Grady's First Radiator Day

So today Grady had to go see the Special Doctor again. I've been kinda gettin jealous everytime they take him bye-byes to see the doctor (I know, hard to believe I'd be jealous of that Sissy La-La), that today I even snuck into the No-No room, pulled out a cardboard box and tore it apart in the living room.  What was I supposed to do, they put away all the books?!

I kinda regretted doing it later when I realized Grady wasn't here to try to put the blame on. I felt so bad about it that when I heard Dad pull up to the house, I went and buried myself in the blankies on the bed in the No-No room so he wouldn't find me. Didn't work. He still blamed me.

"I swear I didn't do it. It was evil ninjas that snuck in while you were gone! I tried to stop them, but they made me go hide in the No-No room under the covers. Thank dog you came home and saved me!"

Can't imagine why that didn't work. Never does. Wouldn't you believe me though?

It was just me and Kitty today though and they never blame Kitty for anything. wassupwitdat? So I had no choice but to finally come clean and admit it was my fault. I felt no shame, I was proud of my accomplishments. But, he didn't get mad at me.....instead he got mad at Mom for leaving the door open in the No-No room! HAHA!!! Plan worked...well sorta.

But later on, upon my reflection hour when I look outside and watch the birdies fly by, waiting for the mailman to drive by so I can bark at him and missing Grady a lil bit, I realized.... Grady does get pretty shafted when he goes to see the Special Doctor. You see, they don't let Grady eat his din-dins in the morning before they take him. Poor Dude! They totally trick him Everytime! We both wait all morning long as the hoomans get ready to go to that "work" place, pacing around, following them wherever they go, and we even go and sit on the lady hooman's feet while she gets ready, trying to remind her....."Hey, Bean! Feed us!"

But this look doesn't work for Grady when it's Special Doctor day. They ignore all of our attempts to remind them it's way past our morning din-din times. They even tell us, "sorry buddies, not til later." Do you know how long "later" is in starving dog time? It's like FUREVER!

But they just ignore his whines, cries, temper tantrums and get him all excited to go bye-byes so he forgets about his food. Then they put him in the car and get this.....they run back inside to feed me while he sits and waits in the car, totally oblivious. Poor guy...he so dumb.

I'm realizing I may be the lucky dog in all this tho. He gets starved and has to go see the boring Special Doctor while I get to run the house all by myself. Just me to chase kitty, bark at people walking by, bark at that guy who keeps putting stuff in the black box the hoomans keep outside. Even today, that guy in the brown clothes came by and dropped off a package for the Mom Bean and I got to bark at him all by myself too! So....special day for me but not so special for Grady.

Girls Rule! Boys Drool! Sorry Dude! No soop for you, as they say.

Anyway, Grady came home hours later and smelled kinda funny. I checked him over a few times and everything seemed normal. He looked fine, acted fine....just had a funny lil smell. He's a boy and they always smell, but it was different this time. The hoomans didn't notice it, but they have dumb noses and I totally nosed it. He said he had the radiator treatment today. He don't remember much about it tho. Just that he took a very long nite-nites and woke up in another room feelin kinda funny but finally got to eat his din-din. Other than that....pretty boring.

The hooman beans wanted to get pics of his shoulder so we can be sure to see if it changes. So, this is from today. Day 1 of Radiation. They said they have 5 more to go so they not expecting much change today.

I still feel kinda bad about making him cry when I punched him the other day though. But do you see that "x" they put there? Again, I ask you....target practice for a boxer, right?

I think he's forgiven me though. We still frendz....He just can't resist my specialness.

Something's Wrong With Grady

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden Mom and Dad are worrying about Grady. Don't they know *I'M* here!! You see, a few months ago Grady had to go see the Doctor. Have I mentioned I love that place? They give me treats! They let me give kissies! They pet me! They just are too cool. Grady hates that place. He's sucha sissy lala. So I have no idea why they keep taking him there and not ME!

