Bedtime Story

Wonder how I can find a place in bed?

Elsa has found ways to worm herself into our little family. And she is winning.

We chose a smaller dog when we were looking to fill the hole left in our lives when we lost Rozie. And that’s what Elsa was – a smaller dog. We figured as we age, we will need a light-weight for us to be able to lift and carry. Ha!

Elsa is verging now on being a heavy-weight who has used her sweetness and big dark eyes for treats and more treats and delicious people food handouts. Yes, I know this is the fault of us humans who fall for canine pleading.

But what about sleeping? What would make a little (fat) dog work on getting into bed between two humans?

Fear.

And witnessing the abject fear demonstrated by Elsa (at any unusual sound emanating from the terrifying forest primeval) prompted us to allow her to join us abed “just this once.”

And now tis a nightly event.

She waits until 3 or 4AM to make sure we are too groggy to say, “NO” and shivers and shakes a bit to convince us she is frightened about something (a bear outside our window or an intruder or thunder or gunshots)? After all, it is hunting season in our neck of the woods in southwestern Virginia.

Alas! We have fallen once again for Elsa’s charms and her well thought out tactics.

The battle is on for bed space.

And there you have it – the ultimate bedtime story.

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Beautiful Dog Fotos?

My dog does not take good pictures.  If she did, I would be writing more Rozie Stories.  She is actually quite beautiful but HATES the little camera thing.  She rarely looks up no matter how I whistle or call her name.  She’s worse than a baby who has to be bribed with lolly pops to get her attention focused.  I make funny faces too and get down on the floor and wave different hands that are not holding the camera.  I even shout sometimes.  Rozie ignores all the histrionics.  And I get so flustered, I can’t focus either.

Rozie Squinting

Rozie’s Body is Too Big for Her Face

Rozie’s Head is Too Big for her Body

She is lovely when not squinting or in the wrong light, with her widow’s peak and big soft brown eyes.   Her body is something else again – maybe a bit too big for her face I think.  At any rate, I cannot seem to get  body and face in the right proportion for a flattering photograph.  I would put her on a diet but the vet says her weight is just fine.   She’s just – well – out of proportion from the photographer’s eye view.  Maybe my favorite fabulous photographer  friends,  Cindy at photosfromtheloonybin and apronhead Lilly could help me with getting the right focus.

I never met a dog who was not photogenic.  Have you?

Rozie will never measure up to Lassie or Rin Tin Tin or even Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Oh, she’s well behaved.  If I call her and she sees the evil camera, she leaves or turns her back so I can get a great rear view.

Most of the time she is sleeping or getting ready to sleep.   You know, you can only take so many pictures of a dazed or sleeping dog.

Rozie’s Dazed Look for the Camera

This morning I was determined to show the world what a beauty Rozie really is.  She’s my old, misshapen, well behaved friend.   I came close.  The light on her face was somewhat flattering and she actually looked at me since I was in the kitchen where the food is.

I love Rozie so much.  I think she is truly beautiful.   She simply does not take good pictures, or maybe she resents the camera and shuns the fishbowl life of a celebrity.

Have you ever heard of an un-photographic dog?

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Crying Babies, Panting Dogs

Rozie the Beautiful

“To sleep, perchance to dream-
ay, there’s the rub.”

Hamlet (III, i, 65-68)

To Be or Not to Be (Shakespeare)

It has been many decades since I had a colicky baby who turned night into day.  The pitiful wails of a child who cannot tell you what hurts still ring in my ears all these years later.  And even now, if I hear a baby’s cries, I want to jump up and do something to help.  It must be a universal kind of Mommy impulse reaction.

Never would I believe a dog could accomplish the same tugs at my heart.  Instead of the plaintive cries of an infant, our 13 year old dog Rozie PANTS!  No, she is not hot (the first supposition) because it has actually been on the cold side here lately.  She is comfortable because she has an orthopedic bed that I would not mind sleeping on, except it’s on the floor at the foot of our bed.  But she only pants at night.  So?  Big Deal.  Why is that a problem? Dogs pant after all.  I have been told it’s how they perspire.

Well, this panting starts off at a tolerable level and then escalates as soon as we turn off the lights.  Then my husband and I lie abed in a sort of hopeful tension as we hear the panting continue and builds rapidly to what I call “panic panting,” which is the equivalent of the baby SCREAMING!. So, the problem?  The problem is – who can sleep at night?

Using Chair Rungs for Headrest
“I can hardly stay awake!”

Is Rozie in pain?  What could it be?  Is it her stomach?  Is it her heart?  Is it arthritis?

We took her to the vet of course – more than once and more than twice.   An EKG revealed nothing wrong with her heart.  She does have semi-high blood pressure so she’s on meds for that.  Only a touch of arthritis is evident from an X-ray.  The dog is strong “and will probably outlive us,” said our vet, until finally he tactfully proclaimed, “I think this panting problem is psychological.”  Really?

Over the past few months, Rozie has endured our many feeble attempts to help her relax at night.  She conks out and sleeps peacefully during the day of course.  I watch her having her doggy dream-runs with serious envy. “To sleep,perchance to dream” makes perfect sense to me now.

But have you ever heard of a dog on so many potential “cures?”

–          Glycoflex Soft Chews (glcosomine-condroitin) – a general joint supplement – 3 a day

–          Rimadyl – anti-inflammatory – 2 a day

–          Blood Pressure Meds – 2 a day

–          Tramadol – pain killer – 2 a day

–          Composure – herbal remedy for nerves – as needed

–          Forti Flora – probiotics sprinkled on her food to aid digestion as needed

–          And A New One – An Anti-Depressent – for obsessive, compulsive, anxiety disorders – 2 a day

For a strong, healthy dog who is going to outlive us, Rozie is on so many medications at so many daily intervals that I now forget to take my own meds trying to keep up with hers.  I am beginning to believe this all borders on the ridiculous.  There has to be a light side don’t you think?  Well, yesterday I looked up the potential side effects of the anti-depressant and one of them at the top of the list is, “Call your doctor if experiencing suicidal tendencies!”  Who me?  Or the dog?  And I ask you, who should be taking the anti-depressant anyway?

Related articles

• It’s O.K. to Let Babies Cry It Out at Bedtime (healthland.time.com)
• A Sleeping Dog’s Nightmare (countryliving4beginners.wordpress.com)

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