Old Man

Wally and Henry

This is Wally, our really old dog.
He's either 12 or 13, we aren't really sure.
We know we adopted him on Dec. 31 from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, but no one can remember if it was in 1999 or 2000.
It's hard to believe Wally has been part of our lives for so long.  My youngest daughter, almost 15, doesn't remember life without Wally.  She and I used to sit in our big rocker/recliner and read after the "big kids" went to school - and Wally was always draped across our laps.
He's always been a goofy dog.  When he was a puppy, he loved to steal the kids' toys - Legos, stuffed animals, what have you - and dash away with them.  He loved those games of chase.
He first injured his shoulder by climbing up the steps to the slide and sliding down, over and over again.  That shoulder injury has stayed with him, often requiring medication for pain and inflammation.  I think, however, Wally would say it was worth it.
In the early days of his puppyhood, my husband would walk him up to 5 miles a day, and I still thought I'd go insane trying to handle his boundless energy.  I finally had to tie his leash to my belt in order to house train him!  He was exhausting.
These days, Wally's just pretty much exhausted.  Like most old men, he takes a fair amount of medication.  A couple of weeks ago we discovered he and my mom both take Tramadol, the generic version, though I imagine they're made in slightly different facilities.

Wally has difficulty breathing, so his beloved walks have been shortened to a slow-go around the block once a day, if the weather isn't too hot or humid or too cold.  Last winter we bought him a jacket for when it dips below freezing.
His medications make him hungrier than this hungriest of beasts has ever been, so he gets a can of salt-free green beans three times a day to help fill him up.  He remains a master thief, ever on the lookout for a stray box of cereal or loaf of bread not properly secured.  Just last week he ate a whole stick of butter left on the counter to warm, wrapper and all, of course.  And yesterday he grabbed my son's piece of pizza in the blink of an eye.
His medications also make him extra grumpy.  A gentle nudge or accidental bump can cause a major growling reaction.  He's now too old to board at the kennel.  Too much stress.
This silly old dog wants nothing to do with our puppy.  We've had Gus for nearly a year now and Wally has only just begun to sniff at him, disdainfully, when he comes home from daycare.  Gus, of course, is overjoyed at this hint of recognition. 
Cats have always kind of creeped Wally out.  If a cat was asleep on his bed, Wally would refuse to lie there.  But lately, he's developed a liking for one of our cats;  one and a half year old Floyd.  He loves to play with Floyd, dancing around him and doing, um, somewhat indelicate things.  Floyd doesn't seem to mind.
Our newest baby, Henry, may be finding a place in Wally's heart as well.  Though Henry often jumps without looking, startling Wally out of a restless sleep, they did sleep together the other day on the same piece of furniture.  A major concession on Wally's part, though it is possible he just was too tired and sore to move.

Wally's hind legs are quite arthritic and we've noticed he can be somewhat unsteady at times.  He rarely jumps up on the bed with me anymore, instead curling up on his extra-cushy dog bed in front of the radiator.
Despite it all, his favorite time of the day is still "mail" time.  We've had lots of mail carriers over the years, and more than one of them seems to have taken delivering our mail without alerting Wally as a challenge.  We've noticed our current mail carrier creep up the steps to our porch, tiptoe to the mail slot, and try to slide the mail in as quietly as possible.  Every now and then he succeeds.  But most of the time his ascent to the porch is met with Cujo-like Wally jumping at the front window and barking wildly.
We know we're likely on borrowed time with Wally.  Despite his flaws, of which there are quite a few, I'd have to give him the title of "Best Dog Ever" for no one has loved my children with such intensity, entertained my family with such alacrity, nor been such a troublesome sweetheart as he.
I cherish each and every day we have with him.
Wally will always hold a special place in my heart.