Maddie came to stay with us as a house guest just shy of her 8th birthday. I met another volunteer in a parking lot to pick her up. I remember reaching down to pet her and feeling how soft her coat was. She was just like petting a rabbit, I'm pretty sure my fingers got lost in her coat and it was somewhere between her shoulder blades and her tail that I instantly knew "house guest" meant for the rest of her life.
Maddie walked in the house, looked and around said "OK, I'll take that bed." She did and nearly 5 years later, it is still her bed or at least a new one in that very same place.
Maddie is on the downhill side to 14 now, but you would never know it by looking at her. Her face is a little whiter, but it looks very natural. Only her hairdresser knows for sure.
She is still as spunky as the day we brought her home, maybe even more so now because she knows the world is truly her oyster.
She had a short racing career and then went back into the workforce with a litter of pups. When she entered retirement, she wrapped all four paws around it and enjoyed it to the fullest.
She was pure puppy when she came home. Shredding toilet paper was a daily adventure. But as I recall, the chewed shoes, cell phone and wallet were all an eye-opening experience.
We laughed as we quickly learned to change our behavior because our almost 8 year old puppy was going to test the limits.
Maddie remained a foster for about a month, it quickly became clear to us that she didn't want to go anywhere and we didn't want her going anywhere.
We never really thought of her as a senior, we still don't. Age is only a number.
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