Be Careful What you Wish For.....

Hanging out with the girls

Can you believe it's the end of May already?   Volos has been with us for 4 months and this dog is unrecognizable. 

I just re-read day 3 & day 4 entries about him and just had to laugh.    Don't know who that dog was, but it sure is heck not Volos.     

Now, not all has been rosy and Peryn & Volos did get into recently that required Peryn seeing the vet because of an injury.   It's been touch and go with their getting along, however new circumstances may actually change that.

So, I used to comment how when I worked in my office, Volos wouldn't come in to lay with the rest of the pups.   Then eventually it happened.  

I used to wish Volos would be a bit more playful. He would sneak a toy here or there, but wasn't really all that playful.   Then he discovered the wonders of his Wobble Wag Giggle Ball.  That dog is insane over that ball.    It is his most favorite thing.    Additionally, he loves collecting toys.   
Yaay--another wish fulfilled.

We went for months not hearing a peep out of him.  He barks now.  Yay!

Thanks to this stay at home/quarantine thing, I've been working from home every day since the end of March.    For awhile it was good. I would work from home and the days that there was no play care, they all slept until my lunch time or end of day.  (Or a conference call).     IT's been pretty good and funny that they know my schedule enough to start bugging me.   

Getting comfy in his sleep

WELLLLLL....   Volos has decided as of late that he'll sleep the first part of the morning and then around 9-10 am he becomes animated and playful.   When he plays, he barks.  He barks at his ball or whatever toy he's playing with.       So it'll start with him playing for a bit with his ball across the hall.   Then he gets up and comes over to me wanting me to play with him.     

This in turn, riles up Peryn & Lada and then we have 3 hyper dogs wanting to play.     It was cute the first few times...... NOT SO MUCH NOW.           

This has led us to begin working with the Play Care to get Volos used to them.   Last Friday, he went in for a few hours and then I picked him up to bring home.   

He went again for several hours on Thursday.  It was a slow day, so he was there for 6 hours.   He did very well.      Yesterday he went the whole day.       

Wanting him to start going to day care has a few motivations behind it.   First, it helps him socialize in a different setting with different people and dogs.        Secondly, it gets him out of the house and away from bugging me to death.   Thirdly, I had a hope.       When he went last week, it was when Peryn was stuck at home because of his injured paw.   He was at day care with only Lada. 

My hope was that this week with Peryn returning, they might bond. I saw it with the dogs when it was Duchess, Athena, Peryn & Lada..   They tended to bond  and hang out together at day care.   I think that is one reason that pack was the most bonded and got along so well.   They relied on one another all the time.   

Well, below you will find photos taken by the day care of yesterday's outcome.   Let's hope things stay that way!! 

Athena's doing well. Still full of life and energy.  Her body's been cooperating for the most part.   We really did not think she was going to last this long based on how things were going in January.     We're happily surprised.   We love this girl so much. 

Peryn & Lada are the same.   Hyper as always, but loving and trying to figure out how Volos fits in.

One thing that has truly helped is that Volos is now a regular in the basement.  They run down, he often times is right behind them.       

He's often playing fetch down the stairs as well.    He really is such a happy dog and obviously knows he's part of the pack. He sleeping in the bedroom often and wanting to be in the middle of E V E R Y T H I N G.

This dog is definitely not the dog we brought home. 

Volos' admirer

Hanging out

Hanging out

Add caption

Brothers

The Family

SAY IT AIN'T SO!!

UPDATE on Athena

at play-care

Athena, like Duchess, has changed a bit since bringing in the little ones. She plays a lot with Lada. They seem to have this sweet bond and I love watching them play.   Athena loves to go over with the Cattle dogs to play with MC or Bridger.   

She's also very clingy as of late.  She really lets it be known when she wants affection and does not shy away from DEMANDING it.   She really loves play-care as well.  She's still a sweet girl and couldn't hurt a fly.

She's still a barker and that really comes out when any of the dogs OTHER THAN her are playing.  

Physically she's doing OK. If she plays too much she ends up overdoing it.   Her hind legs/hips still bother her.  In fact when I picked her up from play-care I was told she started limping and was forced to rest for a bit. Sounds totally Athena.   

Mommy & Athena

She has problems getting in and out of the car and we often have to help her. She still hates going on car rides (or I should say she still whines and barks).

She definitely is a dog who is loving their second chance at life.  Whatever bad stuff or horrors she may have had prior to us, haven't effected her emotionally -- that we can tell.   

She LOVES being outdoors. She loves to just watch and chase squirrels.  She absolutely hates gunfire and barks whenever the shots from the gun range sound.

She loves her pack. She loves to sleep and will NOT get up once she's down for the night. She has a bladder of steel.  She loves going to dog parks and you will always find her zipping around looking for some fun. She enjoys jumping in the water with the other dogs, but doesn't swim or play with them once in. 

Resting at play-care

She loves our neighbors and she loves us.  
Her physical pains are going to be the thing that most slows her down, but she is a very happy girl.

Her visible injuries from her previous life are barely noticeable these days. Again, the only real reminder is the problem with her back legs and hips.     She really is a doll and we're so happy she's with us. 

Nature watching

Running at the park

Happy Mother's Day

Duchess

HEY!!  Happy Mother's Day!

Puppy's are doing well.  

Athena went for her annual and is doing well.   She's happy and healthy and loves her little brother.

Duchess has been good, but seems to be a bit off today.   She is loving the fact that her baby brother is growing.  Their play has become increasingly more physical and anyone watching better stay out of the way.

Peryn is growing like a weed.   He is about 30 lbs and just loves life.  We've also discovered he loves mud puddles.  At the dog park the past two weeks he's found mud puddles and loves to roll in them.

With Daddy.

He can hold his business overnight and all day when in the crate.  However, we're still working on the letting us know when he needs to go out and he gets the excited "leaks".

He's officially over 4 months.   He's a handful, that's for sure.   Daddy has taken to walking the kids after getting home for work. Peryn gets the longer walk.
It was great at first, he'd come home pooped.   Well, now it's barely having an impact.   If he doesn't get a walk, he's a monster at night. Playing in the bedroom and walking all over his Mommy.    Not fun for Mom at all.

I'm tooo tired.

 He definitely loves his sisters. He loves Athena quite a bit. He irritates her at times, but she allows it. They are pretty sweet together.  At the dog park, Athena likes to keep an eye on him and they tend to run the park together.

However, when it comes to naps and bed time, Duchess is his go-to girl. They tend to nap near one another.
The girls may act annoyed by him, but they do keep an eye out for their brother.

Peryn loving the park

The muddy little bugger. 

His most favorite toy-the Alligator

His favorite nap spot when we're having dinner.

Nap Time.