A bad week

This was not a good week.

On Tuesday, I woke up and said, "Ow!! Ow!!" My left knee really hurt. I do not know why. I hopped and cried and looked to my mommy. "Mommy," I said. "Help me! I hurt!" My mommy did not know what was wrong, but she knew that I needed to go to the doctor. The doctor would tell us, she said.

We could not go right away, so we had to wait. My mommy was sick, and I was sore. We laid around the house and watched the clock. I tried to sleep, so I could stop feeling the hurt for a little while. But it was hard. I could not relax. Or go down the stairs without a lot of help. Pottying hurt, too. It was hard to squat.

Finally, Mommy said it was time to go. She pulled out the leash so that she could take me out to the car. You know what? I went crazy. (Seeing my leash does that to me.) I forgot all about the hurt and started getting really excited. Mommy had to put me in the car, because I was hurt (even if I forgot for a minute).

We drove slowly, because the road was really bad. My mommy did not want to crash. Then we would really be hurt. But then we got to the doctor's office. I like them. I was happy to see my friends -- so happy that I started acting crazy-daisy. I am a puppy, after all.

The doctor wanted to look at my knee, but I was too wiggly. She had to give me a shot to make me go to sleep. I did not want to wake up. It was nice to not hurt. But I felt my mommy petting me and saying pretty words to me, asking me to wake up. Then I heard her get up and walk over to pet a kitty. A kitty???? Hey! We don't like kitties, do we? I woke up. Mommy stopped petting the kitty and gave me lots of loves. She was happy I was awake, even if I walked funny.

Mommy put me back in the car. I tinkled a little. She did not care. She drove slowly again, and we went home. I could not walk like a steady boy. Mommy carried me up the stairs, and I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I was feeling better. Then Mommy told me the bad news: the doctor said I hurt my knee and I need to be quiet for two whole weeks. I am a puppy. I cannot be quiet for two whole minutes! Mommy said we must listen to the doctor. No fun for me for lots of days: no fetching, no running, no walks, no butt tucks, no going outside during the day.

This is not fun.

Mommy says that I may have to go see another doctor, in another state, if I am still hurting after two weeks. That doctor will operate (another big word that Mommy says labrador babies should not be hearing so soon) to fix my knee. Then I will have to stay quiet for a really, really long time.

I will try to be good so that I do not have to go see that other doctor (Mommy says it will happen some day -- I am a labrador with a bad knee.). But it is hard. There are so many games to play and so many walks to take.

(Note for Mommy's reference: Dewey may be headed for our fourth TPLO [Two for Royko, one for Emma]. Knee surgery is *almost* inevitable, though we're trying to avoid the need to have it done now -- hence, the crate rest. He weighed 60.2 lbs., up 7 lbs. in a month. He turned seven months on Jan. 29.)

Loose-leash perfection!!!!

From Dewey's mommy: The boy is wiped out and unable to update you himself, but we wanted to share our big success this afternoon.

Woo hooooooooooooo!!!!

What a difference a day and a new collar make! With the assurance of a dog expert friend, I moved Dewey from his halter to a training collar (his aunt Emma's, which was passed down from Baby Royko) for a mid-afternoon walk along the Greenbelt. I expected some resistance and the inevitable labrador pull, but I experienced neither. My boy walked perfectly at my side, never needing more than a gentle tug as we passed another dog, for more than 3 miles. He was a model heeler -- the best walker I have experienced in more than 35 years.

He stayed happy, he stayed at my side, and he stayed in rhythm with my pace (even in the inevitable headwind, though a little "Dewey" song helped him keep his pace). Could I have found that perfect walking companion? At not quite seven months old?

Dewey's mommy is stunned. And optimistic for the future.

Things my mommy wants to know

My mommy has a lot of questions these days. Some that are on her mind lately are these:

• Why did I piddle on her bed on Saturday night?
• Why do I need to drag all of my bankies across the house? Why do I do that to the blue one?
  
• Why do I run under the little blue chair every time I have something even I know I should not have?
• Why am I ripping off ALL of the branches from the bushes in the front yard?
• Why did I rip the eyeballs off of Bugsy?
• Will I give myself head trauma shaking my tire rope so hard that I hit myself?
  
• Why do I jump on the couch downstairs and leap on her when she brings in the water bowl from the garage (my giant dog house)?
• Will I be a good guard dog some day? Does it matter if I grow to be 90+ pounds?
  
• How big will I be before I stop growing?
• How could I be any cuter?
  

Family walk, Dewey in motion

I am sorry that I have not blogged for a long time. I am a busy boy, and my mommy is always at the computer. It is hard to get my turn.

Yesterday, I had a nice surprise: a walk with the whole family. Because it has been really cold and icy, my mommy could not go with us (She says that falling down is not her friend.). But the ice went away and we needed some air, so we walked. We went to the Greenbelt, a really nice place. My favorite spot is there, but I would not show Mommy. Daddy and I like to have boy secrets. (Well, Daddy does. He feels left out of the secret mommy/baby games that Mommy and I play -- like Tire Fire. Do not worry. There is no REAL fire...)
I was so excited about getting to walk with Mommy and Daddy that I got a little crazy. Mommy tried to start the walk. She lifted me out of the Boomobile and said, "Let's boogie." That means "Let's start our walk." She said that to two other labradors before me. Mommy likes routines. But I was so wild that Daddy took over. (Remember that Mommy said falling is not her friend.)

Most of the time, Daddy knew which way would be fun. Sometimes, though, I had other ideas. Ooh! Look over there! Daddy's way always won. He's a bigger boy. But I always tried to show him that there were other fun things to do and places to see.

My mommy is always taking pictures. I know I am cute, but sometimes she slows me down. I stopped. This time. Just so she could show you all of my cuteness.We walked a really long time. Daddy said it was four miles. I do not know how to measure, but that sounds like it is really far. You know what? I was not tired. I was so excited about having fun times with both my daddy and my mommy that I did not want it to end.

I like family time. I love my family.

Cuddlin'

Because my mommy and daddy feel they can trust me a little bit more, I am getting to do some things that I have not been able to do before -- like get on my mommy and daddy's bed. Little boys do not get to do that. Big boys do. I am a big boy.

Mommy and Daddy have a big, soft, warm bed. I like to jump up there so I can lick my mommy's face. I also like to lay my head on Daddy's chest and watch him sleep. I like being close to my parents. I love them. They love me.

Mommy likes that I want to cuddle. She says that is one of those "black labrador things." Baby Royko was a cuddler, too. She liked that. I get pets and loves when I lay down next to her and give her kisses. It is fun. I feel safe when I am there with her.

Sometimes, I really want to snuggle. A few nights ago, I was lying in my crate next to the bed, thinking about how much I love my family. I said to myself, "I should go tell them." I pushed the door, and I saw that Daddy did not shut it all the way. (He was sleepy. We stay up late playing boy games.) I pushed again, and again. Guess what. It opened up. Woo hoo!

I got very excited. I jumped on the bed, leaped over Daddy, and sat on my mommy's head. That way, I would be really close and I could give her a BIG old smooch. She squeaked. I think she was surprised. But then she laughed. She likes puppy smooches, even at 4:11 in the morning.