Nap Time

Here’s the latest alert from my house: According to M, he does EVERYTHING!

I think the last 12 hours have been some of the worst we have ever experienced.

I haven’t said anything about it, because I hoped we could change it and things would get better, but our new puppy, Bella, has not been well received by the other dogs at our house. AT ALL.

I don’t know if it’s because she’s still a puppy or that they’re so set in their ways, but it has been very rough going.

Usually, we put Bella in a crate whenever we leave the house so she can’t get into any trouble while we’re gone, but one Saturday, about a month ago, we were only going to be gone about 30 minutes, so we left her out.

Big mistake.

When we got home, there was blood everywhere and Bella had been on the receiving end of a beat down. We never could figure out which of the other dogs had been involved in the ruckus, but after spending the afternoon and $200 at the emergency vet, we knew the crate was no longer just an option.

Then, this past weekend, all three of them got into a tussle while M and I were at home! By the time we could get them separated, all of them had a few scratches, but nothing that seemed to need another trip to the vet. We had no idea what set them off, but M and I were starting to get the idea that whatever energy Bella is bringing to the party isn’t working for the other two.

And then yesterday.

M had to go to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned at 4:15, so I called him in the afternoon to remind him about the appointment and putting Bella in her crate. He got that done and got out of the house – no problem.

As I was on my way home, M called me – in tears. I was on the highway and couldn’t talk, but from what I understood, the house was covered in blood.

What? Bella was supposed to be in her crate!

She was. This time, it was Aggie and Duchess – the two best friends in the world – going at it.

When I got home, M had Aggie in the garage, and she was gashed up pretty good. I didn’t see any puncture wounds – just lots of scratches and bites on her ears and legs.

When I asked about Duchess, I couldn’t make any sense of what M was telling me, but we went in the back yard and finally found her, hiding under the storage shed. I was able to coax her out and she was in the same shape as Aggie.

I was able to get them bathed – one at a time, bent over in the bathtub (my back was KILLING me!) – and assess their injuries. Nothing seemed too dire or in need of immediate attention, but they were both limping and were very quiet all night. They slept in separate dog beds in our bedroom and didn’t eat anything, just rested and felt sorry for themselves.

Bella, of course, bounced from room to room, bed to bed and thoroughly enjoyed being the only dog healthy enough to get food and snacks. She made a pest of herself the entire evening.

Last night, M and I talked about today. That our vet opened at 7:30 am and he would take Aggie and Duchess first thing to be checked out. Then we talked about Bella – what to do about her. As much as we love her and as much as we want her to work out and be a part of our family – yesterday just shows that it’s not working. I don’t know if it’s that puppy energy or some other personality conflict she has with the other two . . . but whatever vibe she’s giving off is having a real negative effect and has caused more problems in the last few weeks than we’ve ever had.

So, M is also going to take her back to the shelter today. It breaks my heart. I wish there was another way. But if things continue the way they are, we’re going to be burying one (or more) of them.

M was fine with all these plans last night, but this morning, when it was time to get up and get going, THAT’S when he announced that he “does everything around here.”

I think I’m ready for a nap.