Halloooo all you beautiful denizens of Pug Slope!

Thank you all for your support during my grueling 24-hour fast and dental exam last week. Although I lost a few bad teeth I’m feeling much better and have quickly resumed most of my usual activities.

See, I’m already back to chewing on my plush potatoes. I can’t have anything too tough yet though. Can you believe my Dad thinks my Kong and Wigzi ball fall into the “too tough” category?! Dad, they are MADE OF RUBBER for cryin’ out loud!

I guess I can’t really complain though because in lieu of my lunchtime Wigzi or Kong, I’ve been playing the “Find It!” game every day around noon. How it works is that my dad cuts up a couple baby carrots into tiny pieces (so I can just suck ’em down instead of trying to chew them since I still have some stiches in my mouth) and then makes me go sit in my bed. I get all psyched up and start spinning around at that point because as soon as he yells “FIND IT!” he chucks all the b.c. chunks into the air and then then I go on a “seek and destroy” or rather “seek and devour” mission. Unlike the Kong or Wigzi, which takes me like 20 mins, this game usually only lasts about 45 seconds (much to my Dad’s dismay). What can I say, I was born to suck down baby carrot chunks.

Oh and finally, WET FOOD RULEZ! I get so amped up whenever I hear a can being opened now. I don’t know how I’m going to go back to dry dog food next week. Actually, who am I kidding? I’ll eat anything: wet or dry, warm or cold, safe or UNSAFE. I’m certainly not picky.

The day I’ve been waiting for dreading for the past month has finally arrived.

The day BEFORE Sid’s dental.

Now, the actual day of the dental is stressful due to the fact that, as many of you know, they have to knock my poor little guy out with anesthesia, and the presentation of the vet bill is no laughing matter as it often tallies up to an exorbitant figure on par with most apartment rent payments, but what has really been haunting me in my dreams for the past month is this tiny flat face when I have to explain to those adorable little brown eyes that breakfast is the ONLY FOOD YOU’RE GOING TO GET FOR 24-HOURS. No snacks, no treats, no lunch-time Wigzi, no dinner tonight, no breakfast tomorrow. Absolutely NO BABY CARROTS.

So I ask for all of your help to give me the strength to deny this poor little guy what he oh so desires.

How I wish there were a way to explain to him that after his dental life will be grand again. Treats will resume (only soft ones at first) and CANS UPON CANS OF DELICIOUS SMELLY WET DOG FOOD will be his for the taking.

Thank you to everyone for your concerns over Sid’s b.c. stash. After some initial hesitancy, Sid actually got talking to the Easter Bunny and pretty soon they were kicking back, sharing war stories, and both nibbling on baby carrots from Sid’s stash! It was a bit surreal.

I took a little trip for a few days last week so Sid was in the care of Aunt Anna and Uncle Andrew. Anna kept me updated with Sid’s shenanigans and apparently he was on very good behavior. I think was due to the fact that he got to spend lots of time cuddled up on the couch and was also treated to daily KONG’s filled with b.c.’s and peanut butter. I’m pretty such he was hoping that I would extend my trip for a couple more days.

Well, prior to my trip I was able to record Sid doing one of his “signature moves”, which I call “The Citrus Moonwalk”, although the word “Citrus” could probably be replaced with any type of edible, since he’s not very particular and is apt to unleash this same move with the promise of any kind of snack.

Enjoy!

So, I was reading on the interwebs today that this Sunday some giant rabbit is supposed to come to everyone’s house and hide painted eggs that you have to find. I was also reading that rabbits are pretty much nuts about one thing: CARROTS. Because of this news I’m issuing a RED ALERT BABY CARROT LOCKDOWN for Pug Slope and all neighboring communities effective IMMEDIATELY!

Now I’ve never eaten an egg, and although they are probably awesome, I am in NO WAY letting some buck-toothed, floppy-eared carrot snatcher into Pug Slope H.Q. in order for him to “hide some eggs”. I know what that rabbit is really up to – trying to raid my hard-earned b.c. stash, man. NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN.

