Treats & Snoozin', Snoozin' & Treats

(Okay, +100 points to whoever gets where my post title is from! Hopefully, you all are familiar with the original YouTube sensation Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and just this week a Marcel sequel was released, and included the inspiration for my title. Also, because ever since Eric watched the new Marcel, he can't stop saying that line. So it's funny! And I'm about to talk about my dog, so it's relevant. Funny and relevant!)

Anyway! It has been a while since I posted anything about what my dear little Achilles has been up to, so I thought he deserved a day on the blog. Really, it's pretty simple to sum up his life: "Treats and snoozin', snoozin' and treats. That's it." (Thanks, Marcel!)

You may recall all our various struggles with Achilles' separation anxiety and great crate escape escapades (see here and here for the two main Psycho Achilles discussions), and so you may wonder how he's doing now that we're both working full-time out-of-the-house jobs. I am pleased to report that Achilles is doing great, thanks to a little miracle-worker called THE KONG.

Bless you, Kong. Bless you.

Honestly, that little piece of red rubber is sent straight from heaven. We just stuff that bad boy full of wet dog food (he likes it better than the "Kong Stuffing" they sell), and he will actually go into the crate of his own free will. There have been days when he will just go sit in his crate and wait for someone to deliver his Kong. Then it seems he gets so caught up in going after the (apparently) yummy stuff inside, he doesn't mind that we leave. I think it helps so, so much that he is just distracted during what would be his initial freak-out period, and then when he's done with the Kong, he's past the point of PANIC MODE and instead is just all, "eh, I guess I'll nap now." It is so wonderful to not have to leave for work every day wondering if he's going to hurt himself trying to bust out of there, or bark so much the neighbors complain and we get evicted, or whatever. Instead, we come home to a perfectly calm, un-slobbery, quiet, happy pup. LOVE THAT.

So, that's the "treats," and the rest of the time, Achilles is pretty much "snoozin'." His loss of tongue control continues to be a problem (though a cute problem), and he has also taken to loud snoring and regularly barking in his sleep. All rather precious, except for when it wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Achilles will lay down wherever he's comfortable, even on the back of his good friend Eric.

Somebody just woke up! (Also, he is on no fewer than three blankets here. What a rough life.)

Uh oh.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

So that's the latest in Achilles' life. I'm sure he's also looking forward to his time at "camp" next week while Eric and I are in Florida for Thanksgiving, and I'm sure he's also thrilled about being a big brother in March. At least I hope so. Fingers crossed he doesn't eat the baby!

(I kid. I don't think he'll eat the baby.)

(I hope.)

Happy weekend, everyone!