'Water' Falls

[caption id="attachment_1652" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Sorry, Scottie Dad. I didn't mean to...[/caption]

Scottie Dad's been home for just under four hours. And, as I feared, he beat me home from work tonight. The last time he came home after being gone so long, it was accident after accident for Heather and one very upset Scottie Dad. I hoped from the bottom of my heart that his reappearance wouldn't alarm Heather so much this time around but, much to my dismay, there's been two accidents so far and the night isn't even over yet.

Heather and Scottie Dad used to be best buds - up until the weekend she almost got away and he had to chase her down. They're still pretty close and adorable as ever together, but since that time, she is extra cautious around him, peeing when she gets too scared, too happy, too submissive and even when she's just overly excited around Scottie Dad. We're having trouble making sense of it all, really. Tonight, I came home from dinner with Scottie Dad to find my couch cushion completely soiled...Scottie Dad had just walked the pups three hours earlier (not to mention the wee accident she had on the way out the door)! It's literally been weeks since her last accident but then again, it's literally been weeks that Scottie Dad's been away.

So, fellow Scottie Mom and Dad's, we turn to you. Does your Scottie have these kind of issues? If so, have you figured out ways to prevent them or lessen the number of occurrences? Before Scottie Dad traveled, it seemed simple time and patience were keys to the solution. Now, everytime Scottie Dad comes back, it is as if we are starting the whole trusting process from scratch...over and over. And until we find something to help ease my little girl's anxiety in this situations she's with Scottie Dad, I guess there's only one thing I can say: when it rains, it pours.

Sleepy Scottie

[caption id="attachment_1640" align="aligncenter" width="500"] I'm ready to sleep. What do you mean I can't come in the hooman bed?[/caption]

Savor the moment, my precious pups, as tonight will be your last night to take over the hooman bed for a while. Scottie Dad is finally coming home after having been gone for two weeks and I suspect he won't be pleased to find you in *his* bed when he comes home. It's been fun waking up to your infectious good-morning smiles and happy tail waggings. Personally, I can't think of a better way to be woken up every morning but, for the time being, we'll have to resort to the click-click-clicking of your sweet paws hitting the hardwoods as you walk toward the bedroom door to say hello every morning. Rest assured, we'll have plenty of fun together this weekend in a charming place called Charleston, South Carolina...I hear we may be able to sneak midnight Scottie cuddles there. If not, well, I guess business is just going to have to call on Scottie Dad again soon!

The Red-Nosed Scottie

You know dasher and dancer and prancer and...Heather? That's right, someone's got to help Mr. K - I mean, Scottie Claus - deliver the presents to future Scottie Moms and Dads in need. And who better to do the job than the most famous of them all? The Red-Nosed Scottie, of course! 

Remember, everyone who donates a Scottie item (or two!) to a local boys' or girls' shelter and sends a picture to us will receive a special holiday greeting. You never know who the holiday greeting could be from: The Red-Nosed Scottie, the Scottie Elf or even the good man himself: Scottie Claus!

So, get out there and get into the howl-iday spirit! Find your favorite Scottie item(s) like clothing, stuffed animals or other accessories and donate them to a boys’ and girls’ shelter near you. Or, since human kids aren't the only ones in need, have your human donate to a local rescue!

Every item you donate not only makes a future Scottie Mom or Dad happier but promotes our good Scottie image as well. Take a picture of your Scottie and the items you choose. Then, share it on the Scottie Mom Facebook page or send a note to thescottiemom(at)gmail(dot)com so we know where to send a little extra holiday cheer this year. 'Tis the Season of Scotties!

Scottie Tongue Rolls

 

Can you roll your tongue? Mr. K can. It's just one of his many hidden talents. See? That's why he's not saying much this BlogPaws' Wordless Wednesday. What other special tricks or hidden talents does your dog have? Happy Wordless Wednesday, friends!

Dear Duffy

[caption id="attachment_1611" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Mr.K says it is always sad to see a Scottie friend go.[/caption]

Today, I am mourning the death of a Scottie I never met: Duffy, of the Modern Scottie Dog blog. Only six years old, the brave pup passed on this weekend after battling cancer. I don't know what it was that affected me so when I read Duffy had passed but I had to reach for the Kleenex box repeatedly. Perhaps it was his young age. Or the horrid disease itself. It could have been because the announcement comes just weeks after another Scottie Mom announced here on this blog the passing of her boy Mac. Perhaps it is all these things combined with the emotional distress left over from Mr. K's near-death experience just nine short months ago...

Whatever the reason, I think we all owe it to Duffy and his Scottie Mom and friends to hold our own Scottie kids tight tonight and give them lots of hugs in Duffy's memory. I've never lost a Scottie but I do remember the night I carried Mr. K into the emergency vet specialists in my arms, having to make the incredibly nerve-wracking decision to let go and trust complete strangers to care for your dog in the same manner in which you would. Then, there was that helpless feeling of knowing there is nothing to do but wait and hope against the odds that come with having a very sick puppy that the cards play out in your favor. It is a dreadful feeling that haunts me to this day, even after Mr. K has recovered and Heather seems to be on her way to a full recovery, too. We came so close to losing him that night and Heather too, months later, if the vet hadn't realized her symptoms were more than just a bladder infection. And yet, the pain lives on.

