Having an Old Dog

Hi

My old dog, Yshana, passed away in 2006. She was 18 years old. Blind, deaf, and walking like a retired ballerina. But still fighting to be alive, to keep her head up.

There is a lot of things that an old dog can teach us. We have only to look and really care.

Sorry about my English :) I'm brazilian and I read your post and must come here to say these words to you.

Here is Yshana:

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/45296

hugs,

Suzana

What a great reflection on life with an old dog.

My dog is a still spry and greatly energetic two year old. However, I have two twelve year old cats who mostly eat, sleep and beg for attention. When I'm home, they get to sleep on a heating pad for their arthritic bones. I wouldn't trade them for anything and would do anything I could to make their lives better and more comfortable.

People talk about the unconditional love pets bring to us. Maybe in that love, they teach us to love unconditionally as well.

Hi Lee,

I'm a huge fan of your commoncraft videos and, being an IT guy at a college, refer to them often to get across to our users the concepts of RSS, del.icio.us, photo sharing, etc. Thanks very much for creating your very entertaining and informative videos.

Anyway, we (my wife and I) have an old dog (13) as well and I can relate to everything you have written in your post above - bad breath, not hearing us come in, begging and all. And you're right, the young Lucy was nothing like the now Lucy, but we wouldn't trade one slathering of her doglick for anything. Thanks for blogging this very touching post.

Thanks again and best to you, Sachi and Amos.

Lee, I had to smile after reading the post. Last fall, we lost a dear family friend, Gretl. She was the sweetest chocolate lab mix you could ever hope to meet.

Like Amos, her final years were hard ones physically. She was a pound puppy that we rescued, and she wound up with an inherited degenerative retinal disease that left her blind at age 7. She did just fine for a few years without her sight. She even continued to fetch sticks and balls thanks to her great nose.

Here's a picture of our girl, Gretl.

Eventually her joints got old, and what we suspected was just arthritis turned out to be an aggressive form of bone cancer. We still miss her every day.

As seems to be the continual case, we are back into puppy mode with a 6 month old black lab mix. He's a handful to say the least, but has fit in wonderfully with our family.

Thanks for sharing, Lee!

Thanks for your old dog post - it brought back a flood of memories of my childhood dog who made to 14 or 15...the smelly breath, begging, and retired football player walk... I miss that dog!

great story, it gave me many memories of our old dog, who passed away in 2005 after being in the family for 15 years! reading about amos made me nod very often, knowing exactly what you were talking about :) have a nice weekend, henning

Lovely, Lee. Truly. You've touched a lot of hearts with this tribute.
(and Ha! It is vindication for the wrath directed at you when you guys went on your TWINF trip.)

I have never had a dog. But my aunt had. I will never foget this pretty dog. was very merrily with it!

My sweet Golden Retriever, Tigger, died in November at the age of 13. I have a picture of me holding her in the palm of my hand when she was just 3 weeks old, and I considered it an honor to be with her throughout her whole life. She, too, was deaf and nearly blind, and her hips were shot. I often had to help her up the steps and I was happy to do it for her. She was my constant companion through my newlywed years, my battle with infertility, my days as a new mom, the death of my parents, and then my divorce. She worried about me and always made sure I knew I was loved. Once she hit the age of 11 I knew every day was a gift. She recieved priority petting when I first got home and I allowed her to beg and have foods I didn't when she was younger. In her final hour, I brushed her and cleaned her ears, to which she groaned with delight (while going into shock from a ruptured disk and immediate paralysis). I was happy to put her out of her pain and to know that in her entire sweet life she suffered only an hour. I am so grateful to have had her as my live guardian angel and I will miss her forever. Thank you for sharing your sweet story and for giving all of us a chance to share our stories.

Well done. As Faye posted earlier, you've publicly honored the old boy. That puts you in a special class of humans.

Those with stories of passed soul mates are telling the tales I can only hope touch those without animals, perhaps even moving them to rescue - versus buy - a friend of a lifetime...

Having 2 beagles that turned 11 years old today, I understand living with older dogs. It always amazes me when I figure out how well trained they have me! At least when I train them, they earn titles!

Enjoy your time together!

I can't believe that I stumbled upon this post today!

Just yesterday, I started thinking to myself that one of my dogs, the beagle, is getting pretty old. I was wondering to myself if I should take him to the vet, and talk to her about 'my options' because he just doesn't seem very happy anymore.

