Monday, September 24, 2012

Smegma, General Update, Etc.

Well, it's been a while since I posted an update.  To be honest, not much has changed, Marty is still the happy little guy he's always been!

He's grown a bit and we haven't been working on too many new tricks.  Marty has reached a point where he knows a decent number of tricks, but has started just cycling through them constantly when he wants a treat. This is not acceptable.  It was cute at first, and encouraged (to help him learn the motions), but now, whenever he starts cycling through, I put the treat behind my back and don't say anything.  After a few seconds he will stop, sit and listen.

He's gotten much better about not cycling through tricks.  Before he gets food, I slowly go through his tricks, in a completely random order, sometimes repeating tricks.  Sometimes all I do is have him stay.  It confused him at first, but he's improving every time.  I'm basically trying to keep him on his toes.  I'm trying to to teach him to calm down and listen.

We're still going on walks, but now we've added fetch to some of our walks.  Sometimes I throw a tennis ball, which he chases and brings back, most of the time.  Sometimes I bring the soccer ball and dribble around the park while he chases me/the ball.  It tires him out and he loves it!

Another big improvement has been him listening to me more outside.  He still gets scared of some really loud noises, but his trust level and confidence level is rising.  In the dog park near my house, he's very good off leash.  He will run around, chase balls, play with other dogs (also immense improvement, he's made 3-4 friends that go crazy when they see him and vice versa), but still listens to every command I give, whether it be to sit, so I can put the leash on or off, stay, follow, etc.

I'll end with a fun story from this weekend.

So, Marty being my first pup and I'll, I'm a bit of a worry wart.  I try not to be, but I can't help it.  Maybe it's because my own mother still dotes on me at the young age of 26.

Well, after running around outside in the backyard a bit on Friday, Marty went up on the porch and sat down, looking at me with a look that says "I want to go inside now human."  I moved to oblige my canine overlord, when I noticed that he had a milky white substance on the tip of his penis.

I went inside and grabbed a paper towel and gently dabbed the tip of his penis, worried that my puppy went from a lick granuloma and ear infection to a now infected urethra.  The substance was somewhat off white and tinted kind of green.  I was instantly worried.

I mentioned this to my roommates and they said if I see it again I should take him to the vet, which I agreed with.  Two days went by and I didn't see anything, I figured that it was just some dry urine or maybe he walked in something weird.  Sunday evening it was there again.

I went into worry mode, when I realized that I had a powerful tool I hadn't consulted yet, Google.  The weirdest google query of my life (puppy has pus on penis) and I instantly was directed to a bunch of results saying "Probably not infected, mostly likely smegma."  In my mind, what the hell is smegma.

Smegma is penile discharge that lubricates the foreskin of a dogs penis.  Smegma is made of natural lubricants a dried pee.  If it was an infection, it would smell horribly.

Marty, you teach me the most amazing things.

K bye!


1 comment:

  1. You should really worry when I stop doting on you! lol Take good care of my grandpup. :)

    ReplyDelete