A Quiet Weekend _ Cooper's Notes

We have had a quiet weekend at home. Dottie is feeling better but she is still very sick. Dr. Williams called and said the radiologist read Dottie's x-rays and said the big stone should come out. But Mum and Dr. W decided to take a "wait and see" approach. Dottie will be 16 years old in two weeks and Mum is not sure she would survive the surgery and recovery. Right now Miss Dottie has a very big strep infection in her bladder so she is on antibiotics and pain medication. So our whole focus on Dots is for her to rest, eat her special food (which looks disgusting), take her medications and rest some more. I think the angels upstairs heard our prayers because they brought us a beautiful sunny, warm day - just the kind of day Dottie loves. So she went outside and walked around the yard and looked at her apple tree.

Doesn't she look good? Dozer says he looks better but I think he is missing the point (as usual!)

This is Miss Dots watching the bird feeder - I can't figure out if she thinks a bird would be tasty or if she just likes to watch them.

All her outside activity made her tired so Dottie feel asleep on her snake toy. She missed the NCAA basketball game but Mum said to just let her rest. Mum bought Dottie a brand new orthopedic bed which is giganormous and very comfortable - but only Dottie gets to sleep on it. (So I licked it a bunch instead).

We have a big package from Moco but Mum says we will wait to open it until later in the week. We are..what did Mum say?...Oh, we are just living in the moment with Dottie and taking each day as it comes. Thank you for all your nice thoughts and prayers.

It is Good

It is good to be home - to the place on the carpet by the fire where I like to lay my head. It is good to have tummy rubs, to lie in the grass and to sleep in my bed again. The boys think I was off on some magical adventure when all I was really doing was trying to get home. And now I am back where I am happiest. I close my eyes now and sleep. ~ Dottie

Dottie came home last night at 5:14pm and immediately ran out into the yard and rolled in the grass. She is on a special dog food and antibiotics but otherwise is back to her old self. And her tail has not stopped wagging. It is good to have an old dog home. (Mum)

Thursday Update on Dottie

Unfortunately this morning Dottie could not pee again, a bit of a setback. They took another set of x-rays and everything looked reasonably okay so they believe it is due to swelling from all her procedures yesterday. About mid-morning the vet's office called and announced that Miss Dots had just taken a walk and pee'd. If she can keep this up, she can come home tonight. We're keeping our paws crossed! (Otherwise she will have to stay at the vet/hospital until we can resolve this in one fashion or another.)

Currently Miss Dots is napping happily at the vet's office. I sent her a message to steal everything out of the mini-bar because this is the most expensive hotel she will ever stay in and we might as well take everything we can get our paws on! LOL!

Pee-Wonderful - Dottie's Mom

The vet called and after three hours on the table they finally got the stone in Dottie's urinary tract to go back up into the bladder which is the best we could hope for. Dottie is staying at the hospital tonight since she is asleep and comfortable. This gives me time to continue shampooing the carpeting because the house smells like an ammonia factory from all of Dots' piddles last night. Dottie gets to come home tomorrow and will be on antibiotics and go onto a special food to break down the rest of her stones.

I called Dottie's previous owner, Betty, who was relieved to hear Dottie made it through everything but told me not to spend too much money on her. Well, how could anyone not spend money on a dog that revels in mealtime, herds her parents around, barks at the moon, jumps like a bunny when she is happy and lives to nap in the sun? The only person who loves Dottie more than me is Betty and since Betty is 87 years old, I am not going to let her beloved dog have anything less than the best care.

Not sure what the bill will be but I will pay it - probably about what Dozer's leg surgery cost. Not exactly sure how I am going to pay it but I will find a way. All the is important is that Dottie gets to lie in the spring sun again.

10am Update on Dottie - from Mom

Got Dottie right into the vet and they did an ultrasound on her abdomen. She has stones in her bladder and a large one stuck in her urethra. They did x-rays and there is something not quite right with her colon so they are giving her an enema to clear it out to shoot more x-rays. (I warned Dr. Williams that Dottie does eat everyone's poopies, so whatever comes out has been around the block a couple of times!)

