Taking a Blog Break.....

I thought I would take a blog break from the usual animal antics & share some adventures of the last few weeks.  As some might already know - we had our hall bathroom gutted & remodeled - trust me it was time!!!  There were FREQUENT problems & set backs....but the biggest problem was verbal communication.  The gentlemen worker bees were not born in America & didn't choose to speak any English.  Which meant several long days of hearing only their native tongue which is VERY unsettling to me as the home owner - especially since I had not taken a course in this particular language back in high school. ( I did want to bring in some of my neighbors to hide in my bedroom BUT they all work during the day.)  I would better understand  all this IF we moved to their homeland & decided to have home improvements done BUT we live here in lovely Arlington Heights, Ill USA.

Was the end product done correctly you might ask.....yes ...it was....after many delays & problems.  The thing is I would have felt much better @ the whole situation  if I had known what was happening as it was happening  & been told the truth up front.  Most people, I know, can accept things much easier when all the cards are on the table & all those involved are on the same page.  When only those who REALLY know what is going on hold all the cards - it's just not fair to the rest of us.


I just know after reading this ....you'd like to see a few photos :))

                               We went from this .....

                                 And this.....

                                 TO THIS......

                              AND THIS.....nicer, huh?



Now, I don't want anyone to feel that miscommunication only happens with non-Americans.........b/c it doesn't.  Just recently I had an interesting experience with a very fluent English speaking person, who was not up front @ the situation & had different ideas & rules @ how things were supposed to be understood. So at this point I don't know if not speaking English is wise OR if withholding information is wiser...as it turns out.....I guess good communication is just lost on some people.

Finally.......Cheddar Photos

             Here is my homemade barricade - that didn't fool the Duds!!

                     I thought she was safely sequestered :(

                    She even thought it was pretty fool proof :)

Happily, she did survive the week w/ the tenacious Terrier threatening her life & was able to enjoy hopping @ the patio AFTER all canines were inside every morning :)

A Case of Dudley Do WRONG!!!!

Now that the Duds is almost finished w/his dental meds & is eating dry food again - he is feeling pretty good.  Which is a problem for.....Cheddars....our bunny. We have  been remodeling our hall bathroom, so we transferred her to the screened in patio to allow the workmen to have all of the garage floor space to saw wood, cut tile etc. I tried to barricade her the best I could to shield her from both canines & warm afternoon sun light.
 
My blog will NOT allowed me to post pictures today....grrr.....so I'll condense my tale.

Dudley has met Cheddars before & seemed mildly interested but nothing scary like he has displayed this past week.  It's a good thing I watch Dog Whisperer b/c when Duds goes into the red zone of snarling, barking,& growling....the only way to distract him is with a BROOM!!!!  I kid you not....he will not listen & therefore transfers all the excitement & aggression to me if I get too close - which is not acceptable.  So I put the broom - straw side down - between him & her cage ( as his teeth are wrapped @ the bars ) &  strongly suggest he let go.  Then he goes ballistic on the straw part of the broom & I just wait him out.  Sooner than later....he sits down & looks @ me  waiting for more direction - even happily trotting back into the house afterwards like nothing bad happened. 

I'm thinking this is what happened on the hill when the deer came around & Pud kept her distance & yelled @ him.  I just wonder how many times he went @ her?

Anywho, my bathroom is now done,the workers are gone & Cheddars is back in the garage safe & sound without a lil terrier terrorizing her home.  The funny thing is during all this loud mayhem ....she would just sit down in front of him & watch all the fuss!

A Day Sans the Duds....

Yesterday was finally D-day for Dudley.....his dental appointment took place.  I'm happy to report that he is eating, drinking, peeing & pooping this morning as well as last night.  The technician from the Animal Hospital mentioned all of the above might NOT happen for 12- 24 hours.  Obviously, they don't know Dudley too well :)

I drove him there - loudly - yesterday morning @ 8:50am.  They gave me a window of 7:30a to 9a.  Now, I figured..... why cause him more stress there - when he was contently snoring behind Bru's chair all morning?  I was very impressed @ the fact that - altho he didn't understand why no food or water came his way @ the regular feeding time - he did NOT cause a scene of any kind. He intently watched his 2 cousins happily munch away @ their breakfasts & check each others bowls for any hint of leftovers. This ritual always amazes me b/c there is never even a crumb to be found. You have to love the fact that dogs are such optimistic creatures!!

