Cuddle Pup
Enjoy the next chapter of Surviving (What Feels Like) the End of the World….
Mack the Dog loves to cuddle on the couch. In fact, he would rather cuddle than take a walk or even eat his food.
Up until Mack, I woke to find my dogs staring into my eyes over the side of the bed and saying, “Let’s get a move on!” These dogs were ready to wander across fields and mountains, running up and back along the hiking trail to check on me.
Now when I get up, Mack snuggles in closer to my wife until I head back to my office. Then, he stumbles back to join me, stopping occasionally on his journey to stretch luxuriously. Once in the office, he swirls himself into his special pet bed and snores while I work.
At bedtime, I say, “Time to go night-night” and he’s bounding onto the bed faster than we can get there. When I sit in my usual spot on the couch, he appears with “Pleeeeeeeeeeze” in his eyes. One pat on the soft surface beside me and he leaps into place, snuggling his butt up against my hip and extending the rest of his body across the couch like a Roman at a banquet.
I’ve been considering a little remodel of our den, exchanging that couch for two chairs from our back sitting area. I suspect that the change would be good for my body (the tendonitis in my arms has been acting up). But then I wondered, would that make Mack crazy? Would he miss sitting on the couch with me?
Recently, I needed to do some studying, and wanted to be in a space where I was alone but not in my office. Our back sitting area was vacant since my sister-in-law was in the den with my wife. A little red upholstered chair welcomed me and I settled in with a book. Before long, Mack was at the end of the chair’s arm, looking up at me. I rubbed his ears and rearranged myself so I could pet his head before refocusing on my book.
But Mack the Dog was determined to cuddle. His body interrupted my studies with a sudden appearance on my lap!
He doesn’t usually jump that high.
I felt startled, a little trampled, and willing to try as he maneuvered his way around. We twisted and turned and fluffed and plotted until we were both comfy. I don’t do “not comfortable” with pets in my lap. I want them to stay and not have to leave just because I’m in a bad position.
With his head and front feet draped over one arm of the chair, my hand easily stroked his soft head while I read. As I closed the book, he was spread across my lap and happily lapping up the closeness.
End of experiment. I could move the chairs into the den, and Mack would just jump up into the chair with me. Eureka!
Despite the dedication to cuddling, Mack’s not all lazy. He does like to take an occasional walk.
When I pick up the lead, he spins and jumps and skids to a stop right where my hands need to attach his lead. He wiggles and squirms and tries his best to suppress his enthusiasm until he’s connected.
And on the walk, after the obligatory poop, he trots along at my side, tongue lolling with a big grin on his face.
Which is very good since the first instance of my mother’s birthday since her death was approaching. Grief prickled my skin and soul. Sobs escaped and rage flared randomly. And the best way I know to release this type of grief is to put on my hiking boots and walk steadily up a rocky hill until my legs wobble.
Thus, I took Mack on his first hike on my mother’s birthday.
Despite it being the beginning of August, the sun shone without the usual oppressive heat as we disembarked from the car at the trailhead. This particular trail promised a 2.2 mile hike through a field and up a local peak. Easy-peasy! I’d done this sort of hike thousands of times back in Colorado. My shape had gone more to the squidgy side but I had confidence.
I tried to hike like I have with other dogs, except that he had to be on a lead at all times.
If I had done this with one of my former dogs on the hiking trail, they would have hit the end of that lead and dragged me up the mountain. Not Mack! I was the one halted by this twenty-seven pound weight stopping to pee again and again. The wonders of hiking! How many dogs have been here? How can I mark ALL the places?
Finally, I got him into a regular stride and began my trek up this mountain.
This particular hike started in a field with the trail mowed out of the middle. Upon entering the forest, a cute porch swing hung from a giant tree. Mack looked at it, yearning for a bit of a rest after the whole two hundred yards of walk. I pushed through. I wanted to hit a strong, steady stride and keep moving. I passed a clearing with a bench and tried to ignore the signs of exhaustion.
By the time I hit the half-mile point, I was gasping for air, sweat poured off of me, and my heart was beating so hard I thought I could hear it. I stopped, sat down on a handy step (because this hike is uphill for 2.2 miles before turning around and going back down), and drank my water. I held out my palm and poured a little in for Mack, whose tongue was hanging out of his mouth further than I’ve ever seen it.
He looked at the water and at me with an expression that said, “Out of your hands? What are you thinking? That can’t be good for me! What am I, an animal?”
Sigh. I guess you have to train dogs to drink from your hand. I’ve got a little portable water bowl for the next hike.
We headed back down. I stopped at the bench to catch my breath and then again at the swing. As I looked across the field on this gorgeous summer day, I thought about all of the wonderful dogs I’d had who took me on walks and then gazed down at my little fellow. He sat, huge grin on his face, looking up at me like we’d just had the best time ever.
He isn’t a dog who will ask for a walk, but he knows how to enjoy one when it shows up.
I guess it’s up to me to ask from now on.
But I like to cuddle more than walking, too!
Continue reading Surviving (What Feels Like) the End of the World….
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Baxter, age 10, is a non-walker too…arthritis, like me. Great line about the Roman banquet.
Lcc
Middle up Mpackalacka pup