Jump to content

Time for another ‘my dog is awesome’ thread


Patricio Swayze

Recommended Posts

4 minutes ago, mchookem said:

i have a somewhat similar situation with Maggie, but she's a mini dachshund so it's not quite as intrusive. she's only been with me about 2 1/2 years (inherited her when mom died).

part of our challenge is mom was a 'she's like a little person so let me treat her like i would a baby!' small dog owner...and we are def 'dogs are fucking awesome but they are not even close to human' owners.

anyway...Maggie is now almost 17 but she's healthy and still honestly acts like a puppy half the time...except the past few months she has started this almost constant whining. just roaming the house (we call her our 'living roomba' 😄) with this lowkey whine all.the.time. 

anyway, long story short...she's still in good physical health, but he put her on a low-dose of Gallaprant, as needed...he said it could be a mild age-related pain (i.e. arthritis) or just elderly 'nerves'...he said the Gallaprant could help with both/either, as its got a calming/effect.

and it has, seriously. i'm back to being able to figure out what she wants when she whines rather than it just being this constant background noise. so that might be something to discuss with your vet, if you're open to that kind of solution.

That seems like great advice. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Homercles said:

My apologies but I’m going to post here namely for some emotional support…because my dog is the opposite of awesome, but it’s not her fault.  She’s a 14yo unknown pit mix that I got as a rescue when I was single.  Her and I swam, camper, walked, and did it all together for years.  I miss what she was but understand age and lockdown circumstances have permanently changed her.  
 

Her attachment drives me absolutely crazy now, to the point my 8yo son rightfully called me out for ‘talking mean’ to her.  I’ll own that, though I’m full time WFH and thus have to deal with it 24x7…rest of my family only catches it in limited doses but for me it’s endless.  
 

If she’s awake she has to almost be touching me at all times…if she can’t find me she barks, if I’m taking a shit with the door closed she barks, when I’m cooking in the kitchen she trips me all the time, I accidentally roll my office chair on her nearly every day, when I leave the house she barks to the point of getting hoarse.  She’s like one of those rolling duck toys on a string that follows you everywhere, except it’s constantly staring or whining at you.  
 

Naps aren’t allowed.  Right about the time I’d like to take a quick break at lunch and catch a 20m power nap is when she wakes up for the day and can’t be left alone.  Fine…but when she’s in our room with me she can’t sit still, endlessly nosing on me or licking herself or anxiously fidgeting around.  
 

Walks don’t help anymore…she cant cover much ground and then she just wants to be even closer to me.  
 

Several vet visits have seen her pretty healthy outside of massive lipomas and the general dental issues you’d expect at her age.  My wife and I were low key hoping for a chronic issue that’d help us make a decision beyond the vague notion of ‘poor, anxious quality of life’.  The young vet at the clinic said ‘we’ve all been there, it’ll get worse and you may not want to take this to the bitter end’ but the older vet was more ‘we don’t put down our grandparents and she’s healthy, but it’s your call’.  
 

I had been extra vocal lately about it when my kids were around…to my credit I have been in been in very high demand handling the kids solo, going to my wife’s new office regularly to setup furniture for her new office, trying to keep the plates spinning at my own job, along with all the household crap like meal planning, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.  So it’s tough when I get a rare break to do something for myself but the dog is endlessly demanding attention and taking away any chance at alone time.  
 

Anyways sorry for the novel and hope I don’t come across too selfish…it’s hard to balance her behaviors she can’t help vs having a very busy adult’s life dictated by a geriatric dog.   I was hoping others had been in this situation with a reasonably healthy but incredibly needy old dog, and what point helped make a decision for you. 

My Abby had a bout with severe separation anxiety that culminated with her doing a header through a window and jumping a 7 foot fence at 14.  She was put on some anti-anxiety meds which helped enormously.  It also helped that once Harvey came, he was in the kennel with her and he calmed her down.  
 

Good luck.  I think the anti-anxiety meds might help.

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, hullabelew said:

@austingirl  background on the guitar and the radio below it.  

That's my guitar, Lucinda. The first song I learned to play was Blue by Lucinda Williams, and I thought the name fit. She's nothing fancy, just a mid-range Yamaha, but she sounds good when I'm tooling around at home. 

The radio is a Sears & Roebuck Silvertone 53 with a phonograph in the chassis, circa 1950. It was my grandpa's, and when he died a few years ago I found a place for it in the living room. The tuner will probably never work again, but my dad thinks we may be able to get the phonograph working again. Even if not, oh well. It reminds me of Pawpaw.

  • Hook 'Em 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, austingirl said:

That's my guitar, Lucinda. The first song I learned to play was Blue by Lucinda Williams, and I thought the name fit. She's nothing fancy, just a mid-range Yamaha, but she sounds good when I'm tooling around at home. 

The radio is a Sears & Roebuck Silvertone 53 with a phonograph in the chassis, circa 1950. It was my grandpa's, and when he died a few years ago I found a place for it in the living room. The tuner will probably never work again, but my dad thinks we may be able to get the phonograph working again. Even if not, oh well. It reminds me of Pawpaw.

Same reason I have my grandmother's 1925 Sears & Roebuck Treadle Sewing Machine in my living room. It reminds me of Nana.

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Deej said:

Blue is shedding something crazy. Cool weather within 6 weeks. Huskies never lie. 

I absolutely am counting on this theory at this point.  If, in six weeks, it's not amazing outside, I'm going to be a mess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Put in for adoption for two more doggies…I’m not giving up just frustrated. They are being fostered and there are literally a ton of applicants for each one I click on. I just want to meet one. The doggies may not like me at all which is fine…but it would be cool to actually see one in person. I see all y’all’s pets and my resolve just gets stronger to find a forever friend. 🤘🏼

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Nicole44 said:

Put in for adoption for two more doggies…I’m not giving up just frustrated. They are being fostered and there are literally a ton of applicants for each one I click on. I just want to meet one. The doggies may not like me at all which is fine…but it would be cool to actually see one in person. I see all y’all’s pets and my resolve just gets stronger to find a forever friend. 🤘🏼

We were under consideration six times before we got the two that were meant for us on January 23.  Persistence, patience, and prayer worked in this situation as it does in other areas of life where applied. You're due and the next one is coming soon I'm sure.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/22/2021 at 3:32 PM, Deej said:

Blue is shedding something crazy. Cool weather within 6 weeks. Huskies never lie. 

 

On 8/22/2021 at 5:57 PM, dcbc said:

I absolutely am counting on this theory at this point.  If, in six weeks, it's not amazing outside, I'm going to be a mess.

I'm in Colorado and we've had some hot days but nothing too crazy and Lilo has been shedding something fierce. I don't know if it's partly due to her being in heat as well but fuck it's non-stop right now.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...