Winter has arrived once again to Wisconsin and Patton gets to enjoy two of his favorite things outside. Eating snow/ice chunks and chasing tennis balls. With temperatures in the 20's and lower, his tennis balls have become big ice balls which is fine with him. Two for the price of one.
With the anniversary of his first surgery fast approaching(Dec 9th), it was great to watch him run around like a nut in the snow since he was unable to last year. Yes, what a difference a year makes.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
One Year Ago...
As Thanksgiving approached this past week, the stark reminder of where we were a year ago came to mind. It is hard to imagine that our odyssey began then. It seems like a lifetime ago now. All the fear and unknowing of what kind of life my 7 month old puppy would have in the future. Would he be able to run with us, hike in the woods, and well, just be a dog?
One of the many things I gave thanks for this past Thanksgiving was, "Yes, my dog is going to be ok " and there are many that I owe a huge thanks to. I know I have done this in the past, but as I watched him run around the yard on Thanksgiving I thought of everyone who took part in making his life what it is now. If you were to see Patton today you would never in a million years know what he has been through. He tears around the yard like a demon in search of squirrels and rabbits, and the occasional bird that flies too close. He will chase tennis balls until his tongue drags on the ground and he passes out from exhaustion. Yup he is just another goofy Golden Retriever/lab. Lovable and mischievous.
As the one year anniversary of his first surgery approaches I want to give thanks to all those that made Patton's life what it should be. Dr. Gooch at the Animal Health Center for always taking care of the "golden child" from the day we brought him home to the many years to come. As well as everyone else there for taking such good care of him. I have never had a dog that LOVES to go to the vet/kennel. He loves his visits with you guys.
Thanks to everyone at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for taking such great care of Patton while he was staying with you. The phone calls before and after surgeries to keep us posted on how he was doing were great and made a scary situation a lot more bearable. You guys are the best. A HUGE thanks to Drs. Manley and Schaefer for doing such a great job on Patton's TPOs. And last but certainly not least, Courtney Arnoldy, Patton's physical therapist who got him moving again. Our family thanks all of you for doing what you do.
About the picture of Patton you see, this was taken after a week of camping this past summer. After swimming in lakes, rivers and rolling around in dirt for a week he definitely needed a bath. He wasn't too happy with me, but if you notice how brown the water is, a certain necessity
From our family to everyone, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
One of the many things I gave thanks for this past Thanksgiving was, "Yes, my dog is going to be ok " and there are many that I owe a huge thanks to. I know I have done this in the past, but as I watched him run around the yard on Thanksgiving I thought of everyone who took part in making his life what it is now. If you were to see Patton today you would never in a million years know what he has been through. He tears around the yard like a demon in search of squirrels and rabbits, and the occasional bird that flies too close. He will chase tennis balls until his tongue drags on the ground and he passes out from exhaustion. Yup he is just another goofy Golden Retriever/lab. Lovable and mischievous.
As the one year anniversary of his first surgery approaches I want to give thanks to all those that made Patton's life what it should be. Dr. Gooch at the Animal Health Center for always taking care of the "golden child" from the day we brought him home to the many years to come. As well as everyone else there for taking such good care of him. I have never had a dog that LOVES to go to the vet/kennel. He loves his visits with you guys.
Thanks to everyone at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for taking such great care of Patton while he was staying with you. The phone calls before and after surgeries to keep us posted on how he was doing were great and made a scary situation a lot more bearable. You guys are the best. A HUGE thanks to Drs. Manley and Schaefer for doing such a great job on Patton's TPOs. And last but certainly not least, Courtney Arnoldy, Patton's physical therapist who got him moving again. Our family thanks all of you for doing what you do.
About the picture of Patton you see, this was taken after a week of camping this past summer. After swimming in lakes, rivers and rolling around in dirt for a week he definitely needed a bath. He wasn't too happy with me, but if you notice how brown the water is, a certain necessity
From our family to everyone, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Patton at Lake Superior, Duluth Minn.
Patton enjoying two of his favorite things, playing fetch with a stick and swimming. Could it get any better for a dog?
Hope all had a great summer
I am sorry that I have not been keeping up with Patton's blog this summer, been very busy between work and, well, playing with Patton.
So what has Patton been up to.... A lot of camping for one thing. Somehow a quest of sorts started for Patton. How many different bodies of water could he enjoy this summer. He hit quite a few, from Lake Superior to the Wisconsin River. I think he enjoyed Lake Superior the most, deep enough for him to actually swim in. The only river he really wanted to get in that he couldn't was the mighty Mississippi. We could not find a good access point for him.
