Our Charlie

So hear we are again at Charlie's birthday. He is officially 6 years old as of February 15th. As we approached this milestone I decided to Google dogs and aging. Who knew there would be calculators where you can actually determine your dog's real age in human years? I started to enter Charlie's information but then found myself nervous to see the answer and quickly closed the web page.

I am not ready to admit that Charlie is heading into his "senior" years just yet. I don't know if it is because he is the first "kid" Andy & I had together, if it's the fact that he had such a rough start to life before finding us, if it's the bond he has formed with Marie, or if it's because my brother's family recently said goodbye to one of their labs, Sandy...but for some reason I am having a hard time dealing with Char getting older.

So much of him is still a puppy, but then we also have those signs of aging creeping in: greyness around the muzzle, slower getting onto the couch, multiple attempts at jumping on the bed, taking more naps during the day, and wanting to be home and not on the road. It's something we can't stop, so I guess we better get used to it. I tend to talk about our future as if Charlie will always be a part of it. Andy has to remind me that Charlie probably won't make it to retirement in South Dakota with us. I know some people find it silly to be this attached to a dog, but we truly can't imagine our home without him in it.

What's funny is it doesn't feel like too long ago when Andy & I were known in Vermillion as "the people who walk their dog all the time." He had so much energy - we didn't know what else to do! I am sure neighbors thought we were crazy, but actually it kept all 3 of us sane and in great shape. We walked, ran, played fetch, drove next to him while he ran the gravel roads of South Dakota, took him swimming, and hiked with him around the river in sub-zero temps. We even had to bust him out of doggy jail twice because he and his partner in crime, Roxy, Andy's college roommate's dog, had gotten locked up for running around the town.

He definitely finds his way into mischief easily...whether it's getting sprayed by a skunk (too many times to count) or chewing up Andy's belts and favorite Twins hat. But, he also knows how to make it up to us by being a guard dog, making us laugh by burying his toys in the snow, cuddling up to us if we are feeling down, and being patient with Marie as she teethed on his ears, jumps on his back, and cuddles up to him to share a story.

The video below was shot with Marie's help.

So here we are 6 years & 2 knee surgeries later and we are not only dealing with him getting older, but still tackling a few of those puppy traits from earlier years. A perfect example is when he jumps up as soon as Andy says, "ready to get some birds?" but then limps into the house 4 hours later and needs a day's rest to recover from his adventures. He is still chasing rabbits around the yard, begging for bones, stealing Marie's stuffed animals, and insisting on at least 2 walks a day where he is pulling my arm out of its socket.

In fact, I have to go, Charlie just ran past me with Marie's Mickey Mouse in his mouth and she is not happy about it...he must need another walk.