While scrolling through some older posts, I saw that beautiful photo of Seenie’s dog and thought, “hey, let’s have a walk on the lighter side.” To many of us, our dogs have been a life line of fun, companionship and even distraction from our everyday PsA issues. So, let’s hear what you have as a dog friend. (please, no…”I don’t have a dog but I have cat, or rat or monkey…*haven’t you always wanted a monkey?”…just dog pets.
What’s your dog’s name, 2. type of dog and 3. a brief comment about your favourite pooch.
We had to put our 10 year old German Shepherd down 2 years ago and replaced her with a Norwegian Elkhound/Blue Healer cross. She is a blast of energy, devotion and affection named “Gem”. She is our second Norwegian Elkhound…great dogs!
I have a wonderful Black Labrador called Freddie. He’s now 8 years old and we’re just back from holiday in the Lake District in England. There he climbed mountains with my other half or walked around lakes with me swimming and playing ball. We had a marvellous time altogether.
It’s an incredible dog friendly place so he even came clothes shopping with me. And he flirts madly with everyone. We call our holidays ‘Freddie’s time to meet his adoring public’. Honestly people come up to talk to him and stroke him several times a day! Always makes us laugh and indeed get talking to people.
But he’s the one who arrived into our lives aged 8 weeks old just as I went into sudden onset PsA for the very first time. So he has seen through my entire PsA journey every step of the way. And he’s done it with patience, giggles and fun, and a massive amount self trained ways to help me too. A dog in million in my opinion.
Our household has a long haired chocolate colored Chihuahua named Bingley. He’s 4 1/2 pounds and breaks the mould on the breed - he’s super friendly, not yappy at all, and a people ‘person’. He’s our daughter’s, who lives with us, our ‘grand dog’ if you will. He’s three years old (and lives with our cat who is 16 and puts up with him). Honestly, he’s part dog, and several part other things - kinda like a cat, a baby, an energetic rabbit, and totally spoiled.
He’s not brave, not smart, and my daughter guesses he’s not totally loyal (would probably go with anyone), but he’s a gem and a very good cuddler…and don’t we all need a cuddler on the bad days.
Kinda feel like I’m betraying my cat, who is sitting on my lap as I type this, LOL.
I would be one who asks to speak with your dog, enjoys all the love, thanks you and walks away - having barely recognized the accompanying human!
We have two hounds, an aged English Coonhound and the two year old Black and Tan hound we got when the first fell into a depression after her brother passed two years ago. The youngster certainly extended the old one’s life, even though she pretends to dislike her - only when we are around! Her general bounciness impacted us as well, lol, but she is a lovely pup.
They are lucky dogs, living with a 2 acre, fenced backyard; many critter scents to explore.
I don’t post often but this is fun. We have a 16+ year old poodle named Sophie and a 6 year old Shih Tzu mix named Molly. Molly is a cancer sniffer, she’s sniffed 2 melanomas and a basal cell. My dermatologist wants to hire her, LOL.
After losing our much beloved parson russell Bunty after 14 years to cancer we could not face the idea of replacing her but we only lasted 2 days as the grief was too much to bear in an empty house. So we bought Nancy who grew up to be more jack russell than parson and then Smut who is a true parson. They are like chalk and cheese. Nancy is a glass half-empty dog who demands non-stop human devotion. Smut is a happy sporty dog who wants to chase a ball 24/7 but doesn’t worry much about who throws it for him. Incidentally, Nancy does a brilliant foot massage. I find it very relaxing after a shower but she will not go near my wife’s feet.
A cancer sniffer - wow!!! Dogs are well loved all over the world but to save lives too blows my mind My niece has a bomb sniffing dog and he has the potential to save thousands of lives every time he sniffs out a stadium. You’re blessed.
I too have a dog who’s been integral in my healing. We call her our nurse dog. Her name is Brook Trout and she’s a 16 year old Yorkie. She is “our pup” but mostly hangs with me because I have illness and she goes to “that” person. Pretty cool I think.
We have had a few dogs that were just always smiling, dumb as a post non-thinkers but also had a few that understand and read body language very well.
Our Elkhound/healer female is always figuring things out. We live on a creek and recently a beaver has been destroying our beautiful willows. Once Gem found out that I was in a fight with the beaver, she guards the trees like they were her own. Our g’kids wanted me to name the beaver…so I did. Justin…Justin Beaver. (true story!)
16 years is pretty up there. My PsA is mostly controlled. I was on Cimzia for years but apparently, there was a security breach with the copay assist company. They wouldn’t help me with copay so my dr switched me Rinvoq.
I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome on top of PsA and this is giving me issues. It’s genetic, not autoimmune so there’s no treatment, just adaptations to life with it.
Its been a long time since I was on those. I have been through a number of anti-tnf drugs since. The last few years have been the best so far with Cimzia. No side effects at all apart from a bit of a hangover next day. It may be wearing off a bit now though but I am wary of changing it, perhaps holding “on to nurse for fear of something worse”
