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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Proof of Life

Proof of Life

by | 80 Comments

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You all keep asking for Rosie pics and wonder why I never talk about her, and here is the reason why:

rosie

rosie2

She’s just a stubborn old goat and is bitchy, which is her right as a Jack Russell Terrier. She was lying at my feet, and I thought “this would make a nice picture,” so I grabbed the camera, said “Rosie” to get her to look, and before the camera could even autofocus she had given me the proverbial middle finger and walked down the hallway. I have several more pictures of her out of focus ass because I followed her to my office to get a good one, but she went under the desk and snarled at me when I tried to take another one.

For those of you who have never been around a JRT or served as one’s manservant, “Fuck this shit” is the standard response to humans whenever you want them to do something that is not THEIR idea.

And now I am going to go to bed, and she will race into the bedroom, demand I pick her up and put her on the bed (she can’t jump any more because she has bad hips), which I will, and then she will lie in the middle of the god damned bed and get comfy while I brush my teeth, and then she will snarl and snap at me when I try to get into bed and make some room. And then, periodically throughout the night, should I turn or move, she will bark and snap at me.

Because Rosie is a bitch and always has been but I love her anyway. It’s what you get when people abuse animals and then dump them in the middle of the woods. But deep down, when you look her in the eyes when she’s allowing you to pet her and putting the leash on for a walk or giving her a treat or just skritching her ears before you fall to sleep you know she’s a good girl and wants to be a good girl but someone fucked her up and she has trust issues. Plus, she’s an old gal now and has pain issues, but we’re still making this thing work and we’re lucky to have each other.

And she and Thurston just love to rassle.

Reader Interactions

80Comments

  2. 2.

    Aleta

    I have a cat who was abused as a kitten. She’s shown me how easy it is to mistake anxiety for aggression.

  3. 3.

    Aleta

    and then she will lie in the middle of the god damned bed and get comfy while I brush my teeth, and then she will snarl and snap at me when I try to get into bed and make some room. And then, periodically throughout the night, should I turn or move, she will bark and snap at me.

    so funny and true

  6. 6.

    Mothra

    She looks so much like our sweet girl Taco. Taco had bad hips too, when she was older, but when she was young she could jump straight up from the ground a good three feet, over and over like she had springs for legs.

  7. 7.

    Anne Laurie

    We’ve just put our 14-1/2-year-old rescue on a daily dose of meloxicam (Metacam) for his aging joints. He’s always had bad knees, but this house is a dual split-level, and he was getting more & more unhappy about having to climb the stairs. Three weeks on the stuff & he hasn’t quite “turned into a puppy again”, as the vet promised, but he can jump on the bed for lap time again, and he’s a lot happier in general. I do worry about side effects, but on the other hand, I go through a lot of naproxen for my aging joints, so…

  8. 8.

    Mnemosyne

    Ah, so she is the opposite of my late great kitty Boris, who I still swear had been a supermodel in a previous life. There was nothing that cat loved more than the sound of a camera that was pointed in his direction. He would pose.

    He didn’t like digital cameras unless you turned on the shutter sound, because he didn’t know when to give his Blue Steel.

  10. 10.

    raven

    We have always thought Lil Bit was neglected but not abused. We’ve had her for 8+ years and despite the fact that she’s had horrible eye problems requiring medication twice a day, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia that requires meds every other day, is pretty much deaf she’s still just as sweet and happy as she can be.

  16. 16.

    raven

    We were about 2 miles from downtown so the sound sucked but we were alone on the ridge so it was nice.

  17. 17.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @raven: Don’t think I am going to see any this year (they are all after my bedtime) so your video is as close as I am going to get. The best display I’ve ever seen was in the Ferguson city park, right on top of us. Got ashes in my eyes a couple times.

  19. 19.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @raven:
    Thats a great picture of fireworks. Noisy things are not legal here but there are always a few, every year there are a bunch about a block over, they start about a week before the Fourth and crescendo the actual holiday then tail off for a week. They have no problem dropping them in the middle of the night.

