Pugs in the Park 2008

Hello everydoggy! I officially have pictures from the Pugs in the Park in Denver, after a brief scare that Dad had lost the camera. I think Mom would have killed him had that been true. Just sayin'.

So, without further ado:

The setup was a big circle of tents and booths and whatnot, with a bunch of pugs and their humans milling around in the middle, but many more on the edge where it was cool and shady.


BTW, Mom was one number away from winning a raffle prize. ONE NUMBER!! Grrrrr....

I got to see Melissa, who runs Pugnotes! She is Emmitt's human. Unfortunately, Emmitt could not be there, and neither could Daisy and Oscar. Their humans, Jason and Leah were supposed to be there, and maybe they were, but there were so many pugs and people that Dad and Mom couldn't see them. Oh well, maybe next time!

There were tons of pugs available to either foster or rescue. Which made sense, since it was sponsored by Colorado Pug Rescue.



There was one girl fawn pug there that Dad fell in love with and wanted to bring home to foster. Mom, however, is the sensible one. She was really pretty, though.


There was a costume contest, which I did not participate in because I arrived late (thanks a lot, Mom and Dad). But there were plenty of other participants!



I could have won-- I have a killer Halloween costume this year. What's that? You want pictures of it? Well, I've got some, and YOU CAN'T SEE THEM YET!! Bwwwaaaaahahahahahaa!!! I'm holding off until Mom and Dad get theirs in, because our whole family is a themed ensemble. Yeah, it's that cool.

I got to meet lots of new friends



And check out the latest fashions.



Everyone I met was oohing and aahing over my coat-- they all thought it was the most gorgeous color they'd ever seen, that they hadn't seen a pug like that before, and all kinds of other warm fuzzy stuff. I just smiled and posed, because... well, they're right.

Oh, and Dad feels like he finally has closure on the snipping saga. As many people as complimented me on my color, more than a few of them also asked about my breeding status. When Dad explained that I was snipped recently, every single one of them complimented him on that fact and said that my quality of life would be so much better and that there were plenty of pugs who didn't have homes (lots of evidence present for that one!), and that he definitely made the right choice. I haven't seen Dad strut that much in a while, I can tell you that.

All in all, it was a very wonderful day, and filled with tons of excitement. I slept the whole way home, I can tell you that!

Freaky weekend

The title says it all.

So, I went to the dog park at Bear Creek for Pug Club! Dad and I were so looking forward to it, and sharing pictures with everyone, and having a great time, and then disaster struck. First, the camera's batteries died. Then, the backup batteries Dad brought did not work! I think there was a gremlin in his pocket that ate up the battery juice. Then, while there, Dad couldn't find his cell phone and figured that a dog (or shifty human) took off with it and gave it up for lost. THEN, Dad had two people ask him if I was available to stud. That's right-- two weeks after getting me a hoo-ha ectomy, after seeing me for over 4 months consecutive prior to this Saturday, they chose NOW to suggest that. A little late, there. So that bummed Dad out, so much in fact that he left a bit early, especially on top of everything else. I didn't mind, though-- it was getting a bit hot.

The good news was that later that day Dad found his cell phone under the seat of the car. It must have fallen out of his jacket. Then, I hung out with Mom while Dad went to work. While I was with her, she discovered that my nose wrinkle was accumulating a lot of gunk, so she cleaned it out. Unfortunately, one of her nails slipped and scratched me so I was bleeding a little bit. I know she didn't mean to do it, and felt really bad, but it hurt for a good little while. This is why we pugs need fingers like the humans-- so we can get into little crevices and such. Would come in REALLY handy for getting that bit of food out from under the fridge, I can tell you that.

Then on Sunday Mom and Dad left to go visit their little cousin and left me at home. I was kinda bummed about this, but I just sat in front of the TV and watched the football games. Then all kinds of wierd stuff happened! Luckily, no one from PugNation got hurt, but I think we're going to lose this week because people didn't do what they're supposed to! I bet Laurence Maroney would run a lot faster if I were nipping at his heels... Note to self: call Bill Billicheck later. Also, visit the Dawg Pound and tell Braylon Edwards to get his act together. Finally, eat lots of food and poop behind Dad's chair.

I'll leave you with some pictures left over from before the camera fritzed. I found an empty jug of milk in the recycle bin and liked the smell coming from it, so I tried to get at it. Once Dad finished laughing his head off, he took it away from me. Sad day.

The Curious Incident of the Pug in the Day-time

I'm back!

