Rest in Peace, sweet boy

We euthanized our sweet beagle boy yesterday afternoon, after it became very clear that his quality of life was in great decline. He had a rough night Tuesday night, and refused food and water yesterday. I looked at this dog, who at 23lbs was a shell of his former self and decided that the time had come to give him a humane and dignified exit from this life. Jamie met me at the vet and was rather reluctant, but the vet was very blunt and said we'd been on borrowed time with him for a while now and that time was running out--if we took him home yesterday, we'd be back within the week because Woody was dying. And I couldn't bear to see him suffer. So we opted to spare him any more pain.

It was very peaceful, I got to hold him as the vet administered the shot...Jamie was petting him, and I told him to go play with Baxter. He was a loyal, faithful companion until the very end and I miss him tremendously.

Chase handled it better than Jamie or me--we simply explained that Woody had gotten very sick and that the vet couldn't fix him. He said, "Well, at least we've still got Sherman...Woody's with Baxter and Grandma now in Heaven and we'll see him again someday." It's hard to argue with that. Rest in peace, sweet beagle boy.

Wow!

So call me naive. I haven't had a puppy since Max in 1992. When I was living at home. With my parents. So perhaps in the last 16 years, I'd sort of forgotten how much work a puppy is. Esp. when YOU'RE the parent dealing w/it. It's like having a baby! And Woody isn't a fan, he's currently on sedatives to deal. Seriously.

Sherman is a great puppy--it's just that housebreaking and training is a LOT of work. I'm constantly on guard wondering what he's up to. I just am. And until he's 100% housebroken, that's the way it is going to be. We're getting there. I know we're getting there. But it's a process...

He started puppy school today. So while I didn't have him all day, he's wearing a leash and training collar and I have to correct him any time he does anything wrong. Which means I've got to have a free hand for corrections when he's out of his kennel. And he always wants to be out b/c he's in a kennel most of the day at school. Aye yi yi.

So I'm tired. And crabby. And Jamie just doesn't understand what the problem is...

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. This too shall pass, right?

Sherman

So this is Sherman (Shermy). He didn't like the kennel last night so we didn't have the easiest night, but I put him in Woody's wire kennel in the laundry room this morning and he was fine. So I guess he'll be sleeping in the laundry room instead of our room...he's afraid of going down stairs, which isn't a big deal now while he's smaller than Woody, but will be a very big deal in a few months...

I'm waiting for the trainer at Kennelwood to call me back about when he can go to training there. That's going to be my bday present this year--a professionally trained dog. I really don't want to screw him up, there is nothing worse than an ill behaved big dog!

Despite the lack of sleep, I think things are going as well as possible for life w/a 12 wk old puppy. He's very curious about Cassie. It's like he knows she is a baby like him, but he also knows he can't play w/her like he does other dogs--they're funny to watch. I am, of course, very careful during all their interactions.

He's sleeping on the tile next to me right now. I hope he doesn't have his days and nights mixed up like another baby I had not too long ago...

ETA--I think housebreaking is going well, too! He pees outside on the grass every single time he goes out--that's a good sign, right?

Meet Sherman

We didn't just look at Sherman today...we brought him home! So far he's been absolutely wonderful. He's done all his pottying outside, hasn't chewed anything he shouldn't and is just the sweetest thing ever.

http://www.poshpuppiesrescue.org/Petspage1.html

Oh, and his name is still Sherman. Because Chase likes it.

Everything happens for a reason...

The rescue group we got Spike from is refusing to adopt to us again. Because we have a child under five. No kidding. Funny, that didn't stop them before... The fact that they deny that they ever have mismatches and then won't adopt to us after mismatch really makes me wonder. STL Boxer Rescue has a 1 week trial period b/c they realize that not every dog is a good fit for every family...but just b/c one dog isn't a good fit doesn't mean another dog wouldn't be. Too bad the boys have their heart set on a Golden. B/c I'd really like a boxer and I'd like one from STLBR.

We're getting a puppy. At this point I don't want to take a chance on a dog w/an unknown background. We'll still do rescue--we found a place that adopts out pups who are deemed physically undesirable by breeders (too curly, overbite, etc) but I'm done with Dirk's Fund. A rescue organization that blames humans for the inevitable mismatches that happen in rescue is just incredibly irresponsible. Would they have preferred I wait to relinquish the dog until he bit a human and had to be euthanized? I did the right thing and now they're punishing me for it. An object possessive dog does NOT belong in a house with small children. Period. Moreover, their refusal to adopt to me (a responsible pet owner) is exactly the sort of thing that fuels the puppy mills they claim to loathe. I want another dog. My family wants a golden retriever. So we're getting a golden retriever puppy. If not through them, then through another source. I'm educated enough to not hit up my neighborhood backyard breeder or puppy mill, but what about the people who aren't? They are perpetuating the exact situation they claim to want to prevent. Their refusal to adopt to me isn't going to keep me from adopting--I'm just not going to adopt from them!

It's not like I've come to this decision lightly. I know puppies are a lot of work. I also know that puppies chew and that life is going to be challenging for a few months w/a toddler and puppy. But I don't want someone else's problem becoming my problem, KWIM? I'm just really frustrated right now. I'm a good mom, dog and human. And I don't appreciate the insinuation by some Cesar Milan wannabe that I'm not. Quite honestly, I don't know too many other people who would go to the lengths I've gone to making Woody's golden years as comfortable as possible. The monthly vet visits, the leakage...a lot of other dog owners would have euthanized him months ago. But not me. But I'm a bad dog mom. Whatever.

Leg is okay as long as I take my pain meds. I went almost 12 hrs between pills overnight and the pain woke me up this morning. The vicodin dulls things to a small roar though. Jamie says I'm crabby. And that could very well be. IDK if I'm going to church this morning--I'm not sure the pews would be good for the leg. We'll see.

I'll update about the puppy when I know more, we're visiting him today...

Sliced and diced, AGAIN

I ended up in the ER this morning b/c my leg wasn't improving. The good news is that I didn't need IV antibiotics overnight AND I got vicodin! I'm going to need the vicodin though--they cut me open again and were finally able to drain the abcess (yuck) and remove the orignal cyst--the dr used a truckload of lidocaine and really went to work. So now I've got packing in my leg (yuck again) and am bossing the family around from my perch on the couch. I'm a little grouchy...but glad I'm on the way to recovery. Apparently the urgent care dr was "lazy" in not draining & culturing it in the first place. And if I hadn't gone to the ER today, I'd have wound up there sooner or later b/c I wasn't going to get better until things were "cleared out." So now I'm on the road to recovery and waiting for dad to come over for dinner. Jamie is cooking (and cleaning up). I'm staying on the couch...Chase is entertaining Cassie, I'm so grateful/lucky that he loves her as much as he does!

I went to the dr yesterday b/c I was feeling worse. She cut open the cyst to let it drain but nothing came out. Either that's a very good sign and the truckload of antibiotics is working...or I'll be in the hospital this weekend hooked up to IV antibiotics. We're taking a wait and see approach.

If I improve, we may add Coulter (props to you if you know who he's named after) the golden retriever pup to the fam tomorrow...I'll keep you posted!