A letter to Lexxieboy ...

Lexxieboy ... dear friend.

I write this post with tears in my eyes ... Tears because I realize all too well that your life is finite. Tears because it is not going well with you now. Tears because I do not want to take that hard decision, but also tears because I feel so helpless with what is happening to you now.

You have always been such a tough brave dog. Otherwise you were not 15.5 years old! And you have always been so very kind. You have already had to experience so much. Brought to the shelter at 1 year of age. There you were! A sweetheart of a dog, friendly, undemanding, and incredibly loyal. Soon you got to deal with health problems so that in the first instance every winter your beautiful full coat fell out and then in the summer your coat comes back. No one knew what it was, and at the shelter they also had no money, and no time to search for the cause. But what did you suffer from dear? Every day itching, terrible itching. It made you want to scratch and bite yourself. But how much trouble you had. You were always happy and cheerful. That quickly made you the darling of the shelter ... and where dogs are often in nasty lofts you got outside your own beautiful igloo. You also lived outside and you had your own piece of land where you could be yourself. You could look good there, you could lie in your igloo when it rained, and at night, and you could play there with the dogs they put with you as temporary companions ... Yes, unfortunately temporarily. Because you, dear Lex, the other dogs soon got their own homes, but you were never chosen by future owners to be allowed to go home. And that was actually everything that you longed for in your heart. A private house, a private human.

You have had to wait almost 5 years. But when in 2009 you turned chances, and there was also some luck on your path. You became acquainted with your new boss! He had just lost his Dutch Shepherd Rheno and was looking for a new loyal comrade. And because he went to a shelter to ask for a dog who was in a shelter for a long time he was put on your trail. Dear Lex, your 'lucky day' had arrived! You met each other, and you had immidiately won your boss for you with your wise face. But that was mutual because the quiet cheerful way that boss approached you was also good to you. 7 weeks in a row boss visited you, because at the shelter they also took no risks with you. They wanted to know for sure that darling Lex would end up well, and that boss had serious intentions with you. Boss passed the test with a shine and the seventh week you were allowed to go home. Finally your house, your 'golden basket', and your own human for the rest of your life.

Soon boss realized that you were fond of driving. He had bought a boat for Rheno, because Rheno loved water and swimming. But you were not Rheno, you even hate water. When it rains you prefer to stay indoors and there is really no hair on your ball that even thinks of walking through a rain. No no, swimming had to be done by the boss alone or together with Niska. Niska was the dog that lived together with boss at the time you came into his life and you liked that. A nice malinois girlfriend for you as a German Shepherd boy. But that swimming thing? No you would rather drive a car, so boss bought especially to make you happy a buggy. He made the buggy safe for you that you could not fall out and with a special dog sunglasses and hats you sat proudly next to the boss in the bright yellow buggy. Quiet touring where you enjoyed looking around.

In 2012 you had to stay behind alone. Niska got a few strokes in a row and could not recover. Unfortunately, she could not otherwise then exchange the earthly existence for the eternal, so you were left alone with the boss. Boss remarked to you that you did miss some company and boss himself thought it was very quiet with only one dog in his house. So in February 2013 you got company again. This time you got a Dutch beauty as a friend. Ah, what did you have to get used to Lana with her busy behavior. But as always, you saved yourself. As good as ever, you let that whirlwind come over you ...

And at the end of 2013 your life changed completely. Boss moved with you and Lana together and suddenly you got an extra Ladyboss and apart from that you also got company from Rowan and Myla.

You and Myla immediately clicked! But you and Rowan? That goes no further than tolerating each other. But you did not like him, and still do not. Time has taught you to accept each other because we ask that from you. And as always, you do everything for your boss, so also accept Rowan.

Because of the many allergies you have, your beautiful coat has fallen out halfway, and has not come back after a number of times. You have got an elephant skin and you still suffer from itching if we do not do anything about it. Dear Lex, you sometimes have cost your boss more than he has paid for rent, but he has done everything with love to bring you where you are now.

And what would I love to say, a healthy happy dog of 15.5 years!

But the reality has been different since a few days isn't it dear Lexxieboy?

You do not know what happened. You sometimes look at us with a questioning look ... and I know you do not understand either. Of course your hindquarters were already not too strong lately. But you could still walk well enough. Only now, since a few days, you keep your head tilted, and your hind legs can no longer carry your own weight. Poor boy, you want so much ... but you are shaking like a puppy that has to learn to walk. You fall over when we do not catch you in time and with exhausts we have to support you by putting on a safety vest with a handle on the back. That way we can carry some of your weight and you do not have to do everything yourself.

The gaze you give us is asking ... You too do not understand what happens to you. Why you can no longer do everything you want to do. Why do you suddenly suddenly fall over, and why you can not just walk but swallow up and down as if you would have a liter of whiskey. You can not tell ... and we do not know. The veterinarian says that you have been given a Geriatric Vestibular Syndrome and that you keep your head crooked and fall over. He also says that no treatment is possible, but that you should be okay within one or two weeks. And I wish I could explain that to you. I am not a veterinarian, of course. I can only hope that the vet is right ... and that you can stay with us for a little longer. That you can still enjoy a nice summer. Because that sweet Lex, that's what you love to do.

Now that boss no longer has a car to drive around with you, you are also completely satisfied with enjoying the sun. Lying outside on a cushion in the sun. Occasionally playing with Myla and together with Rowan and Lana kibbles searching at the back of our yard. Everything in the sun and always faithful on guard for boss who must come home, to call him loud barking how happy you are that he is back home. Every day you show how happy you are when your boss is back with you. Dear Lex, we hope the vet is right, and we're watching you ... because even though one nice long summer does not seem so much demanded, if you're 15.5 years old every day is one. And should it be that you are no longer better than we choose for you, because longer suffering if necessary, we will not let that happen.