He's been in our family for about 14 years, and he is just getting old and cranky. He's no longer sweet, just cranky. I you have food anywhere near him, he will not hesitate to come after you for it. I feel almost bad for him, because it seems that he has basically just givin up on life!

Nice Post! It strikes a chord within me...

I had a lab, Woody, that left us about 16 months ago. He was a month shy of 15, and he looks a lot like your boy, though he wasn't very Jabba the Huttish.

here are a couple of shots:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/2086768050_258d99e526.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/1127898765_d86afaaa63.jpg?v=0

I enjoyed your post, but now I have to excuse myself from my desk so people don't see me tearing up. I miss Woody terribly still. Enjoy your boy as much as you can, and continue to spoil him. Woody didn't bark when he begged, but he got his first pulled pork at 12 years old, and his eyes lit up like he was saying, "where have you been keeping THAT???"

I had Carmen put to sleep last fall. She was 14, and over the past 6 months or so had really gone downhill. However, the vet said she hadn't lost her spirit yet - but it still would have been cruel to make her totter painfully and embarrassingly around the yard any longer, especially with the cold weather coming. I had to make a decision, the hardest of my life so far.

Watch the breath - it indicates tooth/gum disease, which makes them feel horrible as the infection spreads. And it's preventable!

My next dog, when I'm ready to commit to one, will receive much better preventive care, not just love and food and exercise. Live so that you have no regrets - a lesson ever so painfully learned.

Bless you for sharing.

Thanks for your lovely story, its very moving and sad but happy at the same time.
I too had an old dog, she lived to 15 years old and had a wonderful life, like your dog she went deaf and couldn't hear you come in, poor old thing....
I have another dog of 4 years old and she is now showing age with the grey beard starting to come through.
Cheers

One of my old lab's lived to be around 14. This story reminds me alot about him. Great post, thank you for sharing!

I read this article and couldn't help but tear up, as I thought of my childhood friend. His name was Buddy, half german shepherd and half chow, I adopted him before I started kindergarten, he was 2 years old. He died at the age of 15 while I was in highschool. I miss him terribly.
This article has really touched my heart and made me glad that I even had the chance to have an old dog. I wish everyone could experience it.

This whole page makes me want to cry.
We have an old dog who's got bad artritis.
Right now the medicine seems to be working, so she's okay for now.

November of 2006 my Dads friend died of cancer, and Loo was left at the barn he used to live at. His son didn't take care of her properly. She was living in a barn, and the only human contact she was getting was my dad when he came to feed the horses and her. It was starting to get cold, and she would have frozen in that cold barn by herself. So we took her home and she's been here ever since.

She's an old dog, and the first big dog I've ever had. She's a German Shepard. She's just another member of the family now and we love her.
It will be a very sad day When she leaves this world...

I'm just sad that I've only had her for a little over a year, and already we have to think about the fact that she's an old girl. :(

Such a really nice dog and thanks for sharing his story.

My dog is just four years old and although it's a long way off, I have wondered what it will be like when she's older. Although we had dogs when I was younger, when my mum got divorced, the dogs unfortunately had to be rehomed so I've never had an old dog.

Thank you for showing me that I have still got many years to look forward to and reminding me that this time will be just as special as the preceding years x

I stumbled on this page and was moved to tears. My dear dog, Brumas, was agile, young and fit until his rear left cruciate ligament tore at the age of 5.5 years when jumping for a ball I'd thrown him. He's a big dog, (79 kilos) and had a T.P.L.O., the kind of repair operation recommended for big dogs. Took him several months to get over it and now, aged 7 years on 4th February 2008, he has completely recovered the use of his lame leg. However, in this meantime, he has aged dramatically. His leg is fine, but he 'hurries' rather than 'races', - and he 'hurries' for two hours every day in the woods, in the vain hope of catching a squirrel, and on the beach where he drinks the sea water and throws up - enjoys all of his life so much, but is slowing down, going grey around the muzzle, his demeanour is more ponderous and he's begun to LOVE his food... before, he could take it or leave it. I DREAD him getting older and older. I love this dog more than I love some of my family! He's always been with me through thick and thin. I cuddle him and he makes appreciative noises in my ear. He's simply the best. Barks at the postman and if he sees a squirrel, but at nothing else. If he wants something, he never barks, just looks at me - and I know what he wants.
I can't bear the thought of losing him, and I just want to tell you, Leelefever, how moving your article was and how I undestand what you feel for Amos. Can anyone believe that you put a blanket over him to sleep? You bet! Brumas has a sprung mattress with a sheepskin on top. He doesn't like a blanket over him, but when he's not feeling too good, he like my cardigan buttoned around his shoulders.
Thanks for your poignant article.
Cathy Kitchener

