For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 31, 2022

taking Farley to the veterinarian or somewhere?

He’s getting old…uh oh

Too much junk in the trunk!

No, Mike. He is a geriatric dog now. Imagine Grandpa Jim trying to get onto a truck or high SUV seat. Grandma Marian would have trouble getting into the car’s cargo like Farley.

Oh, it won’t be that way for long, Michael.

Not when he lays eyes on Sera!!

If he knows that he is going to the Veterinarian. Maybe that is why he doesn’t want to get his rear up into the car. Seeing your doctor is usually a pain in the arse anyway. And even dogs remember things like that.

Our 80-lb Great Pyrenees/Border Collie mix is not yet 2 years old, but can’t get his back legs into the car. He has hip dysplasia pretty bad and has no strength in his back legs.

I had a basset hound that was like that. She’d put her front paws on the doorsill of my truck then turn around and look at me like “well, what are you waiting for?” Once I lifted her butt inside she’d hop up on the seat and bark until I got in with her.

I had an Old Lady Labrador who would plop into my arms so that I could lift her into the camper. Sometimes it was sad as none of her parts still functioned well, but she still wanted to be a puppy. Saddest day of my life was when she had to be put down.

I have a little trouble getting my butt in gear too.

Nothing worse than a cat or a dog checking out unless it is the sudden death of a family member or friend.

Lynn’s Comments:

As it turned out, our Old English Sheepdog, Farley, had hip dysplasia—something that caused him a lot of pain in his later years.

I can relate. my little senior is pottering around the house in doggy diapers, wearing a harness with a handle so I can lift her onto the couch…

Too much junk food from the construction workers

I can remember when my St. Bernard got to the age and stage where she couldn’t leap as easily into the back of my pickup and required a gentle assist. Now it’s me who needs one!

It could be he’s not too excited about going for a ride…

Farley has yet to do his “Frazier The Lion” imitation.

Well he’s been an adult since the strip started, so he has had a good run.

That seems to be typical boy teen talk on vehicles.

Our dog has a ramp to get to & from the front yard.

I remeber about 26 years ago I was house sitting for an elderly couple when they went away for about 4 days because they had a dog. He was an older dog who was having problems with his back legs and couldn’t do stairs anymore. They had 4 stairs to their yard and when he needed out he would be able to hobble down the stairs but when it was time for him to come inside I had to go out and help him up just like Mike is doing to Farley and he couldn’t go upstairs to where the bedrooms were so he slept on his dog bed in corner of dining room and in the morning around 6 am when it was time for him to go outside he would stand at the bottom of the stairs and bark a couple of times and whimper until I got downstairs to let him out. He also couldn’t get up on the couch anymore and it hurt him to lift him up so he would lay down on floor beside the couch to be near you and would nudge your leg with his nose when he wanted pet or food ot to go outside. He was the sweetest dog ever. The couple ended up having to put him down about 6 months later because he wasn’t even able to walk anymore.