  20. 20.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @raven: Nice. The morons will be blasting away here too. Fortunately, living out in the woods as I do, here is a long ways from here.

  21. 21.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    Guesting not far from the Cape (that’s what it’s called here) and there are nomfiunctioning window darling devices, just some frilly gauzy curtains.

    Ergo I’m awake now, compared to home where I keep my bedroom in near-crypt darkness.

    My sister had a rat terrier which was single-bonded* to her. He liked other people find, but she had him for maybe 13 years and epitomized that thing about “the more people (men) I meet, the more I like my dog”.

    *Is that a small-dog thing?

  22. 22.

    satby

    @raven: Really nice raven! Lots of Fireworks were going off last night somewhere around here but I didn’t see any. It will be an entire weekend thing here too, but it doesn’t get dark until almost 10, so late. I won’t be going to any either.

  28. 28.

    gogol's wife

    Hi, Rosie! I love cranky old animals. I hope the stupid fireworks don’t upset the puppehs too much.

  31. 31.

    bystander

    Buster, our ten year old Frenchie, gets an Omega 3 fish oil gel cap daily and a chondroitin cookie every other day for his joints. It really does seem to keep him more limber and moving more fluidly than he was.

  32. 32.

    JPL

    The July 4th fireworks were held at the high school, which is about a mile and a half from me, until a few years ago. Even with the trees, you could see color through the leaves. The city moved the event to an elementary school about the same distance away, but I can’t see them at all.
    @raven: Your stream of fireworks, will be good enough for me.

  33. 33.

    donnah

    Our Wendy is fourteen, and she’s a mixed foxhound, beagle, and sumpin else. She’s always been a good dog, but very stubborn and independent. She is struggling with vision and hearing now, and she has some issues with her hindquarters. But she’ll turn around one minute and jump up onto the couch like she always has. It will be tough to see her go.

  34. 34.

    Mobil RoonieRoo

    Grumpy and I were wondering about a Rosie proof of life photo when we went to bed last night. I second the metacam AL mentioned. Has helped our dog quite a bit.

  35. 35.

    Mobil RoonieRoo

    @bystander: what kind of chondroiten cookie do you feed? I’m thinking that might be a good idea for my older pup’s rotten joints

  36. 36.

    Barbara

    Pain makes it hard to be cheerful but for all you know someone who abused her might have been a camera nut. Also, when I was trying to work with my disturbed dog the dog psychologist gave me canine meditation exercises. It did not work for us but he was really disturbed and I had to find a sanctuary for him.

  37. 37.

    Randy P

    We’re heading out of the country so not going to see any fireworks this year. Last time we had an out-of-country trip near the 4th, it was to Montreal and we walked straight into Canada Day celebrations. Almost literally. On our first stroll downtown we met a parade and somebody handed us little Canadian flags to wave. Then we were back in the States in time for fireworks anyway.

    This year I’ll just be quietly sitting and eating whatever Danish people eat.

    But we’ve sort of gotten tired of the whole fireworks thing anyway. Been years since we actually drove somewhere to watch them.

  38. 38.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Must have been one hell of a party at Baud’s! last night. Not surprised I wasn’t invited.

  39. 39.

    Eric NNY

    My dearest Gracie (Lewis County, NY sled dog) is 16 and her last days are upon us. We’ll have to make the decision soon and it’s just killing me. She’s 16, and her hips just aren’t working right. Steroids have given her a few more weeks but the writing is on the wall. I’m bereft.

  40. 40.

    debit

    @Eric NNY: I’m so sorry. I was in your shoes a few weeks ago; Chloe was beginning to decline, her kidneys starting to fail and I made the decision to let her go while it was still a choice instead of a necessity. It sucks, and it hurts, but you’re doing the right thing for her.

  42. 42.