Dear Duffy - When I think of what a hard year it has been for our family, I can only imagine what those like your Scottie Mom go through in times like this. It is comforting to know you brought her hours upon hours of joy and are resting peacefully now in a better place, filled with treats and back scratchings galore. I hope you were greeted by our other Scottie friends who have passed before you and I know you'll be there to greet the ones yet to come. Do look out for us from time to time and know the Scottie clan here on Earth will do the same for your Scottie Mom. Rest in peace, little guy. Much love from all of us Scottie Moms (and Dads) and the rest of the ArRRoOo crew.

The Case of the Missing Shoe

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Scottie Dad warned me it would come to this someday. I refused to believe it. My Scotties love to cause occasional havoc by dragging undergarments out of the laundry bin but they've never taken an interest in shoes, which is great because I often keep an assortment by the front door for convenience's sake...until now. The other day, I came home from work and hooked Heather and Mr. K up on their leashes for their afternoon walk. I stopped at the door to switch out my heels for something a little more comfortable when I notice one of my go-to flats for dog walking is missing. I look up and down the hallway. Not there. I go back to the living room and kitchen. Not there, either. Where could it be?

Not wanting to keep my puppies from their much-anticipated walk any longer, we ventured out of the apartment without attempting to solve the case of the missing shoe. Heather and Mr. K were doing their business when it hit me: could one of my puppies have stolen the shoe? They've never done that before but they do love to keep me guessing...I smiled. Well, at least they chose the crappy shoe if they did! We headed back toward the apartment after their walk and while they ate their dinner, I decided to look around the apartment once more. At first, I saw nothing. Then, I saw a shiny, black something in the Scottie bed: my shoe! I couldn't help but laugh. Why in the Scottie bed? To play with it? To chew it? To cuddle with it? Luckily, there weren't any chew marks. One of them must have picked it up for fun, ran off with it, shook it around and finally dropped it in the bed. But which was the Scottie Who Dunnit? I have a fair hunch which of the two it was but I'll let you tell me who you think is guilty here: Heather or Mr. K?

Scottie Boo Boo

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As a Scottie Mom, one of the worst things you can hear is that something is wrong with your dog. The only thing I can imagine that could be worse than that is hearing that something is wrong with your Scottie because of something you did (or didn't) do. Well, I can add this experience to my list of Scottie Mom-isms. Yesterday, when we arrived for Thanksgiving dinner at Scottie Grandmadre's house, Mr. K tried to beat me up the stairs and just as I was putting my foot down to take a step, he placed his paw right underneath it. All of a sudden, I heard a loud CRACK! I instinctively lifted my foot as quickly as I could and a panic began to set in. I just stepped on my dog. Oh my goodness, did I break anything? Mr. K's so little. Could his paw withstand that kind of weight? What did I do? I felt awful. I looked down. Mr. K, seemingly uneffected, continued up the stairs as he had before. Perhaps I was dreaming...maybe I just thought that was his paw when it was really something else?

Turns out, no - I really did step on Mr. K's paw. It didn't seem to bother him at first but when this morning rolled around, I was grateful Heather had her checkup scheduled at the vet so I could get Mr. K's paw looked at as well while I was there. He kept licking the same paw over and over again and it took me a while to realize that it wasn't the paw that was bothering him but his dew claw (commonly called a 'dog's thumb').  When I stepped down on his foot the previous afternoon, somehow I managed to only step on the dew claw, causing it to break in half. Poor puppy. He never once made a sound or even indicated something was wrong until I started seeing him lick his paw. The ironic part is: I only learned what a dew claw was just a week ago but I can assure you, never will I ever forget what a dew claw is after this experience. All I could think about was how I hurt my baby. I knew I just had to make it up to him. (More on that later.)

When we arrived at the vet, we let Heather get looked at first. She has a suspicious mole that seems to be slowly growing and hardening over time and I was concerned about what it might mean. Luckily, it turns out that spot on her back is a benign tumor. We'll be removing it soon when I take her back for a dental. Then, a vet tech came by to check out Mr. K's paw and took him to the back to cut off the damaged part of the dew claw. I tried to relax as I listened to the vet talk about Heather when, in the middle of our conversation, I tuned everything out but the sound of my baby boy's cry. I've always heard that moms know their baby's cry from anywhere in the world. Well, today I found it was true and I felt all the more awful I had put my darling puppy in this predicament. When the tech came back with Mr. K, he was seemingly back to himself aside from favoring one paw over the other. They put a little solution on his claw to prevent the remainder of the dew claw from bleeding and when they showed us the broken piece of claw, the vet's reaction says it best: eyes wide open and a solid, "WHOA!" Feel better soon, Mr. K - I'm so terribly sorry and hope you can forgive me. Scottie Mom loves you!