My Vet Trip and What Happened to my Jumper by River Song

On Tuesday I went to the vet for my yearly checkup.  I know many of you have been concerned about my lost jumper, and I don’t want to keep you in suspense.  The vet thinks I have a pinched nerve in my back and she put me on some yummy medication.  Hopefully, I will have my jumper back soon.  If not my parents have learned how to lift me gently and I like the lifting.

I blame Pocket.  She gets on my nerves a lot.  And sometimes she sleeps with her head on me.  Her personality gets on my nerves, and then her sleeping head pinched them.  And I haven’t got an apology yet.

My parents, in a very insulting and demeaning manner, tried to body shame me by openly speculating about my supposed weight gain.  They even took it upon themselves, without getting a medical opinion, to start working carrots into my treat rotation.  I don’t mind the carrots, but I resented the implication.  The first thing the vet techs did was weigh me.  I had not gained a single ounce.  I made my parents walk down the hallway between exam rooms while medical professionals threw Beggin’ Strips at them and yelled “Shame.”

I got my shots and my inspection without a single yip or finding.  Then it was time for my to entertain the staff and I killed it.

A tech took my picture and began giving me treats.  She didn’t give me one treat like my parents do.  She gave me treat after treat.  It was heaven.  Then other vets and techs came in the room to tell me how cute I was and to scratch me.  My tail was wagging at lightening speed.

There must have been five people crowded in the room around me giving me attention and asking my mom about me.  Most of them had never seen a Brussels Griffon before.  My mom was very proud to tell them all what a terrific breed we are and what a great dog I am.

When we went into the waiting to room to pay the bill, there were more staff and guests telling me how beautiful I was.  I did not need the affirmation, but it was nice to hear.  It is special when people don’t just recognize the obvious but state it as well.

I got home, and even before my first pill, I was strutting around the house, knowing I was the Queen of the Vets.  

I may be still earth bound because of my injury, but in my heart, I was jumping ten feet in the air.

Wordless Wedneday

Beat This Caption

One size fits all my ass

Monday Question

What do you do when your parents are watching TV or on the computer?

Since both my parents have lap tops we are usually snuggled right next to them.  Sometimes I (Pocket) if there is a high pitched noise on the TV get upset and try to climb on Daddy's head.

Cena is our July 30, 2017 Pup of the Week

Here at Rainbow Bridge, we honor our veterans.  Whenever some soul who has served passes to the Immortal Side the other veterans put on their uniforms, and we others stand as attention, as a ceremonial fife and drum corps leads them to their true forever home.

This week I had the immense honor of swearing Cena, a Marine dog from Muskegon, Michigan to Rainbow Bridge.  He was accompanied by heavy clouds of rain holding the tears of all who mourned him.  When these cleared the cheers from all of us who respected him rang out over the mountains and valleys

Cena had spent ten-years on the mortal side.  He had retired from the Marines with honors.  He was never wounded in battle but he could not escape the heartless damage caused by the bone cancer that took him away from his comrades.  

Cena had been partnered with Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung in 2009 for a nine-month stint in Afghanistan.  His duty was a very important one. He had to sniff out bombs to keep his comrades alive.

When their tour of duty was completed Cena and DeYoung were rotated back to the United States.  As per course, they were separated.  DeYoung suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.  The doctors realized what would be best for DeYoung was to be reunited with Cena, who had been retrained as a service dog.  They would spend the next four years together.

It is true with all pets and their parents, but maybe more so when you have gone through great stress with one another, that the bond is unbreakable.  “My whole adult life I've had Cena. When I was 19 overseas learning how to be responsible, I had Cena. And now I'm 27 and I'm having to say goodbye to one of the biggest pieces of my life,” DeYoung told NBC’s Nightly News. “This dog saved my life. I trust him more than I trust most human beings.”

Cena was given a hero’s send off.  He was paraded past crowds of adoring fans in an open jeep. Everyone waved goodbye to their protector.  DeYoung, in his uniform, took Cena from the jeep and carried him in his arms to the veterinarian who helped him cross over to Rainbow Bridge.

Since arriving here Cena has desperately tried to let Jeff know he is still with him  For any parent, losing a pup is devastating, but when that pup was by your side through the horrors of war, and then helped heal you from the effects of the war, the loss is immeasurable.