Whew! What an ordeal that was! First Dad takes me to this shiny place with lots of friendly people, then he leaves me there, then they give me a poke in my skin and I get all woozy and go to sleep, then I wake up and feel... really wierd, like something's missing. Can't figure out what, though... Oh, in other unrelated news, I have an odd line of funny-looking black things down by my back end. I try to reach them, but I've got this blooming cone thing on my head. It kinda freaks me out; I won't lie to you.




So that was Day One from inside the cone; Day Two was full of stomach-churning wierdness. Lots of stuff, coming out both ends. Didn't feel good, I can tell you that. But hey-- Dad seemed really upset, so I gave him lots of kisses and snuggles. In fact, I feel like snuggling a LOT lately. I just need to feel the humans next to me. Not really sure why, just do. Here's what's neat about it all, though: after not feeding me for like a day and getting me REALLY HUNGRY, Dad is now giving me this rice and meat stuff that is TO DIE FOR. I inhale it-- I never do that to food! I think there are some wierd little circular things in there that are hard, crunchy, and bitter, but I don't notice them too much. I'm too busy trying to figure out how to breathe around the food. Remember when Snoufer was sick, and I wished that I could get some of the side benefits too? Yeah... be careful what you wish for, right?

But life in the cone isn't all that bad. I get LOTS of cuddles and wrinkle-scratches and fussing, which is pawesome. Snoufer treats me a little better now; at least, he's not growling at me all the time. He does sniff my butt a lot, which is bizarre-- I've been here for almost 6 months, dude. You know who I am and what I smell like. Dad takes the cone off of me for a little bit during the day, especially when I'm outside. I can't got to the bathroom with that thing on. I don't know, it just freaks me out to do my business without seeing all around me. But, I get it put back on at night and during the day when Mom and Dad are at work. When it comes off, though, I get to play!

More news (of a sort): I'm starting to warm up to this whole water thing. I still don't think I like baths, but I will at least voluntarily get in the dreaded white coffin-- especially if Snoufer joins me.


And in other news, as of Day Three inside the cone (today), I have kept down all my food and antibiotics and have reduced swelling around the wierd black line, so things seem to be doing better! At least, Dad's mood is improved, and he's stopped looking at me like it's the last time he'll ever see me. Silly humans...

I'm so glad to be back, and I look forward to catching up with everyone!

Puddy Updates

Hello everyone!

First of all, let me say that Puddy is doing fine. Having said that, things could have gone better. When he was released, he had SERIOUS swelling on his surgery area. In fact, when he came out I asked the nurse if his hoo-has were actually gone! She assured me that the swelling was normal and would go down with antibiotics and other meds he was given.

All went well last night: he slept through the night, and was able to eat some food. That morning, we started the antibiotics (Clavamox) and other meds. However, he was unable to keep any food down all day and also experienced diarrhea. After that, I took him to the doggie emergency room. He didn't appear to have any ill effects from the surgery (i.e., no soreness, normal appetite, normal energy), so we thought it might have been unrelated. He was two pounds lighter on Saturday when we took him in than he was on Friday when he got snipped.

The good news is that he didn't have to stay the night. The bad news is that the vet thinks the antibiotic was causing him some upset stomach, so we have to keep him off of food (for 24 hours) and water (for 12 hours) to let his stomach settle, and then get him back on the antibiotics with a bland diet. If he throws up again, we have to switch meds. Regarding his swelling, the vet was actually more concerned with that than the vomiting. He thinks that during the surgery they missed a vein and now he has a slight hematoma "down there". This makes the antibiotic situation CRUCIAL, since he has to keep those down (and have the right kind) in order to avoid a more serious problem from infection.

It's not as bad as I'm making it sound, but I'll admit that with my reservations going into the surgery, this is doing nothing to ease my mind. I'll keep everyone updated on what happens.

Have a happy day!

Thoughtful Thursday

Hello everyone! This is Puddleglum's dad. I busied Puddy with his bone-- remember this one?

So, this is all that's left...

Maybe I can squeeze out a few minutes of computer time with him occupied.

This Thoughtful Thursday will have no literary content (did I hear a cheer?), but it is still very thoughtful. It also is a two-parter. The first part is found HERE, or you can just click the picture at the top of the right-hand column. The second part is this: I am taking Puddy to the vet's tomorrow to get... well, what should I call it? Neutered? But that seems to say, "I don't have a boy or a girl dog; I have an other/neither." Fixed? But there's nothing wrong with him to "fix." Altered? I certainly hope he won't be altered beyond a very select few testosterone-driven traits! Castrated? Seems a bit too clinical. Besides, it makes me think of the worst parts of either ancient Greece or Freud. So, I think I'll turn to a euphemism-- "snipped." Just know I use it more from social protest than squeamishness.

