Tucker is Home!

I had previously mentioned that Tucker would have to have surgery for his hip dysplasia.  Well that time has arrived.  Last Thursday we made the early drive to the University of Missouri’s Small Animal Veterinary Hospital. I was so nervous about time that we actually ended up a little over an hour early but they actually got us in very quickly.  We were impressed right off the bat because our student on Tucker’s case, Lance, was wearing a bow tie and Tucker’s surgeon, Dr. Hutcheson, was as well.  Two bow ties in one appointment meant things were bound to go well.

In our first appointment Dr. Hutcheson was initially not as apt to preform surgery on Tucker because of how well he was walking around.  He was a little tender during his exam but Tucker moves around so well.  This is due to the anti inflammatory we have him on, vitamins and strict exercise/physical therapy schedule I have him on.  The doctor wanted to take some new radiographs to see if his hips have gotten worse.  So in under an hour they called us back to discuss his results.  Unfortunately Tucker’s hips have gotten worse since the last radiograph and Dr. Hutcheson recommended a total hip replacement on Tucker’s left hip.

Mom, is that me?

So we booked the surgery for Friday and made another early drive to Columbia to drop Tucker off. When we dropped Tucker off I appreciated that Dr. Hutcheson came out to say hi and Lance came to get Tucker.  He was patient as I was obviously struggling to hand the leash over and of course respectful as I turned away to let the waterworks begin.  He called as soon as Tucker was awake from surgery and we got updated every evening and morning about Tucker’s progress.  Initially the plan was that they would keep Tucker until Monday for observations and to make sure he is healing.  Tucker was actually doing so well that they called and said we could pick him up Sunday! That was a huge relief to know that he was healing so well and making such progress.  He was eating, drinking, and walking on his left leg.

So we headed back on Sunday and picked up our little Tucker. He was so excited to see us and we missed him so much even though he was only gone about two days.  They showed us his new hip and explained how well the surgery went. We could not be more impressed with MU and the service we received from Dr. Hutcheson and Lance.

Mom, what’s that in my hip? It looks funny.

Of course we have a long road of recovery ahead of us and I will post more about his steps to recovery later.  But as we start this journey here is his hip on Day 3.

Mom! Don’t post that, I’m naked!

We will keep you updated on Tucker’s recovery plan and progress.  In the mean time we are just so happy to have him back home and that he is doing well so far.

 

Tucker’s Fashion Statement

For the holidays my family likes to do homemade presents as an extra treat for everyone. My grandmother recently gave me her old sewing machine and I have been finding excuses to use it. So I thought I would make doggy bandannas for all the dog owners.  I asked for the cats but they were not willing participants.

I made a normal one that you have to tie around the neck but I hated trying to draw the pattern out to cut it.

I better get a treat for wearing this thing.

So I wanted to find another version that I could make. After spending some time on Pinterest I discovered some pins that I could do free handed. I prefer this, I hate using an actual pattern. So I made my interpretation of that bandanna.

Mom! Its messed up, fix it before you take the picture!

Front of evil thing Mom makes me wear.

Back to the evil thing.

This type of bandanna is worn by the collar. You place the collar through the top of the bandanna and that way the dog isn’t really wearing anything extra. Tucker did like that a little better. I am so excited because these are so easy to make and I can make so many with a yard of fabric.

I gave some to my coworkers with dogs and one of them posted a great picture of her pups in theirs.

Meet Charlie Brown the Pointer and Marley the Boxer mix.

Doggy Donations

Reid and I sat down to make actual new years resolutions this year.  In my classes I teach the students goal setting and I thought it would be appropriate to have a goal this semester along with them.  So Reid and will be donating supplies to a local dog shelter once a month.  We were really excited about this because even though its not a huge donation we still felt we were ready to start giving back and wanted to do what we could.  Our first box  went Great Plains SPCA-Independence Location.

Mom, where are you!?

This is a local shelter and they help so many animals here, not just dogs and cats.  They take in basically everything.  I have been there before with my cousins to play with the cats and really loved the facility.

We followed their donation suggestions from their webpage and ended up getting a little of everything.

Mom, why can’t I have it?

