Dogs vs. Puppies

Yesterday, as I walked along the icy sidewalk, I was cautious in choosing where I placed each step. My arthritis seems to have made me less sure about my stability, and I find that my balance is a bit off on the ice. I manage to skate a bit rather than fall as I take a little slide with one of my steps. My 10 year old Brittany spaniel copies me but, his finale lands him on his belly. He quickly jumps back on all fours and looks up at me wondering what just happened. “Its o.k.,” I reassure him, “we’re not as steady as we used to be, eh Jakey”? He picks his pace back up, and I follow along, thankful he has slowed down the last year or so.

I have heard that a person’s pet begins to look and act like his master or mistress, or vice versa. I wonder if that is the case with Jake and me. I watch him as he sniffs and stops to pee. I start to think about how much he and I have grown older together. We both have arthritis and the stairs are our foe. I empathise with him as he follows me around the house. If I go down stairs, I remind him that we have to go back up, but he still barrels down in front of me not understanding what I’ve said. For both of us, it’s the “up” that’s the problem, not the “down.”

I think of similar changes our bodies have undergone as we move into our 5th decade respectively (I am 50 so, my dog is 53 in human years, making us pretty close in age). Our hair is starting to grey; his around his beard giving him a distinguished look as is the case for most men. Mine has been coloured for years so, thankfully, no one will notice. I wonder if I should let it go “aux natural”, and then, wisely, decide against it.

We both move slower which I am grateful for as I wouldn’t have the ability to keep up to his “puppy” pace. When I look into Jake’s eyes I see the tiredness of years of walks and endless play dates with the squirrels in the backyard. I have talked to the vet about his inability to complete the hour long circuit we have been doing since he was a baby. He has indicated that Jake is tired; he will tell you when the walk is done. So, we both take our medication and enjoy the distance we are capable of instead of regretting not being able to do what we used to do.

When I sit on the couch in the evening after a day of work, chores, exercise, writing and fun, he lies beside me and pushes his nose under my arm. It is his way of asking me to pet him, and I start to scratch behind his ears. Eventually rubbing his belly, my hand moves over small bumps under his fur. Also researched, I have discovered that they are another indication of aging much like the calcium deposits that we develop over the years. I look down at him and realize that his belly is slightly bigger than it used to be, and laugh at that similarity as I rest my other hand on mine.

We have both evolved into peaceful souls just happy to be able to enjoy what we have been given. We both wake up refreshed and energetic, feeling like we can accomplish the world in a day. Yet, three hours later, we are both ready for a nap. We cannot hide the aging around our eyes (God knows I have tried), and when I look at his face, he is looking more tired and drawn just like me. My buddy now has the expression of an elderly man who, if he could talk, would tell you stories of long ago.

It is time for me to strap on the boots and my partner’s leash and make the daily trek around the circle. My body is sending me a message as it is becoming stiff and sore. Jake has come in and out of the room several times as I am late and, like me, he relies on a predictable schedule. So, onward and upward as we go on our little journey with the intensions of puppies and the bodies of 10 year old dogs.