The hardest part #1 The way things were...

APRIL 6 2020--  Athena's Gotcha Day-- 6 YEARS

Cuddling with Daddy-Day1

Anyone who has followed this blog for sometime has been here for the ups and downs with Athena.   This sweet girl had a cruddy life prior to us and we did our best to love her and give her happiness.   I'd like to think we succeeded.


Her Degenerative Myelopathy has been an unfair -hideous circumstance in this beautiful girl's life.   

How she looked first week with us

After bringing Athena home, she was a very loving and sweet dog. She longed for cuddles and affection.   As she became more confident in our house she blossomed.

She loved playing with other dogs. Her greatest joy was playing with Duchess, MasterChief, Barkley, and then Bridger.   She absolutely loved going to dog parks.

She could run around barking at other dogs, chasing them, corralling young /small dogs, and getting pets from the humans.      

Running at the park

It was at these dog parks that we also got to see the walks she was getting had strengthened her legs. Where she once fell behind, she now was running among the pack. 

She was nicknamed "Referee" because she would often get in between fighting and play fighting dogs.  Barking her way in to break it up.

Barking. EVERY emotion had a noise. Barking was her favorite form of expressing those emotions.  Gun shots from the gun range--BARKING.  Squirrels running by--BARKING.  Other dogs being walked--BARKING.  Happiness at playing with the other dogs--BARKING.      

Enjoying the run

I nicknamed her Ms Barks-A-Lot  or Barky Bark and the Furry Bunch. 

I LOVE THIS PLACE

One area that never changed in all her time with us is her reaction to food.   She would eat almost ANYTHING given to her.  She would snarl and bark at any dog that came near.  She loves her food and she does not share. EVER. This is one aspect that even today she has.   Don't come near her food or treats. She growls and snaps at the other dogs.





Athena really is a pack dog. That became apparent with Peryn and then Lada. She adored playing with them.   Where Duchess had a rough and tumble play style, Athena was more light wrestling.    She was very particular about which dogs she did this with.


In all her time with us, the ONLY dogs she ever played with were : Duchess, Master Chief, Barkley, Bridger, Peryn, & Lada.      AT dog parks she was a run and chase dog.   At home where she was most comfortable, she played with those she adored.
***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***

Playing with Bridger & MC

Playing with the BFFs

She lives for this.

push push push

Even in the snow

Her most favorite BFF

She loved to get up on the couch and snuggle in next to 

SHE LOVES HER DADDY

you.  For a long while, after work that was our routine.  I'd come home, let them out and then she'd climb up on the couch next to me and cuddle into me.   It was part of my wind-down.

When she wasn't out playing, her favorite thing was her spot. We placed an ottoman in my office and she would climb up on top and lay there. She'd either sleep or watch the neighborhood and bark.    

HER SPOT

This was her spot while we were at work or just out.  If I worked from home, she was there.   The window sill was dirty from her chin. The wall was scratched from her nails...  This was Athena's thing.  

If we weren't upstairs, she was either on the ottoman at the back window--looking out for either creatures or her BFF- MC.

When I would open the front door to let light or air in, she and Duchess would be right there.... watching and barking at EVERYTHING.  

Watching the neighborhood

Napping

Back Window

Enjoying the beautfiul weather

During the summer she loved to lay outside and enjoy the weather. She and Duchess could be outside forever soaking up the sun.

I'm surprised my neighbors didn't kill us for the amount of barking she would do and things beyond our sight.
 Our neighbor Sarah would joke "Oh was that a blade of grass?? BARK BARK BARK"


If she wasn't tied up and she saw someone walking...she had to run after them to say hello.  Even better if they were walking a dog.   

After getting Peryn and Lada, her most favorite thing in the world was to run back and forth with them as they played with their balls.  She didn't have to actually push the ball or chase the ball. She was happiest just running with them.

Rocky!

Toys.  She was particular with toys. She liked the floppy stuffed animal types. The types you could shake and pull out the stuffing. She had a racoon (several actually) and an elephant.  She loved to just nip at it at times.

Duchess had her toys and Athena had hers.  She loved it to the point she would sleep with it.  She was such a happy girl and enjoyed EVERYTHING.
She treasured her toys when she wasn't ripping them apart.  She would be gentle with them in between the tearing apart. Even the tearing apart was gentle.
  

She wasn't gentle with her "roll hides" .   She LOVED these things and would just go to town on them.    Gnaw gnaw gnaw.

 She was never a fan of sleeping in the bed with us.  She preferred dog beds on the floor next to us. At times she would even head to her perch and sleep in there. 
After moving a chair up to the bedroom, next to the bed (for us to sleep in when sick), that became HER bed.  

Her Bed/Throne

Every night she would climb up in bed and sleep.

She was NOT a morning dog. When it came to getting up and letting them outside, she often chose to stay in bed.  I would often bring her her morning treats to her bed because she was NOT getting up.    She loved to sleep in.

She had to be with the pack.   If Rich was in his office, Duchess would often be on the bed in there. Athena would jump up along with her and they would lie there until Rich was done or Mommy did something more important.

early AM photo  ZZZZ

For a long stretch of time, we would take the dogs to the dog park weekly.   Athena was NEVER an easy traveler.   She would whine and moan the whole ride. Barking as we neared the park.    Running free with her siblings or other dogs was what she lived for.

She loved our neighbors.  Some more than others, but she loved getting attention and affection from them.  We had friends from the dog parks whom she loved as well. She had to run up to them when she saw them and get some loving.

Athena's unbridled joy of life was something that always made me smile.   Whatever horrendous things that happened to her prior to her prior to us --were forgotten.   This girl loved everything.  She was truly an in the moment dog.

She came to us via a shared post. She had the most adorable photo ever. I loved it and showed it to Rich.  He saw it and said "I WANT HER."  I didn't even know if she was up for adoption, I just thought she was adorable.  Turns out she was up for adoption AND she was only a few hours away.

on the A Frame

We knew she had some health issues prior to picking her up and that was ok.   We didn't realize there were additional issues until we brought her home (go back to April 2014 posts).   She then began to bloom as we nursed her physical issues.   

Walking with Daddy