Vet visit.

2 ladies at the front were trying to finish a conversation when I came in there. "Oh that is a very big dog, I didn't expec that".  Well, they didn't ask what breed of dog he was when I called them.  They weren't complaining - I don't think anyway - and Addler behaved himself swimmingly the entire visit.  Okay, he didn't want to comply with standing or sitting on the scale - we had to try two separate times, but I consider that a nothing issue.  He currently weights 119 pounds.  I figued it was 100 to 110 so I was a bit off on that one.  But I'm not a scale, either, lol.

They gave him all shots that bring him up to date for his age and took swab off rear end and found worms.  No heartworms though, which is very good.  Easy enough to get rid of those intestinal worms, already have him on that medicine.  It's going to take a bit of time - maybe quite a bit - to get this dog indoctrinated into my ways of doing things.  I like instant obedience. Sit! means sit down right now.  Stay - means stay regardless of what is going on around you.  Come - means come to me right now - not look around or dance here and there. He is completely untrained and this is going to be quite the challenge. But - he has learned sit so far, so I know he's trainable.  He hasn't learned stay, lol, he sits, looks at me and then gets up and starts poking his giant muzzle into everything.

I'll have paitence with him for he doesn't know any better and was never trained to know any better. I'm not saying his former owners were bad dog owners, they just deemed him an outside dog and that, apparently,  meant no training.  You would, however, think that he would at least know to come when someone yells his name.  he doesn't.  I personally believe in both leash training and non leash training.  I shouldn't have to have a leash on him to make him come.  So I'm not doing that - yet.  I will if it comes down to it and then wean him off of it, but I would rather just have him learn my ways of doing things.  A large dog needs to be trained.  Even IF non-violent, he can do some damage if he doesn't listen when it's necessary for him to.  

Day is over as far as running around.  I brought him home from vets and went right back out to pharmacy to get my meds.  I don't yet trust him in a car alone.  I think he will probably go crazy and tear things up.  Leave that for a time - in the future - to try.  Leave the car, pretend to go inside and then hide and watch.  

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Now let's talk about Obama and this pathetic drive to now introduce 100,000 refugees. The more I watch of him, hillary and others and THEN to hear Obama's OWN head of homeland security making statements that defy Obama's move on this issue - it's a wonder we aren't attacked right now.  It's like he WANTS to allow terrorists into this nation.  I'm quite sick of his politics - to the point of compromising our own nation's safety? But I have talked myself out on FB groups and just making a few observations here.  If you are going to feel safe when all these unknowns come in here - then you have your head stuck in the sand.  I don't trust these people and I don't want them just pouring into our nation. We have ENOUGH problems already, who is going to pay for all of this?  That was a rhetorical question.  

Day 2.
Addler slept on the futon. Per Fin's remark on my Facebook wall about needing a bigger bed - I figured instead of buying a doggy bed and taking up even more space in this room with it, why not use the futon?  I can buy them a new mattress for it whenever I figure out what I am going to do and leave here.  Which could be a few months from now - or a few years - or who knows. I hate throwing money away on rent but it isn't that much, these people are totally cool and I have a very nice setup now that I have gotten my room situated to my liking. The futon is huge, ample room for the dog to spread completely out.

Anyway, Addler decided to check up on me several times last night.  I was afraid that meant he was going to go pee/poop on the floor, but it was the jitters still, being in a strange place with strange people he doesn't know and likely wanting to go back home to his family.  That isn't going to happen, they got rid of him for a reason.  I don't know about anyone else, but if I had dogs that I loved THAT much, I would really try to find a place where I could have them instead of getting rid of them.

I guess he finally decided that it was okay to go to sleep and leave me alone, which he did.  He got me up at 6:30 am - which is okey - I figured I better get right up and get him outside before he does anything on the floor.  I lucked out as far as doing anything in the house goes, he didn't pee at all. He was drinking a LOT of water just before bedtime last night - I put a stop to it.  Nooooo.  That has to come OUT at some point.  So anyway, I'll leave him outside for an hour or so and then bring him back in.

My chest feeling so incredibly bad this morning.  Mucus draining all night long down in there.  I just wanted to get up and go to WalMart and get some medicine to stop the mucus.  I had a thouht this morning: I probably have some of that in my stuff under the sink.  I have a huge bag of stuff that I never pulled out when I moved in here.  Nowhere to put it - but it's not worthless stuff, just figured I'd leave it in there and rummage through it whenever I needed somethng.  Found a box of Walmart severe cold and flu medicine. Thought, well it would work but overkill.  Then, I found an unopened bottle of the cough medicine that deals with the mucus.  Ahhhhh yes! Score.  No need to go to the store now, I don't feel like going anywhere.  Feels much better after taking it, too.

