Today I’m thankful for my little old man dog.

11/24/21

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Before adopting Barkley, I had my contractor install the smallest doggy door we could find. Then I went to the shelter looking for a dog who would fit through it. One look at Barkley and I knew he would not only fit the door, but that he was the absolute perfect fit for me. It was love at first sight.

I sometimes wonder how Barkley made his way to the shelter. The vet estimated he was about 3 years old when I adopted him, and it seemed pretty clear that he’d had a home before coming to me. He knew how to use the doggy door, knew not to jump on furniture unless he was invited, and knew how to sit on command. Somebody had obviously spent some time training him. It breaks my heart to think he might have been abandoned by someone. He was a bit of a runner, though, especially in his early years, so perhaps he ran away. This breaks my heart too, thinking that there was a family out there missing him. Either way, he was found on the streets, turned in to the shelter, and I adopted him about a week later. Someone else’s loss has been my biggest gain.

It’s been over 10 years since Barkley came home with me. He’s been my loyal companion ever since. He protects me from scary garbage trucks with his mighty bark. He senses when I’m sad or upset and is quick to comfort me with his loving snuggles. He knows no strangers and is convinced that everyone who comes into our house is there exclusively for the purpose of petting him. Although he’s a measly 13 pounds, he still finds a way to hog the bed each night – settling himself in directly in the middle of my queen sized mattress. He won’t eat unless I’m at home and gets mighty excited when I give him the empty peanut butter jar to lick clean as a treat. He’s the perfect dog.

I’m in complete and total denial that Barkley is getting older, even though the signs of his age are starting to show every now and then. He sometimes needs a couple of attempts to jump up on the recliner, he gets a little restless in the evening when the lights are a bit dim, and he prefers to nap and snuggle these days more so than play catch or run around the backyard. He still loves a good walk and wants to be in the middle of everything I do, but if I’m honest with myself I can see that he’s starting to slow down a bit. The vet says he’s still healthy as can be and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be around for years to come, but he’s definitely my old man dog now as opposed to the playful pup he was when I first got him.

Today was a lazy, lazy day for me. I napped. I watched TV. I talked on the phone. I napped some more. The most effort I exerted involved changing out of my nighttime pajamas into daytime pajamas.

I spent the day Barkley style – napping and snuggling on the couch. And boy, oh boy, was Barkley ever happy to have a cuddle buddy today.

So tonight, I’m thankful for Barkley. Honestly, I’m thankful for him every day, but tonight I’m especially thankful to have joined him for a day of taking it easy. I embraced his old man speed today and both he and I were pretty darn content.