Parker

I want to tell you about Parker, a young Golden Retriever, who touched my life much too briefly.  I fostered him for only 9 short weeks, but he made such an impression that I will never forget him.  Unfortunately, by the time he was found and turned over to Gold Ribbon Rescue, he had already contracted a multitude of diseases and maladies.  I’ll never know what he went through before he came to me, but I do know that it didn’t seem to affect Parker.  He was happy to be where he was, wherever that happened to be.  I’ve met a lot of dogs, and most of them want to explore their surroundings and sniff everything before they will give you the time of day.  Not Parker.  The first thing he’d do was come over, sit down at your side, and look up at you with the sweetest, most gentle eyes you’ve ever seen.  They seemed to ask, “Are you the special one who will love me forever?”  I didn’t know that I was at the time, and I had no way of knowing that forever would be so short.  The more I got to know Parker, the more I came to realize that he touched everyone who met him.  There was something about him; a trusting, knowing calmness.  People couldn’t resist petting him and he loved it.  He would have been a great therapy dog and I was looking forward to training him someday.  I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

I miss Parker lying on the floor in the hallway, right in the middle of the baby gate where I’d have to step over him.  He’d lift his top leg up to expose his belly so I could rub it.  He could be sound asleep but when I came near, he’d oh-so-subtly move that leg.  If I ignored him, a few minutes later he would find me, sit down next to me, and nudge my hand.  No noise, no fuss.  Just a nudge to get me to pet him.  After a minute or so, he would get up and wander back to the hallway.  He couldn’t go for long walks, but he still wanted to go out.  When we walked past a house with a barking dog, Parker stood up taller and actually seemed to puff himself out, really putting on a show for the neighborhood dogs.  After a short walk, he was ready to go back to the house and stay in for the rest of the day.  Whenever I left him alone, I put him in charge of the house and the two cats.  I never had to worry about coming home to a mess.

Oh… Parker.  I’ll never know why you were on this earth for such a short time.   I know there was a reason.  Thank you for giving me all you had in your final weeks.  Thank you for blessing me with your presence and your love.  Thank you for being so easy to love.  Thank you for slipping away so peacefully on your own terms.  I’ll never forget

Updated 9/24/10

Wow…. Parker just amazes me by learning new things every day.  He has become so good at walking on a leash.  He used to bob and weave, and try to leave his mark on every telephone pole, but now he walks alongside me and mostly ignores poles and fire hydrants.  There are some scents that are just too strong to ignore, but he takes correction easily and goes right back to my side.  My trick (his reward) is a pat on the head.  Simple, huh?

Riding in the car is another skill at which he’s become much better.  He used to want to stand up, but I think he’s learned that it’s easier and safer to lie down.  As long as he can look out the window, he’s perfectly content.

He is truly one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met.  Most of the time, he sleeps peacefully in the hallway.  Every once in a while, he’ll get up and come to wherever I am and nudge my arm so I’ll pet him.  He can be a little persistent, but all he wants is a few pets and then he’s back to sleep.  He’s very easygoing and doesn’t get riled up easily.

Parker has some ongoing health concerns, and he has been very agreeable about going to the vet.  We’re still trying to figure out exactly what is going on with his bloodwork, but in the meantime, he takes his pills like a good boy and does whatever he’s told to do.  He doesn’t go for long walks because of the old injury to his hip, but he enjoys his short strolls where he can check out some of the neighbors’ yards. 

Parker is extremely loyal and devoted.  He’s stepped right in to become the “man of the house” and it seems like he knows that it’s his job to protect his four sisters (and me!).  He only barks once in a while, so when he does sound the alarm, I know it’s important.  He’s an all-around super dog!

Updated 9/6/10

Here is the latest report on Parker, from his foster mom:

When I first saw Parker, I was really surprised that he was so handsome.  I’d heard that he was a “true rescue” and that he had been found covered with ticks and emaciated from hunger.  Yet, here was a beautiful tall youngster, with shining golden hair.  He came right over to me and looked up at me with the most gorgeous dark brown eyes that just pierced me right through the heart.  As much as I’d like to think that it’s only me he looks at so lovingly, I’ve seen him give that same look to everyone he comes to know—from my foster coordinator to the vet techs to the vet (who squeezed his paw really hard to check out his reflexes).  The love and hope in those eyes is enough to melt any heart.  He is so eager to please, and he loves any attention that anyone is willing to give.  If I forget to give it to him, he’ll come up to me and put his head in my hand or my lap. 

Parker is such a gentle soul, and he makes friends so easily.  He wasn’t sure what to do about my cats when he first met them, but now I find him and Chela lying on the cool tile side by side.  My two dogs accepted him immediately,  maybe because they sensed that he was no threat to them.  In fact, he will lie down and roll over at the drop of a hat.  He loves to be petted and he really likes to be the center of attention.

