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play ball

May 122009

Does your dog like to play with a ball? Why do dogs like to play catch? Can dogs really see what is on the TV? How much do you know about the way your dog sees the world?

One of my favorite hobbies is playing with a ball. I have many ways to play ball.

ellsbury-at-bat One is for somebody to throw it and then I go and run after it and catch it in my mouth. Then somebody yells “Bring me the ball” and I’m supposed to bring it back, but I don’t always do that. Sometimes, I do, but sometimes I don’t. Sometimes my parents will have to say, “Joey, come” and I’m supposed to come with the ball, but I don’t always do that, either. Sometimes I drop the ball, and then come to them, leaving the ball behind. Then they say, “Joey, bring me the ball” and here we go, all over again.

Sometimes I’ll bring them the ball, but I won’t drop it. Then they say, “Joey, sit” and then “Drop it” and “Drop the ball” and “Joey, Drop it” until I finally let go of it. I like this game.

Another game I like to pay is toss the ball high in the air and catch it with my mouth. I play this by myself, and I am proud of this skill. I can play this for a long time. Sometimes when we have people over our house, I will start to play this game as a way of attracting their attention and as a way of saying “Play with me”.

Now that I’m wounded, I can’t play ball either with them or by myself. I’m not allowed to hurt my ankle, which is in the splint and is trying to heal from the surgery.

The closest I can come to playing ball is watching baseball, as you see here. I’m watching baseball with my parents so that we can spend time together. Baseball is very big where I live. I’m a little interested in the motion on the screen. In these lugo-at-bat pictures, my team is at bat.

We won this game, by the way, 4-3.

homeward bound

6: Surgery 4 Responses »

May 072009

What can we expect after our dog has surgery? How should we treat him after we bring him home following surgery? Is there anything we need to do to our home to protect our dog?

evan-and-joey

One of my new friends was Evan. Here you can see Evan and me, as I was about to leave the hospital. Even has a mixed Labrador Retriever puppy. He said that he hopes his Lab will grow up to be as strong and healthy as me. Wow, that’s quite a compliment!

The air at Angell energizes and excites me. When I was leaving, I saw a lot of people who made me happy, and I let them know that by wagging my tail. I think that people really like it when dogs are friendly to them. When I go to this hospital, people who pass by me, or who I pass by, say “Good boy” and “He’s a beautiful dog” and “He’s so friendly.” I don’t understand “boy” or “beautiful” or “friendly” but I do know that people are saying the nicest things!

Outside of the hospital, I jumped into the back seat of my parents’ car, they jumped into the front seats, and we drove off. Suddenly I started to feel really tired. My dad opened the back window so I could get some fresh air. That was nice. But still, I felt very slow, very low on energy. At some point the car stopped and Jane got out of her seat and ran around the car to the back and got into the back seat with me, and petted my head, and kept saying, very softly, “Good boy. Good boy, Joey.” She said, “We’re going home!” I felt so knocked out and barely heard the word “home” but I do know that I was with my parents, and that was just fine with me. Jane scratched me under my ears, and in between my eyes, some of my favorite places. It was so pleasant that I kept dozing off.

Maybe my being so groggy was a good thing. When we got home, Jane walked me into the house with the lead on, and then she took the lead off of me. Freedom rang and I was able to walk around the dining room and the living room and the kitchen on my own. I was able to drink my water right in the kitchen, in its old place. Life had the ring of familiarity to it.

Then familiarity overcame me and I made for the door to the basement and nudged it open with my nose, and started down the steps to the basement and…I was on the first step when suddenly “Joey, NO!” rang out like thunder. I don’t know what the big deal was, but next thing I knew the lead was attached to my collar and Jane was walking me down the stairs, on the lead, one step at a time. Might this have had something to do with the “instructions”? Frankly, I was too tired to care.

Jane brought my bed down into the basement, where I made myself right at home. It was nice to be home, nice to be able to walk up and down stairs, even with the lead attached, nice to be in the basement with my parents, and nice to be able to fall sound asleep in my own bed.

goodnight, Joey!

4: Going Home No Responses »

Apr 222009

goodnight-joey

Since I’m not allowed out of the living room, except to take my short walk twice daily to pee and poop, I feel particularly lonely in the evening, when my dad is home from work, but I’m limited to the one room. Many evenings my parents will come into the living room and sit down on the sofa and talk to each other there, just so that I’m not so alone. I get a little attention, and I feel comforted just listening to them talk to each other, and sometimes to me. Sometimes they bring their dinner into the living room and eat their dinner there. It is nice to be with my family!

There are other times when I really need my rest (or they really need their rest) and so they say “Joey, go to your bed.” Once they know I’m lying down in my bed, they will kiss me on the top of my head and give me a pat on my head or gently on my sore belly. Then they turn out the living room lights and softly say “Good night, Joey.”