Betty Adds to Her Repertoire

     Alright, so YES, she's being a little puppy rascal, but she's also mastering some pretty awesome "big girl" skills! We're learning that her learning is a remarkably fast process (as long as it's not "leave it," or "no bite"). Nailing down the "sit" situation took about three practice rounds, and she's pretty solid on "come." She gets jazzed about doing her new tricks, and I'm feeling hopeful about her potential for not being a cruddy dog to be around.

I don't think I've ever had a dog that could pull this off (at least not the retrieval part)

No issues, here

 Those moments make up for these moments (black screen, because the lights were out in the bedroom...as it was midnight, and we were trying to sleep)

Extreme Makeover: Puppy Dungeon Edition

     In keeping with her new passion for chewing, Betty began putting in work on the vinyl in her puppy room this week. Now, the vinyl wasn't installed to the highest standards to begin with (nagging wife attempts failed to motivate improvements), but she zeroed in on the weak spots with her puppy radar, and decided to make confetti. She was catching on that putting on my coat and grabbing my keys meant she'd be heading to the puppy room until lunch, and she started demonstrating her distaste for this practice by balking at the door on the way in, and celebrating excessively on the way out. Ever the selfless pal, she made sure to bust her babies out of the joint, along with her.

Betty's "release from time served" ritual

 

By this afternoon, the room had been demolished. We went back to the drawing board, and Bo and I gave it the ol' college try this evening. We'll see how long it takes her to find a weak spot this time--I'm hoping $75 in vinyl and supplies isn't a bi-monthly tradition!

She was of absolutely no help

Start the timer... countdown to destruction begins!

Welcome to Puppyhood... Our Sweet Baby Makes the Transition

     We knew it would happen sooner than later, and seeing how great she was feeling after her staples were removed, we had an inkling we were on the brink. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're here--our sweet, injured, snuggly and dependent baby has officially reached the puppy stage! She's grown like crazy, and with her bigger body and razor-sharp alligator fangs, she's dipping her toe into the "appetite for destruction" lifestyle... here goes!

One.....two....and now THREE months old!

She first discovered the joy of people clothes in an innocent way, as they all do. She had been especially needy, and after Bo went to bed, she disappeared for a moment... She emerged from the bedroom, somehow dragging Bo's sweatshirt, while whining and running on three legs. She made a bed out of it, and plopped herself on top with a dramatic sigh

I thought it was kind of sweet, and didn't realize the implications of this new behavior, until I took a shower. I was a bit confused, at first, when I got out of the shower, and my pile of clothes had vanished.... and then there she was

Well, at least she hadn't destroyed anything (yet)

That evening, she learned about how exciting the contents of the bathroom wastebasket could be--oh, hell. I woke up this morning, to find that she had DESTROYED her first item (of many, I'm sure)

"You should see the other guy.." The far, far less damaged shoe of a pair I happened to like

She retreated, following my explanation of what an awful girl she'd been...I later found her on her bed, having not learned a single thing (but being completely adorable, at the same time)

Foot fetish

Alright, so it's happening. This hyper little bundle of teething joy is now on a mission. Lucky for her, in addition to developing a taste for all things mine, she's recently developed some new ultra-precious redeeming qualities.

One white eyebrow--cute!

Black triangle on her tail--it's basically her Marilyn Monroe beauty mark

She has a tattoo on her right wrist, too!

Puppy-proofing, round deux, will be a full job this weekend...but I guess we'll keep her around!

Healing, Hiccups, and the Other Side of the (Swiss) Mountain

     A big advantage, going into this amputation adventure, was that Betty was a puppy--and a fast growing puppy, at that! Her cell replication and her resilience were vastly different from that of an adult dog, and we knew that her recovery would be "surprisingly rapid." She blew our expectations out of the water! The hardest part was keeping her from practicing her newly found Olympic-level athletic skills. Her hair started to grow back within days, and soon had covered the staples. At this point, she became disinterested in the incision site, and could hang without wearing her cone for most of the day (she still slept with it at night... too bad we can't do that forever!).  We were ecstatic, to phase out most of the meds, and her spirit was that of a 100% normal, happy, healthy pup.

Watching us cook

Like any pre-schooler, she raids her toybox, so she can sleep with her babies

Plenty of puppy naps

 Smiley pup

 Puppy hiccups are the cutest kind

 Watching football playoffs

 Watching Thelma & Louise, after everyone else conked out

     Looking good!

     By day 10, we went on our first walk (talk about CABIN FEVER!). With Betty donning her "NEW COLLAR" (Lady and the Tramp voice), we delivered a "thank you" to the neighbors who'd brought us cookies, and she she seemingly couldn't get her fill of the fresh air. Our street has a dog/baby policy--everyone apparently has to have one or the other, preferably both, no exceptions. We are like the Central Park walking trail of SW Portland. She finally got to meet new people and dogs--I was elated to see that none of her new friends could tell that she was on three, until she was up close (and in many cases, until she I mentioned it!).

 

     The next day, we were able to get the staples out!!! We were able to hand deliver the thank you card we had made (on treat.com), and she was due for her booster shots, so we checked it all off the list. She was officially on the "other side" of the mountain, and could embark on her new and improved life, as a completely healthy three-legged puppy with no limitations!

We celebrated with her first bath, and she was the softest vanilla-almond puppy on earth!

We are SO PROUD of her! 

     Tomorrow will be her first day alone since the surgery, while Bo and I are at work--feeling a tad anxious about it, but much more at ease, now that she doesn't have 18 staples to rip out. I'm sending off our second "thank you," to our life savers at Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals, in the morning, and will be counting the minutes, until I can come snuggle my girl!

Onward and upward!

