Enjoying the Finer Things

Macy is remarkable! Not only is she exceeding my expectations in terms of her physical recovery, but her charming self is on full display. (My husband can tell you that 'charming' is not a word that anyone would use to describe me after surgery, so he is doubly impressed!)

Macy is feeling a bit camera shy, so I want to introduce you to someone very important in Macy's life, her foster brother, an honorary cocker:

These two have been great for each other. Macy is teaching him patience, and he is teaching her about the finer things in life, like exploring outside and enjoying treats.

With her heart of gold, Macy deserves to be treated like a gem!

Resting

Macy is resting because she had a very big day yesterday: thanks to the wonderful people with OBG, she had surgery to help ensure that she does not feel any pain in relation to her blindness.

We visited Dr. McInnis with Animal Eye Care Associates last week, and she told us that Macy was experiencing a lot of pressure in her eyes and that it would only cause more and more discomfort over time. It broke my heart to think that this sweet girl was hurting!

Dr. McInnis presented us with a range of options to help Macy, and OBG elected to treat both eyes immediately. The surgery was a success! As a result, Macy's pain should be eliminated, and her sweet face and demeanor will hopefully return brighter than ever.

I am not new to the world of specialized veterinary care, and I can say that I am very impressed with the Animal Eye Care Associates team. From tip to tail, the service has been terrific.

Thanks for all of your well wishes!

Maintaining Macy

Everyone is high maintenance in his or her own way. The trick to a great relationship is finding someone who wants to 'maintain' you (as Chandler told Monica!). This same philosophy applies to great human-canine relationships.

Macy appears to be high maintenance in one way: she is blind.

Macy is actually high maintenance in an entirely different way: she likes to be with her people.

She likes to know what is happening, not in an effort to control the situation, but just to be a part of the day with you. She likes to trundle along, enjoying whatever you are doing. She finds a soft spot on the floor to curl up, and keeps track of the happenings around her by listening for and feeling them. She is happy to follow your schedule and routine, she just wants to be at your side.

I thought that taking care of Macy would be defined by her blindness, by a need to ensure that she did not get hurt, but I was completely wrong. Taking care of Macy is defined by her sweetness and her desire to have a relationship.

Macy navigates the world extremely well. She is charming and inquisitive in all the right ways, and her pleasant demeanor is infectious. Yes, we are all high maintenance, but Macy's version is very simple: she does not want to run the house, she just wants to love whoever is in it.

PM & AM

I am so happy to report that Macy is just as cute and snuggly at night as she is during the day:

She curls up next to our bed after I say goodnight, and she stays that way until I get up in the morning. She just wants to be close to her people and is happy to follow our routine (unlike her foster brother, I must say, who likes everyone to follow his schedule!).

A Failed Photo Shoot

With Macy's coloring, she looks very cute on our yellow couch, and I thought it would be fun to share some photos of her in that spot. She likes to be with people and, when at rest, actually prefers to be at your feet on a dog bed, so I recognized that my plan may present some logistical troubles. I enlisted my husband to help...

First attempt.

Can we talk?

Maybe a new position...

The best photo of the bunch?!

And we're done.

Oh, well!

And Now Time for a Rest

It may be a quick iPhone shot, but I could not resist capturing little Macy all curled up for a nap. Such a sweetie!

On the Move

I am an admitted newcomer to caring for a dog without sight, and I now realize that I thought Macy might not be all that active, given that she cannot see what is in front of her.

As it turns out, I was not correct. Macy has a lovely amount of energy, just what I would expect in a dog of seven years. She is definitely not full of puppy energy (which means she leaves my shoes, satchel, and anything else on the floor alone!), but she is just as interested in the world as her foster siblings of around the same age.

Something catches her attention:

She moves to inquire what it may be:

Nose to the ground: 

Fun!:

Meet Macy

What a sweetie! Macy is joining us after a long journey, and we are thrilled that she is here. I am already so amazed at how pleasant and fun she is.

I knew that we could provide her with a safe temporary spot on her way to her forever family, but I was not quite sure how a blind dog would do in our house. Would she have trouble with the stairs? Would she feel lethargic after the trip? How would she interact with her foster siblings?

It turns out, I had no cause for worry. Macy has had no trouble navigating around the house or the yard. She remembers where she has been and uses her other senses to navigate. All of the dogs are just fine together, and we are enjoying this lovely weather before a week of expected rain.

Welcome to Washington, Macy!

Home

Our girl pranced and played and snuggled her way into the hearts of her new family today! She had full run of the house and toys galore, along with the attention of everyone around her. We are thrilled and send them all our very best for a fun and happy life together!

Night

It was very clear that Evie wants to be with her people at all times, but our dogs do not sleep in bed with us, so I was wondering how she would do in her crate.

We followed our usual evening routine: a final outing in the yard and then bednight cookies. Each of our dogs sits next to his/her bed, receives a cookie, and then we tuck them in for the night.

I put a nice bed in her crate and invited her to get settled. She could see me in bed from her spot, and she whined for a few minutes, wondering why she was not up in the bed with me. But then my husband came into the room, and she could see that the two of us and the other dogs were all in the room with her, and she settled down.

I did not hear a peep from her all night. She woke up with the other dogs at their usual time (about seven AM), and we all started this rainy Sunday!

Welcome, Evie!

What a darling! Evie is an adorable cocker spaniel mix. She joined her foster home today, and she has already been a delight. She is very loving and wants to be a part of the family, whatever may be happening.

We have two beagles, who are actually rather shy, and Evie handled the introduction perfectly: she was gentle and let them, as the host dogs, take the lead. She was happy to play when they engaged her, but she did not behave aggressively.

After that, she spent a lot of time contemplating...

From her perch, watching over everything:

In the yard, keeping focused on the beagles:

Sitting next to me, acting as 'protector':

Perhaps most of all, she loves attention, and it is easy to give it to her. She is so lovable, and her energy is infectious. She just puts a smile on your face.

She loves to be on the move and has quite the stride, not to mention an ability to jump, but she also rests well in her crate or next to us, content to be warm and loved.

More to come as we learn it!