If the vet cannot use a catheter to move the large stone from the urethra back up into the bladder then I am afraid I will have to put Dots down. She is too old and her heart could not take the surgery to cut open her urethra - and the recovery would be painful and her quality of life would diminish day by day. Dr. Williams said if it were her dog she would have to make the same decision. So we hope that our grand lady's stone will move upwards and out!

Her heart rate is a bit slower than it should be right now but she is alert and relatively comfortable. They will give her pain meds before catheterizing her. Right now all she wants to do is empty her bladder.

Thanks for all the nice comments - your support means a lot.

Dottie Very Sick - Cooper On-Board

Mum is taking Dots down to the vet when they open at 8:00am (PST). We have all been up since 1:23am when Dottie got up and started pacing and panting. She has been crying softly when she hasn't been doing the P&P. Fortunately Mum listened to my advice and made sure Miss Dots had nothing to eat so she has an empty stomach when she gets to the Ark. I got the Internet on and started trying to diagnosis the problem but Mum rolled her eyes and told me that was not a good use of my time and talents. (I think Mum believes it is Dottie's urinary system that is the issue but Mum says we should leaves these issues to the professionals). Dozer is completely freaked because he is a dog that likes a routine.

On the brighter side, Mum's laptop won't boot up so she can't get her web work done and she is using her mini-laptop which she says is an "adventure" (and I don't think that is in a good way). Mum said something like "It never rains but it pours" which is a bit confusing. But when Mum's laptop doesn't work she talks to me about everything in life so I think it is not such a bad thing to have it get sick.

We will keep you posted on our Miss Dots. She is 15 years of a good dog and Mum says she deserves the best.

Breakfast in Bed - Notes from Dozer Dog

Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day, right after dinner of course. I prefer to eat my breakfast in bed, while others in the family maintain eating breakfast in the kitchen is the way to start the day. Whatever the case, a good dental chewie after kibble, cleanses the palate and gives one’s tummy the satisfaction of a good chew. This is all in preparation of a good morning nap, which for today is needed because it is grey and rainy here in Oregon. Yawn, I go sleep now…

Dottie likes to eat halfway in the kitchen and halfway into the living room.

Oh so tasty and leather-like!

Everything goes well with a chewie in the morning!

I love my bed.

Very good chewie.

A wonderful way to start my day!

Sleepy Sunday - Notes from Nancy

Ssshh! No one likes an afternoon nap more than Cooper, on our bed, on the quilts. He loves to start it off with a nice backrub. For some reason he enjoys snaking his head across the quilt and having his head and back rubbed. He sneezes and snorts and rolls back and forth - all to the dismay of his brother Dozer!

Cooper's Rubdown from Nancy Edwards on Vimeo.

Ooo, Fun Giveaway! - Cooper's Notes

Look at this giveaway (click here) at One Prim Girl. She makes all sort of primitive items and she has this new website where you can meet other artsy types. We are working on Mum to perhaps sell some of her cards. Of course she has a diminishing supply because I like to eat paper goods. But I digress. If you are into crafty things, this giveaway looks pawsome!

How did I find out about this giveaway? From my new friend at Expressly Corgi! (click here) who has a great blog and more giveaway sites. We love her background, it is very Welsh looking.

I partied too hard at the Brat Pack last night so I am napping.

The Brat Pack Pawty! - News from Dozer

We had a great time at the Brat Pack Pawty for the Best Friends folks! You guys went to a lot of effort and energy and we had a wonderful time. Mum says I have to apologize for locking Dottie in bathroom, she said that was not funny, no matter how hard Samantha dog laughed. And Cooper is sorry he fell asleep in the kitchen after eating a boatload of snackies. If anyone tripped over him Mum says they need to email her and she will determine what our insurance company can pay (it won't be much).

I had a terrible time figuring out what I wanted to wear to the party. I tried on all sort of outfits (see below) until finally Cooper said we had to go or we would be late and I ended up just wearing my Hawaiian shirt. Cooper doesn't understand that it isn't easy to be trendy and I couldn't show up wearing something non-descript if I wanted Samantha dog to see me in the crowd. Mum said no one could have missed me - I was like a runway light on a clear night. I think that is a good thing but sometimes Mum says things that sound good but aren't really.

Thank you again Brat Pack! You guys rock!

