boys enjoying an ice cream cup one afternoon. I've been awfully busy lately, so I try to give them some "good treats" every once in a while to bribe for their affection!!! :)

Greymates?

This is too cute! http://www.greymates.org/

Oh, and I'm not intentionally neglecting the dog blog. Been a little busy getting my other blog up and going.

The boys are doing good. Been kind of boring around here lately. We do have some greyt events coming up soon, so they will out in full greyhound force. Pictures will be taken.

If only it could be.....three?

This is Trever. I met him for the first time this weekend at an HGA event. What a lover!!! If only my association would let me have a third, I would have chipped this weekend. Do you think they would notice an additional 80+ pounds walking around with me??? The beautiful brindle acts like camouflage, right? I think I could have gotten away with the "I'm just dog sitting for a few weeks" excuse.....for a few weeks. Eventually they would have caught on and someone would report me.

Trever is such a sweet boy! But all is not lost. A nice young couple is ready to adopt this handsome pupper. They are moving into a new house soon - what a greyt house warming gift!!!

*Sigh.*

Oh well.....

Frogs and Hogs

Our evening walks have become quite entertaining. There seems to be a large number of little bity frogs that come out at night and chill on the sidewalk along our potty walk path. I have no problem with them being there, if only they would just STAY STILL!!! Every time they get to hopping around, I have to hold the boys back. Don't they know we have a pact???!!? You don't jump around in clear sight and I won't let my dogs eat you!! :)

So, the other night, after our final frog-filled frolic of the evening, the boys and I head to bed. Well, let me clarify. I went to bed. The boys, about 30 minutes later, finally decided to join me. Bud headed up first and had his pick of the beds. (The one closest to mommy is the primo spot.) About 5 minutes later, Hoss decided to join us. In my half asleep'dness, I hear him coming, but think nothing of it. Until......the undertone of growls starts. I open my eyes to see Hoss, pawing at the bed as if to fluff it - only instead of the other bed, he is priming the one Bud is laying on. Bug tried to defend his spot with a growl and a few warning barks, but Hoss is the Boss and was too stubborn for that. Since Bud wouldn't move, Hoss decided to lay down on the floor between me and Bud. (That is not a lot of room....he was crammed in there, making a point.) Eventually, Bud got the hint, gave in, and moved over to the next bed. Hoss claimed his prize and they both drifted to sleep.

Exhibit #1: Drool Spot

Your Honor, I would like to present Exhibit #1: a drool spot on a throw pillow from the couch.

Upon arriving at home after a long, exhausting bike workout, I greeted the boys with my usual love and affection. As I walked over to turn on the laptop, I noticed a dark spot on one of the pillows. A quick touch - wet. A quick sniff -not pee (phew!).

The prosecution feels this evidence is substantial in our ongoing efforts to prove that one of the household hounds is seeking comfort on the plush, leather wrapped cushions of the living room couch while their super-fly owner (that's me!) is not present.

New trends....

The boys have developed some new habits lately. I guess they are still "settling in" to their new living situation - though we are quickly approaching 1YEAR as a family. Here is the latest trends:

- Bud has started marking when we are out on walks. He used to be a go-one-time-and-I'm-good kinda boy, but now he will go two or three times when we are out. Hoss has been a great role model (Mr. 6-7 times).

- Now that Bud marks, we have had an increase in the number of times the Bud ends up peeing on Hoss' head!!! They sniff out a spot together, then Bud hikes a leg while Hoss is still investigating. I have to keep a close eye so that I can divert Hoss' head at the last second.

- Bud has always been one to wait until the last possible moment to do his "business". Usually it is on the last little patch of grass available. I guess he wanted to push it just a little further. Now, about 50% of the time at least, he ends up leaving a present for me on the sidewalk! Like a good owner, I pick up after them each time, but the little spot that is left....I almost feel embarrassed!

- Hoss has become excited about eating his meals again. (At one point, I had to convince him that he needed to eat.) At least 3 times now, while I'm standing at the counter preparing his food, he will ram his nose into my backside! As if to say "Hurry up Mom! I'm hungry!"

- I think one of the boys (I'm guessing Hoss) is getting up onto the couch while I am at work during the day. I've been noticing unusual amounts of dog hair on the cushions, and today, I found one of the throw pillows on the floor. I know I didn't put it there!!!

