A Modified Normal

AP here:
So we started down this bumpy road 4 months ago and we have had to modify some things and our daily routine.





 This is the Tonka Cave constructed from 2 exercise pens and pvc pipe to make a 4x6 spacious place for him to lounge around in. It has 2 canine cooler pads for him to stay comfy on and he has room to stretch completely out.


Everything we need

 We have a multi purpose storage unit for medications, boots, duct tape, puppy pads etc. Note the camera to the left for all day monitoring of the Tonka Cave and the little white camera on the top corner which is one of 3 that are connected to the Lorex Snap baby video monitor. It has a small monitor unit that displays all the cameras with night vision. It is small enough to take to bed and be able to check on him where ever he is during the night

There are baby gates to keep him from trying to use the steps.

Ramp on the side of the house is now outfitted with commercial rubber mats with traction bumps and drain holes.

Sleep space with fleece blanky and toys. The fleece is great at keeping things from soaking the carpet if there is an accident. The dog bed in the back corner is actually a memory foam bed from bigdogbeds.com. and is comfortable enough for me to sleep on. I got it for my last Pyr and neither she nor Tonka would have anything to do with it so it has become mine to lay on when he is having a bad night and I end up sleeping next to him.

Our day now begins at 4:30am so that I have time to get him up and in his boot and stumping around the block. We usually have a little standoff on the corner where we would normally turn to go to the park since he still thinks we should be able to go that far. This is frustrating for both of us and neither of us really wins the battle. On good days he gets around fairly quick and gets done with his potty business for the morning. Bad days we stop a lot, standing in the cold, and when he will poop is any ones guess. Occasionally we run into his friend Marie and she walks with us for a while. Tonka adores her and it is much less of a fight with him when she is around. Then it’s up the ramp and into the kitchen for breakfast followed by a nap (him not me) while I get ready for work. Tonka eats from elevated bowls which are kept downstairs since that is where he used to eat and they don't fit real well in the kitchen. So for breakfast and dinner I have to go downstairs make his bowl and then carry it all upstairs to the kitchen. When he is done I have to carry it all back downstairs again which I don't mind doing - I would do anything for my boy it's just the time factor for everything has changed. What once was something so simple that took a few minutes is now a whole process that adds time to the day. You don't realize that until you have something like this happen. Your normal routine gets changed and the amount of time for that routine has to be changed as well.

Then it’s a fight, and more often than not a bribe to get him back down the ramp to go potty and into the Tonka cave. Some mornings that becomes CM's job especially if I go in early.

I can monitor him on the Tonka cage cam from my phone and my PC at work, as can my parents so we know what he is up to during the day (usually just sleeping). Mid-day my mom or dad comes by to let him out and he hangs out either in the yard, on the porch or out front sniffing the breezes and perhaps taking another nap. It is apparently very tiring being a Pyrenees.

In the afternoon/evening we take our second stump around the neighborhood and again hope that all potty business is taken care of. Then we stump up the up the ramp and in to the house to take a nap before dinner. Once dinner is done its time for another nap before he gets his frozen peanut butter Kong treat. We play for a while with some of his toys or he tries to attack feet or bathrobe sleeves depending on his mood.

Tonka likes to sleep downstairs but he starts off upstairs which means anytime between 11 and 2 he will wake me up by barking and want to go downstairs. So out the door into the cold and down the ramp we go to get from point A to point B (really love this when it is cold and rainy). He tends to pee while he is walking down the little hill to the back door and that means it gets all over his front legs so I have to wash them once we get in the door. It would be much easier if we could start off downstairs in the beginning of the evening but Mr. "creature of habit" is not fond of that. Once downstairs he settles onto his fleece blanket and goes back to bed unless it is a whiny kind of night and then he will whine and cry and want me to stay with him. It is very rare I get a full night’s sleep anymore - usually the night when he has had PT he sleeps at least till 4. The therapists have given me some things to do with his leg that might help settle him down for the night so we are going to try those tonight.

One modified day at a time......