Here I am trying to snap my faux Burberry cloak on, I always have trouble with snaps.
Looking good - check out the pockets on the side. Pretty cool, huh?

I also thought my argyle polo sweater might look good but Cooper said I always get hot in it when I dance, so I nixed it.

I finally ended up in my Hawaiian shirt which Mum says brings out the color in my eyes. I hope Samantha noticed.

Awesome Dog Blog! - Cooper's Notes

We're up for the Blog of the Month at the Bones Zone at Dogs with Blogs! Opy was nice enough to let us know. I didn't have the heart to tell Opy that Dozer got on the computer and nominated our blog himself (how embarrassing for the rest of us!). Mum says we should just sit tight and not get overly inflated egos - but it would still be nice to win! BOL! Dozer wants to make campaign buttons and send emails to everyone to tell them to vote for us - Mum isn't as excited over his ideas as he is. But if you did feel like voting for us - and you certainly do not have to feel that you should, but if you felt like it - I would be tickled pink! Of Dozer's ego will be bigger than the state of Texas but then what else is new?

I have to get ready for the Brat Pack's party tonight. You're coming aren't you? See you there!

First Day of Spring - Cooper's Notes to You

First, Mum says to tell you she was very touched over every one's concern for Dottie. While Dozer is jealous of all the attention Dottie got, I think it was very nice that folks sent prayers and good thoughts Dottie's way. Miss Dots is feeling much better and is back to her old self. Unfortunately being blind and almost completely deaf, Dottie has a harder time when she is not feeling well.

As you may know today is the first day of Spring! And I for one am glad to welcome it into our yard. We made you a movie so you can watch us eat the new spring grass which is very sweet and nummmy. I love to eat grass, it is right up there with paper products! BOL! (Mum says to tell you the video is only a minute or so long and that the music is called Somewhere Sunny. She says humans like to know these things. I want to know where I can get more grass!)

First Day of Spring from Nancy Edwards on Vimeo.

BRB (Be Right Back) - Cooper

Dottie hasn't been feeling well and has been throwing up so Mum is away from the computer at the moment cleaning and checking on our Cardigan sister. We'll let Mummy back on the magic machine once we have Dottie figured out.

Dottie when she is feeling good :)

Too Much Rain - Need Sun! ~ Dozer

I mentioned to Mum that is seems like forever since we saw Mr. Sun and I was getting mildly depressed. Mum hates to see me sad because I usually let my sadness out by chewing on the living room coffee table which she appears to have designs on. So she asked me what would make me happy and I shook my head and said nothing but my friend Mr. Sunshine. I laid on the floor with my head between my paws and made very sad noises. Mum got on the computer and watched videos and found one of me (How hard could that be? I am in 99% of all the videos) and she found a very nice one of me when I had my first visit to the beach. I was just a young pup of ten months but I showed those seagulls who was boss. (Mum says apparently the seagulls were boss since they never got caught and teased me relentlessly!)

Molly Mutt Dog Beds - Cooper & Dottie

Mum was playing on our Twitter account (search for DozerandCoop or click here) and found a link to the Molly Mutt Dog Beds (click here to visit). The beds are a new idea - wherein you purchase a duvet cover and stuff it with old toys, clothes, blankets, pillows, towels from your own stash. Of course we can go to Michaels and buy foam which Dottie wants. We are both getting older and need a little more cushioning and our old beds...well, they look old and washing has not helped much. Molly Mutt's duvets are machine washable and you can get a "stuff sack" to put your "stuffing in. But I think what sold Mum was the bird on a wire print. She says it is just adorable (whatever). And of course Dottie's timing is exquisite. She pointed out these new beds to Mum right after Mum opened up her tax return and saw she is getting a refund for the first time in a decade. Mum had a minor breakdown and then sat us down and said the money is going into our savings account for our vet visits and meds in 2009. So Dottie drooped her tail and looked up beseechingly and Mum said she would consider our request (whooo hooo!).

Cards for Pets

These cards are just cracking Mum up. You can find these and even funnier ones at Sincerely Fido (they have kat ones too). Humans, it takes so little to keep them amused. ~ Cooper

World's Oldest Dog - from Cooper

As I surfed the net this morning with Mum, I found this article about the world's oldest dog. I am now 11 years old so I will need to pace myself to make it to 21.

