I have been pondering upon our Penny.

I’m not sure if that sounds quite right but you know what I mean. I have been giving Penny some thought.

She has been with us now for nearly eleven years. Naturally she has changed quite a lot over the years. I know what that feels like as I have changed a bit myself. It’s called getting old.

She used to be an extremely lively dog. She used to trip me up frequently by dodging in front of me and crashing on her back for a tummy tickle. When she was really wound up I would let her loose in the garden whereupon she would tear around in circles before dashing into the house and crashing onto her couch.

Over the years she has slowed down and lately has been suffering from arthritis. She also has a suspicious lump on her leg which I think hurts her occasionally. She’s down for an operation tomorrow week to have it removed.

One thing I have noticed over the last couple of years is that she is becoming somewhat distant, while at the same time she has become more focused. Her primary focus is on treats; by treats I mean little biscuits, bit of chicken or in fact anything she can scrounge especially when we are having dinner.

I have noticed for a while that she has no interest now in other dogs. No matter how much they yap at her and try to get he attention, she will stroll past them without so much as a glance and her nose in the air. The same goes for cats. If someone wants to pet her [as they do nearly every time we’re in the village] she’ll stand there staring into the distance while they tell her what a lovely dog she is. I can read her thoughts – Yeah. I’ve heard it all before. Just get it over with and fuck off.

At home we are essentially ignored. She does regular patrols around the house where she gives each room a quick check, presumably to ensure we haven’t snuck in another dog. She passes by us with her nose in the air. completely ignoring our existence. The only time she acknowledges us is when she’s hoping for a snack off our plates. The only exception is when it’s her dinner time when she will poke me with her nose and throw silent snaps at me until I fill up her dinner bowl.

So basically she is now interested only in sleep and food. Sometimes she’ll just lie at the garden door staring out at whatever isn’t there. Nothing else is of any interest whatsoever. My function in life is to mop up her puddles, chuck her turds out the door and to provide her with food. She’ll tolerate a drive in the car but only if it means a trip to the coffee shop [more chicken!].

I don’t know if it’s some kind of dementia,

or if she just doesn’t give a fuck.