I’ll fight anyone who disagrees 🥲 He really is the most wonderful dog I could ask for. The most distinguished of all the gentlemen dogs, sporting a much better dress sense than me in his colourful jumpers.

He’s been in my life for 14+ years. I remember coming home after a day at work and seeing this strange dog looking out of the front window. I had no idea I would grow to love him as much as I have. That window spot would become his, allowing him to be on watch as people drive and walk by. It’s fitting really as he always wants attention and makes sure we know it with his random bouts of barking.

Over the past 11 months he seems to have aged all of a sudden. I would pass the odd joke prior saying he’s getting old. But it never really felt like he was old or finding it hard. However, now the once forever energetic dog is more lethargic and struggles at times to walk. Though he seems to forget about that when the postman is at the door 🥲 He’s got arthritis in his legs and part of his throat is paralysed which sometimes affects his breathing. I’m fairly certain he is going deaf too, he doesn’t even respond to ‘cheese’! unless he can see it 🥲 None of this seems to bother him though, he’s still a super happy doggy enjoying life, but it is becoming more and more concerning to us. If his throat problem gets a lot worse we may have to consider putting him to sleep and that’s something I can’t even think about… so I won’t 🥲

It’s inevitable he won’t be around forever, and his growing health issues has highlighted that. I don’t want to lose him. I’m scared to lose him. And I’m even more scared of the thought of him losing us, that’s been on my mind a lot recently. Aside from a few months before we got him from a rescue centre, we are the only family he has known throughout his life. I like to think we have treated him well. He’s truly spoilt with his multiple dedicated chairs and beds throughout the house, he has physio therapy, pays no rent, has all of his expenses covered, wears snazzy jumpers (he evolved into Theo-saurus about 4 years ago 🦖) and occasionally drives us up the wall but he does keep watch, and ‘tries’ to protect us. We absolutely wouldn’t want life without him.

Sneaking upstairs

Recently we’ve been allowing him to go upstairs in the house which we never use to do unless he was having a bath. He’s found and has taken over another chair to call his own 🙄. Now every day whilst I’m working upstairs he barks wanting to come up, and it’s always during a meeting. The most frustrating dog but it’s hard to be mad at him.

He has a chair near the bottom of the stairs, there’s a stair gate to stop him going up. It only takes a few seconds of the gate to be open for him to hop off his chair and sneak up the stairs 🙄 He definitely hides his impaired movement well 🥲

He taught me dogs can smile

Before Theo I didn’t realise dogs could actually smile. I know dogs can open their mouths, stick their tongue out and become excited but I didn’t know they could smile 🥲. If you scratch him in just the right spot around the neck he beams into a smile which, I don’t know why, but I always find so funny and heartening. (I realise none of these photos show him mid-smile or looking happy now that I think about it 😅 oops, but he is happy!).

Unconditional love

That’s the thing about dogs, they give you affection no matter who you are, where you are from or what you have done. He’s been a shining light through all of the bad times and his cuddles are just the best after a rough day.

He’s given us numerous scary moments, a war of surgeries, scans and tests, but he’s still fighting like a true soldier. And we will continue to fight for him, whatever it takes.

I don’t know how long we have left with him but I know I will make the most of every moment. (End of cringiness)

My beautiful boy x