Poor Smudgie...Life is awful for him right now.

So Mommy took him to see the vet on Friday to get his bandage changed, and when the took it off it was infected. Dr. K said that he got something called "staff" or maybe it's spelled "staph." Anyway, it's way worse than they'd hoped.

Mommy came home with tears in her eyes. She said that she had to hold Hudson while the vet trimmed all the hair and cleaned up the infection. It includes his toenail, two toes, and goes partway up his footie. She told Daddy that he screamed the whole time Dr. K worked on him. She said it was the worst thing in the world to be a part of. Poor Mommy and Poor Smudgie.

He did get a nice purple bandage this time, but I doubt that makes him feel any happier.

He's taking super duper pills now, and they seem to make him a little "off." Also, it was a roofing day again today, and he was completely freaked out...so he wouldn't go outside. He just wanted to stay in his crate and cry. Finally, when all the roofers came in for lunch Smudgie and I got to join them, and he walked to the front door. (It's the only one he trusts these days. He will NOT go out back for a pee.) I guess no one figured out what he wanted, but he let go and made a gigantic pee right there, on the carpet. He is so ashamed. I'm told he hasn't peed in the house for way more than a year, possibly as long as I've been alive. It kinda makes me wish I hadn't peed in the bedroom this morning. Sheesh.

He hid under tables and in his crate the rest of the day. Auntie Brighit told him it wasn't his fault...she said that the noise, the medicine, and feeling yucky with a sore foot probably caused it and that he's still a good boy.

No one ever tells ME I'm a good boy when I pee in the house. In fact, Daddy says words I can't even post here.

So, I feel really bad for Hudson. For some reason, he feels really bad about peeing in the house, and especially that he did it in front of everyone. I've never really thought about feeling ashamed about it before. I must think about this...could he be right?

So, hopefully Smudgie will heal quickly. He goes back to Dr. K on Monday (good luck dragging him inside) so I'll have to let you know how he does.

In other news, I played with two strange dogs last night. I think they were ok. I may have to reconsider my earlier "kill em all (except Smudge and Katie)" position. Some strange dogs are actually nice. Who knew?

Take care all, and think kind thoughts for my older (but shorter) brother. I think I'll try being nurturing tonight. Maybe that will help.

Nurse Rudy Nightingale

Did you hear about Smudgie's toe?

On Monday night he was jumping out of Daddy's truck, and he got a toenail caught in the step. He yelped and there was lots of blood. What was he thinking, trying to jump out of the truck with those short little legs of his? (Not to mention his enormous bum!)

Daddy thought he'd be fine, but Mommy took him to the vet the next day. Good thing, too, because apparently he ripped it so hard that the quick was outside of his nail. Yowie.

So Dr. K (another vet Hudson really likes, but I haven't met him yet) had to pull off Hudson's nail. Yowie Wowie.

Now he has this big orangey yellow bandage, and he acts all wounded and sucky, and Mommy keeps babying him. The good news is that when she gives him a pill she hides it in a jube jube. And I get one too. (A jube jube, not a pill silly.) Turns out, I like these jube jube things. Uprights to have some neat stuff.

So I'm about to be stuffed back in my crate and Mommy is heading out with Smudgie to get his bandage changed. Lucky boy. He gets a car ride and I get incarcerated.

Take care all, and watch your step!!

Rudy, whose pedi is currently perfect

Hudson here again...

I have spent the last two days listening to Rudy howl from his crate. The uprights are reshingling the roof, and the noise is horrid. It upset me so much that I tried to tunnel my way out of the bedroom so Mommy put me in my old crate. I was so offended. I haven't been "crated" in eight months.

Then I realized something. It's safe and secure in my crate. My head is protected, and the roof noise can't get me there. So while big baby Rudy barked and yelped, I rested calmly in my old crate.

We got taken out for pees and to stretch our legs a bunch of times. And, during lunch we even got to hang out with a whole bunch of great people. I like my Grandpa a lot...and Auntie Brighit is so nice to me. I know if I asked her to she'd make me my own sandwich. I bet she'd even remember I don't like mustard. Cousin Jzero, Cousin Vienna, Uncle Wayne, and Uncle Garth all helped Mommy and Daddy. It was a great lunchtime, even if no one remembered MY sandwich.

But then Mommy asked me to go outside, and there was somebody back on the roof, making scary noises. It was horrible! I refused. I ran back to the safety of my crate, and they all thought I was a scaredy cat. I am NOT a scaredy cat. I was, in fact, a safety conscious dog. Thankyouverymuch. Sheesh. Uprights.

So, I just popped out of my kennel to tell you roofing is very, very scary. And to remind you all that, unlike Rudy, I CAN be trusted around computers.

Sir Hudson, the Cautious

The sky is falling. The sky is falling.

Yesterday they made me stay in my crate while all kinds of people stomped around above my head. Shingles came flying down from all over. Hammering, stomping....it was a nightmare.

