Here is an update on our friend, Mr. Capone, the English Bulldog. He is our hu-Mom’s friend Nicole’s dog. Boy is he a sweetie. And boy is he funny. We just love Capone (and English Bulldogs for that matter. They are just a comical dog breed we think.) It’s been awhile since we last heard from Capone.

Capone the English Bulldog

The past few months have been a little crazy to say the least. In a short matter of time, Capone was not only fixed, but he also had his hernia repaired, and had a “nose job.” (Like most celebs, let’s just say it was due to a deviated septum.) *wink, wink!*

Yes, that’s an awful lot, but let me explain why we had all of these procedures done. (After all, we’d do anything for our little guy!)

To Fix or Not to Fix

We really had no intentions of breeding him. While my husband and I would love a little friend for Capone, we realize we’re not breeders and would have absolutely no idea what we were doing. Plus, it’s very expensive!

According to our vet, Bulldogs, who have a short life expectancy as is, are expected to live a little longer once this procedure is done. Besides, had we not had him fixed, he’d be able to smell a female dog in heat almost 5 miles away, and you better believe he’d try to find her!

Hernia Repair

When Mr. Capone was just a pup, we noticed he had what looked like a protruding belly button. Well, upon examination, the vet informed us that when he was born, the vet who delivered the pups cut the umbilical chord too close, thus preventing it from completely healing. (Hence, the hernia. )

We knew right away that when we were going to get him fixed, we’d have that taken care of in order to avoid any complications later in life.

A Nose Job?
The vet had noticed over the course of a few months that Mr. Capone’s nostrils were unusually narrow. (Before any assumptions are made, let me just say that my husband and I LOVE Mr. Capone’s snoring and grunting like a pig!)

I was afraid to get the procedure done for a few reasons. First, the vet mentioned the snoring might completely go away. (Thank goodness it didn’t!) Secondly, he might get a “piggy” nose. Fortunately, that didn’t happen either! (Either way, we’d love him just the same!)

Anyways, we had his nostrils enlarged, thus enabling him to breathe more easily. This, too, will hopefully enable him to live a longer life than the average bulldog.

Looking back, I’m amazed at just how well he recovered.

As I picked him up from the vet, I broke down. He was on so many medications, had so many stitches and it looked like he either didn’t remember me, or he was so upset with me for taking him to get all of this done, he didn’t want to know me. I swear, I thought it would take months to get my lil’ Capone back in tip-top shape.

Well, it took about 6 weeks until he was completely healed. Let me tell you that Mr. Capone definitely is back to normal, and boy is he full of energy! He’s taken up a new sport, softball and even has a new lil’ lady in his life, Maggie May. (Friends of ours got her just a few months ago.)

It was a tough decision to have all of these things done, and it was a bit pricy, but the well-being of our Capone has made it all worthwhile. The fact that he can breathe more easily, and run for longer amounts of time definitely allowed us to see that we had made the right decision.

Mr. Capone’s giving me his puppy dog eyes right now. It looks to me like he’s ready to “Play ball!”

Here’s a picture of him and his new girlfriend:

Capone Getting a Kiss!

Wags,
Benson and Gibson

Yesterday we blogged about our lazy weekend. Today we want to show you what our cousins (the Pit Bull mix and the Bassett Hound) did. They went to this beautiful area called the Cleveland Metroparks. It surrounds the cities of Cleveland like a green necklace (it’s really neat and beautiful). There is hiking, biking, creek-walking, dog-walking (or running), swimming and all kinds of other grrr-eat activities to do there.

Here are some pictures of our cousins Henry and Tux in the water.

Creekwalking Dogs!

Tux with a Big Stick

The Bassett Hound Swims

We are a little jealous of all the fun they had creek-walking, swimming and chewing and chasing sticks in the water. Our parents promised us we can go this weekend though so we are really looking forward to it!

Do you have a favorite swimming spot? Share it with us!