March 12, 2009

(Photo Courtesy of Denice Shaughnessy)

PORT JEFFERSON STATION, N.Y. -- She's 20 in human years, or 140 in dog years, making Chanel the Daschund the oldest living dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Chanel, who turns 21 in May, was awarded the honor last spring.

"She's the oldest dog we have ever seen," said the dog's veterinarian Phillip Zangara, of the Roosevelt Animal Hospital in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. "She is defying every odd right now. I'm surprised at just about everything about her."

As an elderly lady, Chanel lives a low-key existence; she rarely leaves her owners' suburban Long Island home, let alone tiled kitchen, and struggles with getting around on her own.

She suffers from cataracts, as well as poor hearing; recently, her body mass has begun to deteriorate. Yet Chanel's physical ailments are relatively minute, given her advanced age.

"She's an old lady," explained one of her owners, Karl Shaughnessy, 44, a former New York City police officer. "You treat her like you would treat your grandmother. You have to treat her that way. You keep her sweater on at nighttime."

Aside from the occasional ear infection along the way, Chanel remains as healthy as could be, with Zangara signing off on her vital organs as in perfect condition.

"She has the body of a 6-year-old," Zangara said.

Shaughnessy's wife, Denice, adopted Chanel from an animal shelter in Virginia when she was just 6-weeks-old. Denice, then 30, was serving as a court reporter in the Army. She rescued Chanel for her 12-year-old daughter, but the dog quickly took to Denice, instead.

Chanel has always been athletic, Denice Shaughnessy says, recalling how they used to run three-to-four miles a day together.Nearly 21 years later, Shaughnessy and Chanel still enjoy walks around the neighborhood -- but now, Chanel often has to be carried.

"We don't have to take her outside to 'go,' and we don't take her out at all in the wintertime," Shaughnessy said. "We try to protect her as much as we can."

By most standards, Chanel has led a typical, canine life -- albeit perhaps one that is a little pampered. She feasts on both dry and wet dog food, but also relishes in people food; the Shaughnessys tend to boil chicken, or whole wheat pasta for her, with a little bit of butter, when the mood strikes. "Up until a year or so ago, she would eat table food," Karl Shaughnessy said. "Baloney, liverwurst or ham, whatever she felt like chewing on. Now, she won't do the ham, but she will eat the liverwurst. She is pretty finicky.

"This dog is a real work of art," he concluded.

In the summertime, because of her cataracts, Chanel is outfitted with a pair of "doggles," or tinted goggles designed for dogs, when she puts around the backyard. When it is especially sunny, Chanel will also don a small sun visor around her furry head.She still has "a calm disposition," Denice Shaughnessy says, though as the dog has gotten older, she has proved less tolerant of people infringing on her personal space.

Most Daschunds live to be around 14 to 16, the vet approximated. He said that the smaller the dog, the longer the life, but that general rule of thumb only partially explains Chanel's longevity; she is, after all, nearly 30 pounds.

"Good genes" and quality home care are the only two factors that could partially account for Chanel's long life.

In September, a Labrador mix named Bella died at the age of 29; and in 2003, a dog named Butch lived until he was 28. The oldest dog ever recorded was Bluey, a sheepdog from Australia, who lived to be 29.

Shameful Website - Cooper's Rant

I was just reading the Pet Connection blog and came upon a website they were discussing http://bringyourdoganywhere.com/ where you can pay big bucks to have your dog "certified" as a Service Dog so you can take your dog into places that normally do not allow animals (Post Office, restaurants, stores, etc). And people are buying this "certification" so they can get an animal vest and patches for $365.00. And they tell you right up front that they don't provide any training and you self-administer a "test" to determine if your dog is a Service Dog. This is just a way that you can circumvent the law.

Now I realize that I am an older dog and you young pups may think I am set in my ways, but this is not a "service", it is a disservice to the many wonderful dogs that train and provide service to all the people in the world who really need it. To buy a fake vest just so you can take your pet into the shoe store because it is more convenient for you is shameful.

