Sophie Update

As with most things in life, there's good news and not-so-good news. Sophie is feeling better and spending the weekend in the hospital at Purdue. Surgery is scheduled for Monday @11am EST.

Sophie's not only made friends, but has everyone there wrapped around her paw. When Karen took her out for a break yesterday after her exam & tests, even the front desk receptionist knew and greeted her. Sophie, of course, wiggled and squinted in response.

Sophie (at 7 wks) and squirrel
The test and exam results yesterday were not so good - Sophie's spleen doesn't look normal and there's a nodule on her liver. Since she's a middle-aged golden, realistically that makes them think cancer, possibly a hemangiosarcoma. On the other hand, it could still all be benign. They just can't know yet.

Sophie in front, Charlie behind.
On the good side, Sophie's wolfing down her food again, her blood count is up to 3/4 of normal (it was down to 1/2), she's feeling better, and (of course) everyone loves her. She has a whole team of great doctors caring for her. And she has the power of the paw!!

Sophie (l), Karen, and Charlie (r)
Thanks for all your thoughts and well-wishes! Karen and Sophie and we here all appreciate them -- more than you can know.

 

Paw Power for Sister Sophie, Please

As you can see in the photos below, Charlie's sister Sophie in Indiana is very much like him in looks and behavior. For example, she sits on her friends, uses her stuffy as a pillow, and inhales her dinner.

Sophie (top) and Steeler (bottom)
So when she ceased wolfing down her food and didn't want to play "chase the lamb and take it from Steeler", her Mom Karen thought something might be amiss. And something was. Karen's a vet, so she drew blood and found Sophie very anemic; then she x-rayed her and found nodules in/on her spleen. They've probable ruptured and are bleeding, hence the anemia.

Sophie & peanut butter jar
So as I write this, Sophie and her mom are on the way to Purdue's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where Sophie can have the best level of care -- not unlike that which people get... transfusions, expert surgery with a dedicated anesthesiologist, an ICU with 24x7 staffing... the works.

Sophie, with Steeler's lamb
Hopefully the nodules are benign and Sophie can just have her spleen removed and put this behind her. But to make sure... please keep Sophie in your thoughts and send some power of the paw her way.

 

Then and Now

While going through years of Charlie photos to assemble his MangoMinster entry, I was struck by the extent to which I could see the adult Charlie (he's now 6) in his puppy pictures. Here's a sample:

He likes to rest his head on a stuffy, but stays alert in case something interesting goes on.


Charlie's always had a wild side, and it's always involved teeth. Fortunately he has them under better control now. Mostly ;)


He squints when he's so happy that he could just burst!


Charlie is a tease, and one of the ways he teases his dog-friends is to sit on them.


If he were a reindeer, I think we'd call him Prancer... ;)


Charlie also has a serious side. He's a master of the concerned look and an extremely keen observer of human behavior. Don't ever think you're getting away with anything around him.


He likes cats and treats them with reasonable respect, as long as they don't run. He does, however, sometimes urge them to run.


And then there's that whole "flat" thing.

 

A Rose By Any Other Name

Noodles and Sunshine announced the "A Rose By Any Other Name" contest as a side event to MangoMinster 2011. Here is Charlie's entry:

C is for "Cracker Dog". Of that Category I am king!


H for the Heavenly Harmonies I Howlingly sing.


A's for the Apples I Ask for and chew.


R stands for the Running and Romping I do.


L's for my Lie-downs, at Liesurely Length.


I stands for Incisors of Incomparable strength!


E is for Energy, Eek and Exclaim! All Excellent Expressions, when Charlie's the name!

Wordless Wednesday - You Never Know When You Might Need a Pillow

Twinkie V. Twinkerson

Too often, great dogs go unrecognized in their own lifetimes. Charlie, therefore, would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a great dog of our time... a pup without peer... the chihuahua of choice... living legend, the Honorable Judge Twinkie V. Twinkerson.


