For all the trouble it was raising two puppies at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for anything given the tight bond that the boys share. Sure, they welcomed Luna and Sol into their pack, but for a good, long time it was just the boys and from time to time it shows.
After all, these two broke their puppy teeth in together by devouring a wicker toy basket, learned to climb stairs together and always had someone else to blame for potty accidents in the house before they were fully trained.
I don't think Benny can remember a time when there wasn't a Henry around and as much as he likes to play it cool, I don't think Henry would know what to do with himself if there wasn't a Benny around.
After 8 years, they have mellowed more than I could ever imagine. But, from time to time, the boys will be playing and Henry will grab hold of that big wrinkle on the side of Benny's face and pull him around by it, the way he always used to do when they were pups. And, in that moment, it is like having two, clumsy puppies playing at my feet once more.
Land loving Benjamin tested out the raft to see if he could find a way to enjoy it out of the pool. He could have used a bit more cushioning in the seat, but I think he still prefers to sit in the raft when it is parked on solid ground.
When Benny climbed into the raft, Henry came over to see what Benny was up to. Although, I think he was all for setting sail in the raft since he loves to float around the pool and sun himself.
With the boys both involved, Luna felt compelled to sniff around. Her conclusion was that the raft was a pool toy, so she didn't want anything to do with it.
Shortly after Benny tired of sitting in the raft, Henry promptly jumped in to see what it is like at the helm on dry land. He must not have liked it because he didn't stay long.
On Monday, we took Benjamin back to the specialist for his post surgery checkup. When we arrived we were promptly assigned a room where we waited to see the veterinarian.
The rooms at the facility serve as a small private waiting room and a consultation area where you get to meet with the veterinarians and surgeons. There is no exam table or other items that you typically find in a veterinary exam room. Instead, the rectangular rooms are filled with a long bench that runs the length of the room and a couple of stools. All exams and pet evaluations are done in the back section of the facility, away from nervous pet owners. The rooms have two doors. One that leads to the back section of the facility where all the real work is done and one that leads to the lobby.
When we arrived for our checkup, Benjamin immediately remembered where he was and he quickly became a bundle of nervous energy. We were assigned a room right away and we waited in our room for our turn to speak with the veterinarian. Both doors to the room were closed and Benjamin ran from one door to the other. Taking a second to peer and smell under each door. Back and forth and back and forth, pausing each time a little longer at the door leading to the lobby as if to give us a clue that that is the door he hopes to be leaving from. However, he couldn't ignore the other door because he could hear voices coming from that direction. So, back and forth he paced, heading from door to door as quick as he could go on the slippery floor.
To distract him, we had Benny pose with the framed collage of the agility dogs in the room that have had surgery at AVS and are all healed up and back on the agility course. This served only as a mild distraction because as you can see Benjamin's gaze is intently focused on the door that leads to the exam side of the facility.
When our veterinarian entered the room, Benjamin gave him an overzealous greeting and jumped around a bit while we talked and gave an update on how Benjamin has been doing. Then it was time for Benny to get a thorough examination, which meant it was time for him to go through door #2 leading to the back of the house.
Once he realized he was being led through door #2, his tail uncurled and he tried his best to dig his nails into the floor to resist being taken for his dreaded exam. He looked at us and gave us a look of "Oh, no! Not door #2!" So I casually mentioned that there might be treats back there and his little tail curled right up and off he went.
After his exam, he came back to the room and promptly went to door #1, which leads to the lobby, and scratched at it. As far as he was concerned he was done and he would like someone to take him to the car. But, we still needed to hear how his exam went. And, despite not wanting to get his exam, Benjamin got a great report. Everything is look great after his surgery.
When we wrapped up our conversation with the vet, Benjamin bolted out door #1 and right to the front door of the facility where he scratched at that door was well. Once he was outside, he marched directly to the car, as if to say, "I'm not letting you forget to take me home this time!"
Sometimes when the pugs get a little fiesty and are constantly looking for a treat, I have a little fun with them and just toss handfuls of kibble on the floor. Watching them scrounge around to gather all the kibble makes me laugh.
It has been hot out, but the pugs have managed to still get in some lounge chair time a few days each week. They just love to get out there and soak up the sun until they get too hot.
They usually all arrive at the chair at the same time, but they are staggered in leaving. Benjamin always gets hot first and retreats to the house. Luna is never far behind Benny and Henry usually outlasts the other two by a good 15 minutes.
I hope your weekend involves a little lounge chair time.
