[2022-07-11] Celebrating Freddie
"Is this it?" has become a recurring question in my mind as I observe Freddie, looking for signs of continued vitality or further decline. Freddie was looking tired and weak this morning and wasn't eating. So I called my son, who is on vacation this week, to suggest that he spend the afternoon with us in celebration of Freddie and everything he has meant to us.
At one point, my son, daughter and I were huddled together, discussing Freddie and his seeming lack of appetite. That's when Freddie lifted his head and stared at us, as if to say, "I'm right here, you know." In that moment, he seemed more alert and healthy than he had in the previous few hours. So we approached him, treats in hand, and he ate them, with gusto. He didn't like everything equally: liver treats are his favourite, followed by cheese (but don't try to sneak any meds in there because he can smell them), followed by cooked chicken breast, followed by kibble. Whatever makes him happy, I say.
With Freddie settled, Shane, Mel and I went for a walk, using it as an opportunity to recall fond memories of our cherished pet:
- Freddie doing a somersault in puppy obedience class because he had too much momentum when my husband gave him the command to stop;
- Freddie outgrowing his doggie cousin Maggie (my sister's dog) and re-establishing who was top dog;
- Freddie in a standoff with his sibling Karma (our cat) and his doggie cousin Rosie (my niece's dog);
- Freddie barking at Melanie in a Pikachu costume until he realized it was her;
- Freddie making strange with a stuffed lookalike that neither smelled nor acted like a real dog;
- Freddie barking fearfully at the statue of the horse Big Ben in Perth;
- Freddie half growling, half yawning, as he woke up just as we reached the Bruce Pit dog park;
- Freddie playing with his park friends: Buster the chocolate lab, Jasmine the boxer, and Ben the Poodle.
Mostly, I remember Freddie as the neighbourhood dog, who obediently sat on our front lawn, rarely straying from that spot—as we had taught him to do—but happily receiving visits from all the children on the street, who would exclaim "Freddie!" whenever they saw him.
I felt at peace reflecting on Freddie's place in my heart and my life. I am proud of the marvelous dog he became under our guidance. We committed to him, and he returned our commitment with absolute doggie devotion.
Freddie has surprised us many times before, when we asked ourselves, "Is this it?" I feel more confident tonight than I did this morning that the answer to that question is a decided "no." Long may he say, "I'm right here, you know."
