Tuesday, July 21, 2015
There is a little more 4th of July that we would like to share. GMa & GPa came for a visit for about a week around then. Aunt Cayce and Uncle Jason also visited for a few days, too. The trip was to celebrate GPa's Father's Day/Birthday combo. GPa has wanted to go to a NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway. So, we made it a family event and almost all of us went. (No, not Henry.) Anyway, we didn't watch the "big" race (Coke 400) which you may have heard about. That race was on a rain delay and did not start until midnight. (Fortunately, we went to a different race the night prior and we were not at this late race.) This race also ended with a big wreck. The race ended so late (around 3AM) that the fireworks they had planned were pushed for a later date. Well, that date was July 8th. They were free to the public and they allowed dogs on leashes.
So, we suited Henry up and took a trip to the track. We drove through the tunnel to get to the infield where we sat and waited for the show. We know that many dogs (and many people even) have a hard time with fireworks. They can be scary and dangerous. For most, though, they are fun and safe (when kept in the right hands). Henry used to have a hard time with fireworks, too. He did not like the loud booms and bright lights flashing. Now, however, he cannot really see and can barely hear, so as long as he is with his people, Henry does just fine at the pyrotechnics show.
We don't have any photos of Henry actually watching the lights since it is very dark and fireworks don't really translate well in still photos (unless you have a super awesome camera--which we do not). Anyway, the best shots we have are of Hank enjoying the breeze through the tunnel at that Daytona Speedway.
It was a nice night and even though it was a loud event, it was nice and quiet with just the 3 of us. #PyrotechnicPug #HenryHandlesExplosives (Figuratively)
Monday, July 20, 2015
Please share your quips and comments.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
We recently had to bring a urine sample for Henry to the vet and take Cupid in to get bloodwork done. We knew that the timing was going to be around the 4th of July and with the 4th falling on a Saturday, the Federal Holiday closure would be Friday the 3rd. So, we naturally tried to avoid scheduling a vet day on a day we knew they would be closed. So, we gathered Henry's pee earlier than the 3rd and when we dropped it (and brought Cupid in for blood work), we learned that they would indeed be open on the 3rd! Henry's pee sample was good! And so was Cupid's blood work!
And even though we had just been to the vet, since they were hard at work on July 3rd we wanted them to get a little treat for their had work. So, in Independence Day fashion, we got them a batch of cupcakes, American Flag style. Henry gave a special delivery and they were all happy to see Henry and thrilled to receive the sweet treats. We received a nice thank you text from our vet later that day. Boy was it ever nice to have HIM TEXT US on a holiday to say thank you instead of US TEXTING HIM on a holiday due to an emergency!
It's nice to have this turn around for a change. #GoodKharmaComingToUs? #ThanksDrLong #TomokaPinesRocks #GreatCareForPugsAndCats #4thFollowUp
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Each afternoon when Grammy leaves for the day, it is always a high anxiety time for us at work. We never know if Henry is going to stressed out until we come home or if he is going to stay calm until we can get home from work. Some days he is perfectly fine. Other days he melts down (some days on the early side and other days not until one of us is closer to home). On Henry's super good afternoons, though, he will make his rounds to gobble the goodies that Grammy leaves for him. First, it is the small handful of cereal that Grammy leaves in a bowl near the water bowl. Next, he usually chomps the chewy stick that Grammy leaves on his bed. And finally, he will finish off the trio of treats by licking out all the peanut butter in the kong left on the shag rug in the living room.
After he's downed his goodies, on his good days, he typically will settle near the front door (to "watch" for us to drive up---we are pretty sure he notices reflections from the sun as we come into the driveway) OR he will settle by the laundry room door in hopes of hearing the garage door go up when we arrive home. Which sometimes he does hear and other times he has not noticed. Obviously, this is all just speculation as to what he is THINKING but that that is what it seems.
On Henry's WONDERFUL days, though, Henry will be a relaxed boy and fall back into his Henry pattern of going out into the yard and soaking in some rays and occasionally he will then hang out on the lanai. As we were watching him on camera one day, we snapped a photo from the ipad. (This was the type of picture where you take a photo of your screen. So, it was like a screen shot of what was going on.) But you can see that Henry is awake and alert but not melting down. He is outside on the lanai and still paying attention to the front door. Cupid, however, who is not far behind Henry is completely relaxed and may not even realize that Henry is so close to her. But since he is not facing her way, he's fine in her book. (For now!)
I think we have finally reached the midway point with Henry and maybe it is at last tipping towards the good side. We seem to be having slightly more better days than rocky days. I say that, but many a morning we have had to call Grammy to the house considerably earlier than her shift time. (Fortunately, while she is a busy woman, she is not too busy for Henry!) But I still think he is getting better. It would be terrific, however, to have one full week of no meltdowns (AM or PM). I hope in time we will eventually get there. We live life at Henry's pace and that is slow & steady.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
If we put ourselves into the wayback machine, we remember the days where Henry loved the pool. He loved swimming. He enjoyed relaxing in the pug tug. Most of all, he loved fetching toys from the pool (he was "rescuing" them). Those days ceased even before he lost his vision. I think some of that was due to things not pool related, though. His siblings would get all worked up when he was in the pool and that had a tendency to make things less fun. As he was losing his vision and falling into the pool, the pool then became a scary hole he fell into and struggled to get out of. And obviously we have now blocked off the pool since it is a significant danger to him.
Now that Henry is starting to make a come back, though, and we really do need to do something to help keep him cool in the summer and get a little more exercise than he's been getting, we are working him back into the pool. It started about a week ago. And there was a video we saw on Facebook of a lab jumping into a baby pool in a larger swimming pool. We thought that Henry may like that. It would give him some security of being in the pool with his people without actually being in the pool. And for swimming, it would be a good break spot for him when we didn't want to let him actually get out of the pool. So, we are trying to work this back into his routine, too. It is a very good thing that he trusts us or he would not have even made it that far. Benny and Luna were not pool lovers even thought they were both WAY better swimmers than Henry. I guess when you think you have to swim for your life you put your best paw forward. That is what B&L did. They thought for sure they were going to die, so they swam their little puggie butts off! and they were really good at it.
Henry, on the other hand just swims for fun. So, he is all relaxed and floppy footed. Ben & Luna trusted us but you would never know it by the way they tried to dodge the pool. Henry, on the other hand, would jump right in the pool if we were in there. He knew we'd catch him and help him be safe. Henry trusts us without any conditions.
Anyway, we got Henry this little pool. He neither hates it nor is he in love with it. We did not realize until we started to blow it up that it is a girly pool, though. Little mermaids decorate the small pool. Fortunately, Henry is secure enough in his own manhood to not let something like that bother him. We just hope that this will be another thing we can slowly work back into Henry's life. #HenryStrong
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
For those of you that follow you are likely familiar with our routine that once included a heavy dose of "driveway time" where the OBP peeps and pugs would hang out in the front yard and driveway each night. Since Henry's rough year this is one of the slowest things to come back. However, it is something that Cupid is now requesting! Oh my how the roles have reversed here! You can see in the one photo that Cupid is happily curious about what she sees and hears while Henry is at the front door ready to go in. In the other photo, you can quickly see Cupid lounging on the welcome mat but you also notice that Henry is inside waiting by the door. This is a complete reversal of roles! Usually it is Henry hanging out by the front door and Cupid looking out. What is going on? Is it Freaky Friday in OBP Land?
Monday, July 13, 2015
Looking forward to your captions in the comments.
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