And I hear they're all coming back to continue.

Mommy says they're fixing the roof. Apparently it's NOT supposed to rain inside houses, and Mommy and Daddy are tired of putting up with it so they are doing something called reshingling.

I don't like it.

Take care all,

Rudy, who wants a hardhat even though he's in his crate.

I'm no longer allowed to blog unsupervised

Daddy went down to work in the computer room, and he left his laptop open. I thought I'd check in with you guys. So, I started typing, and then I got a little lonely, and stressed. So I licked Daddy's keyboard. Then I nibbled a little. Then, before I realized it, I was chewing a little....then Daddy came back and got really, really mad.

So now I can only use Mommy's laptop and I can only do it WITH supervision. Apparently having to replace the keys will be expensive.

I did throw some of them back up, but Daddy says he doesn't want them back. Mommy said it was funny that "insert" and "delete" came back out. Whatever those words mean.

I am truly in the doghouse now. Even as I type this, Mommy's watching me like a hawk. Daddy's still not talking to me.

I'm so sorry.

Take care all, and remember, computers are not food.

Rudy, full of shame (and keys)

I must apologize for not writing more

Hi all. It's Rudy, remember me? I haven't been doing a good job of keeping up on my blog lately. I'm so sorry. It's the end of June, and June is a crazy month for teachers. When Mommy gets home she watches an hour or so of TV and then collapses on the couch and sleeps until morning. She's also been out for one thing or another every night. I feel obligated to cuddle with her, so that doesn't leave much time for blogging.

I did want to give you a quick update.

I continue to be doing very well with my "rehabilitation." On Monday night I barely snarled at Keira at all (well, just once when she was paying more attention to Smudgie than to me). Then I met Queen. She lives next door to Jen, and is a "rescue" like me. Jen says she still has some issues, and we did take a while to bond, but I never actively tried to bite her, and after a few minutes all four of us (me, Smudgie, Keira, and Queen) walked together without incident. I guess it was kind of nice.

Smudgie pooped out and didn't want to keep going. I could have walked forever. He crawled under Daddy's truck and laid down in protest. Then the bumper fell off Daddy's truck (snicker). Fortunately it landed nowhere near my brother. It appears Mommy may have had something to do with that, but we're not to speak of it.

On Tuesday, I went to the vet. One dog went out the in door, so I had something LOUD to say about that, but otherwise I was a very good dog. I laid down on the floor, got to meet lots of people, and only made one single bark at another dog. I let about seven or eight pass by me (or I passed by them) and I ignored them.

The vet was really impressed. I like her.

She did, unfortunately, feel the need to put her hand up my bum again. This time it didn't really hurt all that much. I didn't fuss, and again I was told I was a good boy.

What a great dog I am! And all I had to do to get this title is listen to my Mommy and stop trying to kill other dogs. I think maybe I can do this. It might take some more practice, but I'm on my way.

Take care all, and don't bite your friends.

Rudy, who might actually start making doggie friends one day.

I am a good boy. I didn't eat the Yorkie.

Hello. My name is Rudy, and I'm a good boy.

We were on a walk this morning, me and my pack, when we were attacked from out of nowhere by this sabre toothed Yorkie. He got out of his yard and jumped right on Smudgie and me.

I wanted to eat him, but Daddy said not to. It was hard, but I sat and stayed for Daddy. I only broke my stay when the stupid Yorkie jumped on my back. I don't think I have to put up with THAT.

Mommy and Smudgie took the Yorkie to its house, and the owners didn't even seem to care that he'd gotten out. Mommy says she's going back there later to bite the owners herself. I don't think she's really setting much of an example for me. I'm pretty sure this Jen person (my behaviourist) would prefer she NOT bite the owners of that Yorkie.

But...that's Mommy's issue. I, Rudy Patootie (I can't lose that name) was declared to be an official good boy today. Later we go see Jen and her pack. I can hardly wait to see if I can still be good then.

Peace to all...

Rudy, the slightly reformed.

Daddy worked on his truck last night.

I don't have a picture of it at the moment, but I'll sneak out and get one soon. Have you guys ever seen my Daddy's truck? It's downright scary.

Having said that, I still really really love riding in it Daddy. And I think it's really funny that Smudgie can only put his front feet up in the back seat and that while he's waiting for you guys to lift his bum up (it is quite a solid bum) I enjoy jumping right in, right over top of him. I have really springy back legs. But then again, I don't have a Smudgiebum to deal with.

My Daddy's truck is many, many different colours, and all these neat wires hang out from all sorts of places. It's always an adventure. He says he's painting it all black, and that makes me sad. I like the rainbow colours.

So, let's all start an online petition to save Daddy's big monster truck from a paint job that will make it all one colour. Down with conformity! Keep being a rebel Daddy! And when can I go for my next ride please?

Take care all,

Big Rig Rudy