Nova Speaks

"Things are really starting to get better around here. I think I will end up being a pretty good Tripawd. I am getting better and better at getting up and down and moving around. And I am starting to do more of the things I used to do, which really makes my family very happy. I really like being in the boys' room, but they keep closing the door on me. Last night I wanted to sleep in there, but they shut me out. So I slept on my bed in the living room. Dad was really sick and was coughing so much that I couldn't rest, so I finally weaseled my way into their room through their bathroom."

"This morning after breakfast I wanted to see what they were doing. Turns out they were playing the Game of Life. They got mad when I walked in and hopped straight across the game board. All their money and cars with people were flying everywhere. Ben was laughing that his "wife" fell out of his car and got stuck between the pads of my foot. The I stepped my tripawd foot right on the box top and smashed it. Hey, it's not my fault they spread everything all over. Those guys are messy. After Ben won the game, they put it away and started to play Rock Band. Ahhhh.... I love to hear my brothers try to sing and play the guitar. As you can see in the picture, I like to just hang out in the middle of whatever they are doing. Mom kept coming in because she thought she heard me howling, like I was hurt. But it was just Ben trying to sing."

"I am napping a lot, but this is nothing new to me since I have always been a couch potato. Dad always used to call me the "House Cat". In the past when he would see me napping he would tell me to "Get a job!" It's funny, now he is really nice to me and gets on the floor to snuggle up to me and tell me how great I am. He doesn't tell me to get a job now. Now THAT'S more like it. My stuffies are really helping me feel better too. Here I am resting with Larry the Lobster (Mom and Dad got it for me at the Boston Marathon) and Lindy the Eagle (everyone got it for me at Busch Gardens). I can't wait to see what new stuffies are in store for Christmas!"

"This afternoon Mom went out to get me some more food. She has been spending so much time on the computer researching things she can do to help me get better, and be more healthy. The great people on the Tripawds site are giving her some great advice. Since I haven't been eating much kibble this week (I have figured out a way to make her think I will eat nothing but canned food... hee hee) she decided to try some new canned food called Innova EVO. EVO is a canned food that doesn't have any grains in it (which us dogs shouldn't be eating anyway). It is all delicious meat, vitamins and minerals. Chicken, turkey, duck, beef, and rabbit.... she went all out and tried all the flavors. When she came home I told her I was hungry and she gave me a can of Rabbit. Wow, I didn't think there was anything in this world that was better than Cowboy Cookout, but this sure was great. She was so happy I liked it she gave me a second can! She is slowly going introduce some other vegetables and fruits and try me on some Innova EVO kibble (no grains in there either). She is also going to start introducing these new foods into Emmy's diet too, since Emmy is so fat."

"When Mom got home she started looking for me right away. I knew I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, so I just stayed there. I should have known she would keep looking, she found me sitting in Dad's chair. But she didn't get mad, she was so happy to see me there and doing all my usual Great Dane stuff. I tried to be serious and remorseful, but you see I could not stifle a tail wag. Works like a charm!"

"Today everyone was all surprised when they found me drinking out of the toilet. I know most dogs do that all the time, but I never had the urge to do it. I have always avoided my brother's bathroom, but today I decided to walk in there (gotta try out the Tripawd on all types of surfaces). Whaddaya know, I saw a toilet that looked just like the one on the card that Annie's family sent me yesterday. I remembered Annie's advice to "Drink Plenty of Fluids" so, I took a nice cool drink. And then Mom walked in on me. Everyone thought it was funny that I did what the card said to do. I don't know what was so funny. When someone gives you some good advice, you take it, and try it, you know?"