- Bud whines. When we are out on a walk and we stop for longer than 30 seconds - he whines. If we are standing and talking to neighbors - he whines. It's really annoying.

The day finally came....

...when I had to deal with the inevitable.

So, I was getting ready to head out for my July 4th 8K race. The boys (Hoss, Bud, and Tito) were outside enjoying the cooler morning air (relative, since it was already 79 at 7:00 am). I took a peek out back to make sure all was well. I saw Hoss laying in the grass, playing with something. He was acting as if he had a stuffie out there with him. Chomp, chomp, toss, chomp, chomp, chomp....I knew I hadn't put one out there with him.....I wonder what he's......OMG it isn't.......yep, OMG, yes it is......an animal of some sort!!! Eeeeekkk! A baby bunny!!!! Where the.....what the......"HOSS!!! NO!! PUT THAT DOWN!!!"

As I went outside, freaking, Hoss chomped down on his prize and tried to calmly walk away as if he hadn't done anything wrong. I grabbed him by the collar and tried to get him to drop it. Yeah right!! Like he was going to do that, with Bud standing there, waiting anxiously for his turn with the new toy. I had to pry his jaw open to get it out, holding both Bud and Hoss at bay. This was the event that I knew would happen some day, but I didn't figure it for a while since I don't have a yard where they have free access to chase little critters.

Poor baby bunny.... :(

Update!!!

Wow! It has been over a month since my last entry. So much has been going on - mostly for me and less for the boys. But, the boys have had some excitement. I've been traveling a bit lately, and Hoss' former foster parents agreed to watch both of the boys while I've been away. The first was for a quick two days while I traveled to Moline for work. The next was for a long weekend (Wed night - Sunday evening) while I was in Denver for a triathlon. They got to spend time with Hoss' old buddy Grizz (Grizzley). They all had a great time playing in their big back yard. I guess there was a little bit of jealousy going on from Bud whenever Hoss and Grizz would play together. Bud felt a little left out! :( On both occasions, I was ecstatic to pick up my boys and take them home. They seemed so happy to see me!! It is great to know that they love you and miss you when you are gone!! Especially after the trip to Denver, Hoss has been a little more clingy than usual.

Their free-range living is still going great. I haven't had any issues with them having full run of the house. I have noticed that they aren't as spastic when I come home from work as they were when they were kept in the kitchen. I think they don't realize how long I've been gone now that they can casually lay about.

I also recently got them some new collars from Dogma London. Check 'em out!

Brotherly Love

Well, it is starting to happen. Hoss and Bud have started to view each other in a brotherly way. They have become quite playful, and even sleep a lot closer together. In the past - Hoss didn't want Bud within 3 feet of him, but the other day I caught them practically nose to hiney!

Here is some video of the boys playing "nicely". They do this once or twice a day, and it is so funny to watch. If you didn't know any better, you would think that it was mean-spirited, but they are just being silly!

Bud Update: Bud has fully recovered from his SPD injury. His staples have been out for a while and the hair is starting to grow back in. He is such a doll! He has become quite affectionate lately and is listening very well when told to do things. Bud has some new girlfriends in the neighborhood. He is quite enamored with two dogs that live down the street. Each time we go out for a walk, he is looking their direction, hoping to see them. One is a little 8 month old bulldog named Pudge, and Pudge like to give Bud kisses!! It is the cutest thing ever!

Hoss Update: Hoss is such a mellow dude! He has become very laid back - even more so than he already was! He too has become more affectionate as of late - pimping for more ear and butt scritches any chance he can. As I mentioned earlier, he is really starting to love Bud like a brother. I even discovered that he knows a trick!!! He will stand up on his back legs for a moment - almost a rearing position like a horse. We are working to perfect it - making sure that he only does it on command and never on his own. It is scary when a big dog rears up like that, and I don't want him to misuse his super powers.

Other news.....Well, we've taken a big step here at the house - the boys no longer stay in the kitchen when I leave. That's right! They get full run of the house (other than my bedroom which is closed off). They seems so much happier now, and show less anxiety when I leave. I still slip them a treat before I take off, and it is less stressful for me since I don't have to fight Hoss to get him in the kitchen. He was developing a bad habit of running the other direction then laying down and playing dead anytime he thought I was going to leave. I'm now able to get out the door on time now that I don't have to fight with him.