    Ultraviolet Thunder

    I thought I was the only one who couldn’t photograph a stationary dog with its eyes open.
    I’m in Tuscaloosa working for a few days. I guess I will find out what the local fireworks laws are. I’m a light sleeper and have to get up early. Earplugs might not be enough.
    At 7:30 here the sun is already a blowtorch. Gonna be a scorcher.

  43. 43.

    Cat48

    Bernie’s Nina turner is on TV & she states that the platform must agree 100% with Sanders because he’s going to use it to hold Clinton accountable. That’s exactly what I thought about Bernie. He’s going to beat Hillary over the head with a platform she doesn’t agree with. I predict trouble ahead!

    I truly hate people like that.

  44. 44.

    satby

    @donnah: @Eric NNY: I’m so sorry you’re both facing that.
    It’s hard to anticipate their loss, and knowing that you have to decide when to release them before the suffering is just too much. Remember that for a companion animal, a life well loved and cherished by their human is heaven for them, you gave them heaven on earth. Letting them go quietly and without more pain is hard on us, but a final gift for them.

  45. 45.

    Barbara

    @Eric NNY: So sorry. I still can’t think about my first dog as an adult without crying. I got him when I was a new college graduate, and many years later when I was a new mom, he was diagnosed with a degenerative condition. He died in my arms. I still miss him.

  49. 49.

    Viva BrisVegas

    Counting in the Oz election still ongoing.

    The Liberal (conservative) government looks like it has lost a lot of seats, but may just scrape in with a tiny majority.

    Interest now in whether PM Malcolm Turnbull, the relatively liberal leader of the not so liberal Liberal Party, can hold off a revolt by his far right wing over the poor result.

  50. 50.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Cat48:

    He’s going to beat Hillary over the head with a platform she doesn’t agree with. I predict trouble ahead!

    Relax, he can’t beat her with what he doesn’t have. The platform is hers, the party is hers, 85% of his voters are hers, etc. Even if Bernie hasn’t moved on, the Dem party has.

  52. 52.

    Cat48

    My spouse has to work so I’ll do nothing but clean & shop online. The fireworks will start later today & continue until about midnight. It’s illegal here, but they love their fireworks in this area. Xmas, New Years, Memorial Day, ect. You get the picture. I’ve never lived anywhere where they had fireworks on almost every Holiday. The city & the nearby beach have firework displays for the public on the 4th.

  53. 53.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Cat48: The platform is Hillary’s. The party is Hillary’s. 85% of his voters now belong to her too. What’s he got left to beat her with? Internet trolls?

  54. 54.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Cat48:

    When did losers ever get so coddled? Oh right, when the winner’s a woman. We’re dealing with cult members now, and someone needs to take Bernie for a long walk on a short pier.

  55. 55.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @debbie: I can always tell when it’s a gun. I get lots of practice. There is an MDC shooting range about a mile from me.

  57. 57.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Ultraviolet Thunder:

    I’m in Tuscaloosa working for a few days. I guess I will find out what the local fireworks laws are.

    Fireworks laws? Laws? In the South?? Oh honey, bless your heart.

  59. 59.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @debbie: Away back when (a century or so ago) when I still went, the big boomers were my favorites. I loved how the shock waves always gave me a thump in the chest.

  60. 60.

    Cat48

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    I realize it’s her platform, but he won’t accept that. He won’t accept he’s lost and he’s waited too long bc Hillz doesn’t really need him anymore. He really want’s a co-govt but no one else does.

    .@the Conster, la Citoyenne: The nite he lost the DC primary he should have conceded. Rip the bandaid off. He could have suspended his campaign. He just refuses the loss❓ He told Biden he would endorse & then went on TV & said he would not. I think he should be committed at this point!

  63. 63.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Cat48: Hence his impending irrelevance. Even the media is getting bored with the cranky old man yelling at the kids from his porch chair.

  66. 66.

