Hi All! It’s ME, Hank! I am back from my visit to the shop and my fix, and you will not believe what they sent me home with. Check out my picture. That’s right -- A dress. FD calls it a cape to try and make me feel better, but I think we both know the truth. I keep trying to frown to let FM know this is not acceptable, but no matter how hard I frown on the inside it still seems to look like a smile on the outside. Ughh. Genetics. Speaking of genetics, I like to carry the front of my dress in my mouth (you probably don’t know any other retrievers who like to carry things). FM says it makes me look like a lady holding her skirts up so she doesn’t trip. I think that’s just silly, ‘cause it’s obvious I look like a boy dog trying to break outta the girl’s dress someone stuffed me into. And guess what? Twice now I have done it! The last time I was extra sneaky because I had my head down over my food dish so it looked like I was eating, and then when I stood up? Whoops! The dress was on the food dish instead of me!

This morning I got invited into bed to struggle. I climbed up there, grabbed my dress in my teeth, gave it my best big-boy growl and started head whipping it back and forth. It felt sooo good to take my frustration out on that thing! Just when I got rockin’ and rollin’ FM grabs me and says in her best stop-it-right-now voice, “Hank. I said sNuggle, not sTruggle.” That may be what she said, but it was not what I heard. Unfortunately, I did not understand the second time either and then I got invited back off the bed and onto the floor.

FM says I am at that puppy stage where I am really rough and have a hard time settling down. My teeth are still really sharp and it hurts people when I forget that I am not supposed to bite down on them. I especially like anything that reminds me of the tail of my best fur­-bottomed friend, Archie, and that includes the long hair of my three non-fur-bottomed foster girl cousins (oops!). I am learning, though, and I will get it figured out with time (mine) and patience (FM’s)

My foster grandma has requested that we send in a picture that does “justice” to my curls – whatever that means. She thinks they are “darling” (I do know what that means… treats and ear scratches!) and no one could possibly resist them. Can you resist them? Can you?

Check out my new video!

Whew!

Question: What kind of person would think it was relaxing to have an un-potty trained puppy scampering around the house, rough housing and begging for attention? Answer: The kind of person who until two days ago had three un-potty trained puppies scampering around the house, rough housing and begging for attention!

With Ernie (now Huxley) and Ruby off to their forever homes, little Hank is ready for some one-on-one attention from the foster pack! It’s time to start working on puppy manners and potty training! Aside from a long overnight with some nasty loose stools, he has kept his crate sparkling clean and dry for most of the last two days. The vet gave us some meds to help with the diarrhea problem, so hopefully tonight will be more restful for all of us.

Just like his mommy, Hank is people focused and loves to be loved. He does a great job of sitting to get treats and attention. We got a few Hank-sized tennis balls the other day and he is carrying them around like a champ. He is starting to be able to follow the ball when I release it, and sometimes he even brings it back! Go Hank! He and resident fur-butt Archie are a special pair. Archie is a big lug and Hank a little squirt, but they have a great time playing together. I love to watch Archie let Hank “win” when they are playing tug! It’s pretty funny to watch a 100 lb dog pretend to be dragged around the room by a 20 pounder!

We have gotten some great updates on the pack and are thrilled to know that Ruby (Aruba) is up to walk/running 3 miles with her new mom, little Ruby is a model with her own Facebook portfolio (eerrr… photo album), and Huxley (Ernie) is snoozing on the job while he is work with his new dad. Hank is ready to have some adventures of his own, so we will keep you posted!

Hi everyone! FM here. First off, Hank is doing great! He continues to be seizure free and he has almost completely caught up to his sibs in size. This morning Ernie was 16 pounds, Ruby 15, and Hank an outstanding 14.5! Go Hank! He continues to play less and sleep more than the other two, but it’s not as noticeable as it was previously. In addition, he, along with the other dogs, is learning how to sit and come and at this point, he earns the “most likely to sit when asked” award…

Think you are up for anything? Take three 8-week old puppies and three teens/pre-teens to Petco for an outing. The puppies got loved-up by everyone in the store and got to pick a toy to bring home. Ernie and Hank picked macho toys, a stuffed dino and dragon respectively, and then whispered and snickered when they saw Ruby had picked a rubber chicken. No accounting for taste, huh? Of course, Ruby got the last laugh when she watched Hank create a “cleanup in aisle 9”. Not only did he provide some aromatic entertainment for everyone, he climbed onto the grate under our cart to do it! Thanks Hank {grin}. You keep my life interesting.

