The Year According to a Dog

As I think through a review of our year, I have to consider what it's been like for our dogs.

Our dogs are like kids. Not just our kids, but they are seriously like everyone's kids.

They've had quite a year too.

We ended last year having spent a lot of time alone. Kent travelled a lot and it was hard on them. So they had some adjusting to do once he was home all the time. They slid back into their routines of knowing when to wait for him by the back door.

January was a tough month for all three. We had stayed with my inlaws for several days at Christmas and again at the end of January when my husband's aunt passed away. My inlaws have a flea problem, which meant we had a flea problem. The two girls, Lucy and Winnie, handle fleas with little more than scratching. Our boy, Gizmo "Bubba", doesn't do well at all. He gets incredibly sick. He drops weight quickly and is covered in huge sores. When he gets sick, he's prone to seizures.

In February, we were in full swing of readying the house for sell. That meant we had a lot of work to do. Lots of people in and out of the house, lots of barking, lots of behavioral problems. Bubba was thoroughly freaked out by all the machines and things out of place. They also absorbed our stress.

In March, we got the house on the market and took a trip to Branson and Ohio. We left Lucy with a friend, who spoiled her rotten. The other two did amazing with the travel and endless hours in the car.

In both March and April, we constantly had to leave for showings. That meant hours and hours and hours in the car. They were good but it started to be a chore to get them loaded cause rides were no longer fun.

Also in April, we began packing what we would be moving and preparing for the big move. Again, Bubba didn't so well at all. He freaked out a lot and had several seizures. We also found that Lucy was having some bizarre health issues that got put on the back burner.

Then came the move. The long haul in the standard can truck, 12 hours across the country. Thankfully, Lucy enjoys sleeping behind the seat. That kept us from being cramped the whole way. They did well and we only had to stop for potty/water breaks about 6 times.

We were stuck in a hotel for a while because the house was a disaster and our stuff didn't arrive for several days. They were good, but they are used to going on vacation with us.

Once we were in the house, they explored and smelled everything. Given the amount of animals that had been in the house before, I thought for sure we'd have a problem with peeing in the house. Not at all. I didn't expect the problems we did have.

We had two problems.

Winnie is little and doesn't manuveur steps well at all. At the old house, she had one step and it had taken her weeks to master that one. Here, there is a small fenced area surrounding our deck. Each side of the deck has three steps. Not was clear she was having none of it. I spent hours trying to get her to go up and down.

I would coax and beg and put her half way up or down. Nope. She was not interested. About a week of carrying her up and down the stairs, I looked out the sliding glass door and there she was. She'd finally got it. She still fumbles once in a while, but she's been good.

Our other problem lasted a bit longer. Bubba decided he didn't belong in Ohio and was determined to go back to KC. If he got into the garage, he stood by the car door patiently and refused to move. If he got outside, he headed west down the road. Every time, he would trot off the right direction. He finally adapted, but we were a little afraid he'd be one of those dogs who travels back home and ends up on the news.

Lucy's health problems got worse. She had ballooned in size and was losing hair. We were afraid the stress was taking its toll. No, tests showed she had low thyroid. Now she takes two pills a day.

Most of the summer, they were all extremely sensative to me being sick. We spent most of our days curled up on the couch sleeping.

In September, we made the long trek back to Missouri and Kansas. We had to stay at the inlaws and again had a flea problem. Probably the worst we'd ever seen. Baths and meds finally rid them of the fleas. Afterward, Bubba got incredibly sick. Bloodwork showed he had acute kidney failure. It was from the flea treatments. He's doing well now, but we were sure he'd make it. We know we can't wver knowingly expose him to fleas.

In October and November, we travelled. They did awesome!

Earlier this month, our little Winnie got sick and had horrific breath. She had several loose teeth that we could see. She had surgery and the vet removed all but 9 teeth. She's recovered but was was whiney and snuggly for a few days.

As they sit all curled around my feet, I can't help but be thankful for them. They make me laugh and smile. They drive me crazy with barking. I wouldn't have it any other way.

They've all had a tough year right along with us. I'm glad they were with us, but I hope this next year is easier. They are now at home here in Ohio and if they could talk, would probably have some crazy stories to share from the past year.