Here is our list of goodies:

1. Pack of Paper Towels
2. Hand Sanitizer
3. Dog Treats
4. Canned Dog Food
5. Dry Dog Food
6. Peanut Butter
7. Disinfectant Wipes

Next time we might buy a bunch of one item instead of one of each.  Even thought they  only use Science Diet for their animals, (they can purchase it at a discounted rate) they use the other brands for their HERO program.  They help families who cannot afford to feed their animals or they use it for their foster families that care for their animals in their own home.  Reid and I looked around while we were there and its hard not to come home with another dog.  There were so many cats and dogs there that needed homes.

We are super excited about this resolution and posting about it will make us more accountable to not forget one month.  So thank you readers for helping us stay on track. 🙂

A Chilly Dogs Night Out

Tucker and I frequent the dog park.  We visit at least three times a week and then we always try to be there one the weekends too.  The dog park is not funded by the city but by local people and donations.  This is such an important place to us that we had to be at the fundraiser for the park.  Some maintenance needs to be done there and I wanted to see who to talk to to start volunteering.  We saw some flyers in the park for their event and made plans to attend.  It was called a Chilly Dogs Night Out Chili Supper.  They had a chili dog meal, games, demonstration and a raffle.  We got to see some of our other dog park friends there too.

I know these people! Why aren’t we all at the dog park?!

After we got our food I thought it would be fun to play the dog tag game they had scheduled.  So Reid and I each got a dog tag.

Mom, Dad doesn’t look that excited. What are they going to make you do?

The game was actually heads or tails.  When the music stopped you put your hands on your head like dog ears for heads or by your back side for a dog tail.  Then if you picked what Clifford the Big Red Dog picked you got to stay in the game.  I was out in the first round, but Reid was doing great!

Mom, what is Clifford doing behind Dad?

Not sure Reid was as excited as I was but he made it to the final two.

Mom, what is Dad doing?

And….He ended up winning!! We got a great gift basket!

Mom! Why is another dog hanging out with my Dad!?

Later they had a demonstration by search and rescue dogs and it was really interesting to see what they do and meet the dogs.

Mom, why do those dogs get to be there and I had to stay home?

After that they had a dog trivia game for prizes and Reid won again! We got a draw string bag with some goodies in it.  Reid was my good luck charm but we didn’t win the 50/50 raffle. We were happy that the gentleman that did win donated the money back to the park!  After everything I couldn’t wait to get home to check out our goodies.

I see toys and treats in there!

The trivia bag had a puppy themed cup, notepad, magnet clip, koozie and frisbee in it.  I gave the frisbee to one of our friends because Tucker would eat it. The basket had a coffee mug, dog shampoo (sensitive skin), Dog Mom and Dog Dad mason jars, a canister of dog treats, stuffed dog toy, rope toy, photo frame and a coupon to a local vets office. All in that adorable basket!

That’s a lot of drinking cups, I only need one bowl.

That’s my rope toy you gave me! Can I have it back? I only got it for like 20 minutes.

Tucker got the toys that night and quickly ripped into the rope toy and destroyed the stuffed donkey.

Give me the toy!!

Even though Tucker didn’t get to go he seemed pretty happy to get some new treats and toys. I don’t know how excited he will be about the shampoo.  We had a great time and were so happy we got to go.  They are holding an event in May that we can’t wait for as well.

 

When is the Perfect Time to Cuddle?

Tucker and I seem to be opposites when it comes to cuddling.  Most dogs enjoy curling up on the couch on and snuggling in for some quality belly rubs and cuddling.  My family rat terrier named Cupcake loved nothing more than being tucked in under the blanket with her head on the pillow with you on the couch. Even now when I go home she is either sitting in my lap or curled up on the recliner with my father.

Sorry the whole couch is taken. I understand I am only on the arm but its all still taken.

Tucker is not a big fan of that. During the day he is not a big cuddle bug. In fact he will spend most of his time laying under the coffee table or on his dog bed when we bring it downstairs for him.  If one of us gets up he will jump up to our spot on the couch, but once you sit back down next to him he sneaks off. There are times he will sit next to you for about 10 minutes max and as soon as you reach over to pet him, he jumps off.  If only one of us is home he perches up on whichever couch is not occupied and enjoys his comfy seat by himself.

This couch isn’t big enough for two Mom, just me.

Now, don’t get me wrong when you crawl over to him on the floor and start petting him he gladly accepts the attention and rolls over for belly scratches or my favorite, he backs his butt up to me for butt scratches.  He is such a gentleman. But once I stop petting and just lay there he gets bored and goes to get a toy to affectionately drop on my face.  The other night I was startled from resting by a nice slimy Kong on my cheek.

