My dog is going mad, literally. He has lost his hearing, his eyesight is poor and now his mind is playing him up. He wakes up between 2am – 4am barking and not really needing anything. We let him out, give him half a tin of food and he settles for about 2 hours and then barks again. We’ve started letting him come upstairs into our bedroom and lay on the floor, as it seem to settle him, after a few minutes of grunting and sniffing! (He’s a Staffy and sounds like a pig looking for truffles!)
During the day he is fine and sleeps in between bouts of exercise (a walk in the garden!) and he seems happy enough. I have been putting off the visit to the vets, because I don’t want to make that decision again and, I think, he seems content when there are people moving around the house. I don’t think the pandemic has helped pets to deal with an empty house, like they use to. They now expect people to be in all of the time and have got use to the fact they get attention all day long!
He is stressing us out though! Barking / whining at 4am every day, it’s not something you can ignore. I also have this feeling that I might be, being selfish and he could be confused, scared and lonely so his life is not as sweet as I think it is. His legs play him up and the new flooring (we really did not think that through) doesn’t help as he tap dances around, slipping every other step.
The nice part about him is that, when he does settle and lay next to you, you feel every ounce of love that comes from him. The affection and attention he gives us, is unquestionable and always has been. I will take him to the vets, just in case he is suffering because the last time I took him for his legs, they fixed him (sort of). It might be as easy as cleaning his ears and giving us some medication for him in the evenings, who knows?
As we get older these types of decisions pop into our lives, from time to time, and if you have had a pet over the years you will understand the dilemma we are facing now. You try to hang on to the dream of a pet lasting forever, but life is not like that.
Billy has been in our lives for 12 years and hopefully has a couple left in him. He has given us joy and laughter, as well as all the other stuff associated with owning a dog! The kids have grown up with him and, as much as they don’t tend to spend as much time with him as they use to, they love him and have enjoyed him being in their lives.
During the lock down and all of the virtual communication, I have probably met more cats and dogs than ever before. They jump up on tables, bark for attention, need letting out, or in and sometimes just snore on your lap! The joy of having a pet, that shares their unconditional love, makes me question human behaviour sometimes.
Some ‘pet owners’ tips to have a great week:
- Be nice to others
- Appreciate the company of those around you
- Be considerate
Have a great week and give someone (not always a pet) a big hug to show how much you care.