Grand--Dog

Does anyone else have a "granddog" like my Haley? I am dog sitting Haley this weekend while the kids are off to the beach. My daughter brought Haley into the family 11 years ago. When my daughter married a year later, Haley narrowly missed being an attendant. But, at the last minute, everyone thought better of the young puppy strolling down the flower strewn aisle. Being a Lab, Haley maintained puppy behavior for quite awhile...lots of energy and wet kisses. During the first few years of marriage, Haley was the center of attention. She basked in the glow of her "mom's" and new "dad's" love. She was always welcomed on their trips to the beach. Lazy Saturdays at the park brought hours of frisbee fetching. It was a "dog's" life literally. Sometimes I would "dog" sit Haley when the kids decided to just get away alone. When she came to visit, she came complete with a toy box shaped like a huge bone. Then there was a special blanket. Her food was divided into separate Ziploc bags for each day. Three or four special kinds of treats were in her "luggage." Instructions about likes, dislikes, and emergency info were right there for me. THEN..... in October, 2005, Haley became big sister and protector of my new granddaughter Anna. She must have wondered...what happened??? After 6 years of undivided attention, I am no longer the apple of every one's eye. No more frisbee Saturdays...Just a day of lying in front of the sliding doors basking in the sun.
This weekend the kids wanted to get away with Anna for an end of summer break. Haley is with me. She is now 11 1/2 years old...Arthritis is slowing her down. We have to do potty breaks every couple of hours. Toby's ball looks interesting, but she simply sniffs it and watches Toby play. She serves her family well. She adores our Anna. She obeys on command like she has from day one. She's become the "grand dame" ....deserving lots of extra attention this weekend. I didn't need to straighten up my files and clean the house anyway! LOLOL If you have a "grand" dog story or a "grand dog" story, I'd love for you to leave a comment. Blessings on this August weekend!