Meet our dog Sam, he's lovely but also driving me a bit nutty. He's old, blind, and deaf. He was someone else's reject dog, a single mum who didn't realise that having a new baby and a puppy was a bit much. In his heyday he would run like the wind, keeping pace with a motorbike around the paddock. He would dive into the ocean and chase rabbits. We called him Mr Softhead (it's very soft) and he was our substitute child when we were both feeling nesty. He got more attention before we had kids but is well loved by us all.
Now he's confused and a bit silly. He doesn't know what to do with himself and puffs and pants like a locomotive. He seems to have forgotten that drinking water and staying in the shade is the best thing to do on a hot day, and gets seriously overheated. Lately he's been banging on the back door for no reason, first he wants in, then he wants out, and he's trying to escape the yard - with more success than I care to say. He really like's our neighbours and their female dog, who is also getting on.
He's a good exercise in patience and kindness. After all the years of joy he's given us, it's time to give a little back. You really appreciate the commitment of having a pet when it comes to the end of their life, it's not all licks and doggy smiles. He's been with us 15 years, the children have always known him as part of the family. He does make me worry with those disappearances and kookiness, but for now he's snoring beside me, sending unpleasant wafts into the air, Sammy!