The Joy Journal

Notes of Joy

On Friday I had a terrible gastrointestinal event, that was humiliating. Mom2 found me huddled and shaking, scared that I would be in trouble for making a mess. She said it was OK, it was no problem to clean up and I couldn't help it- my medicine caused it. I was so relieved to be understood and to be cleaned.

I went back to the vet on Friday, to get my drains removed. Mom2 carried me into the Vet's office in my little blue bed, since I was still sore. The vet tech came and took me from Mom2, bed and all. The drain removal went quickly, and she brought me back out to the waiting room. When I saw Mom2, I jumped from the bed toward Mom2, scaring myself, Mom2 and the vet tech. Mom2 had to do some juggling not to drop me; she wasn't expecting me to dive bomb into her lap!

I have to wear a shirt until I get the stitches out next week. Which is just as well, because much of my lovely fur had to be shaved where Mindy bit me, and I am chilly.

Doing Well

I am continuing to improve. Tomorrow I will go back to Dr. Day for the removal of my drains. I am still receiving pain medication and antibiotics.

Wednesday night I woke up crying. Mom2 thinks I had a nightmare.
I didn't sleep well the rest of that night, but other than that I am in pretty good spirits. I am very affectionate and frequently give what Mo calls the " nose-to-nose sweetness" to anyone in my vicinity.

Mindy, the husky who hurt me, has disappeared. She was home the morning after the attack, but left and has not returned. Mom2 and Dad have looked for her every evening, but she is nowhere to be found. Perhaps she realizes she has worn out her welcome here.

I am grateful for all the lovely gifts and get well wishes from my fellow Dogster pups. I am happy to have made several new friends.

Thanks Dogster HQ for making me diary pick of the day. I am honored.

Recovering

Thank you all so much for your prayers and hugs. I am home now. I have 3 drains in my wounds, and a dressing that goes from my shoulders to hips.

The vet was worried because I wouldn't eat or walk while I was in ICU. But once I got home, I ate and walked around the house, stiff, but still spry. Mom2 let me walk a bit, and then we have done lots of snuggling.

Many thanks to all the Dogster dogs who prayed for me. Thank you too to: God for watching over me, to Dr. Day and Ms. Sneed who came in on Sunday to care for me at Ocoee Animal Hospital, thanks Dad for coming to our rescue, and thanks Mo, who tried to bite that husky, who was 1000 times bigger than himself. Jazz and Mo have been so sweet to me since I came home. I like my brothers.

Thanks again dear friends.




I also wanted to say that that husky was not your average big dog. We have always had big dogs and they have always been nice to us. Our cousin had a husky we loved dearly. I think that the husky who attacked us had some kind of issue- she just didn't see us as fellow dogs for some reason. Just wanted to send our love to all nice big dogs. If Boone our big brother hadn't been so busy chasing bunnies, he would have helped Mom2 fight off the attack. He loves us.

We still love huskies and big dogs!

I am Hurt

A few weeks ago Dad2 brought a new dog to live with us. She is a Siberian Husky. She seemed like an ok dog. Today it was a warm beautiful day, so Mom2 put on our jackets and we walked to the hayfield. She spread a blanket down for me and her to sit on while the boys explored. The minute she took the boys off leash, the husky began attacking all of us. Mom ran around trying to round us up and get the big dog to leave us alone. We were all in a panic and so was Mom2. She finally got us all up in here arms and screamed for Dad2 to come help.

Dad2 came to our rescue, but as Mom2 was putting us in the truck, somehow I fell out. The husky bit me very badly and Mom2 had to beat her off of me.

I am at the vets now fighting for my life. Please pray for me.

I Can't Help Being Adorable

Last week Mom2 came home in the midde of the day to pick up something the RedHead had need of at school. Mom2 got the item, and then noticed there were only 2 dogs following her. She could not find me anywhere. She called my name, and ran frantically through the house.

She checked everywhere and finally re-checked her bedroom. I was curled up in a tiny Joy-ball, fast asleep on her pillow in her bed.

Crisis averted.

Farewell to Austin

You were a nice big dog.

June 11,2009

I do not see the point of going to the hayfield. I do not require exercise to keep my petite figure. I stay small by watching my diet and running up and down the stairs. I do not find it necessary to sniff everything in a 100 yard radius, as Jazz and Mo are so fond of doing. If you have sniffed one bunny, you have sniffed them all.

While we are at the hayfield, I sit daintly in Mom2's lap, waiting to go home.

An Observation

People have 2 hands. Therefore, 2 dogs should be the maximum per petter per household. Mom2 is the chief petter here, and trying to pet us all 3 makes her look like a demented pianist.

May 8, 2009

Mo was the only one who had an adventure this week. I do not understand that dude. While Mom2 is upstairs watching TV or surfing the web on her laptop, Jazz and I stick with her and cuddle. Mo stays downstairs with Dad2 . He only comes to bed when Dad2 comes. He sits in his bed in the den, while Dad2 in on his computer in the living room. He barks at Dad2 all the way up to bed.

He is such an odd little being.

A Nice Day Ruined

We went to the hay field, as you may have read in Jazz's diary. It was fun, but after the outing, we had our hair cut, nails clipped and were bathed.

Mo is lucky he has minimal trim work done on his wild fur. But Jazz and I had to had the fur trimmed between our toes, and a general trim. It took forever, and Jazz had to be restrained.

Joy Report

The people and other dogs here require more sleep than I. I am always the last one to settle to sleep at night. I play alone at the foot of the bed, or chew on a bully.

