My name is Spike. It's the weekend and my daddy is getting ready to go hunting. I'm a little stressed about him leaving, so I thought I'd blog about it. You see, I’m 12 years old and he and my mom have both been with me almost my whole life. They got me when I was just a puppy. I love both of them and I get so anxious and stressed when one of them leave the house. When daddy goes hunting, my mom lays one of his jackets down with his good smells on it for me to snuggle in. It reminds me of him and helps me relax so I can sleep while he’s away. I've been with my family for a very long time and they know everything about me. They know that I love to snuggle in the warm covers when they come out of the dryer. They know that I love to sleep in my puppy bed right between the two of them and they know I like to be covered up when it’s cold. They also know that I love to get new toys, but I’ll chew the eyes and ears off if they don't watch me. I like to rip the squeaky thing out too! But the most important thing that they know about me is that I have Cushing's Disease. I was diagnosed a few years ago during a routine check-up. Because of this, I have to take daily medication and see the vet every few months for testing to make sure that I'm getting the right dose of medicine. It's pretty scary, but my vet says I'm doing GREAT. It costs my family a lot of money each month, but they don't mind. It’s saving my life and they tell me I’m worth it. They also know that I’m a runner. I have been since I was a puppy. They learned that early on. I got out once when I first came to live with them and they almost didn't catch me. Luckily, a neighbor saw me running and cornered me in their picket fence and my family came and took me home. They learned a very big lesson that day and it was the last time I ever got out! Don’t judge them because I got out. I was their first puppy EVER and they had no idea that I was so smart. I used my paws to push open the screen door and I was out the door and down the driveway in the blink of an eye. I'm that fast. Now I have a very heavy screen door that I can't push open with my paws and I'm NEVER allowed outside without my collar and my leash. I came to live with them just a few weeks before my human brother was diagnosed with cancer. He was 10 years old and I was just a puppy. He had to stay in the hospital for a very long time for treatment and it was really hard on everyone, especially him. I was the ONLY thing that got them through a very scary time. I once signed a card with my paw print to make my human brother smile. It was the first time he had smiled in months of being in the hospital. My family would also tell my brother stories about me to make him laugh. One of their favorite stories to tell was how my mom came home one night after visiting him in the hospital to find me sleeping in a very tall laundry hamper. I was less than a foot tall back then and my family still can't figure out how I got in there. Oh, and my human brother got to name me too. That made him very happy. I’m so glad he chose the name Spike. I think it fits me. I’m a Miniature Pinscher and I can be a little wild and crazy sometimes. Plus, I get to wear a cool collar with spikes on it all the time and it makes me look really cool. Spike fits me best - and besides that, his second choice was Hounddoom. Thank goodness he liked Spike!!! I guess you can say that we’ve all been through a lot together. I’m just as much a part of the family as all of my brothers and sisters and my two cousins who came to live with us. Oh and Widget too. She came to live with us when her human mommy passed away a few years ago. We're one big happy family! Still, I LOVE the outdoors. I love to run and smell and chase things. Oh, and potty on things. Definitely potty on things. If I ever had the chance, I’d take off on an adventure. I’d run fast and I’d run very, very far. I wouldn't be thinking about my human family at all. I’d be too excited. I have a very good nose and there would be so many new and exciting things to see and scents to follow. But sooner or later, I’d get tired and have to stop and rest. And because I’m a runner, I’d be a long, long way from home and I’d be.... LOST. LOST? I don't like that word. My mommy runs a lost dog site and I hear her say that word a lot and it doesn't sound like something I'd want to be. I've never been out on my own before, so I'm not sure I'd be able to find my way back home. I would hope that a nice stranger would see me and know that I needed help. I would be a little skittish at first, but if they got down low and talked softly to me (and offered to scratch my belly) I'd come to them. Chicken or Bacon would help too.... or both.. yeah, they'd better try both! I’d like them for sure. I’m like that. They’d like me too. They would probably look at me and think that I'm a little overweight. They may think my parents are overfeeding me and think that maybe I need a new home. But don't judge me on my appearance. I'm actually a very light eater. I'm even on a prescription low fat diet to help with that. It's my Cushing's Disease and the medication that I m on that causes me to gain weight. As you can see, my family loves me and takes very good care of me. If I were to ever become lost and YOU find me, please do everything that you can to get me back home to them. If my collar with tags comes off, please take me to the nearest vet or after hours clinic and have me scanned for a microchip. My parents love me so much that they took me to the vet and had this tiny thing implanted under my skin that tells all about me. It tells my medical history and it tells how to call them so that they can come get me right away. Don’t worry if it’s late. They’ll come at any time, day or night. I’m sure if I'm lost, they're not sleeping!!! And even though I may like you a lot… I LOVE my family. I miss my daddy when he’s gone for just a few days! I can’t imagine going to a new home and never seeing him again. So if I’m lost and you find me, please do EVERYTHING you can to get me back home. Oh, and one more thing - I have Cushing's Disease. I take medication twice a day to keep me safe. Missing even a single dose can be very dangerous for me. You don’t know that about me, but my family does. Getting me home quickly is not just important because I love my family - It's important because my life depends on it. Sincerely, Spike Author's note: Spike passed away in April of 2018 at the age of 16. He died in the loving arms of his mother. We were truly blessed to have had him in our lives for as long as we did. He taught us many lessons that will live on through us and through this site. Read Spike's memorial post here: Spike's Memorial blog Read our blog on "What every person who finds a dog needs to know." to find out what you should do if you find a dog. |