Here We Are

There I am on the floor with Miss Moose lending her my support. You can see her shaved belly and the two spots that are shaved on her front legs...anything shaved on me...well, it is hidden (as it should be).

The second picture was taken by Dad when he was home with us on Wednesday. Moosey spent Tuesday with the vet. It is not good, after the surgery she had, to throw up at all and she did that 3 times on Monday night. I thought my Mom was going to have a heart attack! But Doc Everett said she was the picture of health, all things considered, while she was there with them. Our other vet and the doctor who did my surgery and Moose's is on vacation. Dr. Shaw told my Mom she better send a text a day while she is gone. Mom hasn't texted her today because Mom feels like she is being a pain in the bottom..when Dr. Shaw is supposed to be on vacation. Today Moose doesn't have much energy, but she is eating well (I should know I am right there to clean up the scraps of the "good" stuff!) and drinking and does not have a fever. Dr. Everett called Mom just a little bit ago to check on Moose. Doc told Mom that she was going to be in on Saturday but that she really preferred not to hear from her!! =] So when Dad took this picture Moosey felt good enough to crawl up on the couch. Dad couldn't believe we all sat there for him.

As for me?? I am doing great! I think laser surgery is awesome!! I don't know what "real" surgery is but this was easy as pie. I think I am driving my Mom crazy though. I have been storing energy. I am not supposed to run or exercise for another week!! I have torn up a lot of toys in the last few days!

It is Christmas Eve...so I should say to everyone that I hope that you have a Merry Christmas..this is my first Christmas in the world. The tree has been awesome to sleep under. Not crazy about the crinkley packages under the tree occupying my spot, but its okay. I like the smell of the house. And last but not least..we have a lot to be thankful for....besides all the obvious stuff, family, home, friends, vets, vets who are friends, groomers who are friends and give the most AWESOME gifts (thanks Kissty, Kissty), stockings hung with care..we are thankful that Moosey is still with us and here to celebrate Christmas and the New Year!

I am Hugh

I had Cake!!

Woooo hooooo! I graduated today!! Mom says this is a really bad picture, but I was just getting my command to sit to get my fancy picture taken by one of our trainers, Jerry. Liz, our other fabulous trainer, had two of her pack dogs there and she placed them as distractions for me and then called out to Dad what she wanted him to do. I think I surprised Mom and Dad...I actually did everything that Liz asked Dad to tell me to do. I had my game face on and I was workin' the floor! I got my picture taken and then we had cake!! I had a whole HUGE slice to myself. Mom fed it to me..the frosting was CHEESE WIZ!! Wow, I was in heaven!

Liz said that they are looking at having an intermediate class in January. Mom told her that we would be there. Mom said she thought all of the dogs in our class did really well. Even Rhia the aggressive shepherd got through her test without issue. She came over and sat next to Mom and kissed her. Rhia's Mom was surprised that her dog would sit next to Mom. Mom has a thing for shepherd's and they for her since she was a kid. The lady she showed and helped breed her Bichon's had a guard dog who was a German Shepherd from Germany. His name was Castel and Mom loved him a lot.

I got neutered on Friday. I don't know what that means. Mom sent a text to Dr. Shaw the next day and asked her if she was sure she operated on me? Dr. Shaw sent back that there were two cute little testicles presented right there for her. I had laser surgery so I have this tiny incision and well, I guess I just don't know that anything happened.

Miss Moose had to have surgery too on Friday, but her's was of an urgent nature. She had not been feeling well for several days. She has a very sensitive stomach. Mom and Dr. Shaw did everything they could to settle her gut down, but Friday morning she was back to having terrible pain. Turns out Moosey had started to bloat. Mom was given several options, but chose to have Moose's stomach tacked to her rib cage to prevent further bloat. This doesn't mean that she won't still have tummy issues (Dr. Shaw was quite clear with Mom that Moosey will need gas relievers for life), but at least the possibility of her tummy twisting has been reduced.

We had a family slumber party in the living room Friday night when Moose came home. Dr. Shaw graciously visited the house with some injectible pain killers as Moosey was breathing harder than she wanted to see and crying a lot. Mom was very worried for her. I was kind of confused as to why we were all sleeping in the living room huddled around Moose, but I went from place to place checking it out pretty much all night long driving Mom crazy! Yesterday we took Moose back to the vet to have her checked out to make sure she didn't have a fever (although I have to say Mom is pretty good with the thermometer now). The ride to the vet really tuckered Moose out.

Moose a lot better today. All of us poodles and Mom took a long nap with Moose this morning. She seems calmest on the bed with Mom. Mom took the opportunity to put ice on her BIG incision. Grandma came over and stayed with Moose while I went off to graduate!!

Christmas is next week...I am sure I am on Santa's "nice" list...well, maybe the "naughty" list, but hey....

I am Hugh

Christmas came early!!

Isn't it fantastic?? What you ask? The bed I am sitting on that is what...just in time for..well, everything!! My Mom got a message on her FaceBook page from my Mommy (you only have one of those you know and she was the first to help bring me into the world) asking if we had received a package for me yet?? Mom said no, but that she would watched for it. Mom called Dad and said, "we need to watch for a package for Hugh."