Anyway, when Grady came home from the doctor, Mom and Dad (the hoomans) said Grady couldn't run and play anymore. He had to be crate rested. He was limping on his front foot and needed time to get better. I thought it was funny, so I teased Grady in the crate by tossing toys in the air right in front of him or when the hooman took him outside on leash to potty and poop, I'd run circles around him. Oh, what great fun that was! But then it got boring. After a while, I was tired of teasing him....he just took all the fun out of it. So, I tried to chew the crate to get him out, but they made me stop. Then when he was on leash, I'd try to run past him really really really fast, so he'd chase me, but he wouldn't. Why is he no fun?

After a while, Grady seemed to get better but mom was worried about how his shoulder looked. Said something about it looked "out of place?" I have no idea what she was talking about....what's a shoulder? But he was still walking a lil funny and then started limping really bad again! Geesh....he just wont quit, will he? Gotta have all the sympathy. Sucha sissy la-la.

So they took him to a Special Doctor! Gawd, he gets all the fun and I have to stay home and read books they leave out on the table for me. BORING!!! But that doctor made mom and dad very upset. They said they think Grady has a toomer? tumer? Tumor. And he needed more testing. How dumb is a dog that needs all this testing, seriously?? But, they thought he just tore a muscle, but when the Special Doctor looked, there was nothing wrong so they did a Cat Scan. MAN! A CAT SCAN!!! I wanna do that! I like to chase kitties!!!!

The doctor called mom and told her the scan came back and Grady needed a biopsy. So, they agaaaaiiinnnn took Grady back to the Special Doctor. Grady came back all tore up. He had been out partying without me! So rude!

A few days went by and the hooman beans were all over Grady. "Oh, poor boy!"  "Why this, Grady?"  "We're so sorry, Grady!"  blah blah blah.....why does he get all the attention? Don't they know I'm RUBI!!! Kween Dumbass! I totally rule!

Then, one day, Mom was at the gym and the phone rang. Daddy was mad cuz he was playing hockey on Playstation, but he answered the phone anyway. Then all of a sudden, he got upset. He grabbed Grady and was hugging him again. Mom came home from the gym and I heard Dad say it was bad news and they both got really upset. Gee, how bad could it be.....he's getting all this fun attention! They should be sad for ME!

I heard mom telling someone that Grady has heman.....hemen....hemangio....hemangiosarcoma. Whatever that is. But it sounds bad and makes the hooman beans cry. Why would he do something to make them so upset when they take him to places like a Special Doctor where I know he's gettin all sorts of goody treats, lots of attention and hugs and probably sniffing so many doggie butts! I'm jealous! But, they said it's really bad news for Grady and that he'd have to get radiated therapy? What's that....and why don't I get it!

Anyway, they are taking Grady to yet ANOTHER special doctor tomorrow. Someone called a cologist? A On Call Gist? Oncologist...yeh, that's it. But Grady gets to go see another special doctor, get lots more attention, get lots of yummy treats...and I suspect they think I'll just sit at home reading another book again. Oh well, I guess maybe they are trying to fix Grady's "sissy la-la?" I dunno. But they are worried. Please keep mom and dad in your thoughts cuz I dont like to see them sad. I even try to give them kisses and they still get sad....so it must be serious.

Grady when he came home from the Special Doctor....

 

My impersonation of Grady when he came home from the "Special Doctor"...

A Note From The Lady Hooman Bean

Mom says she has to censor everything I write, so I'm letting her write a note to get you caught up on everything first.  She says I forget everything, including that I just had din-din 5 minutes ago so there would be no way I'd remember our story. I've got her trained so well! That's cuz I'm a Dumbass! :)
So here's her note. Excuse her for being boring, she's a hooman bean and they don't know how to have fun...

Shaddup Rubi!

Words we say way too often in this house, but that's cuz she's got quite the mouth and the reason why I'm letting her write this blog. She needs a job, something to keep her busy....and out of my training books, underwear, socks, and any paper we happen to leave laying around.

Anyway, my name is Dawn and my husband is Shawn. We were married in 2004 and for our one year anniversary, decided we wanted to get a puppy. We knew we wanted a boxer as I lived with one in college and my husband has one (Koho, now 12 years old) that lives back home with his grandma and mom. So, we knew it had to be a boxer. Total no brainer.

We searched the papers and found a breeder in the area. I called, went up there and there were 3 puppies left. Another family had picked out one lil girl and I was there playing with a shy lil girl and a really outgoing lil boy. Both just as cute as could be. The boy was a goober, he barked, he bounced, he jumped, he rolled over. But the girl was shy, she ducked away when you reached to pet her, but turn your back and she was following right under your feet. I had to have her. We named her Rubi.