I also must report that I have a bit of a quirk. I go from the foot of the bed to the head of the bed a dozen or so times a night, and each trip I walk ON Mom2.

Mom2 is used to it now, but when I first came here, it gave her a turn to have me running up and down her person like a little mouse.

April Snow

It snowed last night and much of today. The ground and driveway and all the trees were covered this morning, although it melted quickly. I wore my puffy little pink coat when I went out.

You gotta love April in the South. You just can't tell what will happen next.

New Bullies

We got new bullies tonight- one was a great long one, longer than me , and the other 2 were little ones. Mom2 tried to give the long one to Jazz, and gave Mo and me the short ones. I refused the short one, and took the long one, although I had quite the tussle corralling it.

3-9-09

Last week Dad2 ran over Boone and broke his leg. He spent 2 nights at the vets. He came home with a cast on his leg and for a while, he had to stay in the garage. No running around. He has started going to work with Dad2 , and so is no longer there sniffing me every time I go out for a potty break, which I must say is the silver lining.

Austin never bothers me when I go out. This morning he was enjoying a sunbath, and he didn't even get up when I went out. Since Boone was gone with Dad2, I took the opportunity to sniff around a bit. I went into the garage and checked out Boone and Austin's food (yuk) and their beds(nice).


He did accompany us to the hayfield today. But he wasn't hitting on all cylinders, if you know what I mean.

The Boys are Slackers!

I am always alert- I can be deeply asleep one minute, and if I hear something, I am instantly awake and ready to sound the alarm. Now the Boys are another story. They do fairly well during the day, but at 4 am when something goes bump in the night? It is all up to me.

It is a good thing too, because I am very sure that Dad2 and Mom2 would not want to miss being informed of every single night noise, even the ones I imagine...

Sibling Rivalry

Sometimes, when I leave the bed to go get a drink of water, or check out whatever Boone is barking at outside, Jazz steals my spot on Mom2's shoulder. And no amount of complaint on my part can dislodge him when I return. The nerve of some canines.

Sleeping Arrangments

I don't seem to require as much sleep as the others who live here. At night, we all head to the big bed and get in. I have my own set of stairs now, that the boys are too scared to use- ha-ha. So, once we assemble on the bed, everyone settles right down. Jazz usually heads under the quilt by the Dad, Mo curls up around the Mom's feet.

I am usually not sleepy, so I entertain myself with a few rounds of throwing whatever toy is on the bed, or chewing on a chew stick. When I do get ready to bed down, I head up to Mom2's face, sit down in front of it, and stick my tiny face into her sleeping one. I sit there wordlessly staring, until she allows me to assume my favorite position- curled under her chin. Night-night.

January 12, 2009

Jazz and I got haircuts the other night, courtesy of Mom2's new clippers. They are pink.

The other night Dad2 tried to pet me in the dark. I bit him. How was I supposed to know it was he? Mom2 laughed- she knows my little teeth didn't make a dent in his tough hide.

What We Got For Christmas

Well, you know times are hard. So we did not get anymore toys. We have a basket full. And we already have plenty of bullies.

So all we got was a small sample of most everything that Mom2 cooked. And on Christmas day, we got a jar of chicken baby food. It was so gooood!

Economizing is not so bad.

I Am Brave

Last week Mom2 was sitting in the playroom floor, wrapping gifts. There were some rubber maid containers blocking the doorway, but I managed to slip in between them. Jazz stood outside crying- he was afraid to come through the containers. I went outside and touched my nose to his, trying to let him know it was OK. But he was too afraid to try it. Finally Mom2 moved the containers, and he came in, and joined me in Mom2's lap.

December 2, 2008

Tuesday night, I felt wretched, after all those shots at the vet. Mom2 gave me a small dropper of some vile tasting stuff, and it made me so mad that I wouldn't look at her for a while. Then things began getting fuzzy, and I snuggled down on her shoulder and went to sleep.

Joy's View

I am feeling more and more at home here- I have about got Mom2 trained on my signals that alert her when I need to go out. She is not the brightest bulb- it took a while for her to realize what I was trying to convey, but she finally seems to have figured it out.

Saturday when she opened the door to let me out, that hideous beast Boone was out there. He sniffed me rudely when I was trying to do my business, and then he watered me! Mom2 had to give me a bath when I came in, reeking of giant dog wee. Now she opens the door very quietly, and I slip out silently, to avoid a repeat of that debacle.

November 6

I am liking this place a lot, although, of course I miss my Mom and Gabe and my babies. Mom smelled like one of my babies when she came home Sunday, and I sniffed and sniffed her. I like being free to roam the house, and I love the stinky chew treats we get. The boy-dogs' manners are improving, and they seem to accept the fact that I am Mom2's favorite.

How I Came To Live With 2 Wild Boys

On Saturday I came to my new home. I had reason to wonder if Mom chosen an idiot for my new Mom at first.

Mom2 brought Jazz and Mo with her to fetch me, and took us all to the dog park to get acquainted. We we got there, Mom2 opened the door, and Jazz promptly fell out of the car, and was dangling in mid-air by his harness. Then she went around to the back of the car to get us some water, and my food fell out, and half of it fell on the ground. She was able to save some of it, by scooping it off the bumper and back into the container. This has turned to my advantage, as I do like the food the guys eat- I eat that now. And Jazz and Mo, of course prefer my food, so it's all good!

I refused to walk at all at the park. So, Mom2 carried me, while the guys walked and sniffed.

Jazz is pretty mellow, so he and I will get along famously. But Mo thinks he is king of the hill. I will soon show him otherwise.