The Dog

This weekend we have Shaughn. He's a good dog, but my place just isn't big enough for a dog his size. This morning I brought him outside in the backyard and he barely had enough room to move. If you've ever seen my backyard, its about the size of one side of a badminton court. Maybe not even that big. Usually I take him out for a walk but it was early and I was still sleepy. Now, if you've never heard of Shaughn, here's his story. He's made a pretty good recovery, but he still can't walk up or down stairs by himself, he walks all crooked like he's drunk, his balance isn't the best he stumbles a lot when he walks on uneven ground, and he gets tired pretty quick. I find it kind of sad when I see him falling over and stumbling because dogs are like people - they deserve a good quality of life. Seeing him trip over his own feet is like watching an elderly person struggle with a walker or a cane. I'm sure he gets frustrated when he can't lift his leg to pee because then he'll lose his balance and fall over. I'm sure he gets scared staring up or down the stairs knowing that he can't coordinate his feet well enough or that his legs aren't strong enough to take him past 1 or 2 of them at the most (we have to help him with a towel as a sling, or just carry him). Poor Shaughn. After all this though, he's still a great dog.