Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Caption This #142

Looking forward to your captions in the comments.

Monday, February 1, 2010

To the Beach

The pugs were all loaded up in the car and we were on our way to a park, when we decided to make an impromptu visit to the dog beach. The pugs hadn't been to the beach in months so we thought they would like it for a change. The only problem was that it wasn't an ideal beach day. It was cloudy, windy and cold. But we weren't going to let a little thing like the weather stop us. Plus, with the weather not being ideal we thought there was a good chance we would have the dog beach to ourselves and it turns out we were right.

Everyone had a good time except Sol was a bit disappointed. The lovely folks that she coaxed into giving her a hamburger the last time she was there were not at their pavilion. As soon as we passed the spot, she went to look for them. She smelled every inch of the picnic area, but alas they were not there. With no hamburgers, Sol didn't really see the fun of the beach.

Here is a little video of the pugs in action.

Pugs at the Beach from obp on Vimeo.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Classic Benny

Sofa, sun, pillows. All that is missing is pugkin bread.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Flashback

This week's flashback: Happy Birthday Luna

Luna's first "gotcha day" celebration.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Happy Gotcha Day, Luna!

Four years ago today we drove to Hollywood, FL and adopted Luna. I can't believe it has been four years. My how time flies.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that Luna has made us laugh a lot in the four years she has been with us. She is a tiny little thing, but she is full of so much spunk that you can't help but laugh. Watching her try to lay down and chew a 12" bully stick or rawhide bone that is taller than she is always gets me. And I never get tired of watching her come up for air from her food bowl with yogurt and pumpkin spread from cheek to cheek.

While we have had Luna for 4 years, we guesstimate that she is about 6 years old. I often think about what the first two years of her life were like. I don't know too much, but the little girl is covered in scars. Scars all over her body and she even has scar tissue built up on her eyes. She has grayed quicker than any of the other pugs and strangers frequently think that she is the oldest of the pack. I imagine the first two years of her life were horrendous, but I try not to think about it too much. After all, Luna doesn't let it get her down. She has a lot of physical reminders of her past, but she is the sweetest pug you will ever meet. I have never met a pug that is as eager to please as her. The first two years of her life may have been hard, but I like to think that the last 1,461 days haven't been too bad.

So to help celebrate her "gotcha day" I have uploaded a few Luna pictures to Flickr. You can view them here or if you prefer you can view them as a slideshow. And you can always read previous Luna posts here.

Happy Gotcha Day, Luna!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Oh Hai

I think he is happy with himself because he beat Luna back to the bin after lunch.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Solsey Update

I am always a little hesitant to give a Solsey update because things change so fast with her, but, knock wood, this last week and a half Sol has been doing very well. The new meds definitely seem to be helping.

Granted, she still coughs, but it is not constant and is much more manageable. Since none of the medicines will completely eliminate Sol's cough we have come up with our own little gauge over the last few months. Here are a few of the things we look for:

• Does she cough when she is sleeping or does she wake up because she is coughing
• Does her coughing prevent her from settling
• Does she have her "help me" eyes on? Her eyes tell it all.

Needless to say with Sol feeling better we all have been feeling better. In addition to relying strictly on the medicine we have been trying to find other things that we can do that help her feel better. Walks seem to be one thing that fits the bill. Not just pouch walks, but walks where she actually has to walk.

For about a month, we stopped walking Sol because of her cough. We tried to keep her as still as possible thinking that would help her cough. A month of her leading an almost sedentary life just exacerbated her arthritis which took a toll on her mobility. Plus, it didn't seem to be helping her cough at all. So, about a week ago, we decided to try and get in one little walk with Sol each day. We walk at her pace and we don't go too far. Right now, we are just walking to the mailbox and back. We have a community mailbox, so it is about 5 houses away. The first time we did the walk it took her a little over 15 minutes. Her record was walking 6 sidewalk squares without stopping. Her rear end was wobbly and she coughed a bit in the beginning. But by the time we arrived at the mailbox her cough had subsided and she was breathing well, for her at least.

Each day for the past week, we have walked to the mailbox twice a day. We go for our first walk right after lunch and our second walk in the evenings. In just one week, Sol has shaved over six minutes off her time. Last night we did the walk in about 8 minutes. As she is feeling better she is exploring more, straying from the sidewalk to smell the grass, light poles & tree trunks, so I don't think her time is necessarily reflective of her pace anymore. She coughs for a bit in the beginning, but then she settles into a rhythm and her cough subsides. And the best part is that her cough is significantly less for the hour or two after her walk. That is just the icing on the cake.

Last night when I grabbed her harness off the hook by the door to get her ready for her walk, she ran over to the door. She couldn't wait to get suited up and get on her walk. In just one week, her mobility has drastically improved. In fact, there was a noticeable difference just after a few days of walking. Plus, I think we are both feeling better. She likes getting out for the fresh air and smells and I cherish the time out and about with her.