Sam Arrives at Golden Pines

In his much younger days Sam was said to be a maniac. He was a bit territorial, leash aggressive and didn't get along that well with other dogs. He chewed everything and anything including doors and trim and even a garage door. He got into the trash and stole food off the counter. The dog that is laying on the floor in my living room is no longer this dog. He days of bolting through an open door and running off are now memories for him. He has problems walking because of arthritis and may even have a slight problem with incontinence. He is also a bit confused and I know he doesn't quite understand what has happened to him. But there is still a spark there. He tried to chase the cat and even tried a little bit of 'dominance' over Hamlet...He fell to the floor...twice...Poor Sam...Poor Hamlet. But there's no question that Sam has been well cared for. His coat is neat, nails are trimmed and his teeth look good too. When I spoke with Doris last evening, I promised her I'd let her know how he was doing, and that when she got all settled, we'd arrange something where she could see him. I know that the rescue won't approve of that, but I doubt I'll even let them know. Doris was there when Sam needed someone and made a difference for him. She dearly loves Sam and I know is very concerned about him. I can't and won't be heartless in this whole thing.

Tanner's vet visit went well. His eyes are just fine, pressure is normal in his good eye, and not able to be measured in the eye he has no site in. We're just to really watch him for any dramatic changes and not to vary his routine. My vet thinks he's in pretty good shape.

Hamlet on the other hand...I've been in a bit of denial about the return of the tumor. But it's time to face the reality and that's that it is bigger than I thought it was. It's not bigger than it was originally, but it is pretty deep within the tissue of his shoulder and extends up under his front leg. My vet doesn't think that doing the surgery again is going to work. So much tissue was removed in the first surgery and if we do the surgery again, because it came back so quickly, it would no doubt return and we'd be having the same discussion. We both agree that it's a good idea to be proactive and so I'll be making an appointment with the holistic vet to see what she has in her bag of tricks for us to try. Hamlet otherwise is healthy.

It was a very busy day. Carl worked on getting our barn-doors ready to be repainted and after Sam was settled I did some late afternoon errands. The day ended on a very quiet note, everyone was worn out from a game of frisbee and a couple of good long walks. All was quiet and then I heard Sam harassing the cat...Yes, that spark is still there and there are a couple of things he's going to have to learn--Can you teach an old dog a new trick?