May 7, 2018

White Dog sat thinking. "It is like choreographing a complicated dance sometimes," she said. "How does EVERY pup get the space and time they need without bumping into each other?"

In the past we have unknowingly dealt with canine dementia by relying on a VERY compassionate White Dog Army that understood the "fuzzy" moments and reacted with patience. It has served us well but did not prepare us for the dance we currently face.

Nilla, while in great physical health at 18, is declining in her cognitive abilities. She wanders into things. She goes out and struggles to find her way in. She just gets confused. Nilla is as gentle and loving as always; our harmonious girl with the huge tolerant heart.

Roman has major reactive tendencies...a hair trigger, White Dog calls it. With guidance, boundaries, medication, and a muzzle for safety he tries very hard to learn how to be a family member. And for the most part he is doing very well...with all of the White Dog Army...except Nilla.

We think the randomness of her movements doesn't make sense to our boy who we are training to find the safety in patterns and repeated trends. He certainly is not able to process the idea of Nilla being so focused on a goal (getting to the water dish) that she literally walks/stumbles OVER you to get there (even Bailey complained as our sweetly smiling Nils stood with with her hind legs on Bai's back as she drank). The difference is that Bai grumbled but did not snap, intimidate or attack.

And Nilla seems hell bent on making friends with her brother. We must swoop in and pick her up when we see the smile light her face and her pace turn to a flirting prance as she heads across the room toward Roman to touch noses (like she does with all of the others).

The dance goes...Nilla move, human swoop, Roman get up and remove himself from the "threat," human kisses to Nilla, and distracting her. Roman has a pretty good success rate with "Leave her! Walk away!" But we are still a LONG way from being comfortable in the situation.

There are some times, like when Steve is home and we are both interacting with the family, that we can choreograph the dance so all are happy. But there are others when we must decide how to isolate one or the other to prevent mishap.

Since we worry about Nilla wandering out, especially in rain or heat, and getting lost, she most often is given the restraint of being gated in the kitchen where her beds are set up next to a water bowl and a fan gently blows cooling airs into her "space." She seems OK with napping and wandering in the room she knows well. And Roman ignores her. At night she sleep in our bedroom crated in her corner; Roman is crated in the living room.

We are still puzzling out why he has such a strong dislike for our Miss Congeniality. Some have suggested that young males sometimes prey on the old and sick. The behaviorist thinks Roman is jockeying for pack position. For whatever reason the two are never left alone together and during human meals, prep, and treat time, they are separated.  Roman is leashed or crated...and Nilla is gated...lest we humans be distracted by tasks.

The others seem aware of the conflict. Bailey, White Dog, Opal and Zso all have shifted position or moved to stand between the two in an instinctual protection of pack harmony. It IS a dance...one that involves ALL of us, as we work at bringing Roman around and helping Nilla as she ages.

Because that is what family does.