I've gotten myself a little hot under the collar so Mum says I need to go have a little nap while she figures out how to contact these folks and in a nice way give them a piece of her mind. (I love it when Mum gets a burr under her butt and gets her Thesaurus out to tell folks six ways to Sunday how naughty they are!)

Working for the Snuggle Puggle Today

Mum has decided that if I am really, really good, I can work for the Snuggle Puggle every Tuesday.

Working for SP is hard work. First I have to decide what exactly I am going to do for SP and if I can do it well. Technically we are supposed to "snuggle". I talked to Cooper because he is better read and he says a lot of things are covered in "snuggle" so we can make the word work for us. So here are our pictures for today while we work for the Snuggle Puggle.

Check out Coop's snuggle stance. Rear leg position should count
for some extra points, don't you think? Are there
points involved with this? Coop says no.

This is me on snuggle duty. I am watching for wayward
snuggles and will capture them should they
make their way into the yard. I don't know
what a snuggle looks like but Coop will
let me know.

Party Invites - Cooper's Notes

Have you RSVP'ed yet? The Brat Pack is having a "pawty" and there is all sorts of fun planned. And they said to be sure everyone knows you don't have to bring anything to the party, just yourself! Mum said if we are good and promise not to eat too much we can go. Dottie is hoping to meet some new friends and I want to see if Emmit is there and doing cartoons or if Howie from Texas and his siblings are ready to share their stories. This pawty is all for a good cause. We will be celebrating 25 years of Best Friends who rescues and takes care of all sorts of animals and then finds them good homes. I can't believe The Brat Pack is putting all this on - what party animals they are! Hope to see you there!

Oh I forgot to mention, to those who might not be aware, this is a "virtual" party. We will all attend on the web and visit The Brat Pack at their blog

http://www.fivehappyhounds.com/

during the party hours (or any time you want to). If you RSVP you go into a drawing for a prize or treats and there will be all sorts of fun things that will happen during the pawty. The only requirement will be a sense of fun! (You do not need to be present to win, but it is so much more fun to bark Yipee! when it actually happens and you win something!)

Sleepy Sunday - Pictures by Mum, Sleep by Everyone else

Shhh, they are all asleep now...

The Heartbreak of the Sore Leg - Dozer

This is me on Mum's lap, resting my leg and looking for treats. (When you are injured you should have a steady supply of treats to help in the healing process).

This is my leg and my lovely feathers. There is no swelling and I am actually using the leg again so Mum thinks we "dodged a bullet", whatever that means.

This is me reaching out to you, hoping you will send me some treats and perhaps a lamb chop or two.
I wonder if you can set-up a corgi charity for yourself and get people to send food and treats?

Let's Celebrate Corgis - 'Cause We're Cute!

I told Mum it was time to have a Corgi Appreciation Moment (C.A.M.) and we needed to upload lots and lots and lots of corgi pictures...because it's all about ME! Mum says the only reason she is acquiescing to this request is because I am limping and my leg is bothering me. So let's begin, shall we? (Isn't this fun already?)

Can you ever have too many corgis? (The right answer would be "No")
Ranch style homes were made for corgis - no stairs and longer hallways to frap and yap in.
My favorite position - it says comfortable on so many levels!
This is a smart pup, he is starting early on his napping habit. Practice, practice, practice!
You can never be too cute when it comes to ingratiating yourself with the hands that hold the kibble.
Blues Clues is not to be trifled with! Who has heard of a blue dog anyway?
Another big stretch position, rates a 10+ on the cute-o-meter.

Browsing for Beds - Dozer

So I have been surfing the net while I have been on my forced rest schedule and look what I found! Yes, it is a Sleep Number Bed for dogs! Can you imagine how good this would be for my leg? I know, it is as though they made it with me in mind! And it is so reasonably priced ($185.00), I think Mum could buy one for me and perhaps Cooper (Dottie doesn’t like beds you climb up on so I don’t think she would want one).

Mum says she already has my “number” and I am not getting a Sleep Number Dog Bed and the closest I will get to it will be traction where she ties me up to keep me quiet. This is the sort of atitude that is keeping our economy in the doldrums. Here I am, a poor, injured, dejected corgi trying to massage the economy, lift America’s spirits and I am working with ninnies like my Mum! You have to spend money to make money! (Someone needlepoint that into a pillow).