I lost my beloved maxwell this past year. He was 11. My first Yorkie.....I miss him so much. We are very fortunate to have our Susie. She is 10.....Your story touched my heart and I am so glad there are others who love their pets as much as we love, cherish and honor ours. Thank you for sharing.

My dog Jack will be 15 years old in two months. He does quite well for an old guy, although he has some of the usual old dog ailments: a touch of arthritis, some deafness, and some fuzzy mindedness. The last I attribute to my wife's death six months ago. He responds to her name and will look about the house for her. How do you explain death of a loved one to a dog? His and my cat companion is 21 years old, still in great shape, jumps onto the couch to get her cuddling. A house full of geriatric pets.

I have an old mastiff/lab cross a meager 170lb baby and I made a great discovery. Now I would be the last person to ever say walmart did something right but in this instance they did...Old Roy Daily Smart Bites an incredible treat that has put a little spunk back into my pup and helped with his arthritis. Another friend of mine has an antique poodle that she just expected to go on off to sleep and not wake up, all she did was sleep. Now she is meeting my friend at the door and even is threating to play, so I must say if you got an older dog friend.......do him a favor and get him these treats!

Right now we are enjoying the enthusiastic company of our 1.5 year old puppy, but two years ago we lost our elderly dog, and it hurt a lot. Thanks for your gracious piece in praise of dogs of any age.

our cocker spaniel had pretty much the same world view at that age. i still miss him, but it's been long enough now that i can laugh at how he was!

Beautiful!

Our little Sadie - terrier something - is also 13. At her last vet visit, he said she was one of the healthiest old dogs he'd seen in a long time. No arthritis, and like yours just a little deaf.

What lucky people we are.
Give old Amos a scratch behind the ears for me.

Bernie

Hi,im from Spain...So so beautiful words,i feel a little sad...but its normal.
.
My dog its with me now,he`s not very very old,he still ,jump,run...wants..(ejem,you know...)I think hes 10/11[he was living in the street]
He sleeps with me every night in my bed and he loves my newborn daughter.

Few month ago my other dog died ,he was 20 years(incredible).I miss him and im going to miss my crazy dog.But meanwhile we are happy together.

Kisses and blankets!!(and so sorry for my special english)

and again,beautiful words.

Before I talk dog, just wanted to let you know how great your work is! I spread the word to everyone who will listen, and my 9-year-old daughter routinely says, "Come baaaack . . . " in her best zombie voice.

Now for the dog curse that is on our household: For years we didn't know what it is like to have an old dog. Alex (also an on-cue howler -- I loved the photo) was fine when we went out to the movies, sick when we got home, and gone within 12 hours (one week shy of his 7th birthday). Puzzle had seizures, and finally didn't recover (8 years old), Katy had liver failure (9 years), and poor Marco Polo had a freak accident on Thanksgiving (4 1/2). I was sure we'd never have a dog make it to double digits. But then Miss Cricket made it to 10 . . . then 11 . . . then 12 . . . on Christmas Eve that year, we had to take her to the vet , and they told us she was suffering. So she was the star of the Christmas dinner that year, everyone spoiled and pampered her like the princess that she knew she was, and then we took her back to the vet on the 26th.

Now we have 3- and 6-year old shelties (they were all shelties), and hope that Cricket has broken the single-digit curse so that we can enjoy both of them as old dogs!

This column was so beautiful, so beautifully written, and the photos tugged at the heart. Dogs are so awesome. Thank you God, for them!!

Old dogs are my favorite patients. Your pics are awesome!

Lee - I love your work on commoncraft.com and came across your old dog post by chance. I am sitting here today on the sofa with my best pal, Ellie the whippet. She's now nearly 12 and starting to slow down (still chases hares when she can - but not so far). I am lucky in that I can occasionally work from home and keep her company while she sleeps - and she loves to sleep! Am I the only one who lets her snuggle down under the duvet at night? And it's rubbish that you can't teach an old dog new tricks - we invent new games to play all the time. Keep up the good work.