This was a very long and tough decision on our part (my wife and I, that is). Initially, our desire from Day One when we got Puddy was to keep him "intact" for breeding purposes (another problematic word-- will he be less of a dog after this procedure, whereas he is intact now?). The intent was to breed him with a Beagle for Puggles, since he has a few "undesirables" according to the pug breed standard (i.e., apricot-fawn coat, a bit too tall, a bit slim, etc.). He is an absolutely gorgeous specimen, and we liked the idea of a) not wasting that genetic line, and b) having a little bit of Puddy out there in the world. We have never intended to show him-- we're just too busy to focus on that like one needs to in order to succeed. However, we have since backed off of that stance and about two weeks ago I scheduled with our vet to get him snipped.

On the pro side of the issue, we have the unquestioned health benefits to Puddy. We love him so much and want to keep him around for a long time. This helps that. Also, every vet or Petsmart employee we have talked to has advocated snipping for population control reasons. We actually received a bit of a backlash from well-meaning persons suggesting that we visit the "doggie death row" at kill shelters before we breed him. Of course, no one should make a decision like this because they feel guilted into it, but there is a logical point there amidst the emotional ploy. There are thousands of dogs in that situation across America. Breeding Puddy will increase the supply of dogs outside of kill shelters, which will decrease the demand for dogs inside kill shelters, which will contribute (albeit indirectly) to more dogs being euthanized at these places. Then there were practicality concerns. We liked the idea of perpetuating Puddy's genetic line, but we weren't going to take any of the Puggles (we have set an iron-clad two-dog rule in our house). Also, while there is usually a financial arrangement set up between the owners, it is rarely (if ever) significant. In fact, the more profitable it would be for us (meaning, the more times we stud him), the more logical force the "death row" argument gets.

Finally, we have noticed Puddy developing some strongly testosterone-driven traits. He is not marking, but he is "dominant" everywhere, and frequently with Snoufer. This ranges from mounting to increased territoriality to possessiveness/aggressiveness with toys and food. In fact, Snoufer and him are getting along a good deal less cordially since Puddy has hit about 5-6 months. Also, he is absolutely "wired" 24-7. He reacts to every sound, he sprints recklessly around the house (often leading to collisions), and it is hard to get him to sit still for much more than a few seconds. One of my favorite things about him when he was little was whenever we would sit on the ground, he would immediately crawl in our lap and stay there until we removed him. It absolutely melted my heart. However, once he hit 5-6 months, he rejected this entirely. He does not snuggle, even when tired. We are hoping that getting him snipped will address some of these issues. Major caveat: WE DO NOT WANT HIM TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY. We like not having an overweight dog, we like having a dog that can at least keep up with Snoufer, and we don't want a dog that is attached to us 24-7. We picked Puddy out of his litter-mates because he showed an independent and adventurous spirit, and we DO NOT want to lose that. I am just worried about the trends I see developing, since my family had a Scottish Terrier when I was in High School who became so testosterone-driven that he could not enjoy life. And, for our part, we were less able to enjoy him.

On the con side of the issue, I am terrified of putting my little guy under anaesthesia. This is an irrational fear, and I know it. Snoufer came through fine, so do thousands more each day. Yet, when it comes to Puddy, 1/10 of 1% is enough to cause my stomach to churn. Also, there is still the lingering desire my wife and I had initially to breed him which, while being outweighed by other considerations, is nonetheless as strong as ever. There is also the concern that the personality changes will be too drastic. Finally (and I don't know how to put this other than boldfaced and blatantly), I am a guy. Being in the field of psychology, I am very familiar with Freud and his concept of "castration anxiety" (it is one of the main drives for the Oedipus Complex, if anyone cares). While he is in many ways a crackpot and a nutjob, he's got a nugget of gold stuck in the rough here. It wierds me out-- I'll admit it.

None of these cons are enough to make me not get Puddy snipped. The logic is just too strong on the other side. However, they are plenty more than enough to cause me many sleep-deprived hours and an emotional roller-coaster the past few weeks. I know I'm doing the right thing; it just hasn't sunk into my gut yet. So why am I posting this? Not really sure. Part of it is catharsis, part of it is to let you know what's going on, part of it is to grope in the dark for reassurance, and part of it is because I like the sound of my own thoughts a bit too much. Take it for what you will. In any case, I welcome and crave everyone's prayers, good thoughts, well-wishes, and/or personal stories. I'll update with news and pictures as I can and feel like it. I may need to dig into the archives, though-- there's only so many pictures one can take of a pug with a cone around his head giving you the "Glummy face" from the couch. In the meantime, here are some pictures of Puddy and Snoufer.


