We’ve determined that Geriatric Poodle finds his way around by running into stuff.
At first, I didn’t understand, and it made me very, very sad. But having compared notes with Mr. Wonderful and having watched Grandmaster Fluff work a room, it’s really pretty ingenious.
He rams his head into stuff to get a point of reference. Then he goes on his merry way until he rams his head into something else. Another point of reference. We’re cooking with gas now!
He’s mastered not only my house but also that of Mr. Wonderful, who has a big carpeted stairway. Although Geriatric Poodle occasionally wanders aimlessly because he doesn’t realize everybody went downstairs, he’s adapting really well. And we’re learning not to abandon him in a different part of the house.
I walked Foxie Doxie and Geriatric Poodle three times a day, every day, rain or shine, for the two looooong years I lived in an apartment. Admittedly, I bought a fenced yard with a house attached. And so, I’m so excited about not having to walk them that I often don’t. Bad mommy!
However, Mr. Wonderful relishes walking the pups, and the extra exercise is making a difference. Geriatric Poodle has a spring in his step. I can’t even begin to imagine all the smells and delights that he finds, so the fact that he trips over the sidewalk is ok. He’s adapting seamlessly, and I should wake up and appreciate his example.
Ha. Our oldest dog died in August at 15 and the other 15 year old is deaf and blind. He's a terrier. The worst thing for me is that I am constantly stepping on him or running into him--or confusing him by standing JUST in front of him, so he has to sniff and ram into me several times in order to figure out how to get around that strange wall. At least he's not in diapers (the other dog was).
ReplyDeleteMary, I, too, act as an accidental human wall. Oh, the guilt. And am I a crazy dog lady if I'm considering buying a sling designed for a newborn human to tote around my delicate little pup?
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