It was really nice reading the post about your dog, he sounds great. I have an 11 year old female Keeshond, Sassy , had her since she was 6 wks old. She's been a wonderful dog, she loves her walks, but we stop and let her rest a lot, she starts to wobble and getting up and down is harder now. We have a 3 year old tea cup chihuahua in the house too now, and she's been a great play pal for Sassy, keeping her spry by chasing and hiding from her , it's fun to watch Sassy perk up and play like a puppy again......

Really enjoyed!!!!!

Tonya

and i thought it was going to live to be a very old dog....

he was very healthy for about 10 years... then he got
bit two times in year 2004 by two other dogs, which
both were treated by the vets then his shots in 2004
and he was still very healthy in 2005

but something went very much wrong beginning in
year 2006, i dismissed it as coginitive dysfunction,
then deafness, much more temperature sensitivity
during summer, wobbly gait, then some incontience
which didn't matter on the hardwood floor and his own
dedicated mattress, just a accident once in a while and
leakage once in a while during sleep... maybe once
every couple of weeks.

by the very beginning of 2007 he was still relatively
healthy, but appeared to slip of the hardwood floors
and by summer he was so tempature sensitive.
Finally by August he slipped and appeared unable
to grip the floor. The vet said end stage; demyelination
and severe arthritis and the dog was suffering. later
that evening, i discovered his fur was totally covering
the foot pads, trimmed it back, kept the floor real clean
and the slipping stopped... i was not happy that vet
refused to look at the paws telling me it didn't matter...
it did... and by mid october 2008, was again seeking
another vet to get his shots and trim the nails back....
it appears all he did was suffered was a bout of
heat exhaustion in late july and a muscle pull that
healed right up, until that first week of 11/2008 he
went down hill real quick.....

but something went very much wrong at the beginning
of november 2008, what appeared as slipping got much
worse, and the second week of november resembled
needing a 24 hour pet sitter. On 11/15/08 i took him yet
to another vet who stated the arthritis and the rimadyl...
and that vet sensed he was still a healthy older dog.

the final week, i began to put two and two together ..... no
this was not arthritis at all.... it went all the way back to
the 2004, even though he was treated 3 years ago....
obviously he initially recovered and was vaccinated.

2006 began the encephalitis episode, which 2007 i
now began to realize most likely that was chronic
collapsing for the past 11 months, the demyelination,
and not cognitive dysfunction or arthritis at all...... and
those foot pads filing them with a rough file to roughen
them up so he could grip the floor.

All of that added up to what appeared as to exactly what
old dog encephalitis... after his shots in 2004, about
it was very evident at the beginning of 2005 something
changed, so he lived almost 3 years longer.

The 1'st/3'rd week of november 2008, he lost the ability
twice to be able to stand 2 - 3 episodes each week, he
was so close to paralysis, i don't even question there
was substantial brain damage in the area leading to
the spine... if it was just paralysis of the hind legs, i
would have kept a paralyzed dogs, but not with what
very evidently was old dog enphehalitis and to confirm
that would have been very expensive

Again the same vet on 11/23/08 stated more rimadyl
and antibotics, as felt he was much better... i gave the
prescriptions back to him and told him put him to sleep
as he was unaware what i just had experienced the
past 2 out of the 3 weeks....

finally on 11/23/08 i had no choice but to put him to sleep
as i don't even question at that point he was really just
beginning to suffer, required equivalent to a 24 hour pet sitter, and a few more weeks would have been overtaken
by the enpehalitis... it was very close, another few weeks
he would have been a very sick dog... he was already
well on the way, literally chronically collapsing very
close to barely standing. I don't even question for the
past year all that initial circling, head pressing, seizures,
and involuntary chorea muscle twitching in the hind
legs for 2 years all = rapidly progressing end stage
encephalitis.... it happened very quickly the final 2 weeks.

probably one of the best dogs i ever had.. he was brought up and socialized very well... only just short of 12 years old, but something tells me possibly really 13/14...

amazingly though it was almost a month until i buried
him and amazingly well perserved for that long, kept
him in a closed plastic container at a average of 45F

and yes..... i really miss him too... but having him for
11 years is a long time

i was even more disappointed to later learn the flint
river super premium senoir with components to prevent arthritis that i fed him as he became a senoir was well
over 50% wheat !!!! ... never overweight but proned to
allergy reactions with that much wheat... but no no...
i don't even question that was definitely encephailitis
and there was no way i was going to spend many
$1000's to keep him alive for another year or two.

