Freedom in the sun for Hannibal

So Boone got his muzzle. I had to drive out to Oakville to get it because none of the pet stores around here had any besides the nylon ones. I needed a basket type muzzle or at least something that would allow him to pant during walks. I was told by the ex that he looks like a convict meanwhile I think he looks like Hannibal.



He didn't give much of a fight to wear it the first time and was actually far calmer then he's ever been since I've known him. I don't plan on having him wear it for the rest of his life though and already he's shown some great improvement while out for a walk and not wearing it. Me and my brother when for a 2 hour walk the other day plus he walked Boone eariler in the day. Boone was pretty tired and relaxed so I took it off. No one was around where we stopped and he was trying to pick up a stick so I figured why not. Well Drifter reverted abck to being a puppy and decided he wanted the stick. So I'd toss it across the river and he actually ran/swam after it and brought it back. Boone badly wanted in on this game now so I removed the leash and for a better part of an hour me and my brother tossed sticks across the river for Boone and Drifter to chase. When a few people did come by (one group with two barking dogs) Boone could have cared less he was tired and his mind was busy playing tog of war with Drifter over a stick. He glanced and that was it. I couldn't believe how much Drifter played that day he was like a pup again, running, swimming, playing, jumping... he was so happy and Boone was to as he actually had a proper playmate for that span of time. Drifter wasn't too sore later on that day either and hasn't had a seizure in a while now. Yay!

Woke up last Saturday, beautiful weather so I took some pictures of the mutts out on the front lawn and in the backyard, also decided to start up a side thing for some extra cash. Hopefully this along with part time at the groomers I'll get some extra cash going even while I'm possibly taking a $6000+ course for dog training come June.

You little jerk!

As one can tell today was far from grand. I'd like to call him a few different names that are less then kind but I'll refrain from posting it. His ears will be ringing for a loooooong time.

First off I took the dogs out to the baseball fields for a good run somewhere between 10-11:30am. I knew there wouldn't be alot if any people there at that hour on a Tuesday. Which gives me the ability to let Boone off leash. Both dogs ran around, sniffed, peed, rolled in stuff and generally had a good time. I took pictures, camera died said OK time to go back to the car. Drove to the nearest store, got my batteries, a bottle of Coke and a bag of Cheetos and then headed out to Red Hill Valley for a nice walk, we hadn't been there in awhile and again figured there would be alot of people there on a Tuesday morning/early afternoon. Wrong.

Four cars are in the lot, weird, but OK I can do this. Let Drifter out, loop his leash around my neck. He's good about listening and walking off leash. Minds his own business unless you have food or feels that someone is a threat to me. Boone gets clipped to his leash and off we go. As we are leaving the parking lot and heading down to the trails another car pulls up with a pretty black Lab in it, OK. I can still do this just keep Boone on the leash until the coast is clear. We move forth. Doesn't take long for the black Lab and his owner to catch up with us thanks to Drifter's two pit stops. Honestly he couldn't have done it all in one go? I only had one bag as he had used the other one at the baseball fields! Black lab stops, Drifter checks him out briefly we move on, women catches up adn we start chatting. She seems nice, her dog is nice and I couldn't believe he was 8 years old, no grey on his face and fit looking despite her saying he needed to loose a few pounds.

We walk adn talk, says most people who walk their dogs here known each other now as they happen upon each other so much but she hasn't seen me before. Tells me about the creek and that I shouldn't let the dogs swim in it as it runs through the dump and sooner or later the dogs that swim/drink it die. Drifter gets pretty awful runny poop when he gets in it so I know there is some truth to it at least. Jogger runs by, Boone gets slightly agitated and tries to run after him I pull him back. All is fine again, two bikes go by and that seems to be his breaking point. He then starts barking at the women and lunging, I keep pulling him back down to all four paws and telling him to quit it. Shorten the leash and pray to someone that he knocks it off. Why does he have to be such a jerk and act like this after being fine a moment ago?! Why can't he behave himself like Drifter who was walking along behind us with the black Lab? Next thing I know he's up again on two legs and bites her or at least gets pretty darn close to biting her. I yank him back, she recoils. I jerk the leash af ew times to grab his attention and then he was fine. JERKFACE! Why?! Why why why why!!! Do you want to get taken away and put down at 9 months old?! Why can't you just behave!? She didn't seem upset and after meeting up with two small dogs I head down a seperate trail to head back to the car and go home. The women gives a polite good bye and heads her own way with her black Lab still holding his bright red Kong following closely behind her.

