The Main Event

Molly has always had an aversion to being picked up even when she was a puppy whereas I have always had an appreciation for getting from point A to point B. Since Molly has had health issues over the past three weeks there are times she just wants to give up on our daily walks. It is during those times where her aversion to being picked up and my appreciation for getting to my destination cause great conflict.

These conflicts quickly turn into WWE Main Events between the Junk Yard Dog (that would be Molly) and Diamond Dan (that would be me). We circled each other and I started with an attempted takedown and a headlock. JYD countered with a couple of quick paws to the 'nads followed with a fart in my face. JYD always did fight dirty and the referee (that would be the squirrel sitting in the oak tree in the front yard) allowed the match to continue. Those moves by JYD temporarily stunned me and Molly was seeking a quick submission but growing up with my father, brother, and two sisters, I am immune to the fart in the face. I gained the upper hand when I attempted a suplex off of the top rail of the fence. JYD was too heavy to lift so I attempted an arm bar and I was able to position myself to apply the sleeper hold. The sleeper hold worked and Molly graciously tapped out and we made it back to the house.

A Matter Of Balance

Molly has her good days and her bad days but the one thing she is still struggling with her balance especially when it comes to her ability to squat to use the bathroom. The first day I took her outside after she had her "episode" she tried to pee on the side of a hill and as soon as she started to pee, she fell right over. From then on, I had to make sure she was on flat ground to give her a better chance. She still has to get a running start at it and I can't help but laugh but I am just glad she is getting a little bit better. She is after all, about 100 years old.

Runaway Train

Molly is still having a problem sometimes getting her feet under her and this was evidence yesterday when I took her out on our pre-work walk. There is a slight downhill slope to the left of the house as we go out the front door. Molly hit the ground running as soon as I helped her off the front porch but the problem was she could not stop herself. It was like the person that trips and rather than go down, they try to keep their balance and they only make it worse. Molly made it worse. She took off at a fast pace going down the hill and she couldn't stop. I had to run to catch up with her and help her slow down so she could get her legs under control. Molly was like a train with no brakes.

A Leap Of Faith

Since Molly's back legs have been ailing I have to help her down off the bed and the steps at the front of the house. Molly has always hated being picked up so she has quickly developed the habit of whenever I get close to her when I have to help her down, she just jumps. I usually catch her and help her the rest of the way down but this morning I got there a little bit late and she sprawled out on the ground. She looked at me like "What are you doing?". I guess I need to be better prepared to catch her.

The Fireman's Carry

Molly and I took the longest walk since she has been sick but she was exhausted and couldn't make it back to the house. She stopped and looked up at me and I agreed to carry her back to the house. Molly does not like to be picked up so when I picked her up, a brief struggle ensued but Molly recognized the fact that I was trying to help her. After she settled in for the ride, she reached up and nuzzled my cheek in a show of appreciation. One blown back and quite a bit of sweat later, we made it back to the house.

Still No Appetite

Molly still doesn't have much of an appetite with the exception of her treats, bacon, and whatever table scraps I give her. I guess that is the equivalent of doggie junk food. She still insists on getting her two dog treats after one of our abbreviated rehabilitative walks and I consider that a good sign.

On The Mend

It is very hard to write this blog when Molly is ailing but I am happy to report that she is on the mend and doing much better. I still do not know exactly what happened but it was a scary event nonetheless. I still have to help her up and down the steps but I am more than happy to. I will say that Molly is not a light dog but I do the best that I can.

Getting Better

Molly has shown significant improvement over the past couple of days but she is not out of the woods yet. I have to carry her outside and carry her back in but getting to go outside has done her a world of good. Molly has never been a "cuddle dog" but she might actually be getting used to me picking her up. Molly is not exactly a light dog so it has been a good workout for me as well. I just want to see Molly get better.

Time

The other day I had to face the harsh reality of being a pet owner and that was Molly's mortality. Molly's life is quickly drawing to a close and I was never more painfully aware of that fact than the other morning. When Molly woke up that morning, she had lost control of her back legs and could not maintain her balance. I was scared for her and I was also selfishly scared for myself. I knew I had to get her the help she needed but I also knew that I may not get the answer I want. I had her checked out and the decision was up to me. I decided to give Molly time. I owe her so much more than that but unless her suffering was too great, I wanted to give her some time. I am glad to say she is much better and seems to have cleared this hurdle. I realize that I need to do what is in Molly's best interests and in that vein, I cannot be selfish.

A Wore Out Molly

The walk Molly and I took early this afternoon wore poor Molly out. We walked down to Laurel Creek and back and that involves and pretty good uphill climb on the way back to the house and add in that it was during the heat of the day and Molly was done after that. She made it up on the bed and she has not moved all afternoon. I go check on her every few minutes and she doesn't even bother lifting her head, she just looks up at me with her eyes. Sometimes being physically ambitious is not always a good thing. I have learned that over the course of time.

The Instruction Manual

It is too bad that a dog's nose does not come with an instruction manual. Molly stops and smells everything on our nature walks and I need a manual to tell me exactly what she is smelling. Has another cat or a dog been by there marking the turf as their own? Or is it a wild animal that is going to jump out from behind the tree and slap all of the ass off of both of us? If she usually stops and lingers, I am pretty certain that it is a smell she is not familiar with and that usually means a wild animal. My best case scenario is a deer but don't be fooled by the angelic look of a deer. Bambi can still stick a hoof in your ass.

Breakfast Is Served

Breakfast is Molly's favorite meal or I should say my breakfast is Molly's favorite meal and I have never been bad to give Molly tables scraps but from time to time, I give her a treat, and let her have just a touch of bacon and eggs and maybe part of a biscuit. Molly does love her bacon. Molly plays it cool and makes sure she sits right behind my chair so I do not forget that she is there. If I ignore her she makes sure she gets right under my chair to where I have to notice her. How could I forget Molly?

Chasing Butterflies

Molly and I run into about every type of creature- flying, crawling, slithering, and walking- on our nature walks every day. Molly really does not pay that much attention any more but her two favorites are rabbit and deer. Those two animals must have the strongest scent. Butterflies may not have a strong scent but Molly has always enjoyed chasing butterflies. Even at the old age of 14 she still felt spry enough this morning to indulge in a butterfly. It warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face to see her acting like a puppy again for just a few minutes.

T-shirt Tug-of-War

When I come home from work, I start peeling off the work clothes as soon as I walk in the door. Last night I tossed my t-shirt on the bed and changed into some shorts. I wanted a snack before I went to bed, so I go back into the kitchen, make myself a bowl of cereal, and sit down at my laptop and troll Twitter and Facebook for a while. When I walked back into the bedroom, Molly had ensconced herself on the bed and she was laying on my t-shirt. I tried pulling it out from underneath her but she wrapped her paws around and would not let go. I do not know what it is about my clothes. Maybe it is because they have my scent on them. Tonight it was a combination of armpit, hot dog chili stains, and maybe a booger or two but Molly was not going to let go of that shirt.

That's My Spot

Yesterday afternoon I had just finished drying a load of laundry and I took my laundry basket full of fresh laundry into the bedroom and dumped it on the bed. I was going to fold it and put it away (like that was every going to happen). Molly sat in the floor watching me do all of this and as soon as I left the room, Molly jumped up on the bed and made herself at home on the laundry and immediately went to sleep. She was also right under the sir conditioner. She had the warmth of the laundry underneath her and the coolness of the air conditioner blowing on top of her. She was set for the afternoon. I cannot help but marvel out her ingenuity.