They Tried To Make Me Go To Rehab, I Said No, No, No

October 25th, 2012

So the morning started off bad.  For some reason I decided that I would spend some time in the family room.  I usually take him upstairs to my bedroom, where he has his playroom set up or outside.  Both places he knows well and is content when there.  In the family room we have a lot of windows and even the door is glass.  The room has a lot of natural light.  I have noticed that he barks and spins in door ways in general, but this door really sets him spinning.  So prepared to no, no all morning.  I sat on the couch and watched.  He was not happy to be in that room.  The colder weather is starting to come and this is where we will be instead of outdoors for half of the day.  I could have waited until then, but no, let's spend my morning correcting Drake.  He likes the kitchen, which is attached, if I am in there cleaning or cooking.  It isn't his favorite room, but tolerable.  The family room, yuck.

It was to be mid-morning, so I took him outside.  I had tons of canna's that I was moving and a sage that I needed to plant.  I found the place where I thought would be good for the cannas and then a place for the cannas.  I planted the sage, but the box with the cannas were so heavy that I got them half way back to the spot and decided to mow the lawns instead.  He was behaving and seemed content.  I mowed the front lawn and then the back.  Just as I was finishing I noticed he was starting to spin.  I put the mower up and went and picked him up.  I carried him into the house and put him down to drink.  While he was drinking, I washed my hands and arms.  My knee hurt and I was starving, so I decided to take some Ibuprofen and get some food.  There were some fresh bagels calling me.  However, the little rat ran back outdoors as soon as he drank his share of water.  Usually I would have brought him right back in.  I knew he was very tired and if he got over tired that he would even behave worse.  My hands were clean, the bagels were there.  I grabbed a soda and a bagel.  My daughter was off so I talked to her for a few minutes.  We talked about the movie which had just come in on net flex and decided to watch it after I finished my lunch.  All of this time,  Drake was in the corner of my yard spinning.  He was so tired he could hardly move.  Just as I was finishing my bagel, my daughter walked outside to get Drake for me.  

I could see his head hanging back and the tongue was hanging out.  She put him in her arms while I put the movie in.  His whole body was heaving as he panted, trying to cool down.  My daughter said feel his ears and head.  I did and they were so hot.  His tongue was just hanging.  I took him in my arms and his body was on fire.  He had over heated his self so badly that I was frightened.  I wondered should I douse him in cool water, what should I do.  I decided that I would just watch him carefully as I watched the movie, to see if he could cool himself down.  I gave him an ice cube, he didn't want it.  He loves ice cubes.  By the time the movie was over, he had stopped panting.  He was curled up sleeping in my arms.  I felt that I was very lucky to have averted a very sick boy.  A lesson was learned and a horrible situation was avoided.

My next decision was to get him half of a pill.  What an idiot I was, when he was doing better for just a couple of days, to remove the crutch.  He obviously still needed it.  He played a little while outside, and at 4:45 PM he went and sat on the porch.  I went over and opened the door for him.  I usually make him go through the doggie door, but he had a rough day.  We went upstairs and I fed my two afternoon eaters  Maddie and Drake.  I noticed when I put the food in Maddie's bowl that I spilled it around her bowl.  Drake went through his bowl fast, as usual.  I saw poor Maddie, who lives for food. eating as fast as she could.  She also went to the other side of the bowl to try to body block him.  Too bad for her, the food was pretty scattered.  He had followed the smell over, but as soon as he found the kibble by her bowl, he smelled in the air.  I think he realized it was her food.  He just stood there, as though waiting for permission to have a bite.  Maddie finished the last piece of food.  I was surprised at his manners.  He had touched Blue's bowl once and Blue had a fit.  So, I figured that Drake would repeat the bad behavior.  Blue knows better, but he does not like Drake at all.  I felt all proud of Drake. 

He played very quietly for awhile, but at 6:00 PM he asked me to go to bed.  Laid down and went straight to sleep.