It's Been a Minute

Over a year and a half has passed since my last post. I went from being 59 to 61 (which has been just fine), I tried reconciling with my husband, (which did not work out) and I brought another pup into the pack (which has been . . . an experience). I'm still at my job, with this being year 27. I'm still gardening, reading, and playing with my camera. I've made some wonderful friends in this little village I call home, and I've made new friends all because of Sunny, the new addition to the pack.

Sunny. Where to start?

For several years I have been following those involved with search and rescue, especially canine search and rescue. Then, when I helped deliver a van full of goods to those in need following hurricane Helene, we stayed a night in a hotel on the way home, and a group of canine search and rescue handlers on their way to North Carolina were eating breakfast when we were. I eavesdropped a little, listening to them talk about their dogs and what they would be facing. The rest of the way home, all I thought about was becoming a canine search and rescue handler.

Long story short, not long after returning from that trip, I joined the canine search and rescue team in the neighboring county, went through the required classes, including a day-long class on using a compass (which was my favorite), and joined the canine handlers every chance I had when they had a training. Watching the dogs work just fueled the fire to become a handler. Each time I learned something new and became even more excited about eventually getting my own dog.

In June, that dog became Sunny. A seven week old yellow lab. 

I knew getting a puppy was going to be challenging. I knew adding a puppy in with the two adult dogs I already have would be more chaos than I probably want. But I've raised puppies before. I'm not a complete newbie.

Sunny, though, is not any ordinary puppy. He's in training to be a trailing dog, which means I have to do things a bit differently raising him. I've never crate trained any of my dogs (except Max, and I only did him because he liked to get on the table and lay down when we weren't home). Sunny needs to be crate trained, which is fine now, but the first two weeks were rough. None of us got any sleep those first two weeks. 

There were several moments during those first few weeks I really thought I'd lost my mind in bringing Sunny home. Like the time I rushed him to the vet because he was lethargic, couldn't hold his head still, and walked like he was drunk. The vet said it seemed he'd gotten hold of marijuana. I was stunned. The vet said it happens a lot now since it's legal -- people smoke in public and throw the tiny remnants on the ground just like they do cigarette butts. And puppies pick up everything they come across. Not two weeks later, Sunny was back at the vet again for the same thing. I was beginning to feel like I'm a bad dog mom. All I could do was watch him like a hawk. Anything he picked up, I was on him, slipping my fingers into his mouth to remove whatever it was. Rabbit poop. A nightcrawler. A pine cone. A dead baby sparrow. Since those two scares, we've been able to avoid having to go back to the vet.

Until this evening. 

I was on the phone with Lovely Beautiful Daughter, and I heard Sunny running through the living room towards the porch, where I was sitting in the hammock swing. All the sudden he cried out in pain. As he came onto the porch, I saw him holding his right leg up, not using it at all. The way his leg moved, and the way he was crying in pain, I feared it was broken. I immediately called the vet, yet again feeling like a horrible dog mom. The vet said most likely a sprain. Wait til morning then reassess.

I've never, with all the dogs I've had through the years, had the issues I've had with this puppy. I'm not going to lie -- I'm seriously questioning my life choice of getting Sunny. Perhaps the whole canine search and rescue pursuit isn't meant to be. Maybe I'm just supposed to stand on the sidelines with this one and be a spectator. Maybe Sunny would be better served with an experienced handler, someone who knows what they're doing. 

I guess right now I'll wait til morning then reassess.