Things have changed a lot with the addition of Argus into our family. Sapphire is a little less anxious and lonely when left alone. There is quite a bit less gathering going on. They aren’t lovey dovey with each other but they enjoy each others company and seem to bring comfort and security to each other. They look so much alike people always ask me if they are related. But I’ve checked their lineage and they aren’t related.
Argus’ health has improved dramatically. His hair is not only all grown back but you would never now he had any missing. He is quite hairy for a greyhound actually. His tummy is all covered and the rest is thick. It is silky soft like sable and one of his best features now. He isn’t creaky but he doesn’t have a lot of confidence and still thinks he can’t jump up very high but I’ve seen him play and I know he can. It will just take time. He jumps up in the car now which he wouldn’t do before as well as jumping out of Mom’s SUV which he wouldn’t do before either. So he has his little triumphs.
His eye is great. The vet says we don’t have to take it out unless it gets infected or starts hurting him. It isn’t pretty but I’m not willing to put him through surgery just for cosmetic reasons. His weight is great and in fact we have begun that battle of making sure he doesn’t get fat. At his last check up he weighed in at 88 pounds! He carries himself with a lot more confidence and is just the sweetest, best behaved boy ever. He has never had a single accident in the house.
No one relaxes better than him. He rolls over onto his back, one arm straight up, one bent. He relaxes so much his lips pull away from his teeth, his mouth drops open, and his tongue lolls out of his mouth. It is quite a site to behold! And not a whole lot gets him up. There can be parties going on around him, thunder storms, marching bands and he just sleeps on. At first I thought something might be wrong with his hearing but when I quietly said, "dinner" he jumped right up so it is selective hearing.
The holidays were fun. Argus stuck pretty close to me but I was glad he was being exposed to new people who were nice. He came to trust my brothers but didn’t approach them for pets. Of course my brothers (being the sweet peas they are) were so gentle and patient with him and made a real effort to interact with him. We did have one misadventure. The first time Argus was "bad."
Went out for a Christmas Eve brunch and came back to find one of the hounds (who had all been closed up in Mom’s room, their usual hanging place with their beds, toys, etc) had grown thumbs and opened a closed closet door (this all smells like Sapphire). They pulled out a big bag FULL of stocking candy, most of it chocolate. Someone proceeded to finish off most the bag. This chocolate came in the form of gold coins, little foil santas, globes, etc.
As soon as I saw the carnage, I called the emergency vet trying very hard to be cool and not run around screaming and panicking. My family already thinks I’m a nut, I didn’t need to prove them right. The dogs were all acting fine and I didn’t know who ate what and how much. The vet reassured me, dogs that size (60, 75, and 88 lbs.) eating some milk chocolate (as opposed to dark baker’s chocolate) would be OK. They would have to consume a lot more than they did to really get sick. The vet thought the foil would be more uncomfortable for them. So my job was to keep an eye on them.
Later that night Argus started throwing up foil and chocolate. None of the other dogs ever did so we had our culprit (I still think Sapphire pulled it out of the closet)! He didn’t seemed over uncomfortable from the vomiting. In fact, he would vomit, and then look at his vomit with way too much interest. You could just see his little wheels turning, "hmm, more of that yummy sweet stuff!." I had to follow him around for the next 12 hours cleaning up all vomit (even the stuff out in the yard) because he kept going in for more chocolate! His poops were just as bad. Not a lot of diarrhea, but very sparkly and festive. I had to get that "source of chocolate" up right away too!
He was a little droopy later that night so during Mom’s Christmas Eve open house, while the other dogs were closed up in the room Argus was allowed to stay on his bed out with the company. He was fine the next morning. So after throwing up, pooping foil, not feeling good, you would think all this would have discouraged him from chocolate. Oh no. He had gotten a taste of it and his sweet tooth was securely rooted. Everytime he smelled chocolate he was on it like a bloodhound! He pulled stuff in garbage cans; I finally had to take all candy garbage out to the trash cans on the street. I caught him with his head deep in boxes where we had stashed some candy and thought piling stuff on top would keep him out. I had to get a bunch of tins and put any chocolate anyone had in them. But everytime Argus heard paper crackling he came running hoping to get a little sweet stuff. When the vet called the next day to check on him I told him the only problem we had was that obviously Argus had a habit and we would be needing to do an intervention!
I was in Dallas for business in January so the furkids went to stay with my Mom for almost 2 weeks. They had such a blast playing in Mom’s big back yard with all the other dogs. My Mom always said she didn’t want a male dog because "they lift their leg on everything" and she didn’t want an older dog because "you get attached to them and they might die." Well, she just about didn’t give back my senior boy. He is such a love and so good. He followed her from room to room, just wanting pets. Never peed where he wasn’t supposed to, and never took part in the shenanigans the other dogs got involved with. When people came over and the thundering herd had to be put in a room Argus was always the only one allowed to stay out with company. He just wants to please and so appreciates the love and attention that he is a joy to live with.
Sapphire is doing great. She is still my love-girl. Loves to snuggle, be near me, go with me wherever I go. Argus and I have a very different relationship but just as loving. It was a tough decision to bring a second hound in the house. I would have been happy just spoiling Sapphire. But I knew she would be happier with a "brother." I think she has done a lot in helping Argus gain confidence, trust in me, and helps him go places and try new things. She is such a sassy girl who can’t imagine that everything isn’t fun and all people aren’t nice. It rubs off on him a little and I think in the long run, will rub off on him a lot. I haven’t regretted having him here for one second. The picture is complete.
She has developed the best sense of humor. And she truly knows no strangers, just friends she hasn’t met yet. My best friend Tiffany came to visit me and when she walked in the house Sapphire went ballistic. You would have thought Tif was Sapphy’s long lost sister the way she acted. As soon as Tif sat down Sapphire was in her lap! Just soaking her up. I love that she is that affectionate with people. I love that they realize right away why I’m so crazy about her. Argus is a mama’s boy. Everyone comments on it. "Look how he watches you." Everytime we interact it is special. Even when I’m just cleaning his ears or brushing his teeth. He knows it is love and he appreciates it…soaks it up. I love getting down on the floor and grabbing him up in a big bear hug and he just leans into it.
It is funny how when you give so much love, you would think that there would be a limit to what you can give but, somehow, giving all that love, it regenerates itself or something. There is never a time when I think, "that’s it, I have no more to give." It probably sounds weird to some people, but to others, who have had pets or kids that made them feel this way, they understand what I am talking about. Truly an enrichment. Why did I wait so long to have these guys come live with me?