This is acceptable father. I appreciate you coming down here to pet me while I chew on my antlers. And don’t ask, I do need both of them next to me at the same time.

But this all changes when its bed time. When Reid and I crawl into bed at night Tucker is right there with us.  He occasionally hops on and off the bed to roam around a bit but he spends most of the night curled up to us in the bed.  At bed time he is a full blown cuddle bug. He spends most of the time right between Reid and I and normally laying on our legs or he will weave himself in-between them.  He also enjoys laying his head on my pillow, tucked in my arm, and being the little spoon.  I have frequently been awakened by a head butt from him wanting to be held like that and be pet until he falls back asleep.

This is a nice comfortable spot. I declare this my spot!

This is entertaining because I am normally not a cuddle person at night. I never have been, when it comes time to sleep I wedge myself in my corner by the wall and that’s where I stay. I frequently toss and turn so I make a terrible cuddlier anyway. But Tucker doesn’t seem to care and the feeling of him rested up next to me is pretty relaxing. I know he gets annoyed when I roll around and that’s when he will normally make his way over to snuggle Reid but he just crawls back and forth between the both of us.

This is my domain! You are welcome to come down here but don’t push it.

Doggy Bed Dilemma

I have mentioned before Tucker eats everything. You name it he has tried to eat it in our house.  He has already eaten two dog beds and basically shredded a comforter that we used to keep in his kennel.  We decided to take a break from dog beds and blankets until somebody matured a little bit, but with his hip displasia we felt bad and wanted him to have a new dog bed. We have no will power.  We had a plan though, we would only leave the dog bed out at night for him to sleep on and we would bring it downstairs if we were both home to watch him.

This plan worked for a while and we were able to stop Tucker from ripping into the bedding. He nibbled a small hole early on but I sewed it up pretty quickly and he seemed to be doing well. Until I left his bed out one morning while I got ready.

Mom, I don’t know what happened that hole just appeared.

I walked in and Tucker was playfully attacking the dog bed.  Thankfully I stopped him before he did too much damage but the inside netting material took a beating.

I don’t know how those got there either Mom.

Needless to say that liner was a little too fragile for Tucker. So I decided to get creative.  I took Tucker’s old comforter he mangled and made it the new slip cover for the stuffing.

Mom, my big blanket! Where did you find it!

It was just a few quick cuts and I ran it through my sewing machine and it was ready for the pillow.

My blanket is so fluffy now!

It is not done with any sophistication but I think it will get the job done and provide an extra layer to keep Tucker from getting to the stuffing. I took some scrap material to patch the hole he chewed as well.

Mom, what happened to my bed?

There we go, good as new! I learned a valuable lesson as well, Tucker cannot be left unsupervised with his bed AT ALL! Unfortunately for Tucker my Grams gave me her sewing machine so I make a worthy opponent in his chewing obsession.

This round goes to you Mom. Well played.

 

 

Morning Antics

I have posted about Tucker’s morning shenanigans before but our routine has slightly changed do to Reid’s early hours at work.  Not that Tucker actually gets up that early but he enjoys the morning potty break and then crawls back in bed with his Momma.  We still take our nice long walk, even in the snow and bad weather. While I get ready is when he becomes a little Tasmanian Devil.  Our new furniture in the bedroom is very tall, I was hoping it would deter Tucker from getting up there. I was wrong, he can still easily reach the top of the chest of drawers and dresser so nothing is safe.  Lately he has been extra energized in the morning (I think its the cold weather, he loves it). He has been great at stealing clothes and winter accessories.

Oh these are your pants? Are you sure? They look like they should be for me.

His latest trick in the morning, other that stealing everything, is in the bath tub.  He normally hangs out in there for a while, lays down, tries to chew on the faucet, or dig his way out.  The other morning I could hear him in the tub, but then I heard him drinking something and I know I did not have any water bowls in there. I peeked my head in to realize Tucker discovered how to turn the faucet on! There he was just as happy as could be with himself.

Uh, Mom I can explain the water on my nose.

This week he has decided its more fun if he can bring his ball in the tub and get it wet/full of water to drag around the bedroom and in the bed. He also discovered how to turn it on to be more than a small stream.