The sweet spot

I've only had a few dogs in my life, so I'm not sure if this is true for all them, but my boys have their favorite "spot" to lay. During the day, they have their spots. In the bedroom, they have their spots. I guess we are all that way - we have a comfort zone that we like to stay within. I know I like to sit in the same spot on the couch - and now that cushion is a little flatter than the others!!! LOL

I've noticed that Hoss like to nest. Blankets, beds - whatever he can get his paws on. Whenever I do laundry, Hoss is right there. He thinks my sorted piles of clothes are little nests for him. He holds nothing back, and plops right down in the middle. I suppose it is okay - the clothes are already dirty. My only issue is when he starts "fluffing" and messes up my sorted piles!!!

The road to recovery

Ok, now.....I'm not one to dress up my dogs. Yes, they do have jammies - but only for when it is REALLY cold out. And, I do have coats for them, but could you imagine going out in -20 degrees without a coat??? But, when Bud first came home after his surgery, I wanted to find a way to keep his wound clean and keep him from licking it. It was mentioned on a few message boards that a tshirt works great. It did for the first few days, and was such a cute site.

After about the third day, I came home at lunch to find a big hole in the side of the shirt, and a big wet spot from where he had licked and chewed to get at his itchy, healing wound. So......off to PetSmart we went to get the dreaded E-Collar. I've been the official "bad mommy" for the last two weeks. Because of the size of a greyhound's head relative to their necks, the cone had to be pretty tight to keep him from slipping out. Don't misunderstand - I could still fit fingers between the collar and his neck - but he was sure to make sad grunting noises to show how uncomfortable he was. A treat cleared that up right away. :)

On Thursday of last week, Bud was able to get his staples out. A quick process and he was a free boy! Getting the staples out took less than 5 minutes, but the wait at the vet's office took almost an hour! Geesh! I've continued to use the E-Collar this weekend, and only this morning decided to forgo it's use. The scabs have finally dwindled down and he doesn't have anything to pick at - just and ugly scar with hair trying to grow back in around it.

Luck of the Irish???

St. Patrick's Day is a big event in our family. We get all dressed up in our best layers of green, help out with the local parade, then celebrate with our fellow Irish friends. This year was to be no different, but halfway through my second glass of Guinness I got a phone call.

It was my parents. The boys and I were staying at their house this weekend, and they had stayed behind while I was at the festivities. Apparently a romp around the yard had turned dramatic. Somehow Bud caught his side on a branch which put a big gash down his right side. The phone call was to let me know that my parents had loaded him in the car and where on their way to the E-Vet. Car-less, I found someone to give me a ride home so that I could meet up with them. When I got home, I loaded up Hoss and we took off.

When I first spoke to my mom I misunderstood her description of the wound. I heard "a half inch" and assumed she meant length. Not so. It was a good 3.5" long by the time I arrived, and had spread to about 2-2.5" wide. Ouch!!! If you want to see it, you can click here. (I don't want to gross anyone out unexpectedly.)

Since we weren't at home I was unfamiliar with the E-Vet. I asked her lots of questions to see what her knowledge was on greyhounds and their special needs regarding anesthesia. She seemed knowledgeable and claimed she had plenty of experience, so I let her go through with the procedure. About 4 hours and $500 later, I was able to pick Bud up - 12 staples and stitches that were too numerous to count. He had done very well and was just a bit wobbly as he was still just feeling the affects of the anesthesia.

He slept pretty well through most of the night - just re-adjusting to get comfortable every so often. Sunday morning he seemed to be feeling a bit better, but was still moving slow. As time went on, he became more and more mobile. The 2 hour ride home was uneventful, and now he is just resting on the floor.

Power-less

It all started around 2:30 yesterday afternoon. The first flicker of the lights, then the deafening silence of a powerless home. The day had been filled with rain, sleet and high winds. Downed power lines were to be expected.

I had an appointment across town at 3:15, so I manually lifted the garage door, jumped in the Jeep and took off - slowly. The temp wasn't too bad and I wouldn't be gone long, so I felt ok leaving the boys at home. Plus, I needed to stop by the hardware store and get some survival gear. The drive out was wet - just rain. But the drive home was a TOTALLY different story. The sleet and snow had started - blizzard condition. It was piling up on the roads. 35 mph down the interstate, with only one lane really cleared. Fun.