The whole way back to the car I kept him on a tight leash, grumbling at him and pissed off beyond belief at myself as well as him. Once home I know it has to be done, he needs a muzzle and if there is any hint of other people around on the leash he stays. I went to three different pet stores to find a basket muzzle for him, none of them have that kind, only mesh/nylon ones. ARGH!!!! So tomorrow I'm heading out to Oakville to Ren's as I know they have a large selection of muzzles and its getting down and dirty training with the little jerkface. I won't tolerate this, its either he lives a life of never going for a walk, being muzzled anytime he's out in public and avoiding the prime walking times or death. He has no idea what he just caused for himself.

Now to a happier point in the day, some pictures from the baseball fields.

Beautiful Weekend

The weekend was beautiful, sunny, warm, and by warm I mean I could go out in a t-shirt and be fine for once though I did need a sweater on Sunday, the wind was a little chilly. And as beautiful as it was guess who did nothing and stayed hidden away in her basement for most of it? I wasted the weather and today the day I jumped out of bed (partly because I smelled dog poop from Boone's crate and my mother calling me upstairs because Drifter did as well in his room) and was in the mood to take the boys out for a good walk and it was raining, grey, miserable. I may do it anyways; it doesn't seem to bother the dogs any and it means less people around the trails/parks.

So Saturday was beautiful, t-shirt weather and I took the dogs up to the baseball fields to run around. There were a few guys on one of the diamonds but I took Boone off his leash anyway, hoping he'd listen should he decide to run after them. He looked at them once and then all attention was placed on Drifter and assaulting him whenever he could by head butting his arse, biting his tail, jumping around his head, barking at him and running circles around him. Poor Drifter just kept giving me these "help me" looks before he would bark and chase after Boone for a minute which was all Boone really wanted him to do. Another couple were walking their dogs, again Boone remained near me and listened when I would call him back as he got too interested a few times. Drifter was his usual, faithful self and ignored all other living beings in the area except for me and at times Boone. While heading back to the car, there was a man walking his dog going up to the top of the park where we had just come from. I called Boone back as he had gone way ahead of me and Drifter. He started to come back and took notice of the other dog. Called him again, his attention turned back to me, started walking over to me then stopped and looked at the strange dog again. Once more I called him, more strictly this time, a no fooling around voice, I meant business. He trotted towards me and then turned and ran towards the other dog as I called him twice more. Thankfully the other dog didn't seem to upset about though Boone went from "friend!" to hackles up and shrinking down to the ground as the other dog took great interest in him and began to circle after him. I ran over, grabbed him by a back leg as he kept spinning so I couldn't grab his collar and swung him away. By this point Drifter had made it over and unlike Boone wasn't so friendly. There was some snarling behind me, I turned and yelled at Drifter to move along and he did. I didn't even say sorry to the guy, just wanted to get back to the car. Even though I should have had Boone on a leash and been more aware I do have to say the least that guy could have done was retract his leash so his dog was away from mine as I tried to avoid an incident. Oh well. Incident avoided and we got home safely.

Sunday was a little colder but still nice, let Boone out into the yard and the kid went crazy, chewed up quite a few things before my father noticed and sent him inside, I thought he was going to kill him. But he escaped death yet again. I went out shopping and bought him a rollover bone which worked very well. Kept him busy for the whole day trying to get that rollover dog food out from inside the bone. Been keeping him busy today as well though I suspect that is what caused him to go in his crate last night as he doesn’t usually go in his crate unless he’s had people food, so I guess this didn’t sit well with him either.

At the moment, Drifter is passed out on the living floor and Boone… Boone is sprawled out on the floor beside me, staring at the corner of the couch rather quizzically. Weird dog.

Well turns out Drifter has also vomitted. Nothing just a small amount of bile by the back door. Drifter never stands by the back door unless he's getting ready to vomit or REALLY needs to go outside. He ran out the door when I opened so I imgaine he had another yucky poop like what was in his room. Poor guy is really off today.

Port Dover

Wasn't the best day to do it but I knew if it was a nicer day out there would be alot more people mucking around there and little to no chance I could let the dogs off leash. So I made the hour or so trip out to Port Dover, the drive alone I think is wonderful and worth it even if it was bitter by the water. It was nice though, the wind wasn't coming off the water which is good, there were very little public around and the boys had a blast down there.

Drifter has always loved the beach but Boone had never been before. He found great fun in the dead animals on the beach... ick. I had to stand guard over several dead birds and a raccoon before he finally got the message to stay away from them and got myself several odd looks from a few people who walked by as I stood over the dead bodies. I also found myself holding several body parts like wings that I had snatched away from Boone only to notice a few horrified looks from people I hadn't heard come up behind me.

