What-a-Mess!

After reading "What-a-Mess has Supper" I decided that I would like to be called "What-a-Mess".
I went outside and found a nice dirt patch to play in - the only problem was that the grass was wet and therefore my feet and stomach were wet too. I got covered in mud which was lots of fun. When I came inside Dad carried me to Mum who took one look at me and decided that I needed a bath!

Mum took me upstairs, put water into the laundry sink and washed off the dirt. Then she picked me up, emptied the sink and filled it with clean water. I was a good boy when she washed me and stayed still - until it came to rinse time - that scared me and so I tried to climb out of the sink.

When I was clean Dad wrapped me up in a towel and dried me.

Mum then took me into the bathroom and put me in the sink there to dry me with the hairdryer.

I tried to write about this earlier, but I was too tired from my bath.

So...

It's been a couple of very busy days since I wrote. I wanted to write sooner but we have been out all day and then Mum has been working on her uni assignments when we are at home. I guess I'd better start at the very beginning and tell you what has been happening.

Sunday
On Sunday morning Dad started to feel a bit sick - he said he thought he was coming down with a cold so he rested all day. In the evening he started getting sicker and got really hot. Mum eventually took him to the hospital (she said that a hospital is like the place I went to stay for a few hours when I was sick). I got left at home with Nana and Pop - and, even thought I love them, I cried and cried until Mum came home... but Dad wasn't with her. I heard Mummy saying to Nana that Dad was getting fluid and was in emergency. They had also done some tests - but the results hadn't come back yet.

Monday
I woke Mummy up early and went outside to have a play. When I came inside I ate some breakfast and then tried to find Daddy. I looked everywhere and couldn't find him. I tried to get up to my bed to see if he was there but I couldn't make it and I cried. Mummy said that we were going to go to her school and then go visit him - but I didn't understand why he wasn't with me.

Mummy packed up my toys, blanket, bowl and food into a big bag and put me in my crate. We got in the car and I wanted to be near her so I called her a lot. She pulled over and put me on the floor in the front and tied me up so I couldn't move very far... and so I was safe.

We drove for a long time and eventually Mum pulled into a car park. We met a lady who is Mum's friend and she cuddled me and carried me for Mum (as mum had to carry her bag, my bag and my crate. I went to class with Mum and met all her friends - and they all said I was cute.

After we left we got back into the car and went to the hospital. I was so happy to see Daddy - he looked a lot better.

I had a cuddle and then lay down and went to sleep on the bed.

Daddy started to feel sick again so Mummy put me on the floor with my blanket and my toys. Even though I wanted to play and run around, I lay still and slept.

Daddy got really sick and started throwing up. Mummy got cranky at the people in the hospital and kept telling them what they needed to do to make him feel better. Eventually they did what she said and he stopped being sick.

Mummy and I stayed at the hospital until after it was dark. When Daddy seemed a lot better we went home. I went crazy - running around madly and growling and playing with everything.

Tuesday
Mummy and I went back to the hospital this morning. Daddy slept most of the day – and so did I. Mummy took me to puppy preschool where I learnt how to drop and practiced “wait”. I got to play with ALL the puppies – the big one AND the little ones (like me). Max, who is a Labrador, wanted to play with me – and I wanted to play with him to – until he got his mouth around my entire body! Kara, the vet nurse, rescued me and gave me back to Mum. I sat with her for a while and then I wanted to play again, so I got down – but I stayed clear of the big dogs and played with Bella and Maddie.

When we got home I went to sleep!

Wednesday
Mum and I slept in this morning and went to the hospital late. Dad was feeling a lot better and was able to go home “after lunch”. Daddy was in a ward with three ladies who all loved me. They all cuddled me and I walked around the ward – going from bed to bed. At 5pm we left the hospital. I was so excited that Daddy was coming home with me. When we got home Dad had a bath and went to sleep. I realised one problem with him coming home – when he was in hospital I had half of the queen sized bed to myself – but with him home – I was squished between Mum and Dad.

Book Worm (or dog as the case may be!)

Uncle Dan tagged me to complete this little "getting to know you" exercise.

1. One Book That Changed Your Life

"Clifford the Big Red Dog" changed my life because before that I didn't realise that dogs can be Red or that they can be as big as a house!

2. One Book You Have Read More Than Once

Considering I'm only 10 weeks old - I haven't really had time to read many books - let alone read them twice!

3. One Book You'’d Want On A Desert Island

I agree with Uncle Dan on this one - "Raft-making for Dummies." (except I'd need "Raft-making for Doggies" with instructions on how to do it when you don't have an opposable thumb!)

