Your Older Dog

Your Older Dog

If you are a longtime pet owner then you have had experience with your aging friend.

Over the years I have watched frisky kittens ripen into quiet, daylong window sitters. My dogs too became observers of life around them. In the afternoon my Basenji finds a sunny spot on the rug. His contentment is contagious. That is the connection between the art of aging and aging animals- the ability to connect, to find their place. This is not so much a physical feat as a mental one.

There are, of course, the physical restraints that old age brings. I carry Frodie down the stairs several times a day. Yesterday on a short romp through the woods he came to a fallen log, which he would have easily jumped over less than a year ago. Now, he asks for my help.

Long walks become quiet moments listening to the swaying trees.

Sometimes the air becomes still and heavy. Memories- filled with regret and joy- fog the evening of our life. Melancholy pervades. Your friend understands this all too well. His strength is your strength. The connection, the sameness, between you and him explains the meaning of our existence.

Being Little Can Be Hard

Another boarder came to live with us on St. Patrick's Day in 1999. She weighed one and half pounds and could not use her back legs. My son, now a veterinarian, was working at a clinic during his college vacations. A fuzzy toilet seat cover became her king size bed. With her front legs bowing out and unable to stand on her back legs, she visited Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. There an orthopedic surgeon corrected her back legs with pins. Yes, the fad to insure your legs for a million dollars began with Betty Grable in the 1940's and continues today with Mary Hart and Mariah Carey. This little canine cannot claim million dollar legs, but she can boast two thousand dollar legs. Was it worth it? Some will say yes, while others will ask, "Are you kidding?"

Today this 5 and 1/2 pound ball of fire manages well on her mishapen front legs and not-very-agile back legs. Take a look. (video coming).

Some Call It A Flophouse

Animal lovers will agree that we are not popular with all our two-legged friends. They tolerate, but don't condone, our devotion to our four-footed family. Over the years I have heard many comments about my beloved boarders. They may sound familiar. One of my favorite comments comes from a friend who described my home as a flophouse for dogs. Now we know that such an establishment sometimes shelters those that society shuns or those who shun society. Knowing that, I am quite happy to share this flophouse with some friends who you will meet in the coming blogs. Some are no longer with me, but remain forever in a past enriched by their presence.

Beyond introducing these friends to you, I will explore a lifetime with animals. Won't you join me on this journey with pictures, memories, and thoughts about your special friends.