Wasn't looking forward to the third day.

On  the twelfth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me...

Twelve morning pee runs

Eleven bite marks

Ten barks at neighbors

Nine shredded socks

Eight soggy tennis balls

Seven arcane stains

Six slobbered sneakers

Fiiiiiive chewed-up thiiiiiings

Four muddy paws

Three fresh poops

Two vet bills

And a stick from a rotten old treeeeee!

-------

Well, it's been quite the celebration here with the dogs. Our third Christmas with Tralfaz, the big guy, and Nipper's very first Christmas. For a while it looked like Nipper was determined to wind up on Santa's Naughty List, but it was worse than that.

In the wee hours of the morning of Christmas Eve, Nipper's bad behavior was shown to have been caused by gastrointestinal distress, demonstrated in an explosive way. My wife was up with him all night, the sweetheart, but tagged out in the morning. We both had plans for the day, including an evening Mass; everything got scrapped except squeezing in a few chores between running the dog outside. 

Fortunately our vet was open on Christmas Eve day; unfortunately they had short hours and the place was a (you should pardon the expression) zoo. I thought they'd squeeze us in under the circumstances, those being that Nipper had been at the vet's office for a routine surgical procedure early in the week and infection is always a possibility with surgery. But the vet just gave us a round of antibiotics, free of charge (Meeeeetronidazole Christmas to all! Ho ho ho), and told us to deploy them if his intestinal issues did not resolve.

As I write this Tuesday morning, we're on Day 3 of the pills. 

So Christmas also had some muddled plans, as you might guess. Made it to church, but it was a close thing. 

We weren't the only ones put out by the whole situation. Tralfaz knew he wasn't getting the attention, the walks, and the general focus that he is used to. As it is, he and the kid haven't been able to do their usual backyard roughhousing following the surgery, and won't be for a few more days. So with the lack of attention, fun, and exercise he had himself a grumpy little Christmas. It's extended through Boxing Day, although I was able to take him out for a walk Monday. We'll see how today goes. (Yesterday's brief entry, while clever and dashed amusing, was made in haste because of all the running in and out.)

Nipper's naughtiness continues unabated. I mean, yes, puppies are going to do things to make you crazy from time to time, but apparently when he's not feeling well he thinks that fighting, leash-pulling, random angry noises, even toy hogging are perfectly okay. Seriously -- some kind friends sent some toys for the guys, and the kid set about rounding all of them up, including the one toy that Tralfaz had with him in the hall. Tralfaz being a gentle soul at heart did not object, but the humans in the family certainly did. A time-out was enforced on Nipper. 

On the whole it's been a little trying, and it's hard to remember sometimes that Nipper is sick, and recovering from surgery, because he still wants to bomb all over the place and play -- more so in fact than usual. I can't even have them both outside at the same time, because Nipper is the one who wants to start the play fighting, although he ought to be feeling as poorly as a toddler full of candy on a Tilt-a-Whirl at noon on an Alabama August.

They say that dogs will cover up pain and sickness if they can, fearing that the pack will cut them loose. Or maybe he's just so full of puppy bounce that he's trying to overcompensate, but the effort is making him surly.

Anyway, we all survived Christmas so far (just 10 days to go!) and everything that had to get done got done. God bless us, every one. And your little dog too.