4. One Book That Made You Giddy

"Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy" by Lynley Dodd, if you have ever read it you would understand why

5. One Book That You Wish Had Been Written

"How to train your owner - 101"

6. One Book That Wracked You With Sobs

It's not so much a book but a nursery rhyme - Old Mother Hubbard - WHY does the dog not get anything to eat???? WHY, WHY? It's not fair!

7. One Book You Wish Had Never Been Written

See above!

8. One Book You'’re Currently Reading

"What-a-Mess has Supper" by Joseph Wright

9. One Book You'’ve Been Meaning To Read

Any of the Spot books.

10. Now Tag Five Bloggers

Aunty Lou, Eryn (I don't really know anyone else!)

The hypo dog has a hypo

Yes, you read that right. I, Carbi the hypo dog, had a hypo myself yesterday. Of course, I didn't know this until Mum and Dad told me. I have still been sick (with worms) and yesterday became dehydrated - even though Mum kept forcing me to drink my special drink. Mum and Dad rushed me to the vets when I was unresponsive and then had a seizure. The vet kept me there for a few hours and made me into a hunchback by giving me subcutaneous fluids. I went home at 6pm feeling alot better.


Today, I went to the airport to say goodbye to Mum's best friend Eryn, who is going to China indefinately. On the way home Dad brought me some special mince that I can eat (mixed with yoghurt) and that will hopefully make me feel better. I get tired quicker than I normally do at the moment, so I'm off to have a sleep now!

Tuesday

Today I went with Dad to take Mum to the train station then when we got home I had one last play with Aramis and Willow because they had to go home. We went back to the place with the big yellow arches. Willow, Aramis and Lorraine all got into another car and Dad and I went to pick Mum up from uni. After uni we went to Westfields in Parramatta where Mum and Dad bought me a new bed – it is one to take to work and hopefully Dad can find a place for it to stay at work so I can sleep in it. Mum and Dad told me I had to go to Puppy Preschool tonight so when we got home I had a big sleep. I now have to play games all by myself because Aramis and Willow aren’t here anymore. I feel really sad about them going home – it’s a bit lonely here now – so I followed James around all afternoon. I got ready for puppy preschool and Mum, Dad and I went to my vets, which is where puppy preschool is held.

When we got to the vets there was a group of seven other puppies. We all sat around in a group and a lady called Cara talked to us. The big dogs got to play for a while and then we all practiced sitting. Dad took me to the front of the class and told me to sit – so I did. (I already do that at home, then I wait until Dad or Mum say “OK” before I eat.) Then I got to play with Maddie, Boris and Bella

After a short time playing, we had to sit down again.

While we were sitting there James started to seem funny again (Mum and Dad seem to call this ‘low’) so I growled at him and nibbled his fingers. Mum went out to the car and got Dad a drink and then I stopped nibbling his fingers. While Mum was gone, Dad and I went to the front of the class again and called me to him. So I did. Puppy preschool doesn’t seem that hard! After this we got to play again. Before we went home Mum and Dad talked to Cara about my ‘important job’ so that she will understand if we do things differently from what she shows the class.

Monday

Today we all went to Penrith Plaza. There were lots of people around and many different shops to look at. We visited Mum and Dad’s friend, Angela, who said I was very cute but also said that she was feeling sad because she was almost my brother’s Mum. After that Mum, Dad and Lorraine went to get some food. A security lady said that no dogs were allowed in the Plaza and so Dad and Lorraine showed her our ID cards and the lady talked into her collar and then said that was fine. She said that her Granddad has Diabetes. I think that that must be what Dad has.

After lunch Mum needed to go to the toilet and so she took me with her. Lorraine took Aramis and Willow with her. Mum was giggling because we could her Lorraine talking to Willow and Aramis and she thought that everyone else would think she was talking to kids, the conversation went like this…

"Aramis, you are meant to be showing her what to do. Willow you have to sit down" etc

After Mum washed her hands we were standing waiting and a lady came up to us and said that she wouldn’t use the hand dryer because it might scare me. She talked to Mum and me for a while.

When we left the Plaza we went to Bunnings so that Lorraine could buy an azalea to put on Saki’s grave. Aramis and Willow said that Saki was there sister who died recently. She was also the first hypo-alert assistance dog in Australia. Aramis and Willow seemed very sad about Saki.

We also went into a shop where there was lots of material. Mum and Lorraine were trying to find some material that matched my coat. They eventually got some pillowcases that are a nice green colour.

When we got home Aramis, Willow and I all played for hours and all got very tired!