Benson and Gibson

This might be the funniest video I have ever seen…

When the Parents Have Gone

I received this dog story from one of those email chains that everyone gets now and again. It’s a “Lucky” dog story worth posting
—————————————————————————

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named ‘Lucky.’ Lucky was
a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a
weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their
luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck
his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would
come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky’s toy box in the basement and
there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky’s other favorite toys.
Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very
particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer.
Something told her she was going to die of this disease….in fact,
she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double
mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled
with Lucky. A thought struck her…what would happen to Lucky?
Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary’s dog
through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary
thought. He won’t understand that I didn’t want to leave him.
The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors
had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks.
Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog
just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When
she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn’t even
make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife
comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn’t come to her when
she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and
she dozed. When Mary woke for a second she couldn’t understand
what was wrong. She couldn’t move her head and her body felt
heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary
realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with
every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing
dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved
mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his
love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living
again, walking further and further together every day.

It’s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky?
He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but
Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember…live every day to the fullest. And never forget….
the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones
with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They are the ones who care for us.

10. The way they play with each other (hopping around like bunnies, tackling each other like puppies and chomping their jaws together – hilarious!)

9. Their loyalty

8. The way they snort when they get really excited and have toys in their mouths

7. The way their bodies “waggle” back and forth when they see me walk in the door

6. The way they absolutely have to sniff people up and down

5. Their lack of modesty (the way they go belly-up at night on the couches, mouths open with their legs spread apart and their front paws in the air

4. Their intelligence and awareness of a daily routine

3. Their lack of intelligence (or perhaps its just selective hearing…)

2. Their cuddly nature

1. Their ability to forgive and unconditionally love us imperfect humans

Dogster’s For the Love of Dog Blog has a great dog story up about pit bulls setting an example of good doggie citizenship!

Program turns notorious dogs into good citizens
Pit bull owners steered away from dogfighting
By Gerry Smith | Tribune reporter
10:22 PM CDT, March 22, 2008

On the streets of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, Sean Moore and his 8-month-old pit bull, Jigga, are setting an example.

 ”The pit bulls you normally see, they’re pulling, they’re not listening, they’re wild, they’re barking at people,” said Moore, 38. “When [other owners] see us with the same dogs, they ask, ‘How do y’all do that? And how much does it cost?’”

For the full dog story, visit Dogster’s…

Thanks to MSNBC.com for this heart-warming story.

Gabrielle Ford was 20 years old and hiding in her room, driven there by the abuse of vicious bullying she had suffered in school because of a degenerative neuromuscular disease. She asked her mother if she could have a dog, because she desperately needed a friend.

Ford not only got a faithful companion, she also got an entirely new and wonderful life.

Because of Izzy, the coonhound she got, Ford has become a highly sought-after speaker who travels the country in her wheelchair, talking to school assemblies and classes about ways to stop bullying.”

Read the rest of the story here.

A whole nation looked on as a ragged group of Pit Bulls was rescued from Michael Vick’s southeastern Virginia “compound” last year.  The dogs had been mutilated, neglected, beaten and bloodied all at the hands of one of the gnarliest dog fighting rings ever broken up.

And a whole nation is looking on now as the little sweeties are rehabilitated, learning to love and indeed working towards becoming “man’s best friend.”

  22 of the Pit Bulls have been taken to Utah’s Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. Sweet-tempered by nature, the dogs are learning to love, to play with toys, to run around and to get into mischief.

According to CNN:

Each dog has its own pen inside an octagonal housing unit and an outdoor run. They’re being fed “canine caviar” — a special dog food formulation. They’re chewing rubber bones. They can wrestle rubber toys filled with doggie treats.

Click here for the full story.

One of the most twisted stories of fate and karma intertwined that I can think of, Vick is paying for part of the rehabilitation of these dogs that he spent so much time tearing down. His fortune has rapidly disappeared since his trial, and in late November he agreed to pay nearly $1 million for the care of the dogs found on his property. It is unclear how much money went to each shelter that took the dogs in.

I have volunteered at many animal shelters in my lifetime and never have I seen one quite like Best Friends. I have never been there, but it seems like a homeless animal’s paradise from the way the media has portrayed it and based on the pictures on the website.

For a full rundown of the “ Vicktory Dogs” progress, and to make a donation to this wonderful animal shelter, visit Best Friends Animal Society.