Moving at the speed of life

Dog ears seem rather more challenging than human ears. I put drops in three dead ends before I found the right hole.

She’s lots better today, although the drops need to be continued for at least 21 days apparently. So no doubt we’ll all be expert by then. Bob and Hannah are going to have to master it quickly though as I’m away for three nights from tomorrow. She is so incredibly docile though, and just stands there and lets us bumble about, and then lets me squirt the antibiotics in her mouth as well.

Its been a great day here, and we’ve spent hours in the garden, and I’ve pretended to work. Hannah has been over playing with her music teachers DD for a few hours, and Bob has been playing with his new power washer, half price and Halfords this weekend

…….of vet expenditure over the last 7 days = £120. FFS. I thought yesterday that Maisie was a bit smelly, but couldn’t locate where from, till today I was fitting her head collar, and realised that her ear was FOUL!! She had a horrible blood stained discharge from it. She was also falling over. Vet didn’t have an appointment, but they said if we didn’t mind waiting, just to bring her down. 2 hours later and 40 quid lighter, we were clutching ear drops, rehydration fluid and oral antibiotics. Hannah is distraught as she is convinced that she is also on her way out (she’s not, she’s just miserable), and won’t leave her for a minute.  Sigh. A break would be nice here!

Sad day today, as Sooty was dead in her hutch this morning. Hannah found her about 7.30, when she went to let them out while Maisie was having a wee.  It was all a bit awful, as Hannah’s crying brought me running into the garden wearing only a towel, the dog sensed something was up and was running wild barking, Hannah was distraught and Martha was standing guard over Sooty, and wouldn’t let either of us near her. She isn’t a biter, but I guess she realised at some level what had happened, and was protecting Sooty.

In the end I phoned Bob, and he came home with industrial padded gloves, and managed to separate Martha and Sooty. There isn’t any sign of her being hurt, so I guess she just went and died She was stiff as a board, so obviously happened a few hours ago. Martha is now wailing and shouting from the run, I’ve just disinfected the hutch, Sooty has gone with Bob to be disposed of, and Hannah is howling into Maisie’s coat. Taking Martha to the vet in a bit, as apparently when one dies suddenly is often an overwhelming infection, and the hutch mates should have prophalactic  (no idea how to spell that!) antibiotics.

Not quite sure what to do about Martha – she is very much a pig that needs company, but that’s two hutch mates shes lost in the last 8 months, and I’m not sure she isn’t too old now to accept a new one.

Anyway, must finally have a cup of tea!

Maisie cried ALL night last night. She basically didn’t want to be in her crate, and in particular, wanted to be with Hannah. Doing anything with her if she suspects Hannah is anywhere in the house is a palavar. Yesterday evening I brought her into the office when I was working, and she just wailed at the door. I thought she was wanting a pee, but basically she just wanted out to wail at Hannah’s door till she let her in. H wanted to let her sleep in her room, but I am still maintaining my standards on that one This morning I was trying to do her clicker training with her, and all wouldn’t settle till H appeared.

Busy week this week for me – have an appointment with the lawyer to discuss pros and cons of VAT registration. I don’t need to do it yet, and I don’t pay enough VAT on things myself to justify it on that basis. I’m reluctant to put me fees up for the 70% of my business that is from the public, but the (more lucrative 30%) that is the corporate market think you lack legitimacy if you aren’t registered. I think the issue is for me that I resent being an unpaid govt. tax collecter. For similar reasons of credibility, going to discuss whether I should become a company, rather than a sole trader. Bizarre that people should think that makes you more credible, when it will still just be me. I’m also running a Covey 7 Habits of Effective People course within the NHS, and the issue of the venue is grumbling on – I’m slowly moving it forward, stalling for as much time as I can, and today I’m going to look at this alternative space, with a view to a joint venture.

Back later – must go and scrub up.

We have pees. We have poo. We have them in the garden.

Though Maisie can’t really get out yet, we’ve been keen to get her used to the car, so we’ve been having little jaunts. Which we will probably have to stop, as apparently Scotland will have no diesel by Friday! Certainly when I went to Tesco today with my red light flashing, I had to queue for nearly two hours. I suspect there has been a lot of panic buying, and topping up of tanks, as people didn’t seem to be taking that long to refuel once they got to the pump. I, on the other hand, took 10 mins and 90 QUID!!

