Never Gonna Keep Him Down

I last wrote in May about the "Story of Otto Von Bismark" when he went back home to Chicago after beating the Blastomycosis.  This is not the end of the turmol in Otto's life, no, there is more to his story.  Otto did go back home to Chicago, and he did settle back into doggy daycare.  He had gotten used to not being alone from his time in Wisconsin having Bo and Bandit as constant companions, so leaving him alone in their condo while Kyle and Leah went to work just wasn't going to work out.  Luckily doggy daycare did and Otto was back to taking long walks and experiencing life in Chicago.
A few months later, everything changed.  Blasto does have a reoccurance rate, and Otto was struck hard.  This time not only did he get extremely tired, with sore joints, he also developed lumps all over his body.  One large lump right along this throat.  Kyle and Leah called me and asked if I would like to go along with them as they take Otto back to their vet.  I went to their place and was shocked at how thin Otto looked.  He tried to come say hi to me but it was hard for him to walk.  Kyle carried him into their car and onto the vet we went. 
In the vet's waiting room, Otto's head was resting on Kyle's arm.  This was not a happy site.  The four of us went into the examination room.  The doctor did not like what she saw.  It turns out, when Otto was on the medication months earlier, and we had thought he was cured, in fact there were still spores that had survived inside him and continued to grow.  These lumps indicated a very serious stage and surviving is not guaranteed.  The doctor explained that this next round of treatment would require at least 6 months of medication.  Leah and Kyle had a decision to make, both emotionally and financially.  A transfusion, medication and hospital stay was going to really add up.  Was Otto in pain?  Was he able to eat with the lump on his throat?  Was putting him to sleep a more humane decision?  While tears filled everyones eyes suddenly something happed.  Otto, who had been lying motionless on the exam table, stood up and jumped down, went to the door and started to stratch it.  I said, "He's not ready to give up."  This brief display of determination, determination that has always been Otto's demeanor, made the decision.  Otto would come back home with me to Wisconsin.  Kyle and Leah, both partly relieved and emotionally exhausted, agreed.  Let's give him a chance. 
Everything was packed up and put in my car.  Otto was placed in the front seat, on his quilt.  He curled up and slept the whole two hour drive.  In Wisconsin, I carried him into the house and he continued to sleep.
Would he survive the next 6 months of treatment, could I get him to eat, or would he spend his last days with his two best buddies?

Snookers, and Jumpers and Gamblers, Oh My!

Today Kathy and I went to the Brookfield Indoor Soccer Complex to watch the Dog Agility competition.  On two fields, obstacles were set up and dogs and handlers ran through the course.  It was listed that there would be different levels of Snookers, Jumpers and Gamblers.  What is a Snooker and a Gambler?  Both are the kinds of courses at a Dog Agility competition.  A Snooker course is when a dog and handler devise a strategy to gather as many points as possible by alternating between "red" obstacles and obstacles of other colors.  Red is typically hurdles, and other obstacles would be tunnels, chutes, seesaws, weave poles, or bridges.  The dog (off leash) does red-color-red-color ...etc, until a mistake is made or time runs out.  A Gambler run is when the dog and handler completes a number of obstacles, all of which have a point value.  After an opening time frame they must complete a "gamble" which is a series of obstacles the dog must run at a distance from the handler to make the points count. 
We saw many Border Collies, but we also saw a couple Dobermans, a giant Schnauzer, some German Shepard mix dogs, a Dalmation, a Pointer, and a Golden Retriever that looked exactly what Bandit looked like when he was a young dog. 
The competition was fun to watch, and I would like to go back with Bogart, to see if he likes the entertainment.  It runs all day today and tomorrow at the BISC.

Pointer on Bridge

Bandit Look-Alike

Unconditional Love

Lesson Number 2:  ALL my dogs have taught me about unconditional love.  Anyone with a dog knows this.  It doesn't matter what happened at work, at school or on the playing field, your dog will make you feel special when he sees you.  It doesn't matter if you just yelled at him, or if you are lying on the couch with the flu, your dog is there for you.  It doesn't matter if I am out of the house for 5 hours or 5 minutes, when I come in the dogs are at the door excited to see me.  When you are happy, they are happy.  When you are sad, they can look at you with the most understanding eyes and you know, you have their support.  They can lift your spirits with their unending energy. They can relax you with their steady heartbeat as they lie against you.  All my dogs, over the last 34 years; Blaze, Buck, Baron, Bandit, Bogart and Otto, all have taught me that love with no conditions is something special and truely warms the heart.


Lawson and Bo

                                       Not every dog shows his love the way Otto does!

Lesson Number 1: Never Give Up

Well, to get more followers I am suppose to blog everyday.  That may be a little hard to do, but I will make an effort to blog more often. 
So I will start a... Lessons in Life my Dogs have Taught Me.  I have read many dog stories by various authors.  "Marley" of course was very enjoyable to read, because either my dogs performed the same feats of distruction as he did, or made me realize my dogs weren't as bad.  Then "10 Secrets my Dog Taught Me" by Carlo De Vito, was enjoyable mainly because it was about a German Short haired Pointer, and I was curious how our Otto comparted to Mr De Vito's Exley.  What I learned was Otto is FAR more needy, and probably not your average GSH Pointer.  Exley loved the water, Otto hates the water.  Exley was left alone when Mr DeVito went to work, Otto cried and whinned whenever he was left alone.  Anyway, what does this have to do with Lessons in Life?  Otto has taught me to Never Give Up.  He can be most annoying at times, but that determination is to be envied by anyone who has folded under pressure.  Otto is a loyal friend with very expression-filled eyes and even though he has caused so many problems, we accept him for who he is.  He knows what he likes and what he doesn't.  Keep him away from water, vacuum cleaners and thunder storms.  Allow him to run every day, make sure his best friends Bo and Bandit are always near by, and give him a reason to point once in a while.  Most important always leave a little space next to yourself on the couch, so he can flop down, lean next to you, and feel secure!

A Walk

So, since today's weather was just so perfect, I decided to walk the three dogs together.  I have commented in the past that this has not always turned out to be a good decision but I was up for the challenge.  If it worked, maybe it could become a regular thing and a nice way to give the dogs a little extra exercise.
The first few steps were clumsy, with the dogs trying to position themselves.  A little pulling was finally replaced with a nice walking pace.  Since Bandit is older, I figured we would just go down the street and back. 
Everything was working out fine as we approached the street corner but something caught got my attention.  The husky that lives at the house on the corner was slowly creeping towards us.  I thought, please dogs keep your eyes forward, don't look around, if we can get to the corner instead of turning around and going back home, we will turn left and go around and through the park.  The husky was getting closer, almost stalking us and so quiet.  Three more steps and we would turn and be clear but then Bandit decided to turn his head to the right and that was it..he stopped and barked.  Bo and Otto, turned and now I had my hands full.  Luckily this husky did not cross his electric fense, he let out this little howl and that was it.. but my three dogs were straining towards him.  Otto and Bandit barking and Bo jumping, not sure what to do.  I stood fast, got control, turned and yanked on them to continue walking.   A car stopped and a nice man got out asking if I needed any help.  "No thank you, they are too excited, I can handle it", I said to him.  (I just was not sure what a stranger coming up to us would register in their brains...I think Bo and Bandit would be fine, but Otto would need to protect me against a stranger and I didn't need that).  "Bo, Otto, Bandit, Stop, come on, let's go," I commanded in my alpha-dog voice and we turned and walked back towards our home. 

Home at last!  I can reflect on this outting on the positive side.....everything worked out fine, I controlled the dogs and I got a good workout as well...or think negatively...what if....no...let's stay positive and just smile!