Borrowing things, being a lender or lendee, which category do you land in?
Or do you say pass to both? Maybe straddle the fence, spend time in both camps? When running I’m lucky to “borrow” the neighbor’s black labrador retriever nine year old dog. He just dovetails with my exercise routine when trotting by close to where his dinner dish, watering bowl are parked. I don’t have to take him back or return him either like other borrowed items. He finds his way home on his own.
The first time out this summer at the Maine lake I did not recognize Baxter.
He must have been doubling up on his work out regiment. Because he had shed fifteen pounds, had a hair cut that adds to the slimmer, trimmer K-9. He is not the same dog in vim and vigor, in appearance.
Mites, problems with his ears last summer led to a trip to the vet. But in figuring out what’s driving Baxter nuts with his ears, tests run on the dog showed his thyroid was not operating properly. Hormones were out of whack. Explaining the bloated look, weight gain. And his habit of sticking closer to home. Not being so puppy frisky as he once was.
The samples from the dog’s ear tissue sent to Michigan University showed it was Baxter’s thyroid problem that led to the susceptibility to the ear mites.
Like humans, going in for one symptom fix, cure led to the deeper, the real bottom line reasons for the problem. That are not always so black and white crystal clear at first glance until under the eye of a trained vet professional. Who sees the situation come up often where you and I don’t. Traveling in different circles. And Baxter can’t “woof woof” explain or add his two cents on what’s happening inside his body. To give suggestions on what he needs, what is wrong.
Baxter does not stop now on runs. He doubles back to see what’s keeping me off his pace. But he does not stop, sit still like the slower, fatter black lab I remember from last year. He is a rope a dope Ali prancer. It was a production to just catch a lake sunset digital image of the black dog for this Maine blog post. To introduce the two of you.
After a run down to the lake dam on Drews and back, the black lab circles the Maine vacation home a few revolutions.
Then without fanfare motors along on his appointed rounds of the neighborhood haunts. But during the run routine, he keeps me on pace, leaves no room for slacking. No just poking along allowed. Smelling, leaving leg lifting “markers” to dot the course in a “a trail of breadcrumbs” sort of way. Looking back over his shoulder to stay far enough ahead to encourage picking up the pace. But not so far that he disappears and leaves me without a “spotter”.
Sharing the dog who will stand totally still up to his belly in the lake watching fish. With patience to catch them. Or a habit of diving for rocks, picking them up with his teeth, jaw and bring them to shore. Do you own a dog, is he a community Fido, Spot, Rover that is shared, enjoyed by many in the neighborhood? Maybe with more than one dinner dish, water bowl?
The one pill a day mixed in his food for his thyroid has given Baxter a new lease on life. His owners figure the entire medical procedure diagnostics cost close to $700 but you would do the same for any other member of your family that was hurting, not quite themselves right?
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com