Ms. Twinkerson, the uncredited co-author of Twinkie: The Tiniest Dog in the World, is the sponsor and judge of a series of highly acclaimed and incomparably wonderful Pet Photo Contests. Dogs around the world eagerly await announcement of these competitions.

The image of impartiality, Judge Twinkerson, a tiny teacup chihuahua with a big big personality, is also a noted judge at MangoMinster 2011. Charlie is honored to be in the group being judged by Ms. Twinkerson and would like to demonstrate a small token of his great gratitude for her patronage selfless commitment to fair play.

In an aria from the new opera, The Barker of Seville, that he has written and will perform in her honor following MangoMinster, Charlie sings his undying praise of Ms. Twinkerson. In this short clip, Charlie works with his mom vocal coach:



In the following scene from the opera, wealthy Count Alpovida, who disguised as a poor student has won the love of fair Twinkina, here reveals his identity and reconciles with her. Charlie barks the role of Alpovida. The role of Twinkina, whose casting will be announced after MangoMinster judging is complete, is written for a teacup chihuahua soprano, but here is barked by a stand-in. Charlie fervently hopes to announce soon that a teacup lead has been found.



Furthermore, since he knows that the presence of a little brother can be a distraction, Charlie is making arrangements to take care of little Pedrito so that Ms. Twinkerson is able to give her full attention to MangoMinster judging and attending the subsequent operatic gala.


Charlie hopes you will join him in applauding Ms. Twinkerson - a dog who deserves to be recognized in her own time!

Mango Minster 2011 "Cracker Dog" Entry

For those of you unfamiliar with it, Mango Minster is a yearly dog competition like no other. Initiated as a response to Westminster, Mango Minster pits dog against dog, kitteh against kitteh in fierce competition. This year's categories comprise Shameless Dogs and Doggie Divas, Good Old Boys and Gals, Bad Sports, Kittehs, and Cracker Dogs. Charlie, while not a terrier, is entering in the Cracker Dog category.

From the very start, it was clear that Charlie was not going to be the mellow, soft-mouthed, eager-to-please dog that the movies have taught us to expect of a golden retriever. It was clear that he was going to be a serious "cracker dog."

He had so much energy that he just couldn't control himself.

He pushed one boundary after another. No person, no cat...

...no dog, no bed...

...not even his own tail was safe from his attention and his sharp little puppy teeth.

As he grew older, he learned to zoom.
Anytime...
anyplace...
indoors... outdoors... doesn't matter. The dog must zoom!



Of course, there are also the goofy Charlie-isms. He squints for people he loves:

He eats anything and everything:

He goes nuts when friends arrive:



He has serious histrionics when I leave the house without him:



And the singing... dear lord, the singing. He demands to sing. After. Every. Meal.



Now, at 6, he has mellowed a bit --- I can honestly say that it's been a year since I saw Charlie chase his tail. But the dog's still crackers. And I confess - I'm crackers about him!

Fun on a Gray Day

"Watcha doin', mom?"
"Can I help?"
"Mmmmmm..."
"Sniff sniff... "
"Nom, nom, nom... BURP!"

 

Taking Down the Tree is More Fun Than Putting It Up...

...when Charlie is involved.

Resting Up

Merry Christmas!

We hope Santa brings you peace and lots of love. And perhaps a treat or two!

- Happy holidays from Charlie and his pack!

Did You Hear Something?

Waiting

All I Want for Christmas...

In the interest of Joey's nose, he and Charlie are taking a time-out. Charlie, as you can tell, is not too happy about this turn of events.

Christmas Tree

Charlie thought the Christmas tree was incredibly intriguing when we first brought it in the house. He walked all around it, sniffing and smelling, smelling and sniffing.

He checked out the top, he checked out the bottom, he stuck his head deep inside. He was so engaged, in fact, that it was almost impossible to turn the tree or tweak the positioning.

He soon lost interest, though, and disappeared. Maybe he thought I was going to make him help decorate?

 

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Last week it was well below freezing, so we let Pouncer, a normally outdoor cat, spend tiime in the house. Of course you know where she made a beeline for.