My Mom - The Dog Trainer

My mom has been working hard on trying to get her dog training business going. She finally has a name. It will be called Smarty Paw Dog Training. There is a lot more for her to do, though. She keeps getting frustrated and wants to throw in the towel but dad and I are encouraging her. She finished her school training last year. It is time to get going with it! I am going to be her model. She has MY picture on her business cards that she is having made. Since I do so well with my training, she says she can show potential clients all the things she has taught me. 

Note from Mom: It is very frustrating. I keep running into road blocks. Picking a name was bad enough. I narrowed it down to 3 and then finally to Smarty Paw Dog Training. I had several offer a name or two, but none that I liked as well. 
So much to do! I didn't think there would be much work to getting this going since I planned to use my own backyard  for the most part - no building needed - no overhead really. No employees - mostly word of mouth (I hope) and One on One. I can do a Facebook page, a website - business cards are not too expensive. But - - -besides picking a name and making sure it is not taken - and filling out the paperwork, having it notarized and mailed in to the county clerks office - with payment - there is still the question of insurance, brochures, how much to charge, business bank account, tax forms,  etc.  So so much!

I want this to be fun! Maybe I should just do this as a hobby...ugh

My Visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon

 

This is me patiently waiting to see the Orthopedic Surgeon.

I have been having a lot of trouble walking when I first get up and on some days I limp really bad. When I had X - Rays in November, my regular vet told me that I could possibly have some knee problems going on, but he couldn't be sure and the X-Rays didn't really show any thing. He gave me some anti-inflammatory medication and said that if I didn't get better then I would need to see a specialist. I was supposed to rest for a few weeks and see if I got better. I would get better for a day or so and then I would hurt all over again after running or playing too hard. I love to play frisbee and ask to play all the time. I love to chase the squirrels, too. It was hard for me to rest. Now I am on round 2 of medication.
So mom and dad decided to take me to the special doctor and he did more X-Rays and found that I have Hip Dysplasia. This is very common for large breeds like me. This means my hip bones don't fit right. Right now the doctor said my left side is the bad side. It also means that I will have to have a hip replacement soon. 
The doctor told mom and dad that I could do pain management for awhile, but he didn't want to wait til I was older and make it harder for me to get well. I am 2 years old now, so I am still pretty young. 
I am sure when I have my surgery I will get lots of goodies, but I am not looking forward to it at all.
In dogs, hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is a genetic (polygenic) trait that is affected by environmental factors.

Note from Mom: Bless his heart - this was one of my worst fears! Back in November the vet told me he saw no signs of hip dysplasia so I was so happy about that - then I find out he does. Not what I expected to hear from the orthopedic surgeon. We looked at the X-Rays and they were very easy to see the differences in hip joints. 
The good news is - it is only one side right now and so far hasn't degenerated to the point where surgery is a "have to do right now" thing. We can do pain management until we are ready. Of course we can't put it off to the point that he can't walk or gets too old that it will be hard for him to get over it. Since it is about a 12 week recovery, I would like to have it done while I am on summer break. I certainly dread it, but I know we have to do what is best for him. 

Thank goodness we have Pet Insurance!!

 

Be My Valentine

I had a happy Valentine's Day. Mom and Dad got me some heart shaped treats and a new toy. Me & Dad got mom these pretty white roses. I am not sure why she likes them so much since they don't do anything, but she seemed happy about them. 
They went out for the day and I stayed home recuperating from my long day at the Orthopedic Hospital (more about that on another day) I was ready to just sleep the day away. 

Note from Mom: The sweet boy was really worn out after the day we had yesterday. We are going to blog about it tomorrow, so stay tuned.

2 Years Old Today!

Today is my birthday! I am now 2 years old. My mom made me pupcakes and I got to eat 2 of them. I also got 2 toys. One is a Kong toy that you can put treats in and the other one is a toy that mom put peanut butter in. I love peanut butter.

I am 77 pounds
I love to play frisbee.
I still like to sleep a lot and my favorite place is mom's recliner.
I like to lay in the sunshine.
I love peanut butter.


Here are some pictures from my birthday.

Note from Mom: I can't believe he is already 2 years old. He is still such a big baby. I laugh when people say how intimidating he looks because he is really such a pushover. Of course he does have a pretty ferocious bark. I am so glad he liked the pupcakes. I found the mix on ebay and it is pretty much your standard cake mix except of course for dogs. There are several flavors to choose from but since Opie loves peanut butter so much, I went with that. It includes a yogurt based frosting. I added a heart shape treat just for extra cuteness. The box says you can keep them up to 5 days in the fridge or you can freeze them. Of course he could eat them all in a day - but we are going to limit it to 2 a day.

 

Me and My Shadow

Look at this big boy that came out to play with me. I'm just teasin' - it's just my shadow.

Pretty cool, huh? 

Note from Mom: His shadow looks a whole lot meaner than he does!  I thought it was a pretty neat picture.

23 Months Old Today & a Stuffy Puppy

One more month and I will be 2 years old! That is pretty exciting. I wonder what I will get for my birthday?
Mom and Dad bought me a friend! He is a big dog that just lays around and doesn't do anything and I try and try to get him to play, but he just lays there. He doesn't make any noise at all. Mom is always telling me to play nice and sometimes she takes him away and puts him where I can't find him.
She doesn't like it when I pick him up and sling him around the room.

Note from Mom: I thought maybe Opie would like having this big dog to lay around and cuddle with but he gets a little carried away. I already removed the eyes and sewed them shut because I knew if he were able to get those loose then it would be a horrible choking hazard. Every time he starts playing rough I tell him to play nice and he will for a little bit. But if I am not right there watching he would have all the stuffing out in no time! I don't leave it out when we are gone to work. He only gets it when I am where I can watch him. It is about the same size as he is. I call him Stuffy Puppy.

++++UPDATE on STUFFY PUPPY++++ he only lasted one week. After removing an ear - that left a gaping hole for stuffing to come out and after about 4 huge pieces - Stuffy Puppy had to be trashed. I could have sewn him up again but decided it was useless. He is still not ready for stuffed animals. :-(

My Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas! I love Christmas. Presents, pretty lights, special treats. My mom and dad took me driving around to see the pretty lights. That was a lot of fun!
My mom flew to visit our family in Arkansas for a whole week and then dad went there to bring her home. I went to stay with Suzanne - the lady that keeps me when my mom and dad go some place that I can't go.

I got some nice presents. My grandma made me a blanket. My mom and dad got me a puzzle that looks like a wooden bone and has pegs that you have to remove to get to the treats. I figured that out really quick! I also got some yummy treats. 

Note from Mom:
I really missed being away from him but we were able to be together again on Christmas day since we got back a day early.
The lady who keeps him found out she has stage 4 cancer so we were really sad to hear that. We will be praying for her to get well. I know how she loves dogs and she hopes she can continue keeping them as long as possible. I know Opie will miss being able to see her if her treatments keep her from all the dogs she loves.