For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 28, 2023

Farley is probably showing his age; hearing is going.

Maybe he’s making like a cat. Takes a message and gets back to you later.

When this first ran, I though LJ was getting ready to kill him off.

As in that Far Side cartoon, he hears: “Farley blah-blah-blah Farley blah-blah Farley blah-blah-blah…”

Here’s how to tell: open a can of dog food. If your dog doesn’t come running, then something is wrong.

I love dogs. But unfortunately, large dogs like Farley have a short life expectancy. Usually around seven to ten years. Although there are exceptions. Small dogs on the other hand can live to eighteen to twenty plus years.

And so it begins

OMH…it’s coming soon…I’m not ready…

We’ve always had Dobermans and the one I still miss most lived to 13, but he went deaf around 11 years. When he went deaf, it was the last time he ever wagged his tail. It was heartbreaking.

Why did I read that first line like the old Petula Clark song, “Don’t Sleep in Subway”. (Don’t Sleep in the Doorway, Farley). LOL

:_(

I was thinking it resembled what I’ve seen herding dogs do. Monitoring the doorway helps keep tabs on the flock. When everyone is in the same room. All is well.

Oh, dear.

Oh, Farley, you’re getting old, boy.

IIRC, Farley’s got one last, grand, heroic job to do…

We just discovered the B&W cat in my picture is now deaf. Sad

Attention Lynn: I am old enough to remember when Farley died, before you killed the whole strip and started over after your divorce. Don’t you DARE kill Farley again!! Don’t even let him get ill or deaf. Remember, you are writing a comic strip, not a novel! We want Farley healthy and funny.

Like my dogs, it’s selective hearing…

Sadly, dogs do go deaf.

Elizebeth, you are about to experience one of the great tragedies in life. No one can explain it to you nor can they shelter you from the pain. You must experience it, cope with it, learn from it and perceiver.

yep. cartracts next…poor guy. how old is Farley?

If the Pattersons need to pay a bill, now is the time to send Farley to the dog fights.

Where’s the mail slot?

PROBABLY wax in the ears

What a misfortune for a dog, whose lifespan is much shorter than ours, to end up in one of the few comic strips where aging happens in real time. Snoopy was still going strong after 50 years, Marmaduke after 61.

I miss Double Sided Scooby Snack.

Farley was just knocked unconscious when Liz opened that door and then tripped on him. Her glasses were too fogged up to notice the effect on Farley.

Maybe he just doesn’t understand “don’t sleep in the doorway”, Liz.

My senior dog is blind as a bat and deaf as a post and daft as a brush. We love her though :-)

Oh-oh. I don’t know if I like where this is going …