    Cat48

    It’s unbelievable to me, but the media is hanging outside Hillz house in DC bc there was a rumor she was supposed to be interviewed by the FBI today. WTF access do they plan to get? They’re really the paparazzi now. Ridiculous stunt. Somebody left her house in her car and they’re still there.

  68. 68.

    Olivia

    Sad to say, so much of how you describe Rosie could be my husband describing me in my old age (although he never would); including the part about trying to take photos. He’s a good man.

  69. 69.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Cat48:

    If he weren’t a delusional incompetent babyman, he would have realized his most leverage was after he lost NY, and before California when the polls were kind of all over the place. I’m not sure what he even would have negotiated for, and I don’t think he knew, either, since he seems unable to think anything through. He hasn’t had to, being an independent party of one backbencher from bumfuck white VT for the last 30 yrs. It all got out of control, and he’s not thoughtful enough to realize how far out of control, and he has no natural leadership skills to pivot to. At the very least he could have demanded a prime time speaking slot or something high profile, but now he’s just an embarrassment to everyone not a delusional Stan, like Nina Turner who has become incoherent. I don’t even see Jeff Weaver’s name mentioned – I think Jane is his Wormtongue at this point. She seems to be enjoying whatever reflected spotlight she gets. He appears to have no other friends or allies who will help grandpa get home. Sad!

  71. 71.

    Cat48

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    I haven’t seen Comic guy Jeff or Jane. It’s always Bernie or Nina with a threat. Nothing has been good enough for either. Weirdest campaign stunts I’ve seen after a Loss.

  72. 72.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Cat48:

    I’ve never seen such mass delusionary behavior either, from any politician’s supporters in my lifetime. Here’s a video I came upon on twitter, from a lawyer’s office in CA, discussing their lawsuit, asserting that GOOD NEWS!!! Bernie won by 15% NATIONWIDE! I mean, WTF explains this kind of thinking, other than cultism?

  74. 74.

    Emma

    @raven: Wow. That was nice. My mom loved fireworks. This is the first 4th she’s not with us, so nobody’s really in the mood, but she would have loved those.

  75. 75.

    Shell

    Jeez, Cole. I know its in the wee hours, but the Addams Familys house is better lit than yours.

    On one of the morning shows they had an adoption segment, and one of the adoptees was a JRT/Beagle mix. Now thats a handful!

  76. 76.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Eric NNY: @donnah: It is so hard, but what satby said is very true. They leave such big paw prints on our hearts.

    We hung on to Django too long and it still breaks my heart that we did.

  77. 77.

    Miss Bianca

    @Mnemosyne: Points for the Zoolander reference!

    @ThresherK (GPad): Rat terriers are their own special breed. And by ‘special’ I mean, “hate the little fuckers”.

    If I want ‘tude in a small dog, give me a JRT any day of the week over a rat terrier!

  78. 78.

    Miss Bianca

    @Eric NNY: awww, that is a heart-breaking decision. I’m so glad you had her for so long tho’. My first Siberian made it to 14, and I was out of town when she breathed her last. She had been ill, we had given her treatment and medication, and I was persuaded to go on a trip that had been planned for months. She had a relapse and my poor pet-sitter had to make the call to the vet. I felt so sad and guilty. it was little consolation to imagine that my stubborn girl had probably planned it that way, to shuffle off this mortal coil when I wasn’t around. Cherish those last moments with her even if those last moments are painful, and be glad to be there for her.

  79. 79.

    rod rushton

    @Aleta: My old pal ‘Chance’ would growl at me when my extremely atrocious snoring kept her awake. I had my Ulava removed, snoring stopped, peace was restored.

  80. 80.

    Barbara

    @Miss Bianca: Cats are so different from dogs that way. My old cat wandered off at age 15, but my little dog waited for me to come home from work and came and sat in my lap and died. I was and still am so gratefu I never had to decide his fate but I can never think of those last moments without tears.

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