So.... the Vet called me later in the afternoon to inform me that no less than 10 teeth had to be extracted!!!!   Seriously????  Would there be any left???  How would he ever be able to eat???  He assured me that he probably wasn't even using those decrepit old molars anyway & he would be able to chew just fine....maybe use canned dog food for a day or two. 

I was really ready for sticker shock when I drove to pick him up, but it truly wasn't THAT bad .....considering all that was done.  Of course, when you add up the previous visit & blood work plus the antibiotics, a slight touch of shock could be felt....but...it's the Duds & he's worth every penny...right JB????

Gracie vs Payton

Apparently, both felines were feeling a sense of ownership in Trev's room & Pate decided to make his presence known by approaching Gracie on high ground.

                     He decided a nice slow entry was best....

           By the time Gracie saw him...he was soon looking for help...Mama????

                  Whatever I do - do NOT give any eye contact!!!

 Gracie is ready to pounce on his lil butt since Trev's room is HER domain! She chases him out ALL the time & soon after this face off - Pate retreated back to the living room where his pack was sleeping soundly unaware of his kitty crisis.

Then Gracie Grace needed a fix after the confrontation - Trev was happy to oblige her w/cat nip :)




I also want to share that while our bathroom is being remodeled, both felines like to  "play" around the door...one inside & one out. Pate sometimes refuses to let her out & just lies in the hall daring her to cross the magic line back to Trev's room!!


PS. Tomorrow is Dental Day for Dudley....yikes!

Gracie did WHAT?????

The other day when the weather was almost perfect, I decided to take Gracie out of the house & on to our screened in patio.  I figured she was a woman of the world - having experienced fresh air at an early age - & could handle the out doors.......I was right :)

When Trev brought her out....she hid under a chair for @ 30 seconds & proceded to scope out the area.

            She put her scent on anything her mouth could rub against!!

                 She even wanted to take a peek in the backyard :)

        
After @ a half hour....she decided she had experienced enough & asked to go in -
            so Trev took her back in & she was asleep in minutes !!!

 

          Her cousin Payton yowled & panted the whole time we had him out!

                   And  he even tried to jump thru the screens!!!! 


All in all Pate lasted @ 10 minutes.....so once again - the winner is Gracie Gracie again proving the youth are not all they're cracked up to be !!


PS Dudley's blood work was wonderful & he'll begin antibiotics on Friday before he has his dental appt. next Wed.

The Duds vs the Dentist.....

The car ride to the vet's office could have been a made for TV " What NOT to do" movie.   He immediately went berserk in the car & we had not even left the property!!!  My son Trev was supposed to be holding him in his lap in the passenger seat BUT Dudley wanted no part of that idea & ended up on the floor scratching the heck out of Trev's legs & barking.  Bella & Fest were panting loudly - as only a Mastiff & Pug can -  in the back seat watching & listening to their cousin while Trev was getting more agitated by the minute - he truly is a cat person I'm learning.

The reason we couldn't just pull out of the driveway was b/c the garage door refused to close - so every time I got out to check ....Duds wailed louder....I'm sure the neighbors thought we were beating him!

Fast forward to the vet's office - approximately 4 blocks away - Duds was quieter, Bella & Fest were happy to be there ( they love going  b/c biscuits are often dispensed after the appt.).  Once we were placed in the largest exam room they have, all dogs roamed around & sniffed every single inch of the floor before they eventually settled down @ my feet.  When my vet finally entered the room they all greeted her happily :)

Let me just say...upon seeing a 3rd canine...she looked @ me and simply said "why"?  When I finished sharing Dudley's tale...she was both touched & amazed that my Aunts' family would care so much @ her pets. ( Jay & Venita you are now known as the lil auto angels & JB is the blessed lil sis finance angel).

Upon further investigation .....it was discovered that he has cataracts in both eyes BUT can see pretty well thru a myriad of tiny holes over his lenses, the lump under his chest is not a concern......but....his mouth is infected BIG time!  They did blood work to make sure all his levels are acceptable for a dentistry AFTER he will be on antibiotics for a while.  She won't be sure @ what the actual teeth will look like til all the "gunk" is off during the procedure...ugh.

In the mean time...we wait for test results....then get the meds & then schedule the actual appointment.


Good news is they weighed Dudley for their records & he is down to 15 lbs :-)

Bad news is no photos this time....they might have been misconstrued as animal abuse!!!!