I just got the news that my dog, Partner, has cancer. It is hemangiosarcoma. We found it when he was loosing blood on Sunday, so he was pale and not interested in eating. I have always said, if Partner misses a meal, it will be time to dig a hole. Well the joke wasn't far off. His blood loss led us to emergency surgery where we found many masses on his spleen, which was removed. When the biopsy came back, we got the diagnosis. This type of cancer is in the blood and goes everywhere. It moves quickly so the prognosis is very bad. Since the surgery, he feels wonderful. He is hungry again, bossy, anxious to work and play. He is loving and insistent on giving his affection. These qualities are why he is my special boy. 8 years ago, when I took him to puppy class, the teacher wanted us to find a nick name of sorts, that we were to use when talking about the dogs to our families. That way the dog wouldn't have his name over used or diluted. We chose, THE BOY. The funny things is, months later, when talking to my husband about the dog, we used the nick name we had chosen. I said, did you notice how THE BOY .... what ever. On the use of THE BOY, Partner's ears went up and his undivided attention was locked onto me. Oops. Every since that day, he has had two names. Not exactly what the puppy teacher had intended, but nothing gets his attention so quickly as saying something about THE BOY. He is THE BOY, my boy and he always will be. So the next few weeks or months, which ever it turns out to be, will be full filling Partner's bucket list. I know what is on that list, every other entry is: to eat. He would sell his soul for food. Now most people would say that about every dog they ever owned. But Partner takes hist addiction to food over board. I have photos of him, licking his chops and memories of soaked clothing from a drooling, begging dog who is watching me eat. He becomes deaf and blind in the presence of food. I always have said that I never met a carbohydrate I didn't like. Well, Partner says: I never met a potential food molecule of food, not worth checking out. For example, he eats drier lint. Since I carry treats in my pockets, drier lint has potential food molecules. He is drawn to dust bunnies or scraps of trash, or lighter colored rocks or grass, all potential, left behind molecules of food. This has been a problem during his showing career. In the show ring, often you will have hair lint or chalk marks or stickers marking places on the floor. All have been investigated and have resulted in points lost in our performance. Tote bags left hanging on the show ring gates could hold treasures of food. All bring Partner to them like magnets from the north pole. Distraction training comes to mind. Sure, great idea, yeah, lets do that. You can't over ride his thirst for molecules of food potential. It is like E=MC2. Proven and powerful. Now, in hind sight, it is funny and makes me smile. But on the days he left an agility run to check out potential food, on those days it wasn't so funny. But he is my boy and I understand the distraction called food.
First on his bucket list is affection and licking time. Partner's licker is well exercised. For 8 years he has licked his sister Amber's ears as if they were gum drops. He would sit and lick and chew on her ears like a drug. She could have stopped it, but she never did. We lost Amber two months ago and guess who has taken up the slack, yep, me. He wants to kiss and lick me, non stop. I have pushed that pesky dog off my lap hundreds of times, but how can I call him pesky now. How can I forgo one second of his lap time, knowing it is such a short time that I have left with him. Bucket List: 1. lick Mom, 2. eat, 3. play agility, 4. eat, 5. divert Benna from all games with Mom.
Benna has been a constant thorn in Partner's side. From the day she showed up, Partner has been annoyed. I have dogs that come and go to our house on a regular basis. Partner has always been the most gracious of hosts. He never gives other dogs a second glance once in our house. They come, he sniffs them, then shows them the dog door to the back yard. But I brought that 7 week old puppy in, on that first day, set her down and he attacked. The attack was like what a big uncle might do, no injury but adamant domain expression. It was immediate. He could tell this one was different. Mom was different about this one. Who knew I should never play poker. The first time they both were at an agility set up was at a show and go we were doing. I arrived first to finish getting ready for the day. I let the dogs out of the car to allow them to run around. Partner ran down to the fence line, made an obvious visual scan of the set up and whipped around to pin point Benna's where abouts and lunged at her. In no uncertain terms, he wanted her to know, this was his domain, she needed to go, or stay and die. It has been that way ever since at agility class. Now that they are at the same level of training, going to class together sounded like so much fun. Not the case. To protect her and keep Partner's focus, I have to take one at a time. He is serious about his agility. That is why it is so high on the bucket list. Probably his bucket list, goes: food, agility, lick Mom. But my bucket list FOR him goes: Lick Mom, food, agility. I can live in the world of my own making.
I just wish my world was one where Partner would live to be 17 like Amber did. Eight is too young. I need to go pet THE BOY.
