So I heard it’s National Dog Day. I’m never one to pass up a fake holiday! Abby has my heart – that’s for sure. But life with Abby the Wonder Dog isn’t always easy. She still acts like she’s an abused & neglected puppy – living in Joshua Tree, California. But hey, trauma isn’t easy to let go of – for anyone – including our four-legged friends. She’s been with me almost 12 years of her 12 years & 6 months of life. But she sometimes still thinks she’s not gonna make it. This in spite of her chaise lounge, blankets, pillows, multiple beds, and food and treats (that I have to tempt her with, to remind her to eat).

In spite of her moments of forgetting who the hell she is and how loved she is – she is so very funny. And while she is challenging when it comes to her fears, she’s also sweet and loving. She is absolutely delighted with adventures – especially if it means trails and runs on the beach. She is quite fond of sleeping and does it as much as she possibly can. This basically means that we were always meant for each other. 🙂 She loved my boy more than life itself (certainly more than me). It took months and months for her to recover (and not be disgusted with me). I couldn’t even be mad at her. I knew how much she lived for him.

I took her on a longer walk this evening. She was thrilled. I hope someday soon we can get back to our trail-hiking, beach running life. I want her final years, as she ages not so gracefully, to be full of her favorite things – backyard wandering, forest trail hiking, and beach running – life.

For now, she’ll keep staring at me when she’s upset or when I’m not behaving as she’d like…

And I will keep loving her for it. Do you have a pup? Would love to see photos of your dog for National Dog Day (even though it’s almost over)!