It's Breaking My Heart to Break His Heart

[Snowshoe]

I don't think I can keep doing this, go skiing without Oban. He can't because of his elbow. Or it would be such a short ski for me it wouldn't be worth it. But the OH says Oban cried today when I left him, stood in the window watching me leave and cried. Kept going to the window and whimpering. Oh Lordie, just typing this makes me feel like crying.

My first ski nobody else was home, yesterday OH was outside. Oban probably cried those times too, there just wasn't anyone around to notice.

[Labradorks]

Awww. Poor guy. And poor you! Is this something he's going to recover from? I remember the heartbreak having a really old dog with a really young dog and not being able to take the old dog on hikes. It's so hard.

[smartrock]

Lark cries if I go to the bathroom or go down to put laundry in the dryer or go out to get the mail and she's left behind. I could leave her and not feel guilty even though I know she'd be whining. She sits beside me and whines.

Chase, on the other hand, just loves his walks and if for some reason I leash up Lark and do not leash him up at the same time, THEN I feel guilty. He's comparatively reserved so for him to seem upset is sad.

Poor Oban, you're not skiing down the driveway away from him, are you? I didn't realize he was having elbow problems.

[POPTOP]

Poor Oban. Archie does the same if I take Mardi out without him. Thing is, Mardi needs a slow walk and Archie needs a brisk walk.

Could you take Oban on a short trip, back home to drop him off, and do the amount of skiing you want? It's complicated when they get older.

[kimbersmom]

Oh, that's heartbreaking! I missed hearing about Oban's elbow- what's up?

[Sandra]

Oh no. I feel like crying too. That must be so hard.

[Halcyon]

Oh, poor Oban. Is the elbow condition chronic?

[Tanya]

aww

Is there a way you can leave for a ski without him knowing?

[Mr Kleb]

It is challenging when our companions reach this stage. I deeply empathize.

Our Kendal should no walk go much (if any) further than around the block, which means he can't walk around the bend of the river as the cattle dogs still do. Yet he still wants to walk so we walk him. I firmly believe though that it's less a matter of how far our dogs walk, than that they walk.

Is there a way that Oban can go a short distance then, OH can take him on a loop back the car? Or maybe when you go, OH can stay home with him, work on training/reinforcement then reward him with a walk or other fun activity? I don't know if these are doable, if not perhaps they can get some ideas flowing. Think of it as setting up a new routine befitting a dignified elder statesman.

[Snowshoe]

Thanks for all the Oban empathy. He has never had separation anxiety at all. In fact about 6 years ago I posted a thread asking what was the opposite of separation anxiety because when he sees me/us getting ready to go out without him he brings his honda to be stuffed. LOL, Oban has separation anticipation, "Oh, going out? Stuff this for me before you leave, would you?"

I guess the skiis themselves signal a really good walk. I could put him in the kitchen, wax them, put them outside, put my boots and ski clothes on. But he'd see me walking down the driveway carrying them. Unless I left him in the kitchen which seems even less fair to him. When I went out after lunch in the car to pick up more raw dog food it was a non-event for Oban.

The OH feels badly too. He did try to distract him, took him out back to help with some things he was doing but Oban came in and went right back to the window. Where's the short term attention span dogs are supposed to have when you want it? Oh, and I did take him for a walk this morning.

Ironically the elbow went last March when we were skiing. He went through the crust, came up yelping and crying and hobbling. He's a big toughy so I knew it was bad. I guess it was getting ready to go and that did it. Geez, he was only walking too. We did the rest, worked back up slowly but it just got worse and worse. I had an ortho evaluation done and it says compensatory gaiting to relieve pain in the bone spur on the opposite front leg was the likely culprit. And the report says surgery probably will not help.

Oh, and Mr. Kleb, Oban is only 7.