Saturday 20 April 2013

A lover not a fighter!

Enjoying the warmer weather

Pip is now pretty much over her operation, apart from still being naked underneath - we did notice this morning that the hair is just starting to grow back. Toby took her back to the vet last week for her last post op. check up and they were really pleased with her - Toby even managed to get her to lie down and roll over for the nice lady vet to look at her scar! She still howled and barked while she was waiting though. I asked for her to be weighed again as I felt she had lost some weight and was quite lethargic - in the few days since her operation she had gone down from 27kg to 26.1kg which rather concerned us. However, this week has seen a marked improvement and she has been gambolling round the garden, jumping over the top of Hugo who seems quite bemused by her antics. The patio outside our back door is a couple of steps down from the lawn-that-used-to-be and the other evening she was hurtling up the garden, round the decking and charged back down where I was standing, taking a flying leap at me, skidding to a halt - not much wrong with her I think!!

The other evening Daniel and I took Hugo and Pip along the canal but I took Pip back home with me so Hugo could benefit from a longer walk. Daniel wanted Hugo to meet his friends new rescue dog called Bret who is one year old and something like a greyhound cross bull terrier - they knew from his history that he was a hunting dog and had killed several foxes but wanted to see what he was like with other dogs. Unfortunately, Hugo is the same colour as a fox and, well, with that tail, what was Bret to think - he leapt straight for Hugo's throat! Fortunately, Daniel managed to grab Bret before any damage was done and they were kept apart for the remainder of the visit. We were actually very pleased by Hugo's reaction because normally, when Pip is around, he will give a warning growl if another dog comes near and we did not know how he would react if one attacked him and this is the first one that has. Hugo did not bite back and actually went and hid behind Daniel's friend so think he's a lover rather than a fighter- perhaps it would have been different if 
Hugo, you're not allowed up there!
Pip had been there to defend.

This morning Hugo once more proved his love of the ladies. Martin took him and Pip for their usual walk and had to stop and talk to Pepsi, a lovely Boxer, who lives a few doors away from us - Hugo and Pip love her and drag whoever is walking them over to Pepsi's garden if she is out there. While they were there both the Postman and a man from Network Rail walked by and Pepsi started barking at them. Straight away Hugo put himself between the men and his ladies, as if to protect them - what a gentleman (actually, more likely that he thought he would get any treats going first!)

Pip enjoying the sunshine and chasing a beetle on the lawn-that-used-to-be.

Saturday 6 April 2013

Taking it Easy

We love each other now!



Martin with Hugo
Pip had to go back to the vet for a post op. check up yesterday so we took Hugo along too as she is less nervous when he is around. As we sat in the waiting room, once again, every time anyone came or went through there wearing a uniform Pip barked loudly at them and in between times, just for a bit of variety, she howled at the top of her voice. Very embarrassing! As I knew Pip would not be happy about the vet looking at her (even though it was the nice, young, Portuguese one) I had taken photographs of her scar for him to see and he was very pleased with her progress, although she continued to bark at him throughout the appointment. She didn't need much encouragement to leave there and was out and up the steps in a flash. One more check up to go next Friday and then she should be free - let's hope she doesn't have to go back for a long time.

Pip challenging the swans!
Over the last month or two Hugo and Pip have stopped the constant play-fighting and are actually beginning to lie down and sleep next to each other. Now, when I get up in the night, I have to manoeuvre my way over two sleeping bears who take up the entire width of the floor at the bottom of the bed. 

Hugo gets bored waiting when Dad talks to a neighbour!
Today was glorious sunshine and we made the most of it by spending several hours out in the garden enjoying the little bit of warmth in the sheltered spots. Hugo lay down in the shade whereas Miss Pip found the hottest bit of sunshine she could and revelled in it - think she is trying to suntan her bare bits to make them blend in with the rest of her!

Martin and I took Hugo and Pip a short walk along the canal this afternoon - we couldn't go too far as Pip is meant to be convalescing but you wouldn't have know it from the way she was jumping around and scrabbling up and down the banks. Apart from the extensive bikini wax she seems to be very much back to normal so really pleased how well she has come through the operation.




Tuesday 2 April 2013

Pip's Day at the V.E.T.S

Hugo waiting for Pip to come home.
Today was the day for Pip to be spayed so all food had to be taken away as from 6pm last night - unfortunately, Hugo had to suffer this as well but I gave them both a huge meal of roast chicken mixed with their food so I don't think they were going to starve, although they did look a bit disgruntled they couldn't have their usual bedtime snack.

Duck hunting!
I left Hugo with Toby and got Pip in the car and off we went for our 8.10am check-in time. As soon as we turned in to the drive to the vets Pip started crying and when I tried to get her to walk down the steps to the surgery door she stood her ground and tried to get back to the car. I managed to fool her by walking the long way round and using the disabled ramp which approaches from a different direction. She obviously had not forgotten her previous visits here. The nice nurse tried to take her down the stairs to the hospital part of the vets but Pip was having none of it and I had to go ahead of her and call her down. She looked back at me through the glass panel of the door and I felt so guilty - it was worse than leaving your child on their first day of school.

Pip feels a bit cold

Pip sleeping it off
When I got home Hugo was very clingy all morning so I took him for a nice long walk this afternoon and he brightened up duck hunting along the canal. I let him lead the way for a change and he totally surprised me by taking me the circular route I always use but completely in reverse - he certainly knew which way he was going so perhaps he was hinting we should do it his way every now and again. When we were almost home we met one of our neighbours walking her husky and they were both very well behaved towards each other with a lot of paw waving at each other - perhaps it's when Hugo is with Pip that he gets a bit dominant towards other male dogs.


We went back to the vet this evening to pick up Pip and we could hear her coming back up the stairs at top speed with the nurse being dragged behind saying 'Wait for me!' Martin took her outside while I was sorting out medication and appointments and she was out of there in a flash and jumped in the back of the car without hesitation. I was in the surgery for a little while and got back to the car to find Martin standing outside it with the back door open and Pip howling inside. When she saw me the noise intensified and she continued to yowl the whole way home. Don't know whether it was the affects of the anaesthetic or she was just making us well aware of what a horrible day she had had but she certainly made herself heard!


While we were out Daniel took Hugo off to his friend's house to give Pip a chance to settle before they see each other. She ate the remains of the chicken from last night and is now sleeping on the sofa, although she did feel a bit cold so I put her blanket over her to warm her up a bit. She seems quite content now but I think she will be feeling the cold when she goes outside as she has a huge naked patch where they shaved her - the scar is only about 3 inches long and looks very neat so hopefully it will not cause her any problems. So far we haven't had to use the 'cone of shame' but only time will tell on that one. Just waiting for the reunion when Hugo comes home - I expect there will be a lot more howling to come.