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After taking some time to heal from the loss of our 12 1/2 year old bulldog Winnie (❤), we have now welcomed Oliver into the family - upping the testosterone level in the house. We love Oliver (you will too) and we are patiently waiting for one of his testicles to drop, the teething to end (holy, puncture wounds on our hands!) and his brain to grasp how to pee and poop outside. Follow along for tons of updates & cuteness overload!

We have been trying to give Oliver a few “prison breaks” here and there throughout the day. Having to remain indoors (except for the bathroom) AND being confined to just one room in the house is a big adjustment for him. And so we have been totally cheating by sitting outside for 10 minutes after each bathroom break. He naturally has to remain leashed and harnessed and he cannot sit in the grass (which I know he misses) so we don’t risk any infection to his incision - but I know he is enjoying those few minutes of fresh air. Oliver is being super rad throughout all of this. His recovery is going so well and he really has just allowed us to take care of him without getting grumpy. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that he is getting 50 times more attention than normal (which was a lot to begin with). Only 2 more days and his stitches come out! Only 4 more days until physical therapy begins! Only 6 1/2 more weeks until he can resume NORMAL activities! (That last one sounds so long but I figured if I put an exclamation mark after it, I’d feel better about it.)

We have been trying to give Oliver a few “prison breaks” here and there throughout the day. Having to remain indoors (except for the bathroom) AND being confined to just one room in the house is a big adjustment for him. And so we have been totally cheating by sitting outside for 10 minutes after each bathroom break. He naturally has to remain leashed and harnessed and he cannot sit in the grass (which I know he misses) so we don’t risk any infection to his incision - but I know he is enjoying those few minutes of fresh air.

Oliver is being super rad throughout all of this. His recovery is going so well and he really has just allowed us to take care of him without getting grumpy. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that he is getting 50 times more attention than normal (which was a lot to begin with).

Only 2 more days and his stitches come out! Only 4 more days until physical therapy begins! Only 6 1/2 more weeks until he can resume NORMAL activities! (That last one sounds so long but I figured if I put an exclamation mark after it, I’d feel better about it.)

godbless-catastr0phe asked: Your adorable bulldog has reduced me to tears of cuteness and Squees only a thirteen year old girl can produce. I proudly admit that, and I am a 20 year old man. Oliver is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to get one of my own. I'm looking forward to more updates from Oliver!

Aww, I’m glad he could make you squee like a thirteen year old! Ha! Oliver is quite a character and has a huge personality (when he isn’t acting like a 99 year old grandpa)

Bulldogs are the greatest (Oliver is our 2nd) but a ton of work. They require lots of attention both as pets and medically. If you’re ready to put in the work, you will LOVE having one.

Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for all of the well wishes!


Here is a small video I took two days ago, as Oliver began bearing the TINIEST amount of weight. He would take two steps and sit. Take two steps, sit…etc.

Today, he is bearing more weight and taking more and more steps! Progress feels slow but considering we were told 2-3 weeks to start bearing weight and we’re just one week and a day out of surgery, we couldn’t be happier. If it’s possible to be proud of a puppy, we are.

This picture is a picture of progress. Oliver is on Day 6 since his TTA surgery and he has been doing well with recovery. This morning, not only did he hop out the back door on his own, but he also then hopped down the two remaining steps to the back yard! This is HUGE. He’s been carried down those steps since he’s come home so the fact that he is feeling more confident on his 3 legs is great. He is still being carried up the steps but for the first time today, he also let us “towel-walk” him up without freezing like a statue. Another breakthrough today…. he actually tried putting a very small amount of weight on his leg!! I was surprised and thrilled! It was a bit more than just touching his toes to the ground. He actually put a tiny bit of weight. Yay, Oliver! He is super bored, though, and that blows. I’ve spent a small fortune spoiling him even more than he normally is with bones of every kind- large knotted rawhides, flavored Nylabones and Galileo bones…anything that he can use/chew without it being a signal to PLAY- and he doesn’t have much interest in them. (he usually loves to chew these things) However, despite being bored, he seems to be developing a nice routine of napping and waking up. Ha. His incision looks great and we were SO lucky that he didn’t have any bruising or swelling as most dogs have. We did cheat last night and after a bathroom break, we allowed him to sit on the back patio with us (obviously he was harnessed, leashed and 2 inches away from us) just to get some fresh air for 15 minutes. He was thrilled. The poor little guy must feel like he’s in jail. It’s been a VERY long week and we’re glad this first (and toughest) one is over. We’re looking forward to June 1st when his stitches come out and June 3rd when he begins physical therapy.