Ohhh, glad I remembered.  I need to scour the internet and find a sweater big enough to fit Addler.  It's going to get cold out there soon and I am not going to have that dog freezing to death while I'm at work.  They actually offered here that he could stay in my room while at work - but it didn't take much thinking to come to the conclusion that would be a bad idea.  That dog is an outside dog - currently anyway, I'm going to change his thinking about that slowly to where he is both and outside AND an inside dog.  To keep a dog that big cooped up in a room alllllll day long, especially when he has friends out there he can play with? Bad idea.

Well that didn't take long.  There are online sites dedicated to supplies for large breed dogs.  I'm going to have to measure him, they have sweaters big enough even for my big boy.  Just measured him: he's 33 inches at the shoulders and 36 inch girth.  He's between a 2XL and a 3XL.  Hmm.  I dunno what to get him.  Get one too small - won't fit, get one too large - might come off?  He's definitely going to fill out, but I don't know how long that will take.  Another year or so I'm guessing.  -------------------------------------------------------

Definitely a Dane. Follows me everywhere.  Wants to know everything I am doing.  Hates it when I put him outside.  Stands at the door and stares for a while before venturing out into the back yard.  Baca - the larger pup - is completely and absolutely terrified of him.  Squeals and yelps and cries - Addler wants to play, Baca is like, what?

Well anway, a co-worker called and wnated to meet up at Chili's and watch some football games.  Sure, why not? Not feeling good at all, but I went anyway and watched the Cowboys get beat again and the Steelers kick butt over the Browns.  In fact, the Steelers game got carried enough away that they switched to the Miami game before it was even over.  But, I am not feeling good.  I finally got the mucus stopped flowing down my throat and into my lungs but the damage is done.  I'm pretty much good for much of nothing right now and I suspect in the morning? I'm calling into work sick.

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Monday morning came around and I had absolutely no 8intention of going into work, not feeling like that.  I have plenty of sick and vacation hours and work is slow right now, they can live without me for a day or even a couple of days.  Yes, I will probably take tomorrow off as well. I have a long history of respiratory problems and it doesn't get better by doing anything that entails physical labor.

I just got back from Urgent Care and finally, just by luck I guess, found a doctor that actually knows what the hell he is doing with this kind of situation.  He immediately stated that he would be giving me a steroid shot - it's the only thing that has ever worked for this.  I didn't ask for it - or anything else for that matter - but I was very much happy when he stated that.  He then went into all kinds of other stuff he does to combat this problem and it was quite refreshing to hear this coming from him.  Most docs don't have a clue.  Seriously.  I've been through this so many times, I have to give suggestions, especially steriod shots - and usually they dismiss it.  I know what works and what doesn't work, but docs? They know everything.  They don't want to hear you giving them advice on what to do.

So, shot in the rear later and hopefully it will be taking effect soon enough. I don't remember how long it took last time I got one to almost fully take away the coughing.  BTW, cough medicine? Does nothing.  I have been on DM tussin for 2 days - it takes away a little bit right off the bat but after that? The cough comes right back and worse.  That's when I know it's time to go see a doc.

Well, I was thinking about taking my new Dane in to a vet and getting him checked out - heart worms, parvo, stuff like that.  I found one right down the road while waiting in the doc's office for the shot and they said they had an intro offer and could get him in today.  I don't much feel like it but I don't get much down time at work.  I'm at work when everyone is open and I'm off work when everyone is - closed.  We have to do stuff while at work.  Like taking the car in - I just tell them I'm taking it in and need someone to bring me back.  There are no objections to that at all.  If I need to do something that I can only do during normal business hours, I come in late or leave early. Again, no objections.  BTW, today was a pleasant surprise there: I had a $161 credit.  I was at this facility's office  2 towns over quite a while back for that other situation I had going earlier this year.  They never actually sent me anything saying they owed me money.  No copay today.  Kinda interesting they would just "keep" the money instead of sending a check.......

But no biggies, certainly didn't complain today..There is enough there for a couple more visits worth of co-pays.  Speaking of health, it's time to get Val off of my health insurance.  She is obviously intent on this divorce -- we haven't talked in several weeks - and I am not going to continue to pay for her health care coverage that she won't use anyway.  She has several things a doc could help her out with.  I'm just throwing money out the window having her on it and we are in the yearly open enrollment - I can take her off  without any special circumstances.  Kids as well.  I had them on there as secondary back up since her previous ex  has them on his health care. I have my son on my plan so adding more kids doesn't cost anything more.  My son only uses it occasionally when he gets sick.

Well that's enough for now.  Addler will likely be a handful at the vet office.  I've only had him 2 days and he has a lot of training in front of him to go.  Just getting him to sit when told to do so was a big effort - but the little doggy treats work wonders, lol.