Most of all Cena has to find a new therapy dog for Jeff to hit him deal with the travails of everyday life and heal his heart from Cena’s loss and his own sacrifices.

I am sure Cena will be successful at his tasks.

Never bet against a military dog

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: The True Benefits of Being a Dog Owner

One of my sacred duties her at Rainbow Bridge is to critique the many foolish studies that humans do concerning dogs.  For the most part, I find these studies to be nonsensical, but there was recent research whose findings I earnestly champion.  Pets bring real health benefits to their parents.

Of course, we dogs have been saying this forever.  It is delightful that distinguished humans agree.

One of the findings the scientists discovered is that dog owners are more active, taking 2,760 steps per day more than nondog owners.  (Under the “No Shinola” heading it also found that these steps a less on rainy, cold or snowy days.)  It is our need for walks that prompts our owners to take these steps.  They are not doing it for themselves they are doing it because they love their dogs

But taking a few more steps is not the only benefit we dogs gift to our parents.  These researches missed the following obvious benefits:

Our parents bend over or squat three times as often as non-dog owners.  All that poop retrieving and pee cleaning keeps our parents in excellent shape.  If your folks are looking a little hefty pee on the floor a few time to tighten up those stomach muscles.  

Our parents have great thigh and calf muscles from walking us and having to dig their feet into the ground when we see a vermin or another dog and try to charge after them.  

Our parents are very attentive listeners when other humans talk.  They have to be to be able to hear over our incessant barking.

Out incessant barking also makes our parents more patient than other folks.

Our parents have much stronger stomachs when it comes to encountering gross things due to the presents we drag from the woods and leave at their feet.

Our parents can assertively say no more than other people because they have to say it 100 times more a day than non-dog parents.

Our parents have cleaner houses than other people because they spend so much time cleaning up after us that they become excellent cleaners.

Our parents can type with one better than other parents because when they are on their laptops, they have to have a free hand to scratch us.

I think our contributions to improving our parent's lives are immeasurable.  

But the biggest one is that dog parents experience a thousand times more love and non-dog parents.  And that is the only stat that counts.

The Long Hot Summer by Pocket

It has been a long, hot summer in our happy little home.  It has been more than a month since our beloved central air system breathed its last cold breath.  I don’t know where it is now.  Its body is still attached to the house, but its soul had departed.  I wonder if it is at Rainbow Bridge keeping Foley cool.

I don’t pay much attention to the conversations that occur between Daddy and the strange people who arrive at the house to fix things.  I am too busy barking at them to play with me or being told by Mommy to stop barking, to understand what they are talking about.

From the few words of the conversation that I could decipher the blame falls on someone named Warren T.  I think Warren had promised to fix the air conditioner for five years after it was put in but now Warren doesn’t want to fix it after only two years.  If I met this Warren, I would bite him.

We do have two window units.  They do an adequate job of keeping the living room and bedroom cool.  The kitchen is uncomfortable when it is humid out.  The seldom used front room is a place where Foley can send her uncooperative minions.  It is hotter than the hottest place.

The living room window unit blows right on mommy’s chair. River and I enjoy it.  Mommy gets cold and has to use a blanket, which is super comfortable to lay on, and when we do the cold air ruffles our hair and cools us off.   When we shut the bedroom door, the bedroom becomes the perfect sleeping temperature.  When we are begging for food at the kitchen table, we are kind of hot, but it is food, so it is worth it.

I have heard my parents talking about trying to force Warren T to do the work.  They might have to go to court to make sure Warren holds up his end of the bargain.  I don’t know how successful they are going to be.  Not many people are intimidated when they find out that we are represented by a five pound Yorkie who went to Rainbow Bridge in 2013.  Then again, there is no substitute for experience.

I wonder if the lack of central air has caused River to not jump on furniture.  She runs, she jumps for treats, she walks, she does everything normally, but she still doesn’t want to jump on furniture.  Maybe she has lost confidence in her jumper.  She goes to the vet next week.  My parents are hoping there isn’t anything seriously wrong.  The way she runs jumps, walks and pulls on the leash makes my parents think she does not have a serious injury but the  unreliability of Warren T makes them take nothing for granted

If you run into Warren T send him our way.  He owes us some work.