The choices you make

A while back, after talking to many mastiff breeders, and looking at mastiff puppies for months, I chose my breeder and my puppy.  I made great choices.  This morning, Martha called me to check on Reilly, since she had read my blog and knew he was limping.  And after giving me ideas and suggestions, she wants me to let her know what the vet finds and how followup will go.  Good breeder, to follow up on her puppy.  Kind person, to do it by phone instead of easy email, since she knew I was worried.  I think she's great! 

Reilly was more active today, and showing less limping.  He went into my wool room today, while Chris and I were discussing plans for the guest room.  He decided to attempt to eat an big pound braid of roving I had dyed.  Yes, it was stacked on the floor with a bunch of other stuff.  It's a wool room!  Wool everywhere!  At any rate, I found him in there next to the braid, with tell-tale bits of fiber all around.  Mastiffs are quick to figure out the Rules, as I've said before.  I picked up the braid, held it in front of his little face, and said firmly, "No!  This is not for you!"  He ducked his head, turned tail, and ran to the kitchen, where the "Not Fair" look was in full force by the time I got that far.  We'll see how many times he needs to be told to leave wool alone.  Murphy took once.  Jake took a half-dozen times.  It's rather irresistible stuff, wool.  I never learned to leave it alone, myself.

I was gone for most of the morning, getting fitted for a new KAFO brace to help keep me from falling down, so Reilly had to stay by himself for a few hours.  And I was gone for several hours this afternoon, shopping.  The new brace will go from high on the thigh to the bottom of my foot.  Blue jeans aren't going to be a good option.  Sigh.  I could wear it on the outside of jeans, and it would be fine...until I had to go to the bathroom.  Around the house, I can take the time to remove the apparatus, but at work my time is more limited...so I went shopping for skirts.  Reilly did well then, too.  Then he got some outside time with the big Boys, after which he came back in...and pooped indoors.  Jake had set up this pattern at that age too, thinking pee went outside but poop went inside.  He got through it and so will Reilly.  I wouldn't be so calm about it all if we had carpeting throughout the house, but it's hardwood, vinyl and tile, which can be cleaned.  And he did not eat his poo today.  And he's had no carrots, which his baby self doesn't understand.

He's gotten really good at waiting at the door when I ring the bell.  I have him sit and wait while I hold open the door.  Usually I let Murph and Jake precede him, and still make him wait until I say it's okay to go out.  He does very nicely.  It helps at this stage that he's content to let the dogs with higher pack status go first. 

Tomorrow's the vet visit to see what's up with him and his limping.  Still sounds like panosteitis; we'll see if the doc agrees...and what she recommends.  Martha pointed me toward a particular diet that another mastiff breeder recommends and says helps with hers.  I'd be interested to see what Doc says about it.  I'll let you know tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've got to go walk a puppy and get some sleep. My day started at 3:00 this morning.
Meg and Reilly