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I am shocked how long it has been since I last updated my blog.  I have not given up on it but the day to day issues of looking after a disabled dog don't make very interesting reading.  In my mind anyway and the behavioural stuff is definitely on the back burner in the face of his physical challenges.  However, since my last post we have had success with making him a cart.  We tried to get hold of a second hand version, not being sure how he would take to it.  However this  was not forthcoming so my partner trawled various websites and ended up making an ingenious version out of bits of plastic piping.  Total cost, I kid you not about £30, which was infinitely preferable to the £270 for the posh version!  Given our experience construction is not the end of it as many fine adjustments between dog and cart need to be made, with hindsight I think I might have spent an equal amount on postage if I had had to send the thing back to the manufacturer multiple times.  Much easier to have your own on site workman who can disappear into the shed and return with the adjustments made.  Service indeed for Mr Sonny!

You will not be surprised to learn that, Sonny was his usual  unpredictable self and defied us all when  he took to the cart like a dream and the first outing had him racing up the road, I even  had a struggle to keep up with him!  He even had even gave a passing dog a mouthful which I have not seen in him for such a long time.  Even though that is the behaviour we have worked so hard to eradicate it was actually quite an emotional moment to see a bit of his old spirit back.  It's quite a physical effort for him as everything now relies on his two front working legs and he gets very tired.  At least he is able to enjoy what life he has left and be out with his pack and we are back on the road again!

Another issue we are battling is his difficulty in controlling toileting which he has always managed well.  It is hard to tell if this is down to general loss of functioning or whether it is just that with his mobility problems it is hard for him to be in a good routine, that plus his advanced age, at nearly 13 years adds up to some unhappy accidents.  Despite this indignity he appears apparently unphased, as he has lost feeling in his hind end I wonder if he is even aware of it although I suspect his sense of smell would tell him if nothing else.  This aspect of his care is something I need to keep a close eye on.  Some people might argue we have already let him go too far, but I keep in mind that he eats and sleeps well, still has enough mojo to send the cat packing and that mentally he is all there (or as all there as he ever was that is). Ah I don't think I've mentioned the cat have I? I'll tell you about him another day....