We are impatiently waiting for a delivery today. I imagine it will come in a much bigger box than this and that the pugs are going to like it much more than what is in this box.
I primarily ordered it for Sol, but I think all the pugs will get some use out of it and it is really going to come in handy on our long, winter walks when it is perfect pug weather in FL.
So I am hoping it does indeed come today, so we can use it this weekend. What is it? Well, it is an upgrade to Sol's pouch...Solsey's wheels!
I have been organizing my photos, so I have spent a lot of time perusing the picture archives. A lot of those pics are puppy pictures of the boys and when I came across a set of of the boys in the pool at G-Ma & G-Pa's house, I realized that Henry really took to the water as a pup.
Here he is playing aqua fetch. My first thought when I saw this picture is, "He doesn't have a life vest on!" Geez, what kind of mother am I?
And here is is sticking his head underwater. Some things never change.
Whenever I look at puppy pictures of the boys, I can't help but wish that I had pictures of Luna & Sol as pups. Can you just imagine how tiny Luna must have been? And Sol? I can't even imagine what a little baby Sol would be like.
The only problem with taking Henry to get the mail is that he likes to setup camp underneath this tree in the yard on the way back home from the mailbox. He is a classic example of you can tell him to do something, you just can't tell him how to do something.
Yesterday, we held another swim camp for the pugs. The format was a bit different, but I think the pugs got their fair share of exercise so all was well.
It is really hard to keep the pugs on track and get video, so I focused on getting some video of Sol during swim camp. Look at the little girl go.
Since we are in the thick of summer here in FL the pugs' walks have been short, sweet and to the point. This means they have not been getting nearly enough exercise. So, this weekend, I started something that I have been meaning to do with the pugs since June - swim time.
Sure, Henry goes swimming all the time, but I have been meaning to start having a bit more structured swim time with the pugs. Afterall, Henry & Sol could really benefit from the low impact exercise and a little extra activity sure isn't going to hurt Benjamin & Luna.
Swimming is a good exercise for Henry because of his hip dysplasia and Sol has pretty bad arthritis in her hips and front shoulder so the lower the impact the better for her. Sol also has almost no muscle mass on her body. Luna came to us this way as well, and after a few months of a quality diet and regular exercise her muscles developer rather quickly. The vet advised us that reversing Sol's muscle atrophy would be nearly impossible at her age (I didn't really like that answer). While we are not trying to build muscle, a little excercise with her goes a long way and it may also help her keep what little muscle she has left.
So here is how swim camp went down on Sunday. Once we got all the pugs suited up in their life jackets we were ready to begin. We took the pugs in the pool, one at a time, and each pug swam one lap - from one end of the pool to the other (lucky for them our pool isn't that long). After their lap, they hopped out of the pool and got a chance to rest while the other pugs swam their laps. The swim order was Henry, Luna, Benjamin & Sol. So after Henry finished his first lap, he got to rest while Luna, Benjamin & Sol swam their laps. I bet this was the first time the pugs wished they had more siblings.
When the pugs swam their lap one of us swam with them and I was quite impressed with how well each of the pugs did. There was no monkey business, no running around like wild pugs, just good quality time in the pool.
Benjamin, Henry & Luna each did 5 laps and Sol did an impressive 3 1/2 laps. In Sol's defense, though, she may have swam more. After her first lap, Sol decided that she wanted to swim the perimeter of the pool. So instead of going up and back, she swam right along the edge of the pool. It made her happy so we complied.
The one thing we did notice with Sol was that she did not kick her rear, left leg. This is most likely because of the arthritis in her joints. So I think she did pretty good considering she was only using 3 legs.
I thought having swim camp twice a week would be a good routine for the pugs, but considering they have been conked out on the couch for the past two days, I am thinking that once a week is plenty for them. The good news is that the two pugs that can benefit the most from swimming, Henry & Sol, really seem to enjoy it. Benjamin & Luna could live without getting wet, but I was very impressed with how well they did with their one-on-one time in the pool.
As much as the pugs come and go in and out of the yard during the day, we decided to get a doggie door that leads from the screened in part of the yard to the fenced part of the yard for the pugs so that I can can spend more time typing and less time opening and closing the door while I am working. Since I have a pretty clear view of the yard while working, I don't mind if the pugs come and go as they please because I can keep a very close eye on them.
So far the pugs have taken to the door very well. Occasionally they will forget about their new freedom to go in and out on their own and will scratch at the door, but they have been doing that less and less as the days go on.
Here's a shot of Henry not looking very enthused about the new door. "Yup, its a doggie door. Nothing to see here. Move along."
And here is a shot of Luna trotting right through the doggie door.
Where is Sol you ask? Well, Sol still prefers to use the door woman.
And please pardon all the dirt on the pool deck. As soon as the cement we poured to extend the step in the yard dried, the pugs couldn't wait to use the door. We didn't even have time to get the deck cleaned up.
Henry swam so much this weekend, that I am expecting him to sleep for at least the next few days. It was quite hot this weekend, so we were in and out of the pool on both Saturday and Sunday to cool off after working in the yard, cutting grass, etc. Henry played a marathon game of fetch on Saturday and was back at it again on Sunday.
He was in rare form on Saturday and insisted on diving into the pool each time.
It is really fun to watch Henry jump into the pool, but what is even funnier to watch is Benjamin & Luna. They get very worked up when Henry leaps in from the side. They prefer him to go to the first step and then just shove off from there. They feel that is much safer. When Henry is getting read to jump in from the side, Benjamin & Luna are nervous bundles of energy pacing back and forth all while keeping a close eye on Henry.
Luna even goes as far as trying to bite Henry's ankles on his way in.
And where is Sol during all of this? She is staying cool in the shady lanai, shaking her head, saying "Kids!"
