Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Took the Dog for a Massage and Ice Cream in the Same Night

My dog has been having issues with his knee.  It's been a long and grueling summer for him, health-wise, so the thought of a possible torn ACL is pretty heartbreaking.  He's been through two surgeries and ACL surgery is serious stuff - I should know.  I just had my own reconstructed just about 8 months ago.  It really shouldn't be his turn.

So, I had a massage appointment last night & was telling my therapist about Solomon's knee.  "Bring him in for a massage," she says.  I love my massage therapist.  She's a real character, very good at what she does, and game for all kinds of things to help out.  She also started learning dog massage a while back.  "Not sure if it'll help, but it can't hurt," she says.

So, tonight, I took my boy over.  I'm never quite sure how he's going to respond to new things.  I have to muzzle him most of the time at the vet.  But tonight, he was just cool as a cucumber and happy as a clam as he gazed out over her back yard and panted calmly in the gentle breeze.  She poked and prodded and he never flinched.  I was so happy!

After about 10-15 minutes, she says, "I'm getting pretty deep into here.  Just watch & let me know if he looks like he's going to bite me."  He acted like he was getting the rub-down of his life.  I'm so glad he actually enjoyed it!

She said she's only going to charge me if it actually helps him, and sent us on our way.  Did I mention I love my massage therapist?

So, we left there & I thought, "I'm gonna take him for ice cream.  He was a good boy, and I didn't take him when I mentioned it to him earlier this week."  Yes, he's spoiled.

We pulled into our favorite ice cream place and it wasn't busy.  Three customers at the window and you'd swear they never saw a dog when we walked up.  Yes, I took Solomon up to the window with me.  He was already halfway out of the car.

These guys all acted like they had no idea what to say.  Dood was sniffing the ground (that's what dogs do when there's good stuff spilled all over the ground, right?).  One man stated the obvious, "uh, he's really sniffing."  OK, should I pretend I didn't hear that?  The way the other two guys are pretending they don't see us?

We got our ice cream and turned toward a bench.  One new customer actually reached down, petted him, and said, "hey, Homer."  Dood really doesn't care what anybody calls him....as long as they call him.

We sat on the bench.  Dood acted like he had nothing wrong - climbed up on the bench, sat beside me, climbed down, climbed back up.  More customers, more people I know saw us, and pretended they didn't see a thing.  I started to worry that we'd somehow become invisible.

Ate the ice cream, took some pictures of him.  Gave him the last of it.  Back to the car, pulled the ramp out of the back.  Again, he acted like nothing wrong - had to convince him to use the ramp vs. jumping over it (I mean, really....what would these people think of the crazy lady with the dog at the ice cream place, pulling out a ramp the dog obviously didn't need?).  Of course, he sat there looking like this was a trick opportunity....ran back down the ramp, ran back up the ramp.

I finally got him back in the car, collapsed the ramp, got in & drove off.  People still acted like they never saw us.

People can think I'm the crazy lady with the pit bull at the ice cream place.  I really don't care.  We had a great time - very relaxing, great ice cream, and we just love to hang out together.  It's so simple.

I'll be watching to see how the massage worked for him.  So far, he's climbing onto the swing with me and limping when he gets down.  But I'm really starting to wonder if my boy is really playing me.....after all....would he ever get a doggy massage AND ice cream on a Tuesday summer evening?

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