(big sigh) I am going to go take a nap and then I am calling the toll free number to see if they will take a credit card order. I will get my vet to write a prescription for it or for one of those scooters they advertise. The Scooter Store says that if they can’t get your insurance to okay it, they will give a scooter to you and I figure I should get one. Then I can break out from this house and head down the road to the kibble factory!

If the shoe fits - Cooper's Notes

Tibby gave us this awesome award which we are very proud to receive (we're just shallow enough to covet unearned awards to wear proudly!) As always Tibby's timing is excellent. Dozer is under house arrest because he started limping last night and is favoring his bad leg (the one that had surgery). This is, of course, worrisome, because Dozer refuses to listen to reason and wants to play fetch and jump up on chairs and do all sorts of things that are bad for his leg. Mum didn't pull out the cage but she has it as her last resort if Dozer doesn't have a quiet day. I am letting Dozer wear the award all day so he will be quiet and rest.

Mum took pictures and I will get those up later today - Dozer looks completely pathetic, which he is really good at when he wants treats. Mum says she finally got a decent picture of me with my new topknot. If Dozer would quit laughing at me I might be able to retain some sense of dignity but he keeps calling me his "Hotten Tot Topknot". Dottie keeps giggling and Mum says it is not nice to make fun of other people's appearances. Like Dozer ever listens!

I would like to pass this award on to a new kid on the blog block and hope you will visit Travis. He lives in Australia and wants to meet lots of other blogging dogs - and writers of course!

Thank you Tibby for our award and being such a neat friend. We love Tibby's header on her page because it reminds us of the great artic explore Roald Amundsen - the fur coat, the look of adventure in her eye, the black and white photography - doesn't it make you think the merry Tibster is leading the arctic adventurers to their destination? We think Roald would have had a lot more success with Tibby at the helm, although he was the first person to reach the North and South poles. But every great explorer needs a good looking dog with fashion sense, don't you agree? Of course you do!

I will sign off now because Mum is still working her desk and the front desk at work. This flu is nothing to sneeze at and Mum thanks everyone for their good thoughts - she hasn't even had a sniffle!

Love, Cooper Edwards

Dog Art - Cooper's Musings

Mum made this card last night with the new rubberstamps she got. It is all about pee mail. I like it a lot. It is artistic with a functional air to it. Dozer's snout is bent out of shape because all the dogs have tails and he does not. I told him the dogs are merely symbolic and Dozer got all mad because he said he is not a simpleton. I decided explaining symbolism to Dozer was more than I could manage today. Actually explaining art to Dozer is a whole 'nother adventure into the Twilight Zone that we should all skip. Love the guy but sometimes he is not the sharpest crayon in the box, to use an artistic metaphor.

Pig in a Blanket - The Movie

This is not for the faint of heart and children under 10 years of age should only watch in the company of a parent. You've seen the trailers, you've read the reviews, now it is time for PIG IN A BLANKET - THE MOVIE!

Sleepy Sunday - Dozer's Notes

As you know, this is our Sleepy Sunday Post. We have been having some problems with Blogger in that when we upload our pictures it just shows us the coding which confuses me, but Mum knows how to write code so apparently it is not an issue with her.

Friday Mum had to go to the AT&T store to get a Blackberry for her boss who decided that he is going to finally enter the technology loop. While she was there she saw this lovely ad that AT&T came up with. And look! There's a corgi! (Second from left.)

Cooper got sent away because he was bad. Okay, he wasn't bad and he didn't get sent away but he did leave. He went to the groomer and got his hair whacked off. Mum says he got his hair coifed. Whatever they did, something went terribly wrong because he came home looking like a poodle. The people at the salon place left his noggin all fluffy and he either looks like a poodle or a camel. I heard Mum call the groomer this morning about bringing Cooper back in to get his head chopped off...or maybe it was just his hair, hard to know.

Definite camel head
Although he has poodle overtones
This is my standard recline position on the bed

This is me being bored. It has been a definitely sleepy Sunday with Mum doing the laundry and cleaning. And I think she is late on getting us our dinner. Such is our life. Such is the life of a sad little corgi, with a brother who looks like a poodle or camel depending on your persuasion.