An Old Dog's Life

You often see me blog and post pictures of Major, Russell’s Service Dog, because he goes everywhere with us, but also traveling with us is Ruby.  Ruby is our 14 ½ year old Black Lab.  She is 50 pounds of solid determination.  She was the runt of the litter, so she is quite small for a lab, not barrel chested like so many.  Ruby has suffered from seizures for years, although we have opted not to medicate her for them.  We watch her diet, and I don’t think she has had a single seizure since we began RVing.  (Knock on wood.)

I have had Ruby longer than I’ve had Russell.  😃 My family actually got Ruby when we lived in Pennsylvania, when she was only 8 weeks old.  It’s difficult to remember a time without her.  Sarah, claims her to be her dog, because she arrived only 2 days before Sarah’s 6^th birthday, but somehow, Russell and I still have Ruby, even though Sarah is out on her own now.  Funny how that works, huh?

Like most of us, Ruby is showing her age more and more.  She is white muzzled, or are they strands of glitter?  I'm not sure.  She no longer likes to play with toys, although she still likes her occasional treat.  You see the cloudiness in her eyes.  She can’t hear her name called, so she is always on leash when outside the RV, and due to arthritis, she has difficulty keeping her hind end up at times, but she is a trooper.  She tries desperately to keep up with Major and all his energy, but she just can’t most days, although she still enjoys going for walks, just at a slower pace. 

Ruby sleeps a lot.  Over the years, she has become more and more like a cat.  She has claimed Major’s giant sized bed as her own and can be found 90% of the time on the bed… unless you are in the fridge.  Then she is at your side to see what you have that she might want.  Her favorite food remains cheese and she loves the occasional pizza crust, if you are willing to share.  She is still very loving, but on her own terms… again, like a cat.

When we are at an RV Park and out sightseeing, Ruby stays behind at the RV.  She is nowhere near as well trained as Major, and can’t go everywhere with us like he can, so she gets left out of so many adventures.  Again, she sleeps a lot and much of the time doesn’t even hear us come in when we return.  Many times, we have to give her a bit of a shake for her to know we are back, and for us to know that she is still alive.

Traveling with 2 large dogs can be a challenge in such a small space.  They are always underfoot, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.  They are as much a part of this adventure as we are, and they have added memories to the journey.

Until next time and more dog tails (pun intended),

Roberta

The Traveling Crafter