Love you with all the madness in my soul

[lizblackdog]

when I fell in love with Spike, I didn't onlyfall in love with him as an individual. I fell in love with he entire breed. I didn't, and still really don't, ever want to have a dog that isn't a border collie again.


Except. It's not just the creeping deathfatigue, or perhaps it's a side effect of it, I don't know. Every time I use a muscle for more than a minute or so it behaves like I worked it into the ground for days at a stretch. I played tug with Spike yesterday and today my wrist and forearm are painful enough that I can only hold leashes lefthanded. Same thing with hip joints and lower back every time I walk anywhere or stay upright more than ten minutes.

fortunately Spike is nine now, and while he doesn't LIKE it, he's at least capable of living with reduced amounts of play and exrcise without going completely hosebeast, more or less. But I'm forced to accept that there's no way I could be fair to a younger BC, not now, not any more. My next dog's going to have to be my old lady dog; a papillon or the nearest equivalent the shelter can find me.

I'm so lucky to have Spike. I'm still heartbroken that he's going to be the only one, not the first of many like I planned. (Unless I look for geriatric border collies. Which I very well might. But that's its own kind of guaranteed heartbreak and really hard to handle without a younger dog around as a counterpoint.)

Comments

[collie222.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, I would love to have a border collie someday, because they are so smart and beautiful. But as I can't meet their needs I have not adopted one. But someday I promise myself I will bring one of these amazing dogs into my life. And I understand what you mean about the heartache of only adopting senior dogs, dogs you will lose all too soon. But rescuing a senior, a dog that's 7+ years old, is very rewarding, and those dogs seem to appreciate everything you do for them....as if they know you saved them.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Get geriatric border collies, with a young papillon? (They named a dog breed 'butterfly'?) Although then you and the wee little dog would have heartbreak. :(

*hugs*

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

dear life,

stop throwing wrenches in all my grand plans!

dammit!

i love puppy with all my might, but i'm not sure i could survive another puppyhood. and he was already 7-8 months old when i got him. so! much! energy! omg. but i wonder if i could love an easy dog the way i love puppy. either way, no more dogs under 3 years old for me i think. gotta save my sanity somehow!

i'm sorry you're having so much trouble with fatigue and overexertion from seemingly normal tasks. thats a huge challenge to deal with!

[lemmingpie.livejournal.com]

i have already decided that i shall have a pomeranian as my old lady dog when that day arrives...probably because ein has his sprinkle of pomeranian and that makes me love them. because everything about ein...i love.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

That would be shared, yes, I am not looking forward to the day Squrrl nor Houdini join their brother Smudge & mother Mudge. Their sire, Mike, recently passed and was 14+ years.

We've got the space, and the livestock, to help with a young BC. Not to mention that would help us. Yet I am still wondering, remembering Houdini and Smudge as pups... O. Mai. Yes.

[huntingdon.livejournal.com]

Just don't get one of those rats on a string.

[redcirce]

I'm sorry your heath is impacting the kind of dogs you can own.
I'd never seen a papillon before, though, and they are kind of bizarrely adorable with those big ears- they look fun.