He has also enjoyed playing fetch with his toys this summer. We bought a "Chuckit" for him(enables you to pick up and throw tennis balls instead of picking up wet yucky tennis balls with your hands). He will chase tennis balls and bring them to you for hours. A nice way to wear out a dog I do say. Eventually he gives up and heads for the back door as if saying he surrenders. After all he has been through watching him bound after tennis balls like nothing happened is a GREAT feeling.
Recently, he has also discovered that he can turn on the water himself in the bathtub. One night while folding laundry upstairs I heard the water running and thought one of my sons had turned it on for him.(We do this frequently otherwise he paws at the tub until we do) As I walked into the bathroom I noticed my bath scrunchie was shredded a little. I asked my son why he had let him do that he said that he hadn't been in the bathroom and he thought that I had turned on the water for Patton. Apparently, Patton found if he pulled the scrunchie hard enough he could turn the water on. I think I have to find a new hanging place in the shower..
So what has Patton been up to.... A lot of camping for one thing. Somehow a quest of sorts started for Patton. How many different bodies of water could he enjoy this summer. He hit quite a few, from Lake Superior to the Wisconsin River. I think he enjoyed Lake Superior the most, deep enough for him to actually swim in. The only river he really wanted to get in that he couldn't was the mighty Mississippi. We could not find a good access point for him.
He has also enjoyed playing fetch with his toys this summer. We bought a "Chuckit" for him(enables you to pick up and throw tennis balls instead of picking up wet yucky tennis balls with your hands). He will chase tennis balls and bring them to you for hours. A nice way to wear out a dog I do say. Eventually he gives up and heads for the back door as if saying he surrenders. After all he has been through watching him bound after tennis balls like nothing happened is a GREAT feeling.
Recently, he has also discovered that he can turn on the water himself in the bathtub. One night while folding laundry upstairs I heard the water running and thought one of my sons had turned it on for him.(We do this frequently otherwise he paws at the tub until we do) As I walked into the bathroom I noticed my bath scrunchie was shredded a little. I asked my son why he had let him do that he said that he hadn't been in the bathroom and he thought that I had turned on the water for Patton. Apparently, Patton found if he pulled the scrunchie hard enough he could turn the water on. I think I have to find a new hanging place in the shower..
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Patton playing in his pool
So it was really, really hot outside a while back and my youngest son insisted that Patton needed a pool. So the "golden" child has his own personal swimming pool. He LOVES his pool. First place he heads when it is filled, he doesn't lay in it, or sit in it....He stands in it. He will play fetch with you and get whatever you throw, but it will end up in the pool before he gives it to you. When it is upside down(when not in use) and is filled with some rain...that's ok, he's stand on the pool in the collected rain water.
Patton was playing with a puppy friend of his, a chocolate lab puppy, and they would chase each other around the yard. Patton would grab the ball from Max and promptly run and stand in Max's pool. Now Max will swim in a lake, but wants nothing to do with his pool. So Patton would take the balls into the pool and play keep away from Max. Quite humorous I might add. That and them chasing each other around a camper and Patton deciding that chasing Max is nuts and turns around and meets Max head on in order to take the ball that way. Ah the advantages of being older and wiser.
Patton was playing with a puppy friend of his, a chocolate lab puppy, and they would chase each other around the yard. Patton would grab the ball from Max and promptly run and stand in Max's pool. Now Max will swim in a lake, but wants nothing to do with his pool. So Patton would take the balls into the pool and play keep away from Max. Quite humorous I might add. That and them chasing each other around a camper and Patton deciding that chasing Max is nuts and turns around and meets Max head on in order to take the ball that way. Ah the advantages of being older and wiser.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Patton takes a bath
Ever since Patton's physical therapy sessions and his swim in a lake, he can't seem to get enough water. One night while I was upstairs folding laundry I heard him scratching on something. When I went to find him, he was no where to be found until I finally checked the bathroom and lo and behold, he was in the tub scratching on the tub. I turned the water on and he stayed in there for about half an hour splashing around.
So now it is routine, as soon as I go up stairs he heads for the tub and waits for me to turn on the water. Some days he just drinks from the spigot, other times he splashes around. But it is definitely HIS tub now.