Obviously it was the beginning of 2005, where he
displayed all the symptoms of distemper, even though
he was vaccinated.... he completly recovered from the
initial distemper, somewhat weakened, but it was obvious
2 to 2.50 years later, the neurological involvement became very evident. and all it took was another 4 months

Our old dog Hamlet is at least 14 but we think older as we got him from the pound. he was one day shy of being executed. he had a cherry eye and needed immediate medical attention. he is feisty and protective over us and his home. he has out lived 5 other dogs and is now our sole pet. lately, we have noticed his loss of hearing and his arthritis. his leg shakes even when he is lying down. he is on metacam and thyroid meds. he used to be purely black and now covered in gray hair. he begs for food and LOVES his walks. even though he struggles on a short walk, he gets so excited when he sees another dog or hears one barking. his quality of life is still good, just different and it happened really quickly. we love him dearly and after having lost 3 of our dogs in 6 months time, we cannot imagine losing him, our last man standing. thank you all for your stories, i know we will lose Hamlet one day but now I just want to give him the best life he can have in his old age, take care of him, massage him, play with him and love him.

A over year ago when I lost my Maynard Dog, I really cried for the first time in 20 years. I said never again.

Like all of the best dogs he was recycled and came back to me as a different dog. I suspect that I have been using the same dog for over 40 years now.

Hello to: Papayas, Dotty, Maynard.

I named you Arlo this time!

and they all hold a special place in my memories. From the Norwegian Elkhounds who passed from cancer and kidney failure, to the Malamute we nursed through Heartworm only to lose a few years later after developing auto-immunity due to innoculations, to the Husky who went blind and deaf, the adopted giant Malamute who developed bone cancer and had to be mercifully put down when he was eight, to the adopted Malamute we now have who has Addisons. My eyes well with tears thinking of each and everyone of them and the special place they hold in my heart. Love them everyday for their time is short!

I have a Maltese who is 14 years old. Her name is Baby. I never had children and she is the closest thing to my child. Some people never understand this relationship.

Baby has never slept on the floor. Never been in a cage. Gets a bath every couple of days. Is a very good friend to me.

Many don't understand..I see you do!

This was a great post. I'm a first-time dog owner and have had a devil of a time finding places to talk about, and learn about, taking care of an aging dog. All kinds of sites on choosing, caring for and training a puppy but zippo after that.

When my husband and I married in 2000, I also 'married' two teenage girls and their Dalmations, Pongo and Perdita.

Now, when I was a kid growing up on a farm there was always a dog on the property, following my dad around as he did what farming dad's do. But those dogs were working 'outside' dogs, fond of them tho I was I was always just a little afraid of them, and thought myself more of a 'cat' person.

At least untill the spotted ones got to me...

Perdita - a sweet sneak of a girl who was fiercely protective and territorial with a smile (Dalmations 'smile' though to a stranger they look like a silent snarl) that lit up a room, smiled her way right into my heart - is gone now.

The older of my husband's daughters took her dog with her when it came time to make her way in the world, so Perdita wasn't with us as she grew older. She was 12 1/2 the last time I saw her, and that was about 3 years ago now. I was shocked by how much she'd aged, but her spirit was just as strong. It had been a while, so it was very 'lovers reunited'.

As she tried to run towards me, head down and smiling ear to ear, her tail was wagging so hard she was knocking herself badly off-balance, and finally just laid down a couple of feet away, panting with effort and just looked up at me with those big brown pools of love and welcome. I sat beside her and down plopped her head in my lap, and she doggie sighing with content.

It was a quick visit and had I known she'd be gone just weeks later, I'd have gladly sat with her all afternoon getting as much hair on me as she liked.

Which brings me to 'The Prince', Pongo. My boy wonder...

When our youngest chick flew the coop she knew the expense of an aging dog was more than she could cope with, and she wanted to be able to experience life freely, so she asked if we'd keep her boy with us.

Until that moment I just hadn't realized my heart wasn't totally open to either dog. I'd been protecting myself in anticipation of the day they'd move and take them away.

But the moment Megan asked if we'd keep him was the moment my heart really fell, and fell hard. He's been my boy ever since, and if it weren't for the glorious man who already shares my bed, Pongo would have an honored place there.

