Hi Donny, I'm going through something very similar. I broke my leg right at the ankle on March 16 so Monday it will be six weeks. I also have been absolutely immobile and I really don't know how long it is going to be. In my case I was taken to the local hospital where they botched the operation so I went to the Yale medical practice and had the head of orthopaedic surgery of the Yale Medical School try to fix it. I had a raging bone infection and nearly lost the lower leg and might very well have if I had not been proactive on my own behalf. The surgeon at Yale said he was appalled at what had been done to me. The hardest part is not being able to do anything and in my case not being able to take care of my totally disabled wife. She needs 24/7 care and I provided over half of it so now we have had to hire a bunch of people including for all night because she needs to go to the bathroom at least once during the night, something I always helped her with. I have no one to drive me around because our live in nurse doesn't drive and my kids are not available. Thankfully we have one close friend who has helped and my daughter has just come back from California to help. I bought a little scooter to get around outside to supervise the huge amount of work that the property requires this time of year not to mention the rose garden with 280 roses. As soon as I finish this I am going outside as there are workers here today. One thing you learn is how much work you do and how much it would cost if you had to pay people to do it for you. I hope you are getting along. I'm guessing that I am in for at least three months more of this before I can be able to do what I could before. The doctor has told me I should be good as new except for a very weak ankle. Good luck to both of us, Henry

I'm installing a 42 inch neoangle acrylic shower base. I've done a lot of reading about the rough-in construction. However, I'm unclear about the best bedding material to use to set the shower base. The instuctions say to "apply enough bedding material to support the entire bottom of the shower base". Use "Low-shink bedding material (grout, mortar, plaster, etc.)". What bedding material is best?? The installation is on top of Durock installed over 3/4 OSB. Any other tips about this ankle-biter?

I think this poor dog needs some stability, consistency and to be a part of a pack-- if even a pack of one. Clearly he has had a rough life and some bad encounters in the past. He was kept outside on a lead and perhaps/potentially abused. I think a big clue to the need to be a part of a pack is this statement in your first post "When he is at home with me and my three big dogs, he is such a snuggler and he loves to chase my dog who is chasing his ball, barking and herding my dog who is bigger than 5 of Chicos" The pack offers a lot to a dog-- guidelines, rules, protection, warmth, love. A pack is a family. Will you be keeping Chico? If so, the first thing I would do it read about and initiate a NILF program-- nothing in life is free. It begins setting the rules-- and establishes you as the alpha/rule maker/rewarder. This has been very effective in use with rescue dogs. I used a modified version of the program when I adopted my rottweiler as she had NO self control and had never been a house dog. I didnt have too many issues with aggression towards people but I did have issues with an insane food drive, possessive behavior (she thought she "owned" anything she found), pushy behavior especially around being the first to and out the door.. and well you get the picture. She was unruly. I was able to very quickly position myself as the alpha and quickly regain some order to the house. One of the "rules" I implemented remains a loving part of our pattern. I required that she sit still before being given her food dish-- initially, it was a "butt down" and once she was successful with that, I increased the time that she was required to sit before she got a food bowl. Eventually, as I established my role as alpha, she had to sit and wait for a kiss on the nose and the words "bon appetit" before eating. Even today, three years later, she will not eat if I do not kiss her nose and say bon appetit. One day I was soooooooo frustrated with her and I just brushed her nose and walked away (I know, very immature of me) and she sat there just looking at me until I said bon appetit LOL. This is just one example-- she had to learn the rules for going outside, for getting on the chair or sofa, for getting pets ands attention. The program starts requiring the dog to earn freedom to be loose in the house (I did not start here). It is so effective in not only establishing the rules, and you as rule maker-- but it builds TRUST. I think it is clear that Chico has no trust. When he trusts you-- to guide him, love him and protect him, he will then follow your lead in how to deal with strangers or unusual situations. Right now is an overly cautious, reluctant self protector-- take that load of responsibility off of him. There are lots of sites on the internet dealing with NILF. The best ones will focus on the bonding as well as establishing the rules. You may think it sounds extreme to start-- requiring the dog to be leashed to you in the home, for instance-- but it is really just so effective in establishing the trust and bond. People think giving the dog love and attention is what is important-- but that often brings about confusing and inconsistent messages (like unintentionally rewarding barks). Structure is every bit as important as love. You are a kind soul-- I wish you and chico many successes and a much happier home.

LOL, Minnie! Loved your reference to furballs. :o) Thanks for your post. The dog just started taking medicine for Doggy Alzheimers, plus I take a couple meds myself, so between the three of us (dog, cat, and me), we're starting to sound like a bunch of old fogeys with all our medicines. The cat is getting the wire removed from her jaw soon, possibly next week. That should slow her down from all the JUMPING she's been trying to do against doctor's orders! The trouble is, she tries to jump and misses and has taken three spills in the last couple of days--not good for a broken leg. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she hasn't reinjured the leg, which *finally* has skin again. Sometimes I think interpretting what the furballs are saying is half the joy of pet ownership. You know, putting words in their mouth when they have funny expressions on their faces? :oD