Rubi at 8wks when we brought her home...

Rubi started out being a smart girl, yet had lots of issues with anxiety and fear (hmmm...wonder how I woulda known that would be an issue?) but we worked through that, built up her confidence, started training in obedience classes and wanted to get her into agility. However, when she was 6 months old, we found out she had hip dysplasia....pretty bad. She had trouble walking, trouble running and keeping up with her playmates, yet she never let her disability stop her. But, it did stop our wish for agility.  We continued to do some small-scale obedience with her, enough to earn her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificate, then let her retire to "Couch Dawg" which she does REALLY well with.

 

When she was 3 years old, she had a Mast Cell Tumor removed from her paw. MCT's are common in boxers, but we were worried as it was a Grade 2 with a small chance of returning. Fortunately, it's not come back but a year later, Rubis's trouble with her hips finally caught up with her. Her weakened hips left her susceptible to tearing ligaments in her knee. We were warned. And then it happened....she tore her CCL. She has a huge battlescar to prove just how tough she is because once again...she didn't let that stop her either.

Before Rubi's knee issues, we had just brought home Grady. He came to us at 11 months old from a great breeder in Maryland (mine and Shawn's homestate). Grady is a beautiful brindle boxer pup that I had the pleasure of watching grow up before coming home to us. I had met his breeder online about a year earlier and when Grady was born, I wanted a pup BAD, but we were sure Grady would be with another family by the time we were ready for a 2nd dog! We waited til we had bought a house, fenced in our huge backyard, then we were ready and fortunately for us.....Grady was still available. He was on hold for a show home and it never worked out. So, he was ready for a home that was interested in obedience and agility. Ding, ding ding! We're here! Let's bring our boy home! So we did. Just seems like it were meant to be.

Grady as a pup (before we brought him home. He's  about 8 weeks old here)

Grady, a few months after we brought him home. He settled in pretty quickly...

When Rubi had her knee surgery, Grady really showed just how dogs can sense when people and other animals are hurt. He hugged us when we were worried for Rubi. He sat and watched while we did her stretches and physical therapy. He pulled his bed up to Rubi's crate when we first brought her home after surgery, so he could sleep with her that night. How sweet can one dog be?

Grady started obedience classes a few months after we brought him home and he was AWESOME! So attentive. So eager to please. Just happy to work. He was the star of all of his classes and I just couldn't believe how easy he was to work with. My first dog that I had ever done obedience with was a German Shepherd named Jomer. He was so wild. I was 14 and clueless. No idea how we managed to not take out the entire class while doing heelwork, but somehow we earned "Most Improved Dog" at the end of the 8 week session- I think they felt sorry for us, they applauded when we left.

Anyway, in his 2.5 years of obedience, Grady has continued to show he has great working potential. He's earned his Rally Novice title, his Rally Advance Title and, like Rubi, is CGC certified. It is our hope to continue now with Novice Obedience and start getting into agility. He loves to jump and balance, so I think he would really enjoy all the fun that agility has to offer. He goes through the motions in obedience, just to make me happy. But I can see his eyes light up when he sees a jump, so I know where he's happiest in the ring.

Our Celebrations....

Our first Rally Novice Trial. We got 2nd place!

 After our first Rally Novice Trial. Grady with all his ribbons and toys.

 Grady New Title ribbon. Rally Novice...

 Earning our Rally Advance Title, November 2010

Grady entered an IABCA Conformation Show. He was the only boxer in his group and won 1st Place. LOL Still, he wears his medal proudly!

So, that's our story. For now at least. I'm sure Rubi will keep ya'll up to date on all the important stuff and not so important stuff. If she gets out of line, I'm sure Ms. Kitty will let me know.....oh wait, did I mention we have a cat? She's a black cat. She hates the dogs. Hates life. Hates people. But likes me, so we'll keep her. :)

Boxers are a working breed. This just proves it....

So, there you go......A Tale of Two Dawgs.....

They have fun together.

 They know how to relax.

They may be a lil bit spoiled...

 

But they are best friends...