Claire ==
@MajorHeidi good to know. I always get a little confused by screen names that are so mysterious. ;)
MajorHeidi has also reminded me that our OUTDOOR pool which closed during the week is still open for a month or so on weekends. Need to take SOME advantage of that to get some sun AND some walking out there.
The weekend after they close the pool they have the "Giant Dog Swim 'n Wash" where you can pay (something like) $5 bucks to let your dog go into the pool and play with about two or three dozen other dogs.
We always TRY to remember to take Trooper (as a Golden Retriever he loves the water) and this year Sugar the Great Pyrenees will have a chance to actually SWIM for the first time since we bought her.
Sugar was briefly owned by a family who had too many children and pets to really care for them when the Mom herself was expecting and one of the other dogs were also having puppies. We only met them once but they seemed like really nice people who want to give Sugar a great home as it was adding to much stress to theirs.
Anyway, they had a pool in the back yard and all the puppies were allowed pretty free access on their own to do their business etc.
The mom told us that they "water proofed" all the puppies by teaching them to get in and find the exit steps so they would be trapped if they fell in when no one was there to help.
But we have never had the chance to let Sugar swim in the 5 months we have owned her.
Oddly enough, Sugar is part of my Joint Replacement Strategy and we might not even have bought her had my hip already been bad.
Since I (and to some extend my wife Carol) were having trouble walking and Trooper is largely confined to the back yard when not inside with us, we want him to have a playmate to run and play where we could not. Enter the search for what turned out to be SUGAR BEAR.
Trooper is a BIG BOY, very friendly but we wanted another dog about his size (85lbs is almost 1/3 over the average Golden) and didn't want another male.
This mean a BIG breed so when I showed my wife what Great Pyrs look like like (sort of like a wooly-er white Golden) and we went to see Sugar at that home with the pool, Carol fell in love, Sugar fell in love, Trooper fell in love, and so did I.
About 3 weeks later my HIP gave me pain for the VERY FIRST TIME. I had been taking Sugar with me (20 lb puppy) to my Combatives class to let her meet more other people and especially childred from the Cross-Fit gym where we train.
(FYI: Combatives is just a small club I lead with 4 or 5 people typically practicing but the Cross-Fit gym that hosts us can have 5 to 50 people there for the workout of the day, i.e., WOD) If you think I am aggressive you should see the X-fit folks -- they make me tired just to WATCH.)
So we'd tie Sugar to a stanchion close by our workout area with a long line (shortened to maybe 10-12) feet and all the young people (plus quite a few of the adults) would come play with her and give her the opportunity to meet so many more people (which is very important for the socialization of puppies.)
Also, Carol would not have to be on "puppy duty" and could get some much needed rest instead of having to constantly monitor Sugar for chewing or using the inside as a bathroom (or locking her in crate or laundry room) every time I went out for practice.
Carol is generally in worse health than I am (except for my knees) and it was good for her to relax with only our big sweet (and by this time) well-trained Trooper to keep her company. I suppose it also gave Trooper himself a chance to rest without having to get involved in everything HIS NEW PUPPY was doing.
So we bought our puppy (Trooper) a puppy (Sugar) to play with.
It's a good thing my HIP didn't start giving me fits a few weeks earlier, as we probably would have delayed the puppy hunt and never found Sugar who we now love dearly.
She has grown, almost nearly 1/2 lb per day since we brought her home, going from 16 lbs to over 80lbs in a little over 4 months. 15 lbs a month or nearby.
Female Great Pyrs are expected to finish at about 80-100 so she should be getting close and slowing down soon but that 'puppy' can really eat -- anything. We suspect the original family put down food for there 7 or so puppies all at once, that they FED her, but she had to EAT RIGHT THEN or the others would finish the food.
At first, Sugar would eat any and every thing we offered her OR Trooper -- had to separate them at feeding time. Her early experience likely taught her, "Eat what you can or you may not eat at all."
Trooper is good about eating only what he needs and staying slim and trim., even if we (break typical dog training rules) by just keeping food down for him all the time. This is easier for us (with our health issues) and easier for him since we don't ever "forget" him this way.
Now we just have to be careful that little Miss Sugar Bear doesn't eat BOTH dinners.
In any case, when the hip started giving me issues I stopped taking Sugar (or Trooper) to the gym once or twice a week (at about 4 months for her.)
That is why it was such a big deal to take the puppy back see all her Combatives and X-Fit friends when my hip was replaced.
On Wednesday night, I snuck into practice for about 25 minutes and actually did take the 16lb puppy with me as an 85lb DOG. They loved her, but accused me of bringing a "different dog" jokingly.
This afternoon after work ended, I also got off the deck, out into the actual yard and played Frisbee with them -- actually with Trooper while Sugar tries to keep him from retrieving it. Typically Trooper brings back the Frisbee (or ball etc.) with Sugar holding onto his tail like some kind of circus elephant walk.
Good day the 9th, fell asleep in my new comfy chair so that explains why I am up at 3am (here in Texas) writing to you all in this thread -- going to ACTUAL bed now.
Getting through tomorrow, Friday Day 10 will mean my first "week" at work is over (4-day week) and that I'll get a 3-day weekend including Labor Day here in the States.
Night all! Sweet Dreams....
United States
![[Bonesmart.org] Anterior THR Aug 19, 2014 Home same day.](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/20/20598-28c2be3588fa2ba5406c40c9ff91d4d6.jpg?hash=KMK-NYj6K6)