A big beautiful galumphing goofus, Pongo's 12 (and a bit) who's favorite place is a plush comforter in front of the fireplace. He chases sunpuddles and squirrels, and plays fetch with a raw-hide bone now that chewing them's too much work for him.

We live on Lake Huron, and he loves the water and the beach. Having never figured out how to swim - too much of a scaredy-cat - he bounds and prances through it like a playful pupply till he catches a snoot-full!

He's a big suck and always has been but he's everybody's friend. This last year or so separation anxiety's creeped into the equation and most of the time he's our shadow (and since we both work from home, he's got company almost all the time).

He used to be a great traveller, off like a shot if we said the phrase, 'car ride'. But not anymore, tho we don't know why, so our plans to go south through the winter are on hold for a while. It seems we still have one last babe to stay home for just yet...

We don't give him 'people food' anymore: his sensitive digestion gives him a wicked time when we do. It's hard to say no but harder still to hear him whimper with gut pain after we've given in, knowing it was our job to protect him rather that please ourselves.

Gradual loss of hearing has made the electrical storms that had him wild-eyed with terror less disturbing, though when it really gets going he still thinks he's a lapdog.

He sleeps more, and through more, and is on more supplements and medications that we are now, hip dysplasia and liver malfunction giving him a rough time some days.

Now he's got those fatty lumpy deposits growing along his underside that seem to daily say, 'Enjoy every moment of every day. You just don't know when this is going to end.'

We've already talked about last day scenarios with Megan, checking to verify she's okay with the call to put him to sleep if one-day it's clear one more day just wouldn't be fair.

It used to be I couldn't imagine life with dogs. Now I can't imagine life without him. And these days we're like parents of a new-born, taking all kinds of pictures - aware how precious these times with him are and how much we're going to treasure each and every goofy image when he's gone.

You can see him on soft point and enjoying the beach on my TrulyLissa Twitter homepage.

My midasian sheep dog Korsar is dead for 5 years. Thanks for article.
bike tune Bertha

Love your post about your old dog. I'm only 9, but already honing some of those great old dog traits. We love your Zombies in Plain English vid, and the rest of them have been really useful too! Just sent the RSS one to a fellow blogger.

Pop by any time. www.sophierulestheworld.blogspot.com

Once my girl hit the age of 11 I knew every day was a gift. She recieved priority petting when I first got home and I allowed her to beg and have foods I didn't when she was younger. In her final hour, I brushed her and cleaned her ears, to which she groaned with delight (while going into shock from a ruptured disk and immediate paralysis).

Tummy Jeans

I was looking for some advice on my dog Domino, so I began to scan the internet. Now that he is much older he behaves so bizarre. As I read your story I began to laugh. First of all, he is a pit bull retriever mix with almost identical markings as your dog. He is also very hard of hearing and rarely barks at the appropriate time. A few times we even opened the door and heard him bark but he was still laying in bed. I remember a time when all I have to do was look at him while he was sleeping and he would open his eyes. And the bad breathe, do not even get me started. The only real difference is what has brought me to search the internet in the first place , the begging for food statement. My dog doesn't just beg for food he will now eat anything. He used to be a little picky and would beg for people food and then eat his food when he realized there was no hope of convincing us any longer. Now I can't leave his bowl with food in it at all. And he will go as far as eating out of dirt piles when sweeping or raiding the garbage like he did when he was a puppy. I have been taking him to the vet and they keep running labs, doing x-rays and say he has abnormal sells in his belly. I believe it must be cancer. I was told dogs will eat non-stop because they believe it will make them feel better. I don't know if that is true. What I do know is that I can't bare to run tests anymore. The vet says he is in tiptop shape other then the abnormal cells. For now we are just doing the best to make him happy and trying to avoid letting him over eat. I wish I had the money to clone him because he too has been an amazing dog. I just read a report of someone who did clone their dog at a very large expense I'm sure and honestly I'm not sure if it would even be available to the public anyway.

I've just read this page talking about Amos and, know what? I cried.
I love dogs too. I have a 7 year old bichon frisee, Lennon. I love him and your story touched me deeply.
I have just discovered your site (I came here wanting to know about social network) and was looking for the link "post" just to let you know that you do what I dream to do - work full time with Internet. I L-O-V-E-D your videos and wish you a lot of success, you really deserve it!
All the best,
Ana