The hardware store did not have much left for choices. I wasn't the only one without power that was forced out to buy survival gear. In fact, as of this morning's news, over 100,000 people across the state are without power. The pic above shows my investment - a propane heater and some battery-operated lights.

After having some dinner, the boys and I snuggled up on the floor near the heater. We napped off and on until about 10:30 pm, listening to 70's tunes on a local radio station. Around 10:00, I heard the scraping of shovels on the sidewalk outside. I was excited that I wouldn't have to wade through un-shoveled sidewalks for the last potty walk of the evening. As soon as the coast was clear, the boys and I set out for one final walk of the evening. When we got in , we just went to bed. It was warmer upstairs anyway, and our respective beds were certainly more comfortable than the floor.

Around 3 am, we were awoken by the flash of resuming power. Followed quickly by the soothing hum of the furnace!!! Yeah! So, we survived. It was a boring evening, but I actually appreciated the extra shut-eye after the long week of drama-filled work events.

Bad Blogger!!

It has been 18 days since my last blog. I can't even believe it has been that long! Me and the boys have been quite busy - so much so that I haven't had time to sit down and blog a bit.

I need to post some pictures of Bud's birthday, which we celebrated just a few days after Hoss'. Again, we had special treats and a new toy. And with the birthday has come new personality traits showing through. He is such a goofy boy! He certainly has grown into his sock monkey collar.

We've also been experimenting with staying home all day, without me coming home at lunch for a potty walk. They both have been doing WONDERFUL!!! No accidents at all! I don't plan on doing it every day, but with recent changes at work, my schedule has become less predictable, and a trip home at lunch may not always be possible. Today we did a lunch potty walk, then I stayed late at work a few extra hours. They seem okay so far. We'll see if I have a 2:30 am wake-up call tonight. Something about the extended hours without a potty break seems to make them need to go more frequently when I am home. Weird. It's like they have a quota for how many times they need to pee in a 24 hour period.

Since my last blog, the boys and I had another grey-get-together with Miss Daisy and her mommy at the Breakroom. In true Daisy fashion, she continued to stand over top Hoss each time he laid down on the floor. What an alpha-girl!!! She is sooo precious. I'm making her a necklace to wear in an upcoming wedding. We got to do a fitting that day, and now I need to make the final adjustments. Doggie bling.......

This warm weather has been so nice!!! Our walks over the last few days have been coatless!!! The boys love it! We even did a little jogging the other night, just to get the blood going. Unfortunately, the boys hadn't been down that path for a while due to snow coverage, so they were distracted, constantly checking their pee-mail and leaving replies!!!

Happy Birthday, Hoss!

Friday was Hoss' birthday - the big 8!! With Bud's birthday quickly following this week, I made one trip to the Brown Dog Bakery to get some birthday goodies for both days. Confined to the kitchen, I gave each of the boys a couple of different treats. Some were enjoyed more than others, but overall they were excited for the change. Along with the treats, I bought a few new stuffies. I only gave one out, and will give the other out on Bud's bday. They have both really enjoyed the new stuffie. Every time we come downstairs, Hoss attacks it, even if for only a split second before flopping over for a quick bout of shut-eye.

In other greyhound news:

- Bud is showing a lot more aggression over the last week or so. I've noticed that he will bark or growl at Hoss at bizarre times. Sometimes I think it is a possession issue - with me, with food, with toys. Usually I'm quick to follow with a No! and a stern glare. He backs down, then comes to me for an apology snuggle at first chance.

- Both of the boys have been a lot more affectionate with me lately! Lot's of leaning, on heads on the lap. Hoss likes to bury his head between my legs when I'm standing. It is really cute! Maybe they know it will get them scritches......I don't care. I like it anyway, and will give scritches if it means they keep it up!

- Hoss' ability to go lengths of time without needing to go out is starting to regress. Maybe he just takes advantage of my being home, but he has been awfully whiny lately. He even had an "oops" this weekend. He got himself riled up as we were getting ready to go out. He was doing mini-zoomies and raced down to the bottom landing where we exit at. As he got down into his Egyptian pose, I started to hear him pee! I told him to stop but he looked at me like he was confused. I was mad for a bit, but soon realized he probably didn't realize what he did. When we went out right after, he did his normal potty routine, so it must have been an oops that slipped out. Poor guy!

