Tag Archives: dog

Photography

Geriatric Monty

December 24, 2011 – 2:18 pm

Sunset at the beach

I’ve been going through my photos and posted a few to Flickr that I took with my Project 365 in mind, but didn’t quite make the cut. Or they’re photos I just took anyway. Here are a few of them.

One of the things I miss about not going out with The Surfer any more is the proximity I had more regularly to the beach. Plans are afoot – albeit long-term plans – to remedy this though. So photos like the one above probably won’t feature as much in my daily photos when I kickstart that again.

Monty in the boot

This is Monty in my car boot. I jokingly told (well gestured because she’s deaf) her to hop in and she did. I was quite surprised because while it’s not that high off the ground I didn’t realise she was still agile enough.

Now, of course, I didn’t put the boot’s lid down and drive off but as you can see I did take a photo. She looks quite content don’t you think?

Monty

Here’s another one of Monty. I have to fatten her up as she’s lost four kilos since she had her last vet’s checkup a year ago. And that’s a fair amount of weight for a dog that only weighed 22kg to start with. The vet said that ‘we have arthritis in our back legs and we might need some medication to make us feel better’. I swear, that’s how she spoke. I felt like telling her that she could talk about the dog, not us. We don’t need medication, the bloody dog does ok? She also kept calling Monty ‘him’ after I’d more than once referred to ‘her’.

This medication would have cost $47 per month. I’ve decided to go the natural route and give her glucosamine powder and fish oil. This way she won’t feel left out with what I take for my sore knees!

Monty, despite her 14+ years, still loves to come for walks with us and she potters around the oval while we’re there. Someone the other day commented that she takes shortcuts across the oval to catch up with me.

I notice that she’s constantly underfoot too. She follows me EVERYWHERE. She never used to follow me around quite as much. I don’t know if it’s because she’s hard of hearing and has to have me in her sights now. While it sometimes becomes annoying I know I’ll miss it like crazy when she’s not doing it any more so I put up with it.

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Monty, my friend

September 8, 2011 – 6:25 pm

Monty. Nearly 100 in doggie years. Day 282/365.

Thursday, 1 September 2011, Day 282/365.

Monty, my faithful and dear companion.

She’s still with me and as you may be able to tell from the photo she’s getting on a bit. I estimate she’s about 14 human years old, nearly 100 doggie years – give or take.

I got her when she was about two years old and as I’m sure I’ve written here before she’s been a great addition to the family. As my son doesn’t have any siblings (she came along before he did) she’s been a great companion to him. In fact he’s told me on more than one occasion that he loves her more than he loves me. (Psst, I know that he doesn’t mean it because he’s usually cross with me when he says it).

A couple of weeks ago I had a really bad dream about her imminent demise and I woke up in tears. So it wasn’t a good day to go and see Red Dog that day. I bawled my eyes out while watching it. Despite this, I enjoyed the movie as probably only a dog lover can.

I loved the relationship he had with so many people. I can’t say why I cried because that will give away story lines. But I came out the cinema with red eyes. It was a little bit embarrassing.

A couple of days after that I visited a girlfriend and her dog’s about the same age as mine. His health has really  obviously deteriorated since I last saw him a couple of months ago. I’m dreading that phone call.

Unfortunately it’s a fact of human life. Our dog friends don’t live as long as us.

Monty’s well into her dotage now. She’s pretty much deaf. She shuffles around. She’s wobbly on her legs occasionally. When we go for walks she ends up walking behind me because she can’t keep up like she used to.

I try and enjoy every moment with her because she won’t be around forever. I know I’m going to be a worse mess than I was when I saw Red Dog when it’s her time – not that I want that to be any time soon.

Here’s some more photos of her I took with my new camera lens.

Monty

Monty

Monty

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Good morning sunshine

August 10, 2011 – 9:06 pm

Sunrise through the concrete. Day 253/365.

Wednesday, 3 August 2011, Day 253/365.

I like how the days are getting lighter longer. I took this photo on the home stretch of our morning walk. I’ve started walking a bit longer.

It takes us nearly half an hour and I don’t think it will be too long before I have to do a figure eight around our house so I can drop Monty off half way as she struggles for the last half of our walk.

It used to be that she would either be in front or at my side for the whole walk but now she’s quite often behind me. I notice that she wants to stop and sniff more, or is it a ploy to have a rest?

She still loves to go for walks as when I get the lead out she jumps around me all excited as she did ever since I got her. I don’t want to wish the time upon us when this doesn’t happen but it’s getting closer and closer.

But I don’t want to be all morbid. I want to enjoy her while we’ve still got her.

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Here doggy

August 7, 2011 – 11:05 am

The Shottesbrooke winery dog. Day 249/365.

Saturday, 30 July 2011, Day 249/365.

He might be a bit cool to pat but he’s cute is he not? He’s got a guest book on his back and he just invites you to write in it.

He’s at a winery in McLaren Vale about 40 minutes from where I live.

