I have another dog.
For years, I have searched for the right match with G. She is dog selective. That’s a nice way of saying “she hates most dogs.”
Lately, she has been slowing down A LOT. It is really bad. Adding a second dog can sometimes enliven an old dog. It can also make them even more miserable, so the decision must be made with great care. After all these years, I had basically given up. G simply did not like the dogs I put before her as potential adoption candidates.
Then, my sister found a listing for a dog who someone wanted to rehome. Since G loves my neighbor’s Shih Tzu-mix, I thought I would give it a try. So far, it is a good fit. Even though I didn’t necessarily want a male dog and certainly not a Shih-Tzu, he has turned out to be a great fit for our household. If G needs to rest on walkies, he relaxes. He walks at her pace. He lets her be the alpha dog. He plays with toys on his own after she rejected his attempts at play. He is just a good, all-around dog.
G is declining quickly. I see it now that I have a younger dog bouncing beside her. I am not sure how much longer we will have together, but I intend to give her a top quality life for as long as we do have. (Enough thinking about that - eyes have liquid spouting from them - WTH?)
Change happens. I don’t want G to get old, and I never thought a little Shih-Tzu boy would come into our lives. Of course, I also didn’t think that my former marriage would end in divorce, that I would one day build a house on my own, or that I would have the courage to quit a job I truly hated. When change inevitably happens, try to embrace it. Yes, it is scary. Deep breath - it will be okay.
P.S. Yes, I am saying that every time I look at G.