Puppy dog eyes

I've been feeling like the only person in the world who has a dog who is not tolerating his e-collar. So I browsed online. I found this picture of what family did to try to help stop their dog from tearing out his stitches. And this was a guide dog puppy -- well-trained!



These pictures helped me feel better. The facts of the case for our puppy.

• Scrubs is currently wearing two e-collars: the old one and the new one.
• Two provides two barriers.
• We are hoping this will buy us at least another 24 hours.
• 12 hours would even be okay.
• Or even 6.
• Can't fit in his kennel with e-collar on.
• Can't fit in his kennel = no breaks for JB or Wendi.
• Can't be in kennel = can't sleep in kennel.
• Sleeping on a pad in our room confuses him.
• Wakes up in the middle of the night and begins wandering around the room.
• Doesn't understand that the e-collar requires more space.
• Runs into everything.
• Especially runs into everything in the middle of the night in our room.
• This wakes me up.
• JB is wearing earplugs.
• We compromised.
• Whoever is up with him all night gets to sleep in in the morning.
• I guide him back to the pad.
• He usually goes down immediately, glad to finally have figured out where he is supposed to be.
• If he doesn't go down, he has to pee.
• During the day, goes so crazy trying to get this e-collar off that he works himself into a mad frenzy.
• The only way to get him out of the frenzy is to get him to fall asleep.
• This usually requires him lying on your lap ...
• On his back ...
• With his feet up in the air ...
• And you supporting his head ...
• If we finally get him to sleep, it only lasts as long as one of us in the room with him.
• If he is asleep and we leave the room, he knows it and wakes up and then goes crazy again trying to get the e-collar off.
• He can't really play with anything with the e-collar on.
• He isn't supposed to be playing.
• He is supposed to be resting.
• We had to use duct tape to keep him out of the stitches.
• Yes, he is still finding a way past the e-collar to his stitches.
• That duct tape is going to HURT coming off.
• The e-collar has to be on until Friday.
• FRIDAY!
• I have a grant due on Wednesday.
• JB has an easy schedule this week!
• Thank goodness!
• Here is a picture of our dog in his newly rigged conraption which seems to evolve by the hour as he figures new ways around the e-collar and to his stitches on paws (or where he was neutered).