Sunday

Today Willow, Aramis and I all played a lot. While Dad was sleeping, Mum, Lorraine, Aramis, Willow and I all went in the car. We went to a place where there was lots of plants in pots.

Mum made me wear my little green coat which says that I am an Assistance Dog (in training) and she said that it means that I can go almost anywhere with her and Dad. After the place with the plants we went to a shopping centre. We went to a pharmacy to look for some stuff to put on Willow because she got a bit of sunburn yesterday (and I found out that apparently she is also a Chinese Crested puppy and that she is meant to not have any fur!).

Saturday

When we got home from work this morning their was only time for me to go to the toilet and have some breakfast before Thor, Willow, Aramis, Lorraine, Mum, Dad and I got into the car. We were going to the AGM for Paws for Diabetics. Thor was very excited because he was going to be meeting his new Dad. We drove for a very long time (one and a half hours) and eventually got to a house. We got out of the car and went into the backyard. There were dogs, dogs and more dogs!!! They were all in runs around the yard but Aramis, Willow, Thor and I were able to go anywhere we wanted to in the yard.

We all played and Thor got to eat some food (I helped a bit). After about 30 mins Thor’s new dad came! After that more people started coming and there was another dog, called Jet, who looked a bit like Aramis.


There was also a dog, called Panda Bear, who had lots and lots and lots of fur! He was white and was covered in fur, I mean covered! I hope that one day I can have long fur like him!


Aramis and Panda Bear liked dancing.

All the Mums and Dads of the other dogs then sat in a circle and talked for almost an hour (I had a sleep while they were talking). Sitting around in a circle must have been hard work!

After they finished talking some more dogs got let out of their runs. Those dogs were short and had flat faces and I was a bit scared of them.

Aramis and I took turns taking photos with Mum's camera when she wasn't looking (but Dad was watching us and making sure we didn't break it.

Because Dad and I had been working all last night we went to have a sleep in the car. Mum came to wake me up because we were leaving soon and she wanted to make sure that I was going to go to the toilet before we drove home. I was still half asleep when Mum put me down in the yard and I thought I was seeing triple. It seemed like Aramis had turned into three dogs!! After I woke up a little I realised that there was actually three dogs – I wasn’t seeing triple!

We packed up and got back into the car and went home.

Friday

Today I spent most of the day playing with Thor, Willow and Aramis. In the middle of the day the phone rang and Dad started talking to someone about me. Lorraine then got on the phone and also talked about me. When they got off the phone Dad told me that I was going to be in a magazine and he showed me an old copy. It is called Buddy and it is free. You get it from various shops and vets (my vet has it in her waiting room). It is distributed across the greater Sydney metropolitan area, the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and Illawarra regions – so I’m going to be a star!!!!
After this interview Dad and I had a sleep and when he was asleep he didn’t seem ‘right’ so I made him wake up by whining and growling and biting at him. When he got up and ate he seemed ‘right’ again. He told Nana and Lorraine (who apparently is a person!) that his ‘level’ was 2.8. I think that this has something to do with why he doesn’t seem quite right. Daddy made a huge fuss over me and said I was a good boy for waking him up.

I also got a new coat today. It is green and it means I can go almost anywhere with Mum and Dad.

I had to leave Thor, Willow and Aramis to go to work with Dad – I had been playing and was tired, so I slept almost all night.

Thursday

This morning Dad and I got up to take Mum to the train station so that she could get the train to uni. However, Mummy was running late and we ended up driving to Emu Plains so that she wouldn’t be late to uni. After that, Dad and I went to have a nap but before I knew it he was waking me up again and telling me we has to pick up Lorraine. I was tired and I didn’t know what a ‘lorraine’ was but I had to get up anyway.

Dad and I drove for a long time and ended up at a building which had a big yellow sign out the front (it had two arches). Dad said it was McDonalds, I thought it smelt nice!

Dad got out of the car and I heard him talking to a lady and a man. Before I knew it the lady, another puppy in a crate and two big dogs got in the car and lots of bags. The big dogs said their names were Willow and Aramis, and told me the puppies name was Thor. They also said that the lady was the Director of Training for Paws for Diabetics. Willow seems to have something wrong with her because she has no fur – but I didn’t say anything cause I didn’t want to be rude.

When we got back to my house we all played outside for a while. I was a bit scared cause I was the smallest… but it was my house and Daddy was nearby to I started to play with them by biting them. I quickly worked out that if I yelped, then Dad would come rescue me so I had fun ‘attacking’ Thor.

Erk

I have been sick today. I wasn't feeling too good last night - I couldn't stay awake... but this morning my tummy was gurgling and Nana could hear it from across the room!

