A Clever Solution?

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author Unknown

Dallas here.

Mama tells me getting old isn’t for sissies.

It’s not a lot of fun for us dogs either.

Recently I celebrated my twelfth birthday (69 in human years).

I’m fine, but it’s become a challenge to go up and down stairs.

And our house is FULL of stairs.

Stairs down to Mama’s office. Stairs down to where Mama practices her flute. Stairs up to the kitchen, where the good foods are. Stairs up to the bedroom for nighttime snoozles. Stairs outside to chase squirrels and use the facilities. Stairs into the garage so I can go for rides in the car.

Well, you get the idea.

Stairs … lots of them.

And my (ahem) old back isn’t what it was when I was a pup.

One day, Mama saw me splat while climbing stairs.

Painful and embarrassing for me.

Guilt-inducing for Mama.

One splat was bad enough, but when I did it over and over, she took matters into her own hands.

And decided she needed a doggie gate to block me from the stairs.

Permanently.

But the extra-wide gates we’d need are crazy expensive, and Mama won’t use anything that mars the walls.

So she turned to good ole American ingenuity, rigging up a contraption that strikes terror in my heart:

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It’s an old shower curtain rod and a cloth valance stretched the width of the staircase.

And it might not present a problem for active, inquisitive dogs, but no way I’m going through that thing!

(I think I could, but Mama gives me the stink-eye when I even nose at it.)

Sure, it makes me sad not hanging with my mama while she works.

Or plays her flute.

Or whatever.

And I hate watching her climb over that barrier, knowing I can’t follow.

Herding is what I do, people!

But Mama says her back won’t let her “taxi” me up and down the stairs all day, so we’re both stuck.

Now this could be the end of my story until one day, Mama found something called Liquid-Vet that’s given me a new lease on life.

After less than a week on their holistic glucosamine formula, I’m more confident on the stairs.

And Mama has removed that horrid barrier!

(NOTE: Mama nor I Dallas are getting anything from the Liquid-Vet people for our testimonial. We just wanted to share our good news and encourage you owners of achy pets to consider it!)