Canine Independence

Today was my last scheduled day off for the rest of the year.  And instead staying home, I spent it with someone that I've known peripherally for a few years. She and I have worked on church committees together, and had brief conversations, but it took sitting next to one another at a meeting where we struck up a conversation and realized that we have a great deal in common--One thing is that she and her husband have 5 dogs, one is a Scottish Terrier and another a Portuguese Water dog that she shows and does field work with. We decided that we needed to get to know one another better.  So, today I met her very well behaved dogs, and we were off to have lunch at a restaurant that we both happen to really enjoy and did some shopping afterwards. Interesting, at least to me, how you can think you have little in common with someone and then find out the opposite is true.  Am I the only one this happens to?

Back at home the focus remains on Wendy.  The tilting of her head is not nearly as noticeable, but she still really struggles to get up and walk. The last couple of days Wendy has decided that she has had enough of eating her meals alone in bed, and hobbles into the kitchen to eat with the rest of the dogs. She's not able to stand the whole time, and won't eat an entire meal, but I think it's a good sign.

Wendy has also decided that the ramp we put on the steps isn't for her, but for old ladies and has channeled her independent nature and refuses to go up or down it.  So, I stand at the bottom of the steps, and help her down. Wendy also decided today that she wanted to go with us on our walk.  I got her outside but she couldn't stay on her feet, so I left her in the garage while the rest of us went for our walk. When I got back and got her up to go inside, I noticed her tail was wagging, just a little--I've not her tail-wag since she started having problems, and so it was a good feeling to see it.  I also found myself humbled at how hard she is trying to stick to her beloved routine, and how she seems to care little for how she may be feeling. I think I can learn from that.