Marilyn and Ari….

I talked to Ari at about 3PM 12-18-2009

Immediately upon checking in with Ari I got the impression that it was hard work to move or keep his muscles going. Shoulders ache. Elbows ache – something systemic is coursing through his body (a systemic illness or disease). Pain in left knee. Everything feels old.

Ari: (proudly) I should not have been walking this whole time, but I did it. [Marilyn’s note: He says this as though he should not have been able to even walk or get on as well as he has these past months, but he is proud of his ability to override his body and still have a good quality of life. He shows me a picture of him just lying down and watching – watching everything that is going on around him. It’s very peaceful.  He likes to be able to just sit and observe.]

Ari: They came for me last night, but I told them to go. I wanted to say good-bye [to Laurel] and the time was not appropriate when they came so I sent them away. [Marilyn’s note: he shows me a beautiful array of spirits - so light and bright… a full entourage ready to escort him to the other side, but Ari was firm in his decision to stay until he could say good-bye to you in his own way. He did not want to ‘die in his sleep’ he wanted to be with you when he left.] You are a good mom!

[Now he shows me a picture of how he will cross, it is an image of his body lying and you at his head. The body is empty/hollow and very dead and his spirit rises out of it, a feeling of floating and total release – very peaceful, very zen. He calls this “Spirit Release”

Ari: It’s okay. You’ll [Laurel] be okay. It’s time for Brita now. You’ve taken good care of me and I of you.

[He tells me it’s not just his skeletal/muscular systems failing, but also his heart and organs.

Marilyn: Ari, did you tell her [Laurel] it was time.

Ari: Not yet.  I don’t want to go, but my body says otherwise. My body is making this decision for me, but we will see each other again.  I’m going to see Teddy and we have some work to do together.  There are others there that wait for me, too.  They have been waiting a long time, because I was supposed to have left this plane already.  And I could have left, too, if I wanted to.  But I did not want to and I am stronger than my body, or at least I was… for a while. I love my life. I love my love [Laurel], and I love my friends [other dogs and Joshua].

[He shows me a picture of a fire or a bonfire in your back yard]

{Back end and hips are not working, poop and pee is difficult to control/hold] He says: sorry about that.

He says: He wanted to be with you today when he goes, so he waited for you.  He loves you so, so very much. You are only separated by dimension, which is an illusion. In truth you are One and neither of you could love the other any more. You have his heart. You have done right by him and you have learned much from each other. Hold on to what you know and be You.

Marilyn Tokach
Training & Behavior Specialist
Pure Spirit ~ Animal Communication, Training & Behavior Solutions
www.Pure-Spirit.com
Direct: 952-226-2622
Scheduling: 952-226-2660 (Office Manager: Kimberly)
Proud Pets. Proud Pet Owners

He couldn’t walk…

…last night and collapsed about 3 feet from the crate in the bedroom that he was heading for.  It was like all his legs gave out…  This morning he made it outside and wobbled back to a crate he likes in the living room….  I wanted him to go out before I left and he couldn’t make it on his own…  I’m off to school now… it’s 8am and I’m worried about leaving him alone although he’ll probably sleep the whole time.

 
The strangest thing happened during the night.  Joshua (my parrot) was in a panic and thrashing in his cage. This hasn’t happened in a very long time so when he didn’t stop, I got up, went to him, talked for a bit and went back to bed.  The thrashing started again and again I went to him.  The 3rd time (now I’m pretty cranky) I found a really dark blanket to cover his cage and that put an end to it.  Olivia and Kobie were nowhere around.  They have access to the basement and outside so I assumed that’s where they were.   It seemed really bizarre.  

 

Comment – Read the post Marilyn and Ari for an update to this.

Winter….. oh no….

Two days of snow..  a teenage dog just wanted to have some fun!  16 inches of snow in the yard AND the first thing she is asked to do is to stand still and have Christmas decorations draped over her!!  The humiliation!  (stay tuned for a Christmas photo)

Retrieving the rope full of cup holders, however, made up for having to sit still and was a ton of fun!

 

 

Brita Training in the Basement!

Ups and Downs again for Ari…

Who knows what happened…  We talked with Marilyn yesterday and she asked if he was on medication..  no..  why?  He seems “loopy” she said.. in a good way.  Just kind of a goof enjoying himself.  It wasn’t unusual for him to have sort of a goofy look because he loved to play and be the center of things. 

