Mr. Wiggles' Return

There walks our playful Mr. Wiggles. He has been through much this past year. A soft lump under his soft golden furry chin, beginning last Fall, disappeared, reappeared, disappeared, then grew again, to epic proportions! Now it is gone, the result of emergency surgery one morning, in March, of this year. This soft egg-shaped lump under his chin had morphed and hardened late one evening, right before our eyes. “Did that really happen?” I asked my husband. "Did it grow while we weren't looking? Was this thing finally going to show us its true intent?"... (Six square inches of 'new growth' had solidified into a massive hard-ball over a four-hour period.)  

Our sweet gentle Mr. Wiggles now had a double chin. "When did that happen?", I queried my husband  "He had only one chin this morning."  “Would it explode?" I seriously wondered. ... At 5:00 a.m. we spirited our little guy to the Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital. (The emergency on-call physician examined him and reported that our sweet Mr. Wiggles had an infection, increased heart rate and fever.) ... Later that morning, emergency surgery ended the medical mystery that had plagued our little guy, his family, and many veterinarian specialists, for months. That was definitely a walk on the wild side.

It has been two years since all four pups met. Mall Cop is now 4; 'Sally', 6; 'Ella' and Mr.Wiggles, 2. With an emergency surgical event a recent memory and a skunk attack long past, we are now in awe of these mystical creatures, called dogs, whose past escapades has made TheMomsey a little wiser and more in love. ... Mall Cop and his sister, 'Ella', the mini-schnauzer, meet in doggie-day-care, when dad travels. (Mom is a French Immersion teacher.) Playtime is an established pattern, of the highest order now. Each pair has its own unique style of running and playing before meeting together for  that "what have you been up to" look. I am slowly becoming a dog psychologist. I study them very carefully. They are a majestic species to watch and study.

Winter is gone. Warm weather is such welcome respite from the harshest season of all. 'Ella' and her brother, Mall Cop, run, pounce, dance, then wrestle. He runs like the wind. Ella runs faster. I laugh at the spontaneity, the choreography of their dance. It is their time, now. 

Mr. Wiggles' exuberance keeps him in an adjacent area, as he waits for the call, for admission into the group. He has created his own personalized training session with his sister, Sally. For them, tug-of-war, carrying a large silicone basket ball between them, is an intense morning work-out. ... His former pack leader, our 'adult' son, appears and leads them all into the pen for another running marathon. I watch in wonder. How many dogs are in there, really? Our son runs with abandon, as he did as a child, long long ago, before Mall Cop was born. His youthful approach to all manner of dogs has not changed. He is one of them. Being human, in the doggie world, is a crazy, yet exhilarating place to be. But he forgets he is a married man and father.  So what, he thinks. His wonderful wife understands his special relationship with dogs, of all makes and sizes.

Mr. Wiggles, is close at hand, waiting ever so patiently. He is older and wiser, now, but still wiggling to the absurd, always carrying a gift to the door, whenever someone comes to visit. Whom will he interrogate today? ... 'Ella' and 'Sally' continue where they last left off, in a track-and-field session of their own making. It is a more intense, reliable tool for showcasing their indomitable spirit and their camaraderie, towards each other. Girls just want to have fun. Even the furry ones! Mall Cop and Mr. Wiggles just watch, wondering how it happened that these two thought they could form their own little clique and not include them? But this is a good thing. The girls want to be left alone. Maybe, someday, the boys can be included, too.

With 4 dogs, high energy is always present. Exercise is what keeps them and us energized, healthy, happy and calm. Do endorphins reside in the brain of the dog? Maybe. Mall Cop and Mr. Wiggles do not always agree. Mr. Wiggles likes to play, non-stop; Mall Cop, simply to be left alone. They argue. But the Momsey is the judge, refusing to hear closing arguments. Each is responsible for his own part in the play. Disciplinary action soon follows. Mr. Wiggles needs to know he is not in charge. Neither is Mall Cop, however. 'Big Face', otherwise known as Mr. Wiggles, follows the fun, attempting to separate Mall Cop and Ella in their special dance. He is moving to a beat of his own and seems to be lost in translation. His harness, rather than a collar, helps re-direct him, more easily. The collar is off and a wrap around scarf is on since surgery made us aware how delicate the neck area can be. Life is so much fun for Mr. Wiggles. He looks like a suitcase, easier to catch and hold, too! He carries a gift for that special someone wherever he goes. We understand.

A raw diet is now front and center for Mall Cop and Ella. They love it so! Once upon a time, eating was not fun for Mall Cop. He was trying to tell us something. He was telling us to change. The change is good. All four eat raw fruit and vegetables, daily, too, – just like bears, in the wild. It is an established, everyday habit.. Red Delicious apples, Grannie Smith, Royal Gala and others, watermelon, berries, cucumbers, cantaloupe, too, are a few of the raw choices, given regularly, on the fruit platter, along-side romaine lettuce, as well.  Really? They jostle for position. The excitement is palpable. The 'twins' on the sofa: the bigger twins, right in front of me. Such patience! So polite! The room is quiet as they wait for their turn. One by one, I dispense these bite-size delightful raw morsels. I am so in awe of them. They have much to teach us. The platter is licked clean.

Inside, a new routine has emerged. Mall Cop is now giving facial massages to all. Gentle facial strokes, from this diminutive statesman, are a poignant pause from the hustle and bustle of the day-long marathon of runs, hits and misses. All seem to be meditating now. The chewing carousel has ended. Mall Cop dispenses his gentle form of patience, wisdom and love. They gratefully accept his gift, then fall asleep. I am grateful and  so lucky. ... Love knows no bounds in the house of puppies.