Seriously Dad, it's not as funny as you think.


Oooh! Look at my new toy! I love this thing.

So does Snoufer.


Look at my proud pug stance-- protecting the family, one intruder at a time.

And saving the best for last to celebrate the start of the football season...

Hey, if Jason Taylor can be on Dancing With the Stars, so can I!

Oh. My. Gosh.

Wowsie! I have had a very trying past week or so, so I first of all apologize to everyone for disappearing off the face of the earth!

Here's what happened.

Sunday July 27th: Mom and Dad took me to the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur for a jam-packed day of fun and food! I will put up pictures and a full description when Mom gets back. Speaking of which...

Tuesday July 29th: Mom left for Michigan to stay with her family at their cottage on Upper Silver Lake. And she is going to be gone for two weeks! She comes back Sunday August 10. I am very very sad. When she left, I sat at the door and whined under my breath for a good 30 minutes. Also, on the first day after she left, I tore up a pair of Dad's shoes while he was at work. I NEVER DO THAT! I was just so upset, I had to gnaw something. So now, I have to stay in the crate during the day. Which means I can't get to the computer. Which means nothing happens for a while on my blog.

There have been a couple of side effects of Mom leaving. First off, she took the camera with her, so there will be no more pictures until she gets back. Sorry everyone! Secondly, I have to keep Dad company a lot when he gets back from work because... well, that's my job. Besides, he's really bummed that Mom is gone. He told me that they've been married just long enough to get used to each other being there, and yet not long enough to get sick of each other. So, he's really kinda been out of it the past week. Finally, I've missed her too, so I've picked up some bad habits. In addition to chewing up Dad's shoes, I started to go to the bathroom in the house more and also have started to climb up on the dining room table and grab stuff that's up there. That's not all bad, though: I got an asiago cheese bagel out of it two days ago!

To cope with Mom being gone, Dad has alternately snuggled with Snoufer and I and watched a movie or worked like crazy. Mom left him a to-do list of stuff, so he's been busy with that, but he's also taken us out to places. Speaking of which:

Saturday August 2: We had Pug Club at the dog park! It was BLAZING hot-- the day before set a record for Colorado Springs (99 degrees!)-- so we didn't stay long, but I had lots of fun meeting new pug friends! There was a big stocky fawn named Roscoe who liked to chase tennis balls; I can run faster than him, so I beat him usually. There was a skinny fawn named Romeo who might even put me to shame for how energetic he is! There was also a black female named Gina who was there... but no Veronica. *sigh* Maybe I'll see her again someday. And then there were 4 puppies as well! One was only 12 weeks old-- she crawled right into Dad's lap. I could tell he melted then; maybe I can use this as leverage to get a female pug in the house. Dad's got a soft spot for the ladies, and we are one of the VERY few families with only one pug in the house. You know what they say about us: you can't buy just one! The others were about 18-20 weeks old. I had fun with one of them-- finally, someone I can play with who is smaller than me! I slept for the rest of the day after that.

Sunday August 3: Dad took us to a place called Nosh here in Colorado Springs that has a Puppy Pool Party on Sundays. It's this outdoor bistro with a fenced-in area next to a downtown park that dogs can roam around in and meet/greet while the humans eat. Don't worry: they provide doggie treats for us, and kiddie pools to splash in (No, I still am not a fan of water-- I didn't get in), and they give you a bandanna afterwards! I've decided I like big dogs. I hung out with a Weimeraner and a Rottweiler a lot that day.

Backtracking a bit...

Thursday July 31st: I got my last shot. I am officially set! Now comes the big decision. Dad and Mom like the way I look so much they want to find a lady Beagle and, as they put it, "make Puggles." I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I think I'm starting to get it. I've been feeling wierd lately-- increased energy, awkward body, deeper bark, increased protective instinct... And I find that I like big furry toys. A LOT. Anyway, Mom and Dad are having a bit of a moral dilemma, because they have been told by several friends and Petsmart people not to find me a lady, because there are a lot of dogs who get put to sleep due to overpopulation. Complicating the issue, I have a baby tooth that just won't fall out, so now I'll have to get it extracted, which means anesthesia and big bucks if it's not already part of another procedure. I'm a little nervous as to what kind of procedure they would do that would put me to sleep (temporarily), but I trust my parents to do what's best. If only they knew what that was... So that's adding to Dad's stress level a lot. He would certainly like help from all the Pugverse if they want to give it!

So as you can see, it's been both a busy and an emotionally full past week or so! Now I have to get back to my Morale and Welfare job, so I will sign off and give written updates as they happen!