Poor dog? Naw, just rolling with it!

"Awwww. What happened to your dog?"  That's the question most asked of us.  Sometimes we just say "He got really lucky to have us!"  So true!

Many people come up to us and say, "That is SO cool,"  or "I think that is wonderful."  Other people say, "Oh, poor dog."  I usually say, "He's not the poor one- you should see my bank account!"  Seriously, though, there isn't anything to be sad about. He gets to do everything he used to do- play fetch, go swimming, get treats.  But now he gets extra baths, massages, and attention wherever he goes!  He's got the life, I'll tell ya!

A while ago, we were at the off-leash park and Harrison was busy running around chasing his orange ball. A kid came up and said, "Oh, he makes me sad."  I asked her, "Does he look sad?"  She paused and said, "Well, no