Check out some puppy playtime in the yard.

Adorable. Wiggly. Loveable. Puppy.

Definitely good words for Hank.

Possible hydrocephalus. Likely resulting from congenital defect. Increasing neurological damage. Severe cases almost uniformly fatal.

No. Not good words for Hank. Not good for him… Not good for the people who love him… Not good for the family waiting patiently to give him a forever home… Not good at all.

Hank, like the other puppies, had his first official vet check yesterday. Unlike the other puppies, in his case there is reason for concern. Hank’s vet considers Hank to be “suspicious” for hydrocephalus.

Of concern:

• Hank has been a poor-doer from the start. While he has continued to gain weight, he is literally half the size of his two litter mates (3lbs as compared to 6 lbs). He also looks skinny and wiry instead of fat and happy.
• He does not look like his siblings. His head is very round and there is a lot of space between his eyes and the top of his head… Essentially he has a “domed” skull. I had commented that he almost looked like he was a different breed, and both vets independently made similar statements.
• Together, along with some behavior that is different from his siblings, these issues cause significant suspicion that there may be a problem

Time will tell:

• If he has hydrocephalus, the vet would expect him to begin showing symptoms sometime in the next 3 or 4 months, possibly much earlier
• At the vet’s suggestion, we will watch for neurologic symptoms caused by increased pressure inside the skull including dullness, excessive sleepiness, funny gait, balance issues, etc. which will help them determine an appropriate diagnosis
• If Hank is suffering from this problem the prognosis is grim. The condition would likely either be fatal, or result in euthanasia due to uncontrollable neurologic symptoms in a matter of weeks or months.
• At this time, the vet cannot say definitively that Hank has a congenital defect, only that his current symptoms are of significant concern. It is possible Hank will progress without neurologic issues.
• As a result, RAGOM will not adopt Hank out unless/until his vet can say with confidence he is not suffering from hydrocephalus, likely several months from now at the earliest. Until a conclusion can be drawn one way or the other, Hank will remain in foster care.

So, what can you do? Lift him up with your good wishes. Be thankful that he is in the loving arms of RAGOM volunteers instead of living in the filthy shed where he was conceived. Hope that he is simply an adorable, goofy-looking runt going through an awkward phase, and he will move on to a great golden life. Consider helping RAGOM with the cost of this special boy’s care by sponsoring Hank or making a donation in any amount.

As I explained to my youngest son, our job as his foster family hasn’t changed! We are going to give Hank the safe, caring home he deserves. We are going to love him up, savor his puppy breath and laugh at his silly antics. And, no matter the end result, we are going to remember the words from a favorite family song and love the time we have to share.

“If we ignore the moment, we commit the greatest crime. We got to learn to love the time.”
– David M. Bailey from the song Love the Time

Hi Everyone!

The puppies are too busy to do their own update this week, so I'll let you know what they are up to. The pups (or Hank and the Tanks as we like to call them) have all opened their eyes and are walking now. I think they are starting to hear sounds as well, but I haven't seen them "startle" to a loud noise yet. Each day we work with them to provide gentle stimulation and to get them used to being handled. We hold them away from our bodies, lay them on their backs on our hands and hold them upside down. They also get some toe tickles, a chance to stand on a cold, wet washcloth and a few minutes to walk around on a new surface. We will begin exposing them to different noises starting this week, so hopefully when they find their forever homes, they aren't scared of the coffee grinder or the garbage truck, etc.

Our littlest guy, Hank (I'm not small, I'm fuel-efficient) has some serious ups -- not jumps, but climbing skills. If you cradle him by your tummy, the next thing you know he has managed to scamper his way up to your shoulder. He wiggles when he is being carried, and I'm beginning to suspect he may be a high-energy dog. He weighs just over two pounds while the others are heading for four. He is steadily gaining weight at this point, but still looks like a mini-me of Ruby. I talked with the vet and asked about whether Hank's runt status was likely permanent, and he indicated it would be hard to tell either way. He did say that if he is still littler than his sibs at 4-5 months, then he is likely to remain on the smaller side. Of course, that's not going to help us much with our decision-making, because this guy is going to have a home waaaaay before then!

Check out some pics of Hank being his cute little self! If you have time, check out the new puppy video.