Ringing in the New Year--Hunkered Down and Happy in 2014

     I am (obviously) painfully sentimental and nostalgic, so New Year's Eve is right up my alley. I love the reflection of a year gone by too quickly, and the hope of things to come. I get jazzed, watching the countdown, and love to be in the middle of the action when the ball drops. We had planned on attending a fabulous party with our dear friends--a night filled with gluttony and debauchery--but Betty and her 18 staples of glory weren't able to be left alone yet. Alas, tonight was our first time ringing in the New Year at home. We missed our hilarious crew, but were so content to count backwards from ten with a snuggy puppy girl in between us on the couch.
     Our 2013 definitely ended with more of a roller coaster ride than we had anticipated, but of 365 days, it was funny to find that both of our "best thing that happened this year" was an unwavering "Betty"--thank goodness for the last 17 days of the year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Recovery of a Champion

     It had already been a daily struggle to leave that sweet face every morning, and then I had to leave that sweet face on three legs the morning after surgery--someone's gotta cover the vet bills :-/ Thankfully, Bo's dad signed on for "puppy duty," so she would be looked after, while Bo and I went back to the daily grind. There's nothing like a mountain of a man--my six-time UO letterman father-in-law--referring to himself as "Grandpa," and doting on your wounded puppy.. let me tell you. He went through three total join replacement surgeries last year, and had the sweetest empathy for our girl, himself relating to her experience. They had created the most adorable bond.

     I worried all day, and then came home for lunch to this hero

(She was supposed to "lay low," and had been sleeping all day, until Bo and I walked through the door at the same time--don't fret, we made sure to limit her activity during recovery)

     By this time, we had settled into a care routine, and I was a bona fide canine pharmacist. With antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain meds, we had finally gotten ahead of her pain, and were able to keep her comfortable--hooray (and thank goodness for peanut butter)!

     By the end of the first day of recovery, she was able to walk, run, sit, squat, back up, and function in every normal puppy capacity. Seeing her strength and vigor was completely inspiring, and we were finally feeling 100% confident in the decision we had made, and our bright future with sweet Betty. It was like she hadn't missed a beat, and three were certainly better than four.

"Sisters"

Back to her usual spot, helping out with the dishes

     Another fantastic helping hand appeared, and my mom signed on to watch Betty for two 11 hour shifts in a row. Unfortunately for her, puppygeddon had hit the bank hard, and she was welcomed into a home with two main light bulbs out, no toilet paper, no edible food, and the cable had been turned off... I came home to find that she had entertained herself :)

     She definitely missed the plea to keep her in her cone, but my mom reminded me that she was able to keep me alive... and they DID look pretty sweet... here's one section of her instructions (she also fed her out of the fridge, ending the blissful days of a puppy who doesn't beg :-/... again, she did keep her happy and alive, so it was a total win for us!)

     We were feeling like things were beginning to normalize, and every moment with her was a shining example of true tenacity and optimism.  It had become crystal clear that we had a very special pup on our hands, and her impact on those around her was undeniable. This little girl was meant to spread joy, and the thought of the positive impaction she would ultimately have on those who need it most was positively invigorating. Thoroughly immersed in puppy love.

A special kind of puppy stretch

No Turning Back--Amputation Day

     Ugh. Taking an animal to the vet is never a joyous occasion. Waking up early, on the day after Christmas, to deliver your adorable puppy to her amputation appointment has to fall somewhere on the bottom of the list of "fun ways to spend a morning." I was guilty, and sorry, and nervous, and committed. By this time, we had been assured and reassured that this was the most caring decision we could make for her well-being, and that was the only positive in the situation.
     Bo had to work (lucky), so I loaded Betty into the car--she had become a pro at car rides, after 7 trips to the vet

I had 20 minutes of this look, to rattle my nerves

 

  The staff members at the clinic were very understanding, and passing her off into the arms of an old friend was as ideal as awful can be. They explained the procedure, and assured me that they would contact me, as soon as she was out of surgery. If her pain could be controlled, we would be able to take her home that night. I faked an upbeat goodbye, and told her to she'd be just fine, and walked out the door to the sound of scared puppy cries.

     Again, I was blown away by the support of our friends. Positive messages helped pass the time, as I sat with my phone in my hand. 

Roughly 832,473,245 hours later, my heart skipped a beat, when this came in

 

     I didn't know what we were walking into, when we went to pick her up. I figured it would be pretty "Frankenstein," but despite the gruesome evidence of what was a major, yet extremely successful surgery,  that wagging tail with the white tip made us feel instant relief. It hurt, looking at the 18 staples and bruised tissue, but hearing about how pleased the surgeon was with the results gave us a taste of optimism. The message was relayed to us that she did not feel that Betty's lifespan would be affected by loss of limb, and she expected her to experience very little, if any limitations. We did the right thing!

     Although she whimpered the whole way home, when we set her down, she immediately walked--like she had never had 4 to begin with--to her food dish for some dinner. CRAZY!

 

     We tried to comfort her, and inspected the surgery site, getting used to this drastic new look--what had been a cute bandage, adorned with Christmas trees, now resembled a pita pocket. The incision and closure were beautifully done, but a bit jarring

     It quickly became evident that she was in a lot of pain--I can't even imagine what she was feeling--so we called the vet, in a panic. They were soon to close, and we would have to go to the ER. It made us sick, to see her stressed and hurting, and we rushed her in, as fast as we could. Thankfully for all three of us, the sweet girl finally cried herself to sleep on the way. We were able to be seen quickly, and the clinic staff made us feel better by expediting the check in process.

Bo comforting his girl, late night in the ER

     A pain med injection helped a tad, and we brought a slightly more comfortable puppy home to rest

 

     Another sleepless night, and my first injection on an animal later (yikes!), we were all relieved to have the day behind us.