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?
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Ugh! The heat lately! Too hot to take Henry much of anywhere at night. Fortunately, our nearby dog park is very well shaded and often quiet just as the sun begins to set. So, we have added this place into a higher rotation over some of the less shady walking parks. Henry still gets in a few steps and he definitely has plenty to smell. Dog parks just are not our favorite trips. But since they seem to tire out Henry as effectively, then until summer comes to a close, this place will be high on our list of travels. Hope you all are able to stay cool, too! Stay cool, pug. Stay cool!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
My how time both flies and stands still. It will be a year this weekend since we lost our beloved Looney Toons.
There is so much we miss about this kid! She had such a thirst for life and she loved her people! She was both a little bad ass AND a precious and sweet little lady! Not many people can wear both of those hats too well! But she did it marvelously!
There are so many things we miss about Luna, but I am going to share a few of her mischievous behaviors first (things that we would so happily take back).
Its hard to say we miss her jumping on the dinner table and stealing our food if we happened to step away for a moment. And I can tell you with 100% certainty that we don't miss her rolling in the grass rubbing super stinky bird poop all over herself. Having to drive a dog home reeking of recycled fish is quite an experience. And it only gets worse when 3 baths barely begin to get rid of the stench. And who can forget Luna's late night snacks. She would wake up at 3AM, eye you down and bark at you until you got up and fed her.
Despite all her antics, this girl was filled with love. She had a pure heart of gold. She came to us "broken" but it seemed that in no time flat, she discovered her inner diva, embraced it and never let it go.
She had scars, a furless chest and belly, a big bulgy eye and a hole in one ear, but she didn't care. She was a princess and no one was going to tell her any different. You could see it in the way she walked. It was with attitude! Confidence, really. She was Luna the powerful.
But when it came down to the nuts and bolts she was just a squishy, melty ball of love. She loved and she loved hard and rough. She would lick your face so fast and furiously that sometimes her little snaggle tooth would get stuck in your nostril! It was like she was literally trying to lick your face off. She loved you so much she could not get enough of you. And each night, she had to claim you. She waited until you were set up on the sofa and she'd pop right up on your lap and claim the leg of the person with the longest femur. She plopped herself down on that thigh and would not budge the rest of the night. You were hers and that is all there was to it! Don't have to go potty or she'd be impatient with you seeming to ask, "why didn't you take care of that before?!"
It's been a year of missing Luna and her antics, but at the same time it seems like there has barely been enough time to accept this new reality. Losing Benjamin then almost immediately losing Luna seemed liked it would be impossible to ever recuperate. And now after a year, it is starting to seem possible, but we are still pretty much at grief's brim. Plugging away like Henry. Slow and steady we are coping. Gradually we are working our way to some peace. And at a snail's pace we are inching towards the normalcy of being owned by just one pug.
#MissingLooney #LunaWasOneFeistyPug #RIPLunaGirl
Here are some of our favorite Luna photos:
This cute little look is pretty much how Luna got away with all of her mischief.
We got Luna a cake to celebrate her first gotcha day with us. She could hardly wait to dive in and eat her cake.
Luna was quite possibly the messiest eater ever. She would get so excited that she would end up flicking her food everywhere and getting it all over her face. This drove Benny crazy as he wanted to clean up all of Luna's food off the floor. Henry has become a much more messy eater since going blind, but he is still no where close to being as messy as Luna.
Luna was a petite girl, but she was lightening fast. When she wanted to, she would kick it into high gear and leave the boys in her dust.
Luna and Sol are two of the feistiest alpha females you will ever meet. You would think that that would put them at odds, but that couldn't be further than the truth. They were fast friends. Sol had a great calming affect on Luna. There was a very special bond between Luna and Sol.
No one rocked an outfit quite like Luna!
She could also rock a hat! The only one of the pugs that didn't seem to mind having something on her head.
Never, ever fluff Luna's divot out of this pillow. She would be fuming for days! Flipping, flopping and scratching at her pillow to get it back to the way she liked it.
Other beds she was not so particular about. Upside down, right side up, she didn't care.
And from time to time she would remind Benny that there was also a pillow Queen in the house.
She might have also been ahead of her time on the selfies
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Our nightly adventures consist of going out somewhere in order to tire out Henry. Due to Henry's quirks, we cannot go the same place twice in row. (#spolied) And on one night we could tell that if we took him to a park to walk that we were not going to get far. He was more in the mood for a car ride only type of trip. We know, though, that a car ride is not quite enough either. So, we compromised and went to the people only beach (which gives us a car ride there and back) but it also gives him mental stimulation time as he sits on the railing and takes in the smells. And there is one spot where we go regularly and it is perfect for him and for us. Well, wouldn't you know it?! Someone was already in "our" spot! You can see them here! Spot stealers! The nerve! Don't they know that is Henry's spot?! How dare they! Obviously we are exaggerating our annoyance. But we did have to make some adjustments and this was no big deal. (And once those other people left we did commandeer the coveted spot.)
I just thought I'd take a photo as evidence of the theft of our space. 
The night ended up playing out just fine and by the time we got home Henry was tuckered out. Another great night in the world of Henry and his forward progress. #HenryStrong #HenrySurvivedTheSpotStealers
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
City Center is Henry's every morning go-to spot. It has always been a popular pug spot with us. There is a lot for dogs to see and sniff there. There are also various sporting activities that happen there. There are also various monuments and markers of past people of importance. City Center is a circle with various "arms" that branch out and each arm has something community relevant. Off one branch there is an amphitheater and community building, the next arm offers the baseball and soccer fields. This is followed by the indoor community sports complex (basketball,etc) and they have little skateboard park attached there, too. Next is the local YMCA followed by our neighborhood library. Then the circle is complete when you get back to the amphitheater. Those branches create the outer circle. But the inner circle is where we tend to have the bulk of our walks and see the mini memorials along the way.
One morning, as Henry approached one of the larger memorials, Henry paused. Whether this was due to tiredness, stubbornness or if he was just catching a smell, it seemed so intentional and thoughtful. But since we are always giving Henry the benefit of the doubt, we will chalk it up to his big heart and being respectful to those who the world has lost.
