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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Pet Appreciation Week - Comet

All bets were off in June of 2010 when a friend of mine brought boxer pups to the market. She says, "you need this little guy - he is deaf. If you take him, I will give him to you. You have a deaf dog, you know how to raise him." I saw the littlest white pup, with a black spot over his eye and of course I scooped him up and had to carry him around. I held him up, facing away from me, and made kissing noises - his ears twitched and his head moved.

"He is not deaf" I told her, "He is a boxer - he is hard headed." She still insisted I take him. He kinda did too. I put him down, and he made a bee line back to me and followed me around the booth. Damnit....we had imprinted..

I call James - "Jamie....... I have a little boxer puppy" and my voice trailed.

"Whatever makes you happy my love."

Jesus save me, I now have a Comet
So tiny!
So tiny!


But I had a plan!

It wasn't going to be my dog. Leigh and Russ were coming to visit. Leigh wanted a dog, and Russ loves English bulldogs - this is a white boxer, close right?? I would surprise them with this pup when they came, and if they could keep him, they would have a dog!!!!  Things don't always go as planned, and they couldn't work out a deal with their landlord (pet deposit was too much). We had already had Comet for a week by now, and Leigh and Russ were leaving. I told James, I will just take him back.

"You are not taking my dog anywhere" he says and with that we added a 4th dog to our house.

Comet was the most unusual puppy, all he did was sleep. Occasionally he would be a puppy, and a boxer puppy at that, and he would play in short bursts. He hates the broom, and vacuum, he must save me from all cardboard.  He was patheticly cute.
I can't make it
I can't make it

I found a mud puddle!
I found a mud puddle!
He couldn't get all the way up on the couch, but he could get his front legs up there. Then he would wait, and wait. Someone would take pity on him, and lift him the rest of the way.


He is very vocal and will tell you a thing or two, and sometimes three - and then he is asleep again.

Any warm spot will do
Any warm spot will do

 Part of me, wasn't too concerned. He was a white boxer, and a runt. He most likely would be a little more laid back.

His being laid back was a boon for business. He was a festival dog for sure. He slept most of the day, and when he was awake, he was loving on everybody. He gets so excited his whole body shakes. He tries to wag his nub of a tail, and his whole body gets in the way. He tries to walk up to you in this state of excitement, and he comes at you sideways, butt first. You have to laff! He was too cute to pass up, and people would come into my booth just to see him. He traveled to every festival I did (unless it was Rose's turn)


New festival friend
New festival friend


In his festival shirt
In his festival shirt


Comet like Rose is a go go - he loves to go, to festivals, to restaurants, to the office, markets, parades, you get the picture. He knows when I start to pack the truck, it is time for a festival/market, and he is at the door. Even now, and I don't take him like I used to.  So as much as he is with me, Comet is James dog. Comet sticks to him like glue. James thinks this is great, because as he works, or watches TV, he has a little buddy to sit with him.




Sleepin with dad
Sleepin with dad
As Comet grew so did his spots. We watched as more spots showed up on his skin, and the spot over his eye grew, but his hair never grew.
So here we have this little LITTLE boxer who isn't growing, sleeps all the time - and has no hair. No hair to the point his nickname was Piggy.


He walked very stiff legged, and couldn't raise his head. He seemed to always look at the ground. Several times to the vet, but no concerns were raised.  He started to cough, and he would cough til he seemed to gag, back to the vet. This is how it was with him.




Then the gods smiled upon me, the heavens opened, and I got a job at a local veterinary office. None too soon. Comet started having seizures.  Back and forth again. X rays, bloodwork, medicines, it was scary. He was so sick. Then the blood work showed he had a thyroid issue. Without doing massive tests to know for sure, there is speculation that maybe his thyroid stopped working, or was just too small. All of the sleeping he had been doing for 3 years was just his way of staying alive. My heart was crushed he had been sick for so long, and it was never caught . At the same time, if I had never got this job, we would never have known what was wrong with him or been able to help him. All things at the right time!



Comet now has a full coat of white hair, with brown spots! So much hair, you can barely see the black spots on his skin. He has so much energy, he runs and plays and plays and plays!!!! This little guy got an overhaul at just the right time, and we have plenty more miles left!

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