Wag more, Bark less 3.2.13

Izzy is smart, energetic, athletic, dedicated and loyal. Izzy likes sticks, balls, kibble and yummy chummies. Her best friends are Scarpa, Nerka, Rusty and Tyrone. She loves to ride in the back of truck and watch the world go by

Izzy was a  little sister to Magie for 7 years. They were both Montana labs and learned to hike, ski and swim in the mtns of Montana. They were dedicated companions and did everything together. Magie taught Izzy everything she knows and provided her with a confidence to be an incredible dog in this world.

Skip and I reflect on the life lessons we have learned from our labs: 

Play hard. 

Play fair

 Observe, watch, and listen, before barking

End all growls with a wag-tail

Don't eat human clothing, it clogs your system

Hydrate

Early to bed and early to rise makes a lab/human healthy and wise.

When Izzy's sister Magie died and was no longer present in Izzy's routines it was a shift.   

Suddenly Izzy had no competition...UNTIL....

 Skip brought home this little black imp named Jupiter!!!!!

Izzy was thinking "this is different, this is hard, this is exhausting...what is this? "

And soon it began, Magie's lifetime of wisdom was being put to use by Izzy. We began to see Izzy teaching Jupiter about how to fetch stick, chase ball, walking in the park and how to have manners around elder dogs.

Izzy and jupiter began to share routines and enjoy the same things together. They were living in perfect balance.

 However, like many things in life, it is hard to keep a perfect balance. As humans we want to stay strong, we want to stay healthy, we want to be rested and we want to remain at the top of our game...but we are aging, as are our dogs.

Izzy and Jupe are still in close relationship, but there is a shift in the roles they play. Jupiter is now a guide dog for Izzy as her hearing is gone. Izzy watches to see when Jupe heads downstairs for meal time. Izzy watches to see if Jupiter's body language shows a stranger at the door and it is time to bark. Izzy watches Jupiter in order to see when the garage door is going up and Skip or Liz are home and it is time to greet them. 

Now Jupiter is sharing her wisdom with Izzy!

Izzy is a symbol of strength as she enters her elder years and still wags more than she barks. She is teaching Skip and I about embracing life as it delivers daily adventures. 
Izzy is 15 years old

On Thursday, Feb 28th at 2pm Riley Wilson, our wonderful vet shared that Izzy has a cancerous tumor in her mouth. 

Our vet is not projecting and he is not assuming. 

We are not taking any extreme measures.

I am trying to remain right here , right now.

As thich nhat hanh would remind us, just do the dishes, go for the walk, water the plants.

Embrace the present moment.

As I search for  balance each day, I hope to celebrate with you the incredible wisdom we continue to learn from this amazing companion Izabelle.
Thank you!