Mom, I am entertaining myself. I thought that is what you wanted. I’m not eating anything.

I am so fortunate to have such a resourceful pup. And entertaining, I didn’t realize the ball had water in it until I went to throw it and got a bit of a bird bath myself. My mornings are never dull….

New Years Eve

We decided to be a young and outgoing couple (this is rare) and go out for New Years Eve.  I had some left over hotel points from my previous job so we booked a hotel and made our dinner reservations. This means that Tucker would have to have his first overnight stay with a sitter.

Mom, Dad, what you are you doing? Where are you? Why are you not home with me?!

We were nervous about his first overnight stay but the sitter we selected was so excited to have Tucker and she was having family over for New Years so there would be lots of people to keep him company.

Tucker was of course a little restless while he was there but she said he eventually calmed down. Apparently there were fireworks for New Years in the KC area and I did not think to tell his sitter he is afraid of fireworks because I am not used to them going off for this holiday. Our previous town had a fireworks ban.  So Tucker hid in her shower for part of the evening.  And I am pretty sure he kept her up all night because he slept the ENTIRE next day.  I feel bad for the sitter that he was so restless but he didn’t eat any of her stuff so I was pretty pleased!!

He only perked up later in the evening for snacks.

I see you have food…. I like food…..

Christmas with Our Family

We packed up and drove down to see our families over break. That was a fiasco in itself.  Reid’s SUV is bigger so with Tucker’s ginormous kennel, all the presents, and food we thought that was our best bet to drive. But after we packed up and backed out of the driveway we noticed a headlight and a taillight were out.  So we had to move everything into my vehicle, Tucker was so confused. We were excited to be on the road and Tucker loves car rides. We made it to Reid’s parents and Tucker could not wait to Annie Woo!

Isn’t she soo pretty Mom! I love Annie Woo!

Tucker is so hyper it wears Annie out.

Mom, why is Annie sleeping? It’s time to play!

We ordered Annie a PetGiftBox subscription and we all got to see her open it for Christmas!

Mom, look at all the goodies Annie got! She even shared some treats with me!

We decided to hide the toys until Tucker left because he will destroy them. I am pretty sure he ate all of the ears and feet off of her toys while he was down. He is still learning his house guest manners.

Reid’s parents surprised us and got that sign that I fell in love with previously.  I was so excited!!!!

Mom, whats in the bag? Why are you so happy?

Mom that looks like me! You got a picture of me!

I approve of this! One, it looks like me and two, it says Let it Snow. I love snow!

They also got Tucker an ornament for the tree! It is adorable! I will have to post pictures later, we already took the tree down and I forgot to take a picture before we did that.

My sister made Tucker some homemade treats (peanut butter free) and my mom got him a toy he promptly destroyed in about a day. And of course some fun new dog signs for the house. I think our families know we are obsessed with Tucker.

Picture frames for me! What do you mean they are going to work with you? I want to see them!

Mom I thought you said I rescued you not the other way around? I am confused you tell everyone I am a labrenese.

During break Tucker also decided he wanted to eat some of our new presents. Somehow he managed to steak one of my new fuzzy socks and eat them. I say somehow because I had them on my feet and didn’t realize I was missing one! (Wine was also a Christmas present and may have been the cause of that)

Mom, the pom poms look silly I am helping you out.

He also tried to eat Reid’s new tie, my gloves, and the food presents we got as well.  However I was pleased he did not eat or steal any of the wrapping paper while everyone was opening presents.  I think by that point he was so exhausted he could care less what we were doing.

Mom, I don’t understand why you need gloves they make much better chew toys.

 

 

Winter Wonderland

Tucker loves the snow!! He was bouncing around like a maniac when he saw it. This meant he used every excuse possible to go in the snow. So we decided to frequent the dog park while we were on break. Tucker loved it! We were a bit cold, but it was worth it.

SO MUCH SNOW!

I love this stuff!!

We were pleased that some other people were brave enough to venture out in the snow for their pups too.

Mom, this is my stick. They won’t let go. Mmmmoooommmmm.

We met someone new every day at the park and even saw some familiar faces, which Tucker appreciated.  Even during the times that we were the only ones there Tucker was loving it! Winter is his season. He loves the cold and the snow. Takes after his mother in that way, I am not a summer person. The heat stresses me out.

I could spend forever here!