Black Dog Sunday

Our Black Dog's enthusiasm for runs and walks is still increasing since he had his spleen removed. We think that his hemoglobin levels are returning to normal after his slow internal bleeding from his spleen tumor. However, we don't really know because the pandemic is making trips to the vet rare.

In the very early mornings, he and Shyla go running with the Runner. He recently resumed barking and leaping in the air with happiness before his runs. It's almost unbelievable to us. He used to do that every day, and he stopped while he wasn't feeling well both pre- and post-surgery. Now he is doing it again!

He also loves his evening hikes with the whole pack. Sometimes, he and I linger behind the others.

As we lingered on this day, the rest of the pack ran into a friend. It's one of R's favorite people, and he immediately recognized the voice.  I had trouble keeping even a fraction of his attention on me.


He seemed to say, "let's go see my buddy - I don't want to be too late to say hi to him".

And, we hurried down the hill so that R could greet his friend.

R is one of the most friendly and outgoing dogs who we've ever had in our family. Before the world shut down to slow the pandemic, R was spending one or two days per week flirting with strangers in town. Even though he's blind, he listens for voices, orients toward them, and starts doing big loopy tail wags to draw them in to meet him. He gets tons of pats everywhere he goes. He leaves a wake of smiling people!

He's a lucky dog. He has never been given a reason to doubt the friendliness of strangers, and his personality doesn't have a shred of fear in it. In his younger days, his greetings were too exuberant for some people. Now, he greets people with gentle happiness. He spreads love everywhere he goes.

Happy Black Dog Sunday. Each one is a gift.