Today when I got home from work, he was in the middle yard with Kobie and Olivia.  When I got in the house the girls were there but no Ari.  It was dark in the stairway and as soon as I turned the light on and called him, up the stairs he came.  I have believed for a long time that if there is no light ahead of him, he thinks there is nowhere to go.  It was dark ahead of him so he just stayed in the basement.  I’ve seen him stay outside until I turned a light on and he could see there was a dog door to go through.  And for a long time I’ve said if he went out at night I don’t think he could find his way back in the house. 

Then, a mouse trap went off in the kitchen.  We were in the living room and when it snapped and he got really nervous, came to me and hid behind me… obviously afraid.  This is NOT my Ari.  Later I found him in the bathroom which is where he used to hide when he was having seizures.  He looked very afraid….  

What fun Ari and Brita had!

It was yet another nice Saturday at the end of November and so we did some outdoor training! 

Brita has done suit work but hadn’t as yet with Terence.  This was the afternoon session and if you hang in there until the end (or just watch the end) you’ll see her getting swung around and hanging on!

And we brought the old man today!  Ari at 10 1/2 still was crazy for the sleeve and on the edge as usual.  Of course, me telling me to heel was a puzzle to him since he never learned how to heel…  ...now fuss he knows so when "I" figured it out he was a tad better.  However, since he retired he has had no obedience except “get off the bed Ari”… or “get your ball Ari”…  or “want your dinner”… oh wait..  that’s not obedience..  that’s a question!  What is the best about the way he looks today is the fact that, over the summer, he on a number of occasions was unable to walk due to seizures and a probable brain tumor.  If you saw those videos, you’d know how special these videos taken today are!  Every day he is here is a gift.

Update...  a month later December 18, 2009, he was gone. 

Swimming… What Month Is It???

Today Brita and I were in Neenah and it was 55 degrees and sunny.  Yep..  it’s November 24th!  A favorite place we have is Fresh Air Park in south Neenah.  It’s a very small park, the size of a large building lot in between homes on Lake Winnebago.  Even in good weather, we often would have it to ourselves.  So… off we go… I can’t remember when the water has been so clear..  you could actually see the stones in the water – and this IS Lake Winnebago! 
Camera in my left hand.  Tug in my right.  Toss tug.  Take pictures.  Do it again.  Some worked really well and some are gone!  At one point I did throw the tug a different direction so I would be facing the sun and I think there are a few good silhouette shots!  Fun time!

   

Miss Brita Workin' with Angie

So today I was talking pictures for Steinig Tal Police Academy and Angie asked me to take pictures of her doing obedience.  Sure...  Then she asked if she could borrow Brita!  Of course.  It's fun to see your own dog work with someone else! 

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday Brita!!

It's become a custom now...  Birthdays are spent at Clever K9s so off we go!  Pictures were taken and reports were good.... she had fun playing with the other dogs!  On the way home we stopped at McDonalds for a cheeseburger and ice cream!  (we shared the ice cream!!)  

I had picked up a new retrieve item which was a unicorn on a stick... it didn't occur to me that the stick was plastic until the first time I said "hold" and she crunched it!  She did have fun retrieving it but was much happier playing with her ball on a rope even though for a bit it was stuck in a tree! 

Another birthday behind her!!  Tomorrow back to work!  (and we should all like our work as much as she does!!)

It was just this kind of day.....

It was supposed to rain today….

In preparation for rain, I decided to make the most of a sunny day yesterday and did outdoor work and hung out with the dogs. Today would be indoors. So… 10am….45 degrees and sunny. I’ll just do a little outside – perhaps get the outdoor bird area together so my goal of being able to feed them from the deck or through my living room window is a reality.

Done. Still sunny and now 50 degrees. More cleaning up and putting things away….lawn furniture, training equipment… just stuff. Dogs are lovin’ it.

Ari is not in pain (although he wobbles a bit) but he IS running around – sometimes bunny hopping, sometimes trotting, but nevertheless, having fun! Since August when he was down and could hardly walk he has gone up to the point of getting around just fine and, while there has been a slight change up and down in his rear end movement, someone other than an overprotective mom would probably not notice. So, for the last three months, I’ve made an effort to spend time with him knowing that this probably will be his last summer.
 
