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

Every year the American Kennel Club comes out with a list of the Most Popular Purebred Dogs (based on 50 major U.S. cities).  It’s funny to me how the breeds in here run the gamut, but I wonder why so many of the breeds that I know and love get left out.

The big headline this year was that, bringing up the rear end at Number 10, the Bulldog once again made the Top Ten list (after a 75-year abscence). As usual the Labrador Retriever topped the list followed by the Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagle and Boxer.

The Dachshund comes in at Number 7; easy to see why so many people prefer these precious pooches if you check out the funny photos at Dogster’s Dog Blog.

The rest of the list holds Poodles and Shih Tzus coming in before the English Bulldog.

The AKC’s list is based on registrations trends, so who knows how many pups from those purebred litters actually get sold directly to families (whimper).  Plus, they don’t count really popular mixed breeds like the Golden-Doodle and Puggle.

Personally, I think rescue dogs and strays make a pretty darn good sweetie, too. (Check out Dogs’ Aye View for some fresh rescue perspective.)

 I would also like to see Bassett Hounds, Blood Hounds and Pit Bulls make a comeback (numbers 31, 43 and 58, respectively) !

Share with me; give your perspective on what your favorite breeds are.

It has been said that animals have a sixth sense. Now it’s entirely up to you whether you believe that statement, but I am someone who does.

My husband Michael and I absolutely adore our English Bulldog, Capone. While I haven’t always been an animal lover, I must say that I have recently jumped in head first to join the club.

At 3 ½ months old, Capone fits the bulldog stereotype to a tee: affectionate, not exactly athletic, and definitely mellow. The perfect addition to our family, you’d have a tough time convincing our parents, brothers and sisters that he’s not a child. In fact, if you try to convince my brother, Capone’s “Pupfather” and sister-in-law, Capone’s “Pupmother” otherwise, you might have to brace yourself. (That’s another story in itself that will have to wait!)

Back to the story at hand…

For the past several weeks, we had a feeling something had happened. It started with a slight change in Capone’s demeanor. All of a sudden, our pet dog became quite irritable and would start barking for no apparent reason. If you know Bulldogs, you know they’re notorious for chewing on things, but not barking. In fact, they only bark when they want something.

So we checked…Hungry? Nope. Bathroom break? Nope. Go for a walk? A joke, right? You get the point.

Oddly enough, he’d get into these barking fits around the same time each night and it happened for a few weeks. I was a little spooked because it was almost as if he could see something we couldn’t.

So, Michael and I put on our detective hats and attempted to figure out the answer online. We looked on several websites, but to no avail. We then decided to email the breeder and ask about the demeanor of Capone’s parents. We also asked if, by some long shot, something had happened. Sure enough, Champion Ike, Capone’s father, had passed away several weeks ago; right around the time his fits began.

Mystery…solved?

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think to myself: “Is it possible that, even though Capone’s father lived nearly 300 miles away, did Capone already know? Even though he hadn’t seen Ike in months, could he have possibly sensed it? Do dogs really have a sixth sense?”

When Michael and I get home, we’ll share the sad news with Capone. We both have a feeling that Capone will be okay, because he sensed it awhile ago.

I’ve come to realize that Capone wasn’t barking at shadows. He wasn’t barking because he was hungry or wanted to play, but he did want something. Perhaps, our little pup Capone simply wanted us to know that his father, Ike, came to visit, one last time.