27 March 2008

Worst Fears

My dad will be 90 this year. 90, people. Good gosh a'mighty!

When is his birthday? Funny you should ask.

Well, BlogHer weekend, of course. Eeeeek. So I get to try to decide what to do about that. Go, and feel like a total shit for abandoning my dad as he marks 9 DECADES because he says he doesn't want any kind of recognition and it is just another day and blah blah blah.

Or don't go and miss out and regret THAT all year long?

Dunno.

But I digress. This post is really about how one of my worst fears almost came true today.

You know how Goldie is a big, active sighthound with very little training, right? She is 65 lbs of pure muscle, and no, she does not heel. This is my damn fault because I let her do what she wants on walks.

My logic is "Yeesh, the dog does what everyone else wants ALL the time. Let her do what she wants on walks. It's HER walk."

So she tugs and pulls and leaps into bushes with Grace and Nimbletude Unforeseen.

When I walk her, I control her as best I can. She has gotten better with age, and anyway I figure a shoulder separation is a small price to pay for a nice walk along the beach path.

But my dad likes to walk her, too. I have tried to warn him off this activity, since, though he is strong for a skinny old dude, he is also legally blind. But no. He likes to walk the dog.

Today he stopped to chat with a neighbor who has a puppy. Apparently a loose, off-leash puppy, because Goldie tried to play chase with the pup, though Goldie was on a leash. Goldie ran around Dad, effectively tying his legs together and then pulling him over.

He took quite a spill and scraped the hell out of his elbow and knee. Because he takes blood thinners, he was still bleeding a bit hours later.

This makes my stomach squinch up and my blood pressure rise to unhealthy levels. I try to remain calm, but the tremors in my hands probably give me away.

I don't know if my heart is strong enough for this strong-willed dog and strong-willed dad.

9 comments:

Mignon said...

A dad turning 90! That's some good genes -good for him and you. When my grampy turned 90 we had a big party a few months prior because it was the only time my whole family could get together. He seemed fine with it. Oh, and if he's going to continue to walk Goldie, perhaps he could use a Gentle Leader? You don't have to use it with her, but it would make her more manageable for him. Google it or check it out at PetSmart or wherever.

Anonymous said...

Train the dog -- for both your father's sake and the dog's. Kind of like the advice you offered parents a couple of week's back --as the adult human in this relationship, you are the one in charge. Let the dog know. I know you love her dearly but she will be better for it and you won't have to worry about her well-being when taking her for walks near other people, animals, and possibly traffic.

Blog Antagonist said...

Poor Stapler Dad! But, I have to tell you, you're so lucky to stil have him with you. My mother has an incurable disease and likely only has about 9 or 10 years left (she just turned 60). My father's family is rampant with Alzheimer's...out of 11 siblings on my grandmother's side, 8 or them got Alzheimer's. So I'm just waiting for that for my Dad.

The idea of losing my parents is just too much for me to handle most days.

Green-Eyed Momster said...

Cesar Millan! He's the dog whisperer. His book Cesar's Way taught us a lot about our dog. He's in CA. Maybe you could hire him? Good Luck! Can you take your dad with you BlogHer weekend? Just a thought. Wishing you lots of luck with your dad and your dog! 90 is pretty awesome!

Lisa said...

Something tells me your dad could keep up with all of the energetic chicks that would be running around BlogHer. Bring him with?

Karl said...

Wow, 90 is a biggie. My dad just turned 70 and I thought HE was old! That's a hard decision - BlogHer or dad's birthday.

Think I'd have to do BlogHer and then celebrate Dad's birthday either early or slightly late.

Kizz said...

My people live to be old and stubborn like that too. It's a nice problem to have but it can be...challenging. Sounds like it wouldn't take too much to get Goldie to treat him a little more gently. My dog has a lot of those characteristics, too, and I wasn't very good at training her when she was young. She does a lot of things, but only if you say them twice (Sit sit. Go go. Wait wait.) because I wasn't confident or patient enough when she was learning. She's still awesome, though, just like Goldie.

Skye @ Planet Jinxatron said...

Last week we went by a yard with a dog in it. I said to my mother in law, who was walking the dog, "Do you have her?" I should have been more specific. Now MIL takes the stroller and I take the dog.

p.s. Bring Dad to BlogHer, I'll help throw the party!

Suzanne said...

I love Skye's solution, and I am glad that he is OK. But it is a scary situation to have two such determined people in your life.

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