ZOOM ZOOM!!!

I've waited a long time to get this on video. Hoss in the middle of a zoomie attack! Enjoy!

Greyt Art

It isn't unusual for pets to be inspiration for artists. Their unconditional love, their quirky actions at unusual moments - it's good stuff! I saw Hoss laying amongst a pile of stuffies, with his face buried deep within. I grabbed the camera and snapped a shot. After a little Photoshop filter magic, I got the watercolor displayed above. Abstract to some.....precious to me.

Here is the original photo:

A new friend and snowy morning

Last weekend, I picked up a new stuffie while we were at a Meet & Greet. It was the one I featured in a previous post. The boys pretty much fight over it. One waits for the other to look away, then they do a drive by and snag it before the other knows what hit him! So, when I was out and about this weekend, I ran across this cute green alien stuffie. I just knew the boys would love it. Sure enough, they both went crazy when I brought it home. I've even seen some Hoss vs. Bud tug-of-war going on. I love it!!!

With the snowfall last night, it made for some interesting walks this morning before the plows came through. I had heard the rumor that greyhounds will just sit down in the snow if their feet get packed and they are uncomfortable. I witnessed it today as Bud plopped down and started gnawing on his feet. Yikes!! I warmed them up and cleaned them off, enough at least to get him home.

Jail Break!!!

As I closed the garage door and walked into the house, I heard an unusual sound. Down the stairs and around the corner, here came Bud and Hoss!!! AAAACCCKKK!!! WHAT THE?!?!?! I'm not sure when it happened, but they had busted out of their confinement to the kitchen. They seemed so proud of themselves!! Smiling and prancing around. "Look at me, Ma!!" "Look what I can do!" Apparently, the screw in the wall stripped out from the drywall. I knew I should have put an anchor in first. Guess I need to make a trip to the hardware store.

Stuffie time!

My new camera has the ability to record video. Today I got some video of Hoss working on a stuffie while Bud looks on. What you don't see in the video is that Bud had been playing with the stuffie, looked away for a mere moment, then Hoss stole it away. Bud isn't as aggressive, so he patiently watched Hoss until it was his turn again. Kind of cute, so I thought I would share.

Nesting

Hoss is my nester. He will paw and dig at his bed or blankets to get them into proper nesting form. With the weather so cold, I brought out the comforter so that the boys could use it in the living room. Hoss proceeded to gather up his bed and the comforter to build himself a nice nest. Notice the stuffie close at hand in case he needs a quick fix.

Money well spent

If you remember, I purchased a pair of jammies for each of the boys a few months ago. I've tried a few times to get them to wear them, but they always fussed about it. With the temperatures dipping down into single digits the last few days, Hoss has been a bit whiney. I thought maybe he wanted attention since he doesn't whine about food or going potty. When I went to lay with him and rub his tummy, I noticed he felt chilly. So.........I pulled out the jammies and gave them another try. Wouldn't you know, IT WORKED!!! He is now zonked out!!!

Another First!!!!

When I come home from work at night, the boys are at their prime playing condition. It is usually a romp back and forth between me and the stairs. A few hugs......ear scritches.......belly rubs.......and for Hoss, it is Attack of the Stuffies time!!! He pounces on them, throws them from side to side, then begins the greyhound-nibble (if you have a grey, you know what I'm talking about.) Bud will tend to follow along, but when I try to instigate a game of tug, Bud has always backed down and just let the stuffie go.

Tonight he growled, then proceeded to play along. It was complete with head jerks from side to side and full lunge backwards, tugging with all of his might. YEAH!!!!! I love playing tug, and so does Hoss. The next step is to get the two boys tugging together. How sweet that would be!

Shadow

It is so funny, the difference between my boys. Hoss is very content to find a spot to lay and just "be". Bud on the other hand, is my shadow. Every time I get up, he is at my side. "Whatcha doin' ma? Food for me? Scritchies for me? Somethin' for me? Heh????" If I walk downstairs to do laundry, Bud thinks we are going for a walk and gets excited. As soon as he realizes it is a false alarm, he gives me the sad eyes, like I am depriving him! Such a pitiful life, huh?

This is the typical look - "What's next?"