Thoughts about a wonderful Chocolate Labrador Retriever

My dear Chip was bought as a Christmas gift for our daughter Sarah in 1998. Sarah wanted a more lively dog, and Chip came into our life. We also had a 12 year old Golden Retriever that was slowing down a bit, and we felt needed a companion. Chip was his companion for 2 years. Scotty did his job well, and showed Chip the yard, and how to go outside properly. Chip was housetrained in one day. This 6 week old puppy was housetrained in one day, and he let us know just how intellegent he would become as an adult dog. As it turned out, Chip became my dog. While he has always loved Sarah and always sleeps under her bed, he chose me as his human. That has not changed in 9 years together. He waits by the front window for me whenever I leave the house, and comes to the kitchen /garage entry door awaiting me with a big kiss and wag of the tail. Once I am home, he is at ease, and then becomes my shadow. I can't count the number of times I have tripped over him, tried to squeeze my feet between him and the sofa so I can put my feet on the floor, or just plain had to move him to get out of my way. This is his way of gently saying, I am watching over you, because I love you so much. As he is recovering from his paralysis, I will show him the same devotion and love he has shown me with his various funny antics and constancy. I will go out and assist him in the middle of a cool Michigan autumn night (while in my jammies), bathe him after a skunk spray, help him up the stairs when he barks, lift him when he needs a gentle lift, and feed him his special chicken to keep the pancreatitis away. He deserves all of this because that is what I will do for this dog that would do everything I have ever asked of him, and mostly because he chose me to be his human.Tomorrow, we start our physical therapy together. We will get that right leg strong again, and with continued prayers, he will live to run strong again. While he may show the wear and tear of his FCE's, we will enjoy our time together improving him to as much of his former self as possible. Perhaps, with his life preserver on, we can go for one last boat ride for the season before we pull the dock and store the boat for the season.