Parker also came with amazing house manners.  I crated him initially for a few hours and he didn’t seem to mind.  Then I left him alone in a portion of the house that is tiled, in case he had any accidents.  But, lo and behold, he will not go to the bathroom in the house.

He waits patiently for his meals and doesn’t go crazy like some other dogs I know (like my other two!).  He has not once tried to sit on my couch or climb in my bed.  He only goes where he knows he’s allowed to go.  He’s never tried to push through the baby gate or dig out of the fenced yard.  He likes to smell all the neighbors’ yards when he goes for a walk, and he gets a little excited when the neighbors’ dogs bark at him.  He seems to stand up a little taller and really strut his stuff when passing a neighbor’s dog, and I can’t blame him because he is a handsome boy.  He’s doing well on a leash, and learning not to pull and weave.  He’ll stay right by my side if I occasionally give him a pat on the head.

Parker does have a few medical challenges, and yet, he doesn’t show that he is in any pain or discomfort.  His jaw may never open fully, so he’ll probably never be able to play ball. We also learned that he injured his hip at some point in the past, probably when he was a pup; it was never properly set & just healed up on its own around the injury. So he can’t really run very far.   But even if he may never quite live up to his “Retriever” name, he is “Golden” in so many ways that it doesn’t matter.  He has a heart of gold, and I’m sure he could cheer up anyone who may be blue.  He would be an unbelievable therapy dog because he just seems to know and empathize with people. I haven’t taken him swimming yet, but he is probably a good swimmer. 

I’d love to see Parker go to a home with people who can give him the time and attention that he deserves.  He seems to have had a rough life so far, and he deserves someone who can devote themselves to his recovery and happiness.  He is an amazingly devoted dog, and his capacity to love appears to be endless.  Whoever ends up with him in their life will surely be blessed!

Update: 08/16/10

Hello GRR friends!

My name is Parker, and I was named for Tony Parker, a famous basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs.  That just goes to show that the nice lady who found me has every confidence that I can become as strong and fast and healthy as a star athlete—so I just know I will! But I’m getting ahead of things—so here’s my story so far:

One day I showed up wandering stray on a greenbelt in a nice part of town. I don’t really know how I got there, but the kind folks who saw me all alone figured that somebody must have dumped me. Maybe my original owner could see that the houses were pretty & figured that someone there would be able to take care of me. Anyway, the first thing my new friends noticed was that I was really, really, really skinny. My waist was teeny tiny and all my ribs and my spine stuck out. Also they thought my head looked a little funny, like I had even lost weight in my face.

The second thing they noticed was that, even though I clearly was pretty weak, I was really friendly. I just lit up and wagged my tail as hard as I could and did “high five.” I guess you could say I am a true Golden that way. I just expect people to be kind and to want to help, and you see? I was right. Because they  got in touch with GRR, who got me straight to  the clinic.

Now, I know most people don’t like being in the hospital, but I was just so happy to meet more nice dog-lovers and get some help. The vet discovered that I could barely open my mouth—not more than an inch or so—because the muscles in my face and jaw were all inflamed and tight. She thought that’s one reason why I was SO thin – I just hadn’t been able to eat. Let me tell you, when the staff fixed me some wet food and mixed it with water and fed it to me, I went to town and ate several big bowls in a row. Then they hooked me up to some IV fluids also, because I was dehydrated. I just drifted off to sleep, lying on my back with all four feet in the air while that IV dripped away. It was so nice to be taken care of at last!

The doctors had to do some tests to find out why my jaws got so tight. They figured it out, though. I have a condition called Masticatory Myositis (MM),  where for some reason the muscles in your jaws and temples get inflamed and lock up. If it persists, then those tight muscles can even pull your skull out of shape. I got an anti-inflammatory shot right away, while we waited for the test results, and it’s helping! Now I can open my mouth at least two inches! Next week I will start taking prednisone every day for a while to help the inflammation subside even more.

Yes, things are looking up, and it shows. I am happier than ever and bouncy too.   The vet said, “I LOVE this dog!  He is perky and so sweet. He has a great appetite. He drinks water without a problem. I caught myself wondering if I could adopt another dog. I am crazy about him!”

In fact, I am doing so well that I got  discharged from the hospital and moved into my foster home. My foster mom thinks I am super, too! I get along with other dogs and I even like cats. Oh, and did I mention I love kids? I do!

So that’s my story until now. I will  keep you updated on my medical progress. But I am sure it will be good news, because if anyone believes in happy endings and the power of positive thinking, it’s me. I have been right so far, haven’t I?

Love,

Parker

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