So now it is routine, as soon as I go up stairs he heads for the tub and waits for me to turn on the water. Some days he just drinks from the spigot, other times he splashes around. But it is definitely HIS tub now.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Patton has a seat
Amazingly enough, he knows he is not allowed up on the furniture at home. Camping? It's all fair game.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
R.I.P. Reggie
Yesterday a good friend was lost. Reggie was a rescue dog that my parents got when we he was barely a year old. The dog had been starved and isolated as a puppy. My parents adopted him and gave him a grand life. He had many issues like any rescue dog but my parents persevered and he became a loyal and good friend. He will be sorely missed by all.
Rest in peace.
Rest in peace.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Patton goes birding
Yes, Patton is doing pretty well after all he has been through. This afternoon while he was outside with my oldest son, he decided to go birding. My son saw the bird the same time as Patton did, unfortunately, the dog is faster then the boy. In record time Patton had his mouth wrapped around what he thought was dinner. Somehow my son managed to convince Patton to drop his snack and brought Patton in the house. My son went out to check on the bird and found it was quite alive and asked me what he should do. I told him it depended how much damage Patton had done to it. He replied it was flapping it wings like mad when he approached. I said let it be and we will keep an eye on the bird. Later on I went out to check on the bird and it had left our sandbox and moved to our neighbors yard. I could see that yes Patton had pretty much done the bird in, but it was a fighter and it was doing its best to go where ever it felt it needed to be. Its right wing was pretty much toast, checking later in the evening I could not find the bird anywhere.
What did Patton catch you ask? A Downy Woodpecker, I believe. Spotted wings and all.
What did Patton catch you ask? A Downy Woodpecker, I believe. Spotted wings and all.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Patton goes Swimming
This past weekend Patton went on an adventure. Camping!! He hasn't been camping since he was about 5 months old. It was cold and snowy, so he didn't get to enjoy all that camping entails. He made up for it this weekend.
Patton went on a few hikes through the woods. Each no more then 2 miles but a lot of very steep hills to help strengthen his hips. He did great. He enjoyed all the smells to be had from the deer to the horse tracks he had to follow. And any other critter that happened along the trail previously. He truly loved these walks. Tongue hanging to the ground, tail wagging and pulling us along to go further faster.
I think, though, Patton's favorite time was when we walked down to the dog beach. The only "swimming" Patton has ever done was with Courtney in physical therapy so we weren't sure how he would react to a lake. He had the place to himself except a few fisherman in canoes a few yards out. (They must have loved us) We left him on his lead since we weren't sure how he would handle all this. He approached the waters edge and thought, "Hey! Another big water bowl just for me!!" and proceeded to take a drink. Since Patton loves sticks we figured let's throw one in and see what he does, not too far out but far enough that he would be in the water. A toss of the stick, Patton's eyes glazed, and ran for the stick. I don't think he realized that the stick was IN water until he landed with a big sploosh. (He likes to pounce on them) With a grab of the stick and a quick bolt out of the water, "What in the world was THAT?" he seemed to look at us questioningly.
We threw in another stick, a little more tentative this time as he went in after it. And that was all it took. By the time we left, he was soaked from head to toe. It was a very windy day thankfully and he was almost dry when we got back to the campsite. He slept very well that night indeed.
Patton went on a few hikes through the woods. Each no more then 2 miles but a lot of very steep hills to help strengthen his hips. He did great. He enjoyed all the smells to be had from the deer to the horse tracks he had to follow. And any other critter that happened along the trail previously. He truly loved these walks. Tongue hanging to the ground, tail wagging and pulling us along to go further faster.
I think, though, Patton's favorite time was when we walked down to the dog beach. The only "swimming" Patton has ever done was with Courtney in physical therapy so we weren't sure how he would react to a lake. He had the place to himself except a few fisherman in canoes a few yards out. (They must have loved us) We left him on his lead since we weren't sure how he would handle all this. He approached the waters edge and thought, "Hey! Another big water bowl just for me!!" and proceeded to take a drink. Since Patton loves sticks we figured let's throw one in and see what he does, not too far out but far enough that he would be in the water. A toss of the stick, Patton's eyes glazed, and ran for the stick. I don't think he realized that the stick was IN water until he landed with a big sploosh. (He likes to pounce on them) With a grab of the stick and a quick bolt out of the water, "What in the world was THAT?" he seemed to look at us questioningly.
We threw in another stick, a little more tentative this time as he went in after it. And that was all it took. By the time we left, he was soaked from head to toe. It was a very windy day thankfully and he was almost dry when we got back to the campsite. He slept very well that night indeed.
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