| Simon is pug numero uno. He is the pug that started it all. He was so silly and, of course, the cutest pug puppy in the world. He would make me laugh almost every day with his silly antics. Simon is a very sensitive pug, his feelings are hurt very easily. If one of the other pugs is being scolded he will go to a different room and put himself in timeout. If I was going to describe Simon's personality I guess I would say that Simon is 120% committed to doing everything he can to give every human he meets his complete love and affection. I warn people over and over, I tell them to be careful when they bend down to pet me; I assume they think I am overstating how exuberant Simon can be. In about two seconds everyone realizes that I wasn't exaggerating. By then they have scratches down their chests and red blotches all over their faces. You're lucky if you come back with both earrings still intact. The one other defining characteristic that makes Simon, Simon is that he is a reincarnated golden retriever in a pug's body. I know this because he is crazy, no addicted, no insane for the tennis ball. If there is a tennis ball out you'd better watch out. Simon will bring the ball and puts it in front of you. Then he waits, and waits, and waits. If you don't throw or kick the ball he will then put it in-between your feet. If you still neglect to notice the ball he will start to do this small hop on his front legs and give a little bark at the same time. If you STILL don't throw the ball (as if!) Simon will begin to do the little hop on top of your foot while doing his little bark. He is obsessed and the only way you can get some relief is to take the ball away all together. I guess you can say he is completely committed to pursuing the tennis ball anywhere, at anytime, and anyhow. Hmmm, I wonder if they have rehab for pug's with a tennis ball addiction? (Watch out Brittney!) Simon has many health issues that are common to pugs. First, he has antropian in one eye, and pigmentary kerititis and dry eye in both. Simon suffers from dwarfism (something common in dogs that are bred down in size) giving him abnormal bone growth in his front legs. Both of his front legs are bowed outward which make his front feet splay (He's a regular Charlie Chaplin!) Beside those issues he also has subluxating elbows, a narrowing trachea, and an abnormal curvature of the spine. When Simon was 9 months surgery was performed on his right front leg. This was necessary to relieve arthritic pain caused by his subluxating elbows. So now Simon is now minus one radial head, plus one surgical screw. He also came home with a nasty two inch scar on his leg. Simon has also had two separate eye surgeries to remove eyelashes (antropic) which were growing under his eyelids. The eyelashes were rubbing on the surface of his eyeball causing an ulcer to form. Now he gets daily eye drops to treat his dry eye and they also slow the progression of the pigmentary kerititis. Simon was an only pug for about 9 months and then pug number two came home. Simon's reaction to his new pug sibling was quite unexpected. The new puppy came home Thanksgiving weekend and I made the huge mistake of taking Simon with us when we went to pick it up. The drive was an hour and a half each way so on the ride home Simon had a significant amount of time to feel like his space was being completely violated by the new puppy. When we arrived home Simon wouldn't go to anyone that had touched the puppy. He loves my daughter and greeted her with his usual crazy attitude (she had stayed home) but once she touched the puppy he wouldn't have anything to do with her. Simon even refused a fresh piece of roasted turkey leftover from Thanksgiving day dinner! It all ended with a rush to the emergency vet at 11:00pm for some sub-Q IV fluids. Simon had pitched such a hissy fit that he had dehydrated himself. Of course, I was guilt ridden (just what he wanted, I'm sure!) thinking I had killed my sweet puggy by bringing another pug home. After a day or so he was back to his old self and was actually enjoying his new playmate. On a final note, you might like to know where Simon's name came from. His name is from a character in the movie Mercury Rising staring Bruce Willis. In the movie, Bruce saves a young autistic boy who is named Simon. |
| To Contact Kary Kidder: e-mail: onesmugpug@comcast.net phone: 425-413-5032 |