Dad ended up taking me to the vet cause he could feel my insides moving and went I went to the toilet he looked worried (I'm not going to mention why for those with weak stomachs). The vet was nice to start with - she said lots of things to James but I was too tired to listen. Then, all of a sudden, she stuck a needle into me!!!!! It hurt but I didn't cry (well maybe just a little - the receptionist may have said that she heard me from the other room). After that my stomach felt a bit better and stopped gurgling. I had to have yucky liquid stuff that Dad call "electrolyte" and I didn't feel like drinking anything so Dad had to use a syringe.

I feel a bit better this evening, but I'm still really tired and I haven't eaten anything solid all day!

Mum bought me a new toy for being a good boy (obviously she didn't hear me at the vets, and I'm not going to tell her about it if you won't!).

PS Mum told me to say thank you to Victoria (my doctor) becasue even though she hurt me she made me feel better - AND she rang up this afternoon to see how I was because she was worried about me.

Acting funny

Last night at work, James started to seem 'different'. I tried to let him know by biting at him but he didn't realise I was trying to tell him something. James being "different" made me feel funny. When he was holding me I wanted to be on the floor, and when he put me on the floor I wanted to be held. I kept trying to get his attention and he finally went into the kitchen and had a drink, which made me feel better. He said to Liz this morning that he did that because he felt shaky. After he had a drink he started to seem like himself again, so I felt better. When I felt better and stopped trying to get his attention, James realised that I had been trying to tell him something and he gave me lots of praise, so I think I'll do it again!

I don't like being apart from James, even if I'm playing I want to be with him... but he sleeps all day and I like to get up and play outside in the sun. Today I was playing and wanted to go to bed but I couldn't get to James because our bed looks like this:

So I curled up on his dressing gown to sleep because it smelt like him. Liz found me and carried me to bed.

SIT

Yesterday James and Liz decided to try and teach me the command sit. Liz said that I was very smart because I soon learnt that she wanted me to sit down - but I wouldn't stand up so that I could sit when either her or James said SIT

Last night at work, James practiced SIT a few more time with me and I did what he said two times.

Today Liz took some photos of me playing....




When I was tired, Liz took me to bed where James was already sleeping. I climbed onto the pillow, licked his head a few times (I didn't bite because he was asleep - at the moment I like chewing things because my teeth are coming through), then I curled up and went to sleep. Liz thought we looked very cute so she took this photo.

Hi ho, Hi ho, It's off to work we go!

I had my first night at work last night. First James, Liz and me, went to Blaxland were I met more very nice people! They have a West highland terrier named Skye, who kept sniffing me and wanting to play, but I was more interested in looking around the house.

After that we came home and all had some dinner. Then, while James was having a shower, I had another snooze (the bunny in the photo is my friend Bugs!).

James woke me up to go to work with him. At work I was very good and met all the staff and resident's in the Nursing Home, at Sprinwood UnitingCare. I went with James when he did his rounds, sitting on the floor while he worked. A few times, James put me in my crate and I went straight to sleep (I only cried when I needed to go to the toilet!).

This morning I had all the day staff fighting over who got to hold me, and how long they had me for, but all I wanted to do was sleep!!!

Hello

Hi Everyone,

My name is Carbi and I am going to keep you all up to date on my adventures. On Tuesday, the 8th, I left my brothers and sisters in Hargraves, NSW and started my journey. My new parents, James and Liz, told me that I was to be trained to become a hypo-alert dog for James with the organisation, Paws for Diabetics (PFD).

So far, I have been busy settling in. I have met my new Nana and Pop (who live with me) and my NanNan and Aunty Maura.

Last night I made some new friends, Tommy and Laura, who are closer to my age, but a lot bigger and scarier than me!!!


It was Laura's second birthday. Even though I was a bit scared I was on my best behaviour and didn't react when Laura tried to pick me up by my neck (luckily Liz was also holding me).


Halfway through the party, I fell asleep!

I cried last night when it was time to go to sleep because I missed my brothers and sisters. I eventually fell asleep and woke up bright and early this morning. I had a play outside with Liz, Nana and Pop before Pop went to work.

Right now, I'm really tired so I'm going to go to sleep.

It's a hard life but some doggy's got to do it!


PS. Hi to Aunty Lou, and Hi to Uncle Dan - hope I can meet you both soon!!!

Takeover...

This will be my 'last' post as of tomorrow, Carbi will be keeping you up to date on his activites - after he has had a good nights sleep!

Photos

Like all proud new parents, James and I decided to share some photos of our new 'baby' with everyone!