Good Dog.

Here we are.

Next Friday is Mr. Coltrane’s last round of chemo.  Maybe we’ll be on our way to the vaccine in the weeks after?  Who knows.  What we do know is that Roscoe is hopping around on three legs better than I sometimes walk on two.  There are good days, and days not so great.  There are days when he gets to the front door to greet me faster than I can unlock it, and some days I meet him on the couch in the living room, waging his tail as if I was the next best thing to a prime ribeye steak.

I’ve stopped thinking in terms of post-treatment median days of remission; and favor instead the number of hugs, licks, jumps, and snuggles.  Last night, I woke up from a disturbing dream that had nothing to do with dogs.  He was there.  He comforted me with the thump of his tail on the wall.

There are more lessons jam-packed in to these last few months than I can possibly absorb.  Every time he has stopped and laid down on his way to hopping somewhere, I have given him only a couple of seconds to regain his strength.

“Nope.  Get up.  Good boy.  C’mon.  Let’s go.  A little further.  There you go.  Atta boy.”

Every single time, he’s gotten up and gone a little further.  The message he sends?  An echo of my own.  I read somewhere, sometime that, “A man gets the dog he deserves.”  I wish I knew who said it, but I have to disagree just a little.  Whatever a person invests into a dog seems to have returns so much greater than the investment.  That seems to be the case with Roscoe, anyhow.  In this 70-80 pound stock of American Bulldog, there is (and I believe always has been) so much more than I, a mere two-legged human, ever deserved.  Somehow, I ended up with a dog that is so much more than I deserve.

Here’s to my buddy Roscoe.

Let’s go, little buddy.  A little further.

There you go.

Atta boy.

Ready to Play
Roscoe Flop

 

 

4 thoughts on “Good Dog.”

  1. We are right there with you my friend Our 5th chemo is July 5th and we just hope that we can get to the vaccine. Your dog is very ” Cool” just like Coltrane I’ll bet you like jazz I should call my next dog ” Parker”

    Wishing you ALL THE BEST in this journey

  2. Oh boy Roscoe, i just love you to pieces!!
    Pups like you teach us simple humans what it’s like to treasure life, and you just melt the hearts of all that meet you.
    You keep it simple, and your love for life is inspiring.
    Keep working it you handsome devil, and papa… Keep sending those handsome pictures.
    Wishing you health, hope and love. Good luck with your last treatment, vaccine or not you are kicking cancer’s @ss.
    Hugs to Papa and big smoochy kisses to you handsome boy!!
    ❤️❤️❤️

  3. Awwww Roscoe! You make all of us so hoppy. It’s wonderful to see you and your human making the most of life and not letting anything get in your way. You are the perfect example of teamwork, pawsitivity and hope. THANK YOU!

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