Long Day with Doggies

Two steps forward, one step back, right?

Jake was neutered this morning, and I picked him up a bit after 4:00.  He's one large wobbly dog.  Thankfully he managed to pee before I got him inside.  He's spent the rest of the day on one of the doggie beds I moved in the corner behind the dining room table, where I have my laptop set up.  He does not feel good at all.  Poor boy.  I managed to get him outside about 10:00, hoping he'd pee again, but he ended up just collapsing outside.  I had Murphy being all concerned and in his way, Reilly thrilled that Jake wasn't running from him, and wanting to climb all over him, and poor Jake down in the yard.  And there's no way I can even pick up his head, much less that body. 

So, I put Reilly in the mudroom, told Murph to stay out of the way, and got a leash.  Jake understands the difference between a request and a command.  And I hated to do it, but I ordered him to get up and go inside.  He managed, with me helping to balance him.  And the stairs from the carport inside are the steepest, but also the closest.  There's just three.  I called my niece to come hold the door, and Jake managed the steps.  It took me a minute to get up those myself, then I led him back to his bed and settled him down.  He didn't get to pee outside, so if he goes in the night I'll have a fun clean-up.  But he can't help it, poor guy.  And I know he'll hold it past the point where he should give in.

And while all this is going on, Mr. Reilly decided it was Puppy Relapse Day.  I had forgotten about those.  The days where everything he has learned goes straight out of his head.  First, I lost track of him for a second while dealing with Jake, and found him depositing a bowel movement on the carpet in my husband, Chris', computer room.  And I realized it was the second time today he'd done it.  Okay, it's part of having a puppy.  Scoot the pup outside and remind him where he's supposed to do such things, clean up the mess, and close the door so he can't do it again.  Use that as a reminder to take up the Persian carpet. I should have also used it as a reminder to take up the hallway runners, but I didn't until we had a repeat performance there.  Cleaned those up, let them dry, rolled them up.  Then while I was working with getting Jake outside and back, Reilly peed on a door rug.  I again scooted him outside, following with Jake.  I couldn't watch Reilly closely, so didn't notice if he did any more pottying.  But when I had to put him up to get Jake in, he peed on one of his towels before I even had the baby gate up.  Sigh.

But, he's less than nine weeks old, and he's done really well so far.  And we all have relapse days.  So, I'm just cleaning behind him today.  And tomorrow we'll start over.  He'll get better at understanding as he grows, and I'll get better at reading his signals.    We'll both learn. 

Despite all that, he now comes bounding to greet me.  I get lots of puppy kisses.  He'll be just fine.  And tomorrow Jake will be through the anaesthesia and feel better, although he'll still be sore. 

Oh, and what did Murphy do all day?  Worry.  I took both Murphy and Jake to the vet, but only Murphy came home.  He spent the day giving me accusatory looks, and looking sideways at Reilly.  You could tell he was thinking we'd traded his buddy Jake in for a new model.  When I got home after picking Jake up, Murphy was so happy to have him back.  He smelled him over good, but he's been in the hospital himself several times, so he recognizes the smells from there.  Plus he'd been there that morning himself.  He's still worried about how Jake is acting, but he's happy to have him back now.

We'll look forward to tomorrow being an improvement.  Yes, as Scarlett said, "Tomorrow is another day!"

Meg and Reilly