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Non-stop puppy play

July 31, 2011 – 2:54 pm

Clay and Lola have a doggy playdate. Day 243/365.

Sunday, 24 July 2011, Day 243/365.

These two dogs played non-stop for just over two hours. The labrador was getting a bit worn out but she kept going. The staffy could have kept going for longer – he’s just a bundle of energy.

However, after the walk home, he just slept and when we went to put him to bed later on, he did a bit of a drunken stagger and we didn’t hear a peep from him the whole night.

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The PEDIGREE adoption drive

June 8, 2010 – 9:47 pm

Monty resting at beach

I took Monty for a walk this evening which included some off lead time at the local oval. We were on our way out but Monty had to say a quick hello to a couple of dogs so I let her. I was nearby and I thought she knew where I was but after the dogs did their goodbyes she ran around with her ears pricked up and I knew she was looking for me. It was dusk so she probably couldn’t see me as easily as normal and as she’s getting quite deaf, my calls to her were pointless.

Monty having her morning run

I could see she was getting a bit stressed so I had to walk up to her and wait till she looked in my direction, wave my hands at her and she finally realised where I was and off we went.

I’ve had Monty for nearly 11 years now. When I moved into my house my dream was always to have a dog. I had expressed this to some friends and not long after a four-year relationship ended a friend was around at my place one evening and she told me about a dog that a colleague of hers had to give up for various reasons.

She arranged for us to meet around at her place and I’ll never forget it. I was standing out the front of my friend’s place and there were around four other people there too. My friend turned up with Monty and she immediately ran up to me. I knew then that this was the dog for me.

One week later she became mine and I brought her home. I’ll never forget those first few days where she kept going to the front door like she wasn’t sure that she should be there. She’d also lie on the floor near me and look at me with her brown eyes and I felt a bit sorry for uprooting her from her previous home which was a loving home but I thought that at least she was coming to a new home with someone who loved her.

Me, Monty and Julian

We’ve had our differences over the years with holes appearing in the back yard in places that shouldn’t have holes in them like the lawn and certain areas of the garden but there’s been so many benefits that outweigh the hole digging.

She’s forced me out of the house for walks and I’ve met people in the local area I would never have otherwise met.

Jules and Monty

She’s also been a beautiful companion to JJ. As he doesn’t mind telling me quite often, he loves her more than he loves me. I know this is to just get to me but he does love her a lot and gives her lots of hugs and always says a long goodbye to her at night while trying to sneak a peek at the television if it’s on.

Even though she’s pushing 13 human years and she is getting deaf and quite a bit slower she still loves her walks. She still acts like a puppy when I get her lead out and she knows that she’s going out for a walk. I’m really dreading the time when we have to say goodbye to her and when that time comes I don’t know what I’ll do because we’ll miss her like crazy.

If I do get a new dog I’m pretty sure I will adopt one rather than buy a puppy from a pet shop or breeder.

Pedigree are sponsoring a dog adoption drive and at the time of me writing this 861 dogs have been adopted. That’s got to be good. If I was to adopt a puppy in South Australia right now there’s a choice of nine dogs from their website with their stories. Nooo, I’m not looking now, nooooo.

Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I am a dog lover and want to see unwanted dogs go to a good home just like Monty did.

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Topsy turvy day, and some photos

September 7, 2008 – 2:42 pm

Yesterday morning I woke up to a beautiful spring day. A few weeks ago I was shivering with winter, but now spring is here. My orange tree is soon to blossom and I can smell other spring smells in the air.

But, I was just about to walk into the shower and I saw Monty trying to go outside. When I say trying, she had trouble walking as one of her back legs wouldn’t hold her up. I called her to me and she still had real trouble. I immediately thought the worst and told JJ to quickly get dressed while I called the vet.

I told them what was up and they didn’t have an appointment for another three hours. Monty was a bit distressed and my heart was pumping fast and I of course thought the worst. I know that when dogs get older their back legs tend to go but I thought I had more time with Monty before that started happening.

She kept trying to follow me around with her very drunken looking gait and I ended up picking her up and putting her in her basket. JJ gave her some biscuits and we sat there for a bit patting her and trying to reassure her.

I got on with my jobs before the visit to the vet while wondering if I could carry a 25kg dog out to the car for the short trip to the vet.

Luckily it didn’t come to that. By the time we had to leave she was walking pretty well, with just a bit of a stiff back leg.

The vet checked her out and said that she’s okay but because of her age, arthritis could be a problem so we need her to take it easy and not take her for huge long walks.

Phew! I’m dreading the time for Monty to go and I’m certainly not ready for it now. She’s getting older though, about 11, so it will happen sooner rather than later. I think of Monty as my first child as I got her during a time when I’d vowed I wasn’t going to have kids. Now that I do have a human child, I still love having Monty around and so does my son so we want to keep her for some time yet.

While I’ve got you here, go check out some photos I’ve been taking with the Sony Ericsson phone I’m trying out.

Oh, and PS – Happy father’s day to all the dads. I tried to tell JJ that he could make me breakfast in bed but that didn’t wash.

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