It started with the trails. He wasn’t able to keep them open by his running so I mowed them. Pretty cool… why not do more so, of course, I did….through the woods, (some mowed but after I almost rolled the mower thought better of that method for forging trails in the woods) and in the area behind the woods. All the dogs liked walking on them although sometimes Ari wasn’t able to make it far so we did short jaunts.

While in the woods I noticed the grapevines…. OH MY GOD!! They are KILLING my trees. And so the war started. It became an obsession but the dogs loved it! They just thought I was spending time with them! So the war continued… slowed down a bit by the attack of the BEES that took me to the emergency room and the poison ivy (who knew it was still there even though it looked dead). There were many dead trees and we had a really strong wind come through and five came down. I marked what I could and one day Jason and his father, armed with a sharp chain saw, spent a few hours just cutting down dead trees and cutting into smaller pieces the ones that were already down. My best guess is that I have a bit over an acre of woods but it sure seems like more sometimes. What a big help that was! But then he mentioned that all the trees with thorns should come down. Something to do I think with not being native and taking over….. fast forward…. today… ended the day with cutting a little grove of those buggers and stacking them. Came inside… 3:30.

Before I came in I was thinking of the last year. Tori had been returned to me in September (2008) from her calling of being a Psychiatric Service Dog.  She couldn’t handle it and shut down and I picked up a dog who had given up on life.  She emotionally adjusted but in November I was told that she needed surgery. The rescue had her on their website and there was no adopter in sight. And now with the surgery, they said that they couldn’t do more so basically, if I didn’t want to adopt her, she was to be put down.  I already had 5 dogs and she only got along with Ari so keeping her was not in my or her best interest and also I didn’t have the money for the surgery.  What an emotional time. So I wrote a letter asking for donations for her and they could go through the rescue.  Hopefully someone would step up and adopt her if the money issue were out of the way.  It hit the internet and donations came pouring in. In a few weeks, over $2000 was collected and, yes, someone did appear to take her, someone who had applied the day before she was removed from the website.  Ups and downs… She went to her new home Thanksgiving week. I saw her for a birthday party in January but that was the last time. It was too hard on both of us. Her story is documented here: Tori-Tori

A month later, I lost Teddy. What a great dog and how hard it was to let him go. He touched so many lives as a Therapy Dog and the dog that would come to school with me.  Read his story here.  Teddy Edward   ….I still grieve for him.

Then, in April, Ari started limping. Tests eliminated problems with his Addison’s, tick diseases and other diseases that blood tests would identify and the diagnosis was a probable brain tumor since he was having seizures. May through August… 3 times I gave him days. He would hit bottom, not be able to walk and then he would recover. In August, he stopped having the downturns and here we are today – November 18, 2009 …. Out in the yard enjoying the weather. Life is good right now….
 
Below is a slideshow from yesterday.  It is another school bus story and the sun is very low casting long shadows.  Ari, Olivia and Kobie were hanging out and then Ari heard the bus and ran to the front.  The bus kept going and then I heard it again…. Backing up… apparently the driver thought that the kids who get off weren’t on the bus!  Then after a boring stretch, it was on it’s way home so there was yet one more exciting event!  The color of Olivia’s coat is amazing.  The sun was directly on it and must have brought out the red! 

Brita on Her Red Truck

Brita loves playing in the yard.  It’s hard for me to walk through it without her heeling next to me.  I was carrying something recently and she was trying as best she could to be in correct position because she knows that doing it right brings fun play!

         

 

Brita is such a HOOT

So today it turned out to be a pretty nice day so I wanted to get some work done in the training area and took Brita out with me.  I literally cannot walk around the yard without her running over and starting to heel next to me.  I was carrying fence posts in my right hand and she is heeling on the left. 

Well, she is pretty persistent so I thought ok...  I can do some training (which I was going to do anyway) so I ran her little butt off.  It was pretty humid and she was breathing pretty hard so I stopped and told her to get in her pool which was FULL of water.  I did not expect her to lay down in it however!!!!  What great training for PSA!!

What a difference from the first summer and her introduction to water!  I guess Teddy was a good teacher!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training with Terence

What a great time she had!!  When she got the sleeve and I said "take it home" (meaning back to the van), she ran in the other direction as if to say - "No, I'm not going...this is too much fun!"