So long, friend

Summer 2010, Denver

I've posted these pictures before, but they are some of my favorites of our Muppey Dog.  They capture his sweetness and what a loving companion he was for us all.  He had 15 good years, but we are wishing for just a few more nudges from his nose to get our hand scratching his ears.

Bye bye puppies

I was pretty overwhelmed with emotion when I left the pups.  As much grump as they injected into my day dealing with dog hair, scratched doors, and barking during nap time, I am having a hard time imagining life without them.  I was always cautious with Freddie being with the dogs, as they are dogs, but they were well on their way to developing that boy and his dog relationship.  Muppey was, anyway...The Boo will probably be very thankful to not always have to be looking over his shoulder for someone coming up to grab his tail.

Love me, love me

After lunch is playtime in the yard...without a shirt!

Hi, Muppey Dog.

How are you today? You want some love?

Ok, your turn to give me some love.

Offering his head for a kiss.

Muppet

This would be our Muppey Dog.


He's 14, arthritic, and trouble. The grouchy old man and Boo Dog managed to hit the streets last night, unattended, for about 20 minutes. When Charlie realized they had slipped out the gate he hopped in the truck and found them high tailing it through the neighborhood, 4 blocks from our house.

When they arrived home, after a thorough lecturing, we realized Muppet was bleeding in several spots, was missing another tooth, and had brush burns along his belly and chin. Not at all surprising that he managed to get into a tousle with something while he was away, but his breathing pattern seemed irregular and labored. I had imagined he endured some sort of blunt force and feared he had punctured a lung or had other internal injury.

Off to the emergency vet we went. The vet surmised from his road rash that he had been hit by a car.


An IV, xrays, pain medication, an overnight stay for observation and monitoring, and $750 later, the grumpy old man is back at home. He got a Drew Brees #9 bandage and some pain meds. He's not interested in eating, so I know he's not feeling well. He's obviously sore, hobbling around.

This little incident gave us the opportunity to talk about how far we are willing to take medical care for the dogs. While our pockets aren't infinite we both agreed to "reasonable" care to give each a few more years.


Since Muppey is 14 we've already discussed how we'll know when euthanization is the most humane choice. Charlie was afraid Muppet was going to miss out on his "last rites," an Abita Amber and Parkway's roast beef poboy at The Fly.

I think we may be at the fly this week with both dogs, Bug, and a picnic dinner. You can never be too careful.

Muppet's got a new lovie

We finally found Muppet an acceptable replacement for his beloved pink ball. It's more lavender than pink, but he's in love...protecting it, snuggling it, grooming it.

We'll be going back and buying out the rest of the stock at Petco later this evening. We couldn't take his moping if anything ever happened to this one.

Travel Companions

The pooches were thankful to be invited into the car on Friday after we were all loaded up. They never like to see the suitcases come out, and I think they sensed our anxiousness.

Batture breathed down my neck for almost the entire 11 hour drive, and Muppet snuggled with his baby and snored.


Here they are nervous, pacing at night, and hesitant to let us out of sight. They miss their routine as much as we do.

Bobblehead

Well, we did it again.


Our pooch is now a bobblehead.

We attract looks in the park from snitty Uptown women talking about me under their breath wondering why I'd get my dog such a hair cut....if I had a full time help to sweep up all that hair my dog wouldn't have to run around all summer looking so ridiculous! And then there are the folks who tell you the dog needs his fur to regulate his body temperature and stay cool, which may very well be the case, but I think the dog sitting in the air conditioned house will be just fine.

His groomer loves him...when he's out of the kennel. She and all the other dogs were relieved to see me this afternoon since Batture barked the entire time he waited in the kennel. Poor dog. He's hoarse and walking around looking a bit self conscious.

But, I really don't care. He'll get over it, and less sweeping is worth every penny of the $60 shave.

One sad pooch

It finally happened.



Muppet loved a hole into his pink ball.

It was going to happen eventually. It's been a good run, almost two years without losing it.

We knew this day would come and tried to prepare by finding "replacements" but he's not buying it.


They're not pink, not the right size, and don't have the right amount of squish. He's been moping around, whimpering, and all I can do is offer him another in the hopes it'll become his new lovie.

Who knew a dog could be so attached to a pink ball?

Darling

He loves to be outside with me when I'm in the garden. He's good company.

A new bed

He didn't move all day.


Except to roll over for a belly rub.

This one

Loves to be outside.

Ahhh...

While Batture shudders in fear over our house guests under four feet tall...


Muppet laps up the undivided attention.

Oh no you don't...

"You're not leaving me," he says.


While I was packing for the beach Muppet shuffled his way up the stairs and dropped is dear pink ball into my suitcase. Poor pooch.

Desperate for his bed...

Muppet seeks comfort in his kennel.

Poor pooch. He's such a creature of habit.


He doesn't know what to do when you mix things up on him. His bed is in the washing machine, and he can't stand waiting.

In the garden

Our neighborhood is full of cats. It seems as though each neighbor has at least one pet cat. The lady across the street feeds the feral cats, so we have LOTS of cats around. This is a source of "stress" for the dogs. They often dart around the yard looking for the cats they smell in the yard.

This kitty is watching Batture.


Amazingly he went unnoticed while Batture sniffed around on the other side of the yard.


He quietly slinked away and over the fence without a sound.

Too Much on His Plate

Many guests brought bottles of wine to share at the crawfish boil. Jenny, being the wise dog owner, came bearing treats for our unruly pooches.

Muppet devoured his treat rather quickly, and Batture, well, as much as he'd liked to have chewed on it, it would seem rather hard to enjoy with Muppet staring at you.

After a few attempts to rescue the bone and return it to its rightful owner, we've given in and let Muppet take over Batture's bone.



Obviously Muppet is having some difficulty balancing all that is important to him: food, pink ball, rawhide bone. I imagine he thinks it'll be easier to keep track of if he consolidates things.

He loves to be outside

Equal Time

Can't put up a picture of one without doing the same for the other.

The New Do

This morning...



This afternoon...




Yes, he looks pretty silly, but he's got to feel so much better. We haven't hit 90 degrees yet and he's already been panting up a storm each afternoon. It also cuts down on my sweeping hair tumbleweeds.

It's a close cut. He'll need suncreen if he's out for too long! The groomer felt badly about his face being so short, but a quick jerk on Batture's part meant it all had to go.

In about 6 weeks, he'll be back to his old look. We'll need several $60 visits to the groomer to make it through the summer.

They're Watching Me

Usually they bound out of the door and down the steps in search of one of the kitties that have been lounging in the yard. But today they seemed a bit calmer, and really just wanted me to come inside and give them their "chewy."