19 Dog Days

my puppy dog crispin will turn 15 on october 28. 

he is a very sweet, quirky, complex and let's not forget, grumpy old man. 

 i believe he also has a touch of doggy alzheimer's.  it only appears every once 

in a while  and it doesn't seem to phase him. we just walk 

around him or over him until he becomes lucid again. he'll stare at the wall for a while,

or bark at nothing over and over again until he snaps out of it.

he is blind and cannot hear, or rather does not listen very well. i think he can hear because he can be dead asleep, (and yes sometimes we have to shake him to know he hasn't gone to doggy heaven

in his sleep), and you are in the kitchen opening anything in a bag, all of  a sudden 

he is in the kitchen looking for a snack. and i used to think his nose was not working, but he can smell

chicken cooked or not from miles away. he whines and cries and even bumps you until he gets a taste of

whatever you are cooking. yet, he can't find  a cookie that is put under his muzzle!!

 lot's of folks feel sorry for him, but he is in good health, he eats expensive and very good for him, senior dog food, and other snacks he guilts us out of from the kitchen.

he lives in a big house, has a huge front yard and back yard all to himself.

two different sleeping quarters, one for day naps and one for nighttime sleeping.

he gets plenty of attention, and he loves my mother. he is happy to see or sense us 

when we walk through the door, but when she comes in he goes into 

an explosive episode of doggy happiness, jumping, screeching ,barking and he just wont stop!

he does have a few minor bad habits that come from being an older puppy,

but i won't embarrass him. he doesn't deserve it.

he stayed at my side when others didn't.

he loves unconditionally when others are too selfish to do so.

so my point is, because he is genuine in his caring, i can forgive him his faults 

because he cannot help himself.

and that is why, i find it so difficult forgive others who will not or cannot care or love others

as much as they do themselves.**

but i'm working on it....