Drifter brightened up the moment we got into town, I love seeing him liven up the way he did he looks like the puppy I still see him as. Headed home before me or Boone wanted to but since Drifter is shaved he got colder quicker and started heading to the car himself when I ignored his first pleas to go home and both conked out in the backseat on the way home.

So without further wait a few pictures and a video from yesterday. The thanks I get is waking up a 6am to the smell of poop from Boone's crate which is at the end of my bed. I tired to ignore it until a more proper hour came around but finally got up let him out covered it with a blanket to keep the smell in and climbed back into bed, Boone of course joined me and suddenly the smell got worse. Poking my head out of the blankets I sniffed and glared at him which he seemed to get the message he wasn't wanted and dove off the bed before I could say a word. The stinky brat I guess as payback for kicking him off the bed has just now taken a bathroom stop in the spare room... I'm going to kill him.

He's not a pup anymore

So I’ve decided to not just make this blog about Boone, but about Drifter as well with maybe a few scene stealer moments from other critters in my life. First off, Boone doesn’t seem to be growing and if he is not very much. But he is getting darker and little to smart for his own good about things I’d prefer he not be smart about. He listens far better when its just me around him, if there are other people he gets a little worried and though you can tell he wants to listen he seems to afraid to do so and starts to spin in circles. He’s getting better off leash, and when he does go to run after a person or another dog/animal a quick stern call of his name sends him running back (though he makes it clear he is reluctant about it).

Drifter got shaved a few days ago, bye-bye hair. He looks even more of a chunky monkey then with his hair and is more grey then black now. Boy his is tail small compared to the rest of him. He’s being great with Boone, has even played with him and for the first time in years he actually ran around and kept up speed with Boone up at the baseball field the other night, he had a small limp the day after but nothing like he would normally have if he wasn’t on the glucosamine pills. Yay, they’re working! But as much as they are working the rest of him seems to be getting worse.

His seizures are getting more frequent. At least one every week or so. They are usually short and early in the morning. He’s pretty messed up for about 2 hours after and then he’s back to his normal self and ready for the day to begin. However the last one was different.

He sleeps in the spare room (what used to be my brother’s room but he’s moved into my old room) alone now. The carpet is nice and thick for him, he has his dog bed and bowl in there as well as a toy or two but he usually just sleeps on the spare bed. Not a smart thing to let him do with him having fits but it makes him happy and who am I to take away his happiness? Usually he just drools a lot during a seizure but the last one he actually lost control of his bladder. Naturally my mother was far from impressed and set to work washing all the bed clothes from the bed (which for some reason is an insane amount.. two comforters and I don’t know how many sheets). Dad went to work to try and clean the mattress while Drifter laid spaced out on the living room floor shaking and looking for sorry for himself. So the talk came up that she wants to put him down. My folks had a fight about it as my dad doesn’t want to yet. So for the rest of the day it would pop up here or there, I was getting annoyed. I didn’t want to hear about it, what animal owner does? She asked me what the going cost was to put a dog down and to dispose of the body; she didn’t want a private cremation. Told her it depended on the vet, and the size of the animal. That got her into talk about what people did in the old days, take the dog out in the woods and either leave it or shoot it. Not happening. I told her when the time comes he’ll get a private cremation and he’ll go by injection.

That sparked another conversation about how silly it was to feel that way, he was a dog yadda yadda. Told her we wouldn’t put a family member in a mass grave why do it to Drifter who IS a family member and has been for the past 9 years. Got a little snotty and then I took the dogs for a walk/drive. I ended up in some place called Garnet before I decided to turn around and got home at 10pm.
There have been a few people suggest that putting him down isn’t a bad thing right now. I know its not, I know he must feel so confused about what’s happening to him but I know it’s not his time. It can’t be, he’s too happy still. He’s always ready to go for a long walk with Boone in the valley. He loves his food still, he’ll play ball, chase Boone in the yard. Roll over for a tummy rub, loves his cookies, and gets around fine now. I can’t justify putting him down when he’s still enjoying life so much. If he weren’t I’d end it before it got worse but right now he’s far too happy. I can’t do that to him. Yes, he’s got unexplained liver issues, a bad heart murmur and unexplained seizures but he’s still enjoying life. I thought about it during the two hour drive/walk last night, maybe I was being selfish about not putting him down but I know I’m not. If anything else I’ll have him sleep in the basement with me, I’ll deal with his messes, I’ve already been looking at doggy diapers and the like though I’m not sure he’d take to wearing them very well. By the end of the drive I knew I couldn’t do it, at least not yet, not until he tells me he’s ready which I know he will. It’s just a matter of understanding his message when he tells me. His time is getting shorter, but I’m going to make the most of it while I can while he can still enjoy it.

A few pictures from over the past few weeks. All pre shave for Drifter.