Anyway, I digress Maisie has been sick twice in her crate in the back on the car – once coming home from the breeder, and then again yesterday morning. So today we decided to try her with a harness on the back seat, and she loved it. So much so that after only two short trips in it, I found her standing at the back door of the car, with her harness in her mouth. Not sure I entirely approve of her travelling IN the car, as one of the pack, so may try the crate again tomorrow to see if she’s got over her fear. Meanwhile, I think perhaps I should get a shopping trolley, in case the car has to go off the road. It will certainly make it hard to get to work, as public transport isn’t a viable option, and if fuel IS hard to come by, I don’t want to waste it on travelling into the office in the interests of presentee-ism.

And apart from dog-worship (how did we manage so long without one), nothing much seems to have happened at all. The cavies and Maisie have obviously decided to tolerate each other, and neither is that interested in the other. Hannah has been grooming the dog every day so far, which she (the dog!) seems to like, and I’ve started clicker training. Must do some work now.

Pcitures are coming. Sometime. Maisie did a wee at 4pm yesterday, and by 8am this morning, still hadn’t done another one, despite numerous trips outside (including me at midnight, Bob at 2am, and Hannah at 6.00am).  She finally produced one at 8, amid loud applause. Which waned slightly, when she then crapped in her crate I’ve never had a dog that did that before, so I was a bit upset, especially as she didn’t avoid it, but trampled it everywhere, and kicked some through the bars. I had to scrub everything, including her. We’ve continued to toilet enthusiastically all day, and are still waiting for the second wee of the day.

By late afternoon I was also getting worried as she hadn’t eaten anything at all since she arrived. The breeder had insisted she was only to get dry puppy food, and had given us a sack of food which she insisted she was eating well.  by 4pm I decided to ignore that, and gave her some steamed chicked and rice, mixed with a handful of dried food. She scoffed the lot within 2 mins, and certainly seems happier, though still no weeing. The fact that she is hardly going is also making it hard to catch her doing it right. We always had a young puppy when I was a kid, as we puppy-walked them for guide dogs, and as far as I remember, they piddled so often, you could easily get them to do it outside, make a fuss, and then they performed next time as well.

Nevertheless, she is gorgeous, really bright and playful, and also surprisingly very quiet, which is rather nice, actually, given I had been worried she would be a yapper.

But the responsibility – its almost as worriesome as a human baby

And she is absolutely adorable, Even Bob is smitten, and I was worried about that, especially as he hadn’t seen her before he came home tonight. She is already coming when we call her, and she is walking to heel on her lead (just round the garden), and she is starting to sit when told. The downside is she pee-ed in the crate 10 mins after we picked her up, contrary to what everyone says about them not pee-ing in their bed. I’m hoping she was just scared as it was a long drive home with her – 3 hours for a first ever car joureny. She cried piteously as we left (so did the breeder!), so it was all a little traumatic, but already she seems part of the family. Am rather flattered that I seem to be her favourite person . She was at the vet this afternoon, and got a clean bill of health, so just a couple of weeks till we can take her places. She aslo hasn’t eaten anything since we got her, but she has had some doggie treats by hand, and I’m sure she won’t strave herself.

Hannah didn’t want to go out and leave her, so we’ve had carry out pizza and Ben and Jerry’s for birthday dinner. Hannah;’s birthday sort of disappeared in puppy excitement, but I think that may have been for the best, given how upset she was feeling about it. So a low key birthday, with a new addition to the family

Oh – and THREE people booked and paid for courses online tonight.

Spent the afternoon with Maisie, and she is an absolute delight. Just a ball of black fluff and energy. I think it may be a bit like babies, as NONE of the other puppies were as intelligent or gorgeous as our one So roll on Friday. I’m away from home for the next two days, so fortunately Bob can cope with Hannah’s over-excitement. Can’t wait. Has also put a completely new complexion of H’s birthday for her, as she had got it into her head she was dreading being 12, and now she can hardly wait.