The last three weeks have been a crazy, silly blur! First, I got a nasty virus on my computer at work, which took nearly a whole week to fix. After that mess, I was forbidden to use my work computer for anything but work, so ever since, I haven't been able to blog or talk to all my Facebook friendlies or anything! It's been a nightmare. Then, two and a half weeks ago, we got a new dog. His name is Tubby and he's an English Bulldog.
The first few days of having him, I nearly went out of my mind! I thought we'd made the biggest mistake of our lives, bringing this wild and crazy bulldog into our home. But now, I've grown attached to the little bugger and he's officially a full fledged part of our little family. I can't say he didn't give me a few extra gray hairs and initially raise my blood pressure though! The first night we brought him home, we actually thought we could let him sleep in the same room with us. Ha! He fell asleep just fine, but as we laid there in bed, he started to snore. Softly at first, which we both thought was kinda cute and certainly bearable. Then after a few minutes, the snoring steadily grew louder and louder until finally he was full out sawing logs like an 80 year old sinus congested lumberjack! Sid and I both jumped up out of bed and each grabbed hold of a side of his pen and dragged him out of the room! No way was that dog going to sleep in our room, for sure!
The next few days it was a nightmare trying to adjust to this wrinkly, spastic fur ball in our tiny little house! He never sat still, grunted like a pig all throughout the house, slobbered everywhere and for some reason, thought I was his new favorite toy! I couldn't sit still for one single second without that dog attacking me in one way or another, and I was constantly wiping doggie drool off my legs, arms, chest and backside. And he loves to lick my feet! Ugh, Ew and Gross! It didn't matter how many times you said "No!" or "Down!" or "Stop it!" That dog just didn't understand English at all. Sid went out to the barn and got the riding crop that we use to swat the donkeys and that seemed to work for a little while. I'd whomp the crop on the arm of the couch and yell "Down!" and it seemed to get his attention long enough to make him think twice about attacking me. The first three days I swear I didn't get a minute of peace until it was time for bed and we were able to put him back in his pen.
Now that nearly three weeks have gone by, he's finally coming around and he's actually learned to calm down and relax. I think maybe he just had anxiety because he didn't know for sure if this was going to be home or not. My sister taught him how to sit, which he does pretty good on command. She also taught him how to jump on the bed however, so we've had to unteach him that little trick. Thanks Tiff! He plays with the new toys we bought him, instead of my leg or foot, and he doesn't pace all around the house like a mad monkey like he did before. He's the biggest chicken you ever saw when it comes to running the vacuum cleaner. He runs all around the house trying to find a place to hide when you turn it on. He's also scared of the ironing board when I set it up, and our tv trays. Go figure. We got a new treadmill set up in the big bedroom and now he won't even set foot in that room. He goes as far as the doorway and barks ferociously at it and then runs the other way. He thinks it's a big, bad monster.
The slobber thing is something I'm still trying to get used to. Bulldogs slobber and that's all there is to it. He loves the donkeys and surprisingly they seem to love him too. In the mornings when I take him out to do his business, he goes right to their fence and puts his head through to touch each one of their noses to say good morning. They seem to be just as curious about him as he is of them. Especially Baby Chloe'. She even lets him lick her nose, which is absolutely adorable! He's got a face only a mother could love, and I must admit, I do love him! At night when he's tuckered out from playing, he comes and puts his head on my knee and his jowls wrinkle all up and flatten across my leg and his eyes get all droopy. I rub his ears until he falls asleep and before you know it, he's snoring with his face in my hands.
So, welcome to our home Tubby. We love you and hope you'll be happy here with us.