I had my dad pick up some coffee and 5-hour Energy shots to keep me alert all weekend long. I’ve got my eyes on you, BUNNY!

Sid’s been working on his impressions lately (yeah, that’s what happens when you are stuck inside all winter!) and the first one he’s trying to get under his belt is Popeye.

The likeness is uncanny, isn’t it? I suggested he replace the Wigzi ball with a pipe to complete the look. He agreed as long as the pipe was filled with peanut butter. He also said he’s willing to start eating spinach – although I could have predicted that.

He tells me next up on his list is Marlon Brando from “The Godfather”…

If you happened to stop by Pug Slope HQ on Monday, this is what you would have seen:

Now, it’s not usual for Sid to be chillin’ in his bed most of  the day. While I work from home, he usually is catching his much-needed Z’s (being cute and demanding treats is exhausting work, people!). But on Monday, he was sitting in this position, fully awake, the whole day.

Here’s the reason:

Meet “KC”. At the time this photo was taken, we didn’t know that was her name. Let me back up a bit.

The day started out pretty normal. While Sid and I were out for our morning walk, a frisky, friendly black pup ran up to greet Sid. The odd thing was that there was no human accompanying her and she had no collar, harness, or leash attached to her. The city streets are certainly not a safe place for a dog to roam around like that so I plucked Sid into my arms and wrapped Sid’s leash around her neck to prevent her from darting into the street.

As you can tell from the photo, KC ended up accompanying us back to Pug Slope HQ. Then began the hunt to find her family. Lucky for her, the local vet found she had a microchip and had been adopted from a local dog rescue called PAWS Chicago. Unfortunately, the phone number that came up on the microchip was out of date and was disconnected (*). I posted on craigslist and a Facebook group called Lost Dogs Illinois. I also ran into a local dog walker who pretty much knows every dog in the neighborhood by name – she said KC looked familiar but she wasn’t sure who her owner was. I also put up a few signs around the neighborhood on my way to pick up some carryout lunch (trying to multi-task!). While I tried to get some actual work done during the day, KC whined in the kitchen and Sid sulked in his bed and gave me the stink eye. I think he was afraid KC was going to be a permanent resident of Pug Slope HQ. After a few hours of constant whining and barking from KC and no response to my lost dog posts, I was starting to share Sid’s fears.

Near the end of the work day, I got an email reply from my craigslist posting. Was it really KC’s parents? I wanted to be sure she was being returned to her proper home and not some weirdo. The friendly folks at PAWS Chicago were actually able to verify that the people that had contacted me were in fact KC’s real parents. So KC ended up getting home just in time for her dinner! Turns out she only lives 3 blocks away and had escaped from her yard that morning.

Sid was relieved. So was I.

(*) If your pet has a microchip, please be sure to keep that information up to date!

I’m not sure how many other people brush their dog’s teeth, but I try to do it daily. Of course I go through times when I’m pretty lazy about it and other times when I’m very diligent. I usually become most serious about it after receiving a bill for a teeth-cleaning. Anything I can do to possibly reduce the frequency of those bank-breaking teeth cleanings is a good thing. Sid said that just removing all his teeth is not an option. He’s so vain!

As Sid can be quite a curmudgeon, I thought he’d hate getting his teeth brushed. However, he gets super excited for the nightly ritual and reminds me to do it when I go to brush my own teeth. While I give my pearly whites a once-over, he hovers at the base of the bathroom sink and either stares unblinkingly at me or slumps his head down and bats his eyes like a 1930’s Hollywood starlet. Ok, dude, signal received.

Sid’s excitement isn’t due to the promise of fresh breath or control of his tartar, but rather because the dog toothpaste falls into the “treat” category and he literally gulps it off the brush. He has a weakness for Vanilla-Mint.

Unfortunately this gulping action conflicts with my ability to get in there and brush so the whole process ends up being comically awkward. The hardest part is finding where a pug’s teeth are actually located. I try to make a mental note whenever he does a big yawn but it’s still a bit of guesswork. It certainly is crowded in there! Anyone else brush their pup’s teeth?