How to Lose Your Dog’s Trust in Two Minutes

Gracie is 11. She is no spring chicken in dog years. Most days you would never know she is 11. She runs, plays, and jumps like a puppy. Last week she was acting a bit off.

On Monday, she didn’t eat or drink anything.

On Tuesday, she didn’t eat or drink anything.

On Wednesday, she couldn’t get out of bed.

Really it all started on Tuesday evening.  She was fine one minute and then the next she was walking all funky. Her back was arched and she was contorted a bit. She was walking with her body almost in a “C” shape. She wasn’t crying or whimpering or anything, she just seemed really stiff and uncomfortable. We decided to head to bed and see if she was better in the morning.

So, Wednesday morning rolled around. The Husband’s alarm went off at 4:30. And Gracie didn’t move. Normally as soon as his alarm goes off, she is bouncing like a kangaroo at his feet anticipating her morning walk. Not this day. She didn’t move from her bed.

My alarm went off at 5:30. Again Gracie didn’t move. I got in the shower, normally she comes in to make sure that I have not gone out via the secret escape hatch (she is convinced there is a secret escape, why else would she follow me every time I go in the bathroom??).

After my shower, I tried to coax her out of bed. She tried to get up, but each time she just couldn’t do it. It was almost as if someone had glued her down. She attempted to rise but couldn’t get her body up.

I decided to check to see if she had eaten or drank anything over night. She had not, so I decided to try to get some fluid in her as a first step. I made some rice and chicken broth. By the time it was done, she had managed to rise and walk out to the kitchen where I was. She inhaled the ½ cup of “soup” that I gave her. That was a good sign. I called the Vet. They didn’t have any openings so I made the first available appointment which was Thursday morning.

Gracie didn’t seem to be in distress, so I was okay with waiting 24 hours. In fact, she perked up quite a bit after eating. And she started walking normal again too.

We went to the Vet Thursday. The Vet does her exam and is fairly confident that it is probably just arthritis in Gracie’s back that caused all the issues. Just in case we decided to do a full blood panel. So, they took Gracie back to take her blood. The Vet said when they take a urine sample, they have to flip the dog over onto her back to extract it. But since Gracie’s back was hurting she didn’t want to put her through it. So instead the Vet entrusted me with getting a urine sample. “It’s really easy,” she told me. “Just put her leash on her, walk her outside, and when she squats put this little plastic tray under her to catch it.”

Sure, I thought, easier said than done.

I admit I waited a week. I was avoiding the task, but today was the day. I tried several times to get Gracie in the backyard to piddle. She was not having it. She mis-trusted me for some reason. I can’t imagine why. I mean for the last 11 years I haven’t cared when she goes out to pee so why on earth was it so important today?  She is no dummy.

So, the only other thing I could think of was to go for a “walk.”

I grabbed her leash and we headed out the front door. Normally she always stops in our next-door neighbor’s yard. Not today. She was dragging me down the street on a mission. Finally, we got to the corner. She stopped to sniff around the stop sign. I did my best to pull up the slack on the leash and get into position. Thankfully Gracie was fully enthralled in whatever she was smelling so that when she squatted, I swooped in behind her, placed the plastic tray under her and rejoiced as I heard the liquid hit the plastic (Don’t judge me. You have to celebrate the small moments sometimes).

Success! Gross, I know, but life is gross sometimes.

Here is where it got bad. I was praising her up and down for peeing.

She was looking at me like I was crazy.

Cars were driving by, wondering what in the hell the crazy lady squatting behind her dog was doing. It was a sight.

We both rose back to the upright position. Gracie went one way (to continue the walk) and I went the other way (towards home).

Now the dog was really confused. We just started there was no way we were going home already.

Ummm, as the person holding the steaming plastic tray of dog pee, we were most definitely not going for a walk, we were going home to get this sample in the appropriate vessel to get it to the Vet.

As I guided her back towards home (okay, maybe dragged her the first couple feet) I knew that Gracie has lost all trust me. She is not buying whatever I am selling today.

Poor dog. Yes, I am a terrible dog mom for the bait and switch. But sometimes you do what you gotta do.