This picture is a picture of progress. Oliver is on Day 6 since his TTA surgery and he has been doing well with recovery. This morning, not only did he hop out the back door on his own, but he also then hopped down the two remaining steps to the back yard! This is HUGE. He’s been carried down those steps since he’s come home so the fact that he is feeling more confident on his 3 legs is great. He is still being carried up the steps but for the first time today, he also let us “towel-walk” him up without freezing like a statue.

Another breakthrough today…. he actually tried putting a very small amount of weight on his leg!! I was surprised and thrilled! It was a bit more than just touching his toes to the ground. He actually put a tiny bit of weight. Yay, Oliver!

He is super bored, though, and that blows. I’ve spent a small fortune spoiling him even more than he normally is with bones of every kind- large knotted rawhides, flavored Nylabones and Galileo bones…anything that he can use/chew without it being a signal to PLAY- and he doesn’t have much interest in them. (he usually loves to chew these things) However, despite being bored, he seems to be developing a nice routine of napping and waking up. Ha.

His incision looks great and we were SO lucky that he didn’t have any bruising or swelling as most dogs have.

We did cheat last night and after a bathroom break, we allowed him to sit on the back patio with us (obviously he was harnessed, leashed and 2 inches away from us) just to get some fresh air for 15 minutes. He was thrilled. The poor little guy must feel like he’s in jail.

It’s been a VERY long week and we’re glad this first (and toughest) one is over. We’re looking forward to June 1st when his stitches come out and June 3rd when he begins physical therapy.

Oliver is home.

A Quick Update

We dropped Oliver off at the hospital at 8am & they told us his surgery was scheduled for “early afternoon”. So I was a little nervous when the phone rang at 11am and it was the hospital. It was all good, though - they took him in early. When they called at 11, he was just waking up. Surgery went well and they said he did great. He will stay overnight and is on morphine all day today as well as tonight. They will call at 9am tomorrow to let us know when we can pick up that little nugget o’ love.

I miss him lots and it’s only been a few hours… but I am SO stoked to have a good night’s sleep after 5 solid weeks of Oliver’s insomnia!

And now, it’s a matter of recovery.

Well guys, this is IT. Tomorrow is D-Day - Oliver’s TTA surgery to repair his torn ACL. I have been so anxious waiting for this day to come. I am not even necessarily nervous about the surgery itself: it’s common, he is going to have round-the-clock care at the hospital, he will do just fine. What I AM worried about is when he comes home and realizes how badly he can make me feel. I am 100% convinced that while he will be in some pain, he will undoubtedly get theatrical and make it seem like his leg was cut off and that I was the person who cut it off and then hung it over the mantle. I know it. I know this will happen. This is Oliver we’re talking about. He gets very dramatic when we put Aquaphor on his nose. He rolls and smashes his face into furniture all for NON-SCENTED Aquaphor. Can you imagine how dramatic he will be with an incision and limping? Seriously though, I am nervous but I know we will get through the next several months of recovery. It might seem like a lifetime, but we will get through it. Wish us luck.

Well guys, this is IT. Tomorrow is D-Day - Oliver’s TTA surgery to repair his torn ACL. I have been so anxious waiting for this day to come. I am not even necessarily nervous about the surgery itself: it’s common, he is going to have round-the-clock care at the hospital, he will do just fine.

What I AM worried about is when he comes home and realizes how badly he can make me feel. I am 100% convinced that while he will be in some pain, he will undoubtedly get theatrical and make it seem like his leg was cut off and that I was the person who cut it off and then hung it over the mantle. I know it. I know this will happen. This is Oliver we’re talking about. He gets very dramatic when we put Aquaphor on his nose. He rolls and smashes his face into furniture all for NON-SCENTED Aquaphor. Can you imagine how dramatic he will be with an incision and limping?

Seriously though, I am nervous but I know we will get through the next several months of recovery. It might seem like a lifetime, but we will get through it.

Wish us luck.

Traditions.

I always seem to blink or make a super weird face whenever someone takes a picture of me. I have always done that and probably always will. It’s nice to see Oliver carrying on the family tradition….

…almost every picture of him features his “red rocket”.

