News

  I was up until after midnight last night playing around with the millions of settings for this blog. Sometimes there are just too many options, y’know?

Anyway, I figure no one knows about this blog just yet, the official launch will be New Year’s Day, so I have a few days to play around with it.

Despite the warm temperatures we’re having now, we had the whole nine yards when we got our Christmas tree this year – there was snow on the ground and it was snowing while we cut our tree! Gotta love it! The dogs all had a great time, except Nemo was a little chilly, even in his sweater. Notice that there’s no bandage on Nemo’s leg: we were between surgery #2 and #3.

Good luck to everyone trying to get everything done between now and Tuesday. Don’t forget to get something special for your dog! (I gave our guys one – just one – of their goodies today. I couldn’t help it, I was too excited! They loved it!)

So this is the blog. Welcome. I’m not a blogger. Not really all that good with technology and all. But I’ll get there. And you’re welcome to come along for the ride.

What I do know is dogs, and dog behavior. So, if you can put up with my blogging learning curve, I’ll try to give you some tips and insights that’ll help you understand and teach your dog.

It’s the weekend before Christmas, all things are zooey here. Presents still need to be wrapped, the house is a mess, dog hair everywhere. But, there’s lots of good news, too. The most important news: Nemo’s third surgery is behind us, and the pathology reports came back. The good news: there’s no bad news! Apparently with a fungus like Nemo’s, that’s the best we can get — no bad news. There was no evidence of the fungus in the deepest tissue. All this doesn’t really mean the fungus is gone, just that no one can find it. Nemo will stay on the (wickedly expensive!) anti fungal medication for the full four months, and we’ll keep a watchful eye on the incision and hope for the best.

Another bit of good news: Lucky’s still with us! His congestive heart failure and other heart ailments will eventually take his life, but we’re hoping for a peaceful Christmas with him. The dog-paw stockings are overflowing with rawhides, squeaky toys, and goodies for the dogs. We’ll let them unwrap them all by themselves, and they’ll love it. Lucky, especially.

One last bit of good news, then I’ll stop. We’ve got a special visitor for Christmas: the first service dog we raised, Rocky! His family’s headed out to the West Coast for the holidays and we get him for almost two whole weeks! Lily’s in second heaven with her most favorite dog ever back in the house.

Ok, I promised some doggie tips in this blog, so let’s get to it! There are way too many things out this time of year that are dangerous to your dog. You know the usual suspects: poinsettias, chocolate, and onions. But also remember to keep them away from raisins (think Oatmeal Raisin cookies), grapes, and sugar-free products that contain xylitol. Here’s a number you might want to keep handy – the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline:  (888) 426-4435.