my turn to tell a story:
^^ that is Harry. that picture was taken the day we brought him home from his teeth cleaning (last Saturday). he was about to turn 16, so he was no spring chicken. his age was a factor in his teeth cleaning recovery. he just kinda spiraled downwards.
wife and i have a saying about Harry. we say, "he put the Terror in Terrior". to say Harry was brave was an understatement. we didnt get along in the beginning. he would snap at me, charge me when i kissed my wife..but my wife taught me patience. we adopted Harry when he was 11, so he was already older and set in his ways. he was abused some..we couldnt have a flyswatter in the house..he would freak out. first time i swatted a fly, he peed a bit and started barking madly. i tossed the fly swatter into the garbage.
he has been so sick the last several days..he would rush to get to the doggie door so he could vomit outside..he usually didnt make it..he was so tired he would sometimes lay down too close to the stomach content stuff and make a mess. we would wash him all the time. we didnt sleep. when we did, i would nap on the couch with him nearby..so i could rush him to a hard surface. he would sneak out and vomit and be too weak to come back in. last night, i had to go and find him in the backyard and bring him back in. he just laid down where he was. wife gave him a warm bath to clean diarrhea he got all over himself.
today..coming home from work he could barely lift his head. i took him back the ER vet. they ultra sounded him and they found a mass on his pancreas. whatever the outcome..it didnt look good. wife is not in town, so over a speaker phone with the VET, we made the call. Harry is at rest now.
quick story. in the beginning Harry was a runner. open door or gate. voosh!! gone! wife and i took him camping. on the drive up we discussed Harry management. 100% leash. one of us would take him out in the dark to pee/poo (me). we got to camp, set up and had plenty of daylight. we hiked a good portion of the Pacific Crest trail. we got way back and Harry walked it like a Champion. head down. leading the way. he hit the wall. i scooped him up and carried him all the way out. he would just lay in my arms. no wiggling. i would put him down to rest, and he would just stand there and wait for me to scoop him back up for the ride. no running. we got back to camp and i took a chance. i unleashed him. he looked around..i put my feet in the imaginary sprinters blocks..and got ready to run after him. he layed down and never ever ran away again. he would stay with me. we sipped wine and he had enough..he waddled into the tent to sleep solo. it was the cutest thing i ever saw. i think that was the first day we really got along.
i will miss him. a lot. that dog had heart. it never got into his thick brain that he couldnt leap into my truck anymore. if i hesitated to scoop him up..he would try and crash. out too..
sorry for my ramblings. it was a rough day.