We have been super busy trying to read up on after-care for Oliver’s surgery. I tend to be a worrier so in order to be able to sleep for the next two weeks leading up to his surgery, I needed to feel as though everything is in place and a plan of action has been hatched. We’re getting there. I think I’ve mentioned before that I absolutely HATE Oliver’s crate. It served its purpose during training and he only uses it now when he’s afraid of something- such as a mop, broom, my Jack LaLanne juicer, or thunder. It is an eyesore in our small house and I had big plans to get rid of it soon. Instead, we now have one TWICE the size of the original in preparation for Oliver’s recovery. Awesome. During the recovery process (which is LONG), when anyone is home with Oliver (which is about 95% of the time), he will be in our bedroom where his big, soft, fluffy dog bed is located. The room is carpeted so there isn’t any chance for slippage, as there would be on the hardwood floors throughout the rest of the house. A baby gate will be in place to contain him in that room. When we are not at home with him, he will be crated - hence, the new, larger, uglier, sticky-out-er, uglier, (and didn’t I mention LARGER) crate. I’m thrilled, in case you were wondering. I hope he’s ready for staring only at two rooms for quite a while. We tried to practice “towel walking” today and we were met with the Death Stare and an all-out freeze and stand-in-one-position from Oliver. So that is going to be a fun part of recovery too. Ugh. I’m stressed but we need to do what’s best for Oliver. And that means surgery. I just wish May 21st was here already so we can get this over with and start recovery. Has anyone reading had ACL surgery on their doggers? Advice? Thoughts? Help…?

We have been super busy trying to read up on after-care for Oliver’s surgery. I tend to be a worrier so in order to be able to sleep for the next two weeks leading up to his surgery, I needed to feel as though everything is in place and a plan of action has been hatched. We’re getting there.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I absolutely HATE Oliver’s crate. It served its purpose during training and he only uses it now when he’s afraid of something- such as a mop, broom, my Jack LaLanne juicer, or thunder. It is an eyesore in our small house and I had big plans to get rid of it soon. Instead, we now have one TWICE the size of the original in preparation for Oliver’s recovery. Awesome.

During the recovery process (which is LONG), when anyone is home with Oliver (which is about 95% of the time), he will be in our bedroom where his big, soft, fluffy dog bed is located. The room is carpeted so there isn’t any chance for slippage, as there would be on the hardwood floors throughout the rest of the house. A baby gate will be in place to contain him in that room. When we are not at home with him, he will be crated - hence, the new, larger, uglier, sticky-out-er, uglier, (and didn’t I mention LARGER) crate. I’m thrilled, in case you were wondering. I hope he’s ready for staring only at two rooms for quite a while.

We tried to practice “towel walking” today and we were met with the Death Stare and an all-out freeze and stand-in-one-position from Oliver. So that is going to be a fun part of recovery too. Ugh.

I’m stressed but we need to do what’s best for Oliver. And that means surgery. I just wish May 21st was here already so we can get this over with and start recovery.

Has anyone reading had ACL surgery on their doggers? Advice? Thoughts? Help…?

Wellll, it’s official - Oliver needs surgery to repair his CCL (ACL in humans). Surgery is scheduled for May 21st. They will keep him overnight at the hospital, which actually makes me feel relieved. He will be under 24-hour care there. He will come home the following day. He will be limping but he will be walking. We have also decided (personally) to start him in physical therapy rehab to aid in his recovery. He will have to be leashed even when going to the bathroom in the backyard to make sure he doesn’t chase any squirrels or birds. Thankfully, Oliver isn’t much of a runner so it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sad that he will miss out on most of the summer playing at the park. He will most likely not be allowed to run and play for 2-3 months. What a shame. As it is now, if I don’t take him to the park he gives me a DeathStare. It’s going to be a lonnnnnnng summer.

Wellll, it’s official - Oliver needs surgery to repair his CCL (ACL in humans). Surgery is scheduled for May 21st. They will keep him overnight at the hospital, which actually makes me feel relieved. He will be under 24-hour care there. He will come home the following day. He will be limping but he will be walking. We have also decided (personally) to start him in physical therapy rehab to aid in his recovery.

He will have to be leashed even when going to the bathroom in the backyard to make sure he doesn’t chase any squirrels or birds. Thankfully, Oliver isn’t much of a runner so it shouldn’t be a problem.

I’m sad that he will miss out on most of the summer playing at the park. He will most likely not be allowed to run and play for 2-3 months. What a shame. As it is now, if I don’t take him to the park he gives me a DeathStare.

It’s going to be a lonnnnnnng summer.