Mom got home just a little bit ago after running errands after work and Dad said to her "Hugh made out like a bandit!" Mom said, "oh no, you opened it without me?" Dad said, "I couldn't believe how big the box was and it was addressed to Hugh Stinson. I had to know." Mom said, "well, what was it?" Dad pointed to over by the Christmas tree. Mom came around the corner and she yelled, "HOLY CRAP!!" and then she laughed, hugged me, had tears in her eyes and said, "that is just lovely and amazing." Dad said, "I know. Vicki wanted Hugh to have his own beginnings and his own bed." They hugged. Dad asked Mom if she saw the box it came in. It was a really big box. I should know it freaked me out! I know there was something else in there, but Mom said I can have it on Christmas. Woo hoo!

So Mommy, if you read this..thank you very much. I love my new bed and it is just the right color! Merry Christmas and I send you lots of puppy dog kisses.

I am Hugh

What I didn't wear to the Snowflake Parade...

Yep, I am supposed to be a reindeer in elf clothes or some thing. I didn't like it at all. Mom put a coat on Miss Moose to wear during the parade because it was 14 or so degrees. Mom and Dad were looking for a festive flair. They ended up taking it off and putting a coat on me too.

We walked with our vets office in the Snow Flake Festival Parade. We were "float" 79 or so. We weren't really a float. We had to wait a long time before the parade started and it was really cold. The folks at the vet's office decorated all kinds of stuff for us to wear though. Moose and I wore red felt bandanas with a large gold bell that rang when we walked (all the dogs wore them), and little glow necklaces so folks could see us. Mom and Dad wore paw decorated scarves (Mom liked her's so much that she didn't want to give it back, but she did..) and Mom had lights around her neck. We all looked great. Moose took a great liking to Dr. Shaw's long haired chihuahua. Mom said if they hadn't both been fixed it would have been quite the romance. I don't get it, but it tickled Mom, so that makes it okay.

Miss Moose had a good time in the parade. She went up to little kids and gave them kisses and stuff. Me? I just hung out with Dad. He said I did really well. A couple of floats ahead of us were some Mountain Men musket shooters. I did okay with that, but it was really loud. Liz, who had her pack with her, had a dog that was really sensitive to loud noises, so they had to leave the parade. Kissty, Kissty and her husband were out on the parade route cheering us on. We had great fun!

Everyone wanted to know where Marcus was. Mom said that he would have just been miserable and was better off at home waiting for us.

We had our first BIG snow too! I have a pretty good time running around the apple trees in the snow. Mom says she thinks that I am growing again because I was doing really good with my coordination and now I am biffing it again. I weigh about 35 or 36 pounds now. I go for a big "procedure" on Friday...not sure what it is all about but Dad keeps telling me that my manhood is going to be compromised. I don't know what that means either, but it doesn't sound the best does it?

The last puppy left in my litter, my sister Jewel, finally found a forever home. She flew to Reno today to be with her new Mom. My Mom and Dad are really happy for her. Jewel's Mom's daughter lives here in Klamath Falls, so we are hoping that I will get a play date with her. That would be pretty neat.

I had my second to last training today. Next week is graduation. Mom said that it went fast. Dad just shakes his head. I don't know what that means...I do really well at home, but distractions (lots of other dogs) are tough for me. I'll do my best to do everything I am supposed to so that I graduate and get my picture taken.

I am Hugh

Visiting Santa!

• Okay, so it isn't the most dignified thing for a hunter to do and you would not have caught Oliver, TGH sitting with Santa and you can see by the look on my face that I am not too sure I want to be sitting here either, but hey, someone had to tell Santa about all the hunting gear I want for Christmas!!
• The picture was free with purchase, so Dad thought that Mom would get a kick out of this because they have never done the whole dog with Santa thing. He was right! She was tickled to get this picture. Grandpa Wally your picture is coming in the mail!!
• While Dad and I were roaming the dog aisles at PetCo a lady stopped us and wanted to know about me. She is a hunter and hunting dog trainer. Mom was with a friend shopping and saw Dad's truck outside so they decided to come in the store and say "hi!" to me. Mom and Auntie Shelby found the two of them talking hunting. I saw Mom and jumped for joy. Then Mom told the lady about my sister Jewel, who might still be available. The lady's Mom's dog is suffering from cancer or may have already passed and they have been trying like crazy to find another standard poodle for the Mom. She lives in Reno. So my Mom gave the lady all the info she could remember off the top of her head.
• I guess Auntie Shelby said that every time we are out with me that we get stopped and get into this big discussion on poodles and hunting. I am not sure why people find it so hard to believe that I will be a hunter...as great as Oliver, TGH. We were bred for hunting. Both the English and the German pudel - that's all they did was hunt birds. Shoot my ancestors may have hunted foxes for all I know, but birds for sure! The lady in the store asked Dad if he was embarrassed to hunt a poodle. Dad said heck, no and that there are 12 other hunters in town that hunt strictly with poodles. I guess I shoud say the lady's name is Bridget. She seemed super nice.
• Mom was on facebook this morning and she was crying and hugged me..she had just read that my sister Jewel is going to go live in Reno and will fly out next week! Cool, huh? Mom thought it was quite the twist of fate that my sister's "big brother" in Reno is named Indiana Jones and her name is Jewel. Mom said the poodle angels were working overtime on this one. So at five months, Jewel will finally have her forever home. I hope she is as happy as I am.

I am Hugh

p.s. it is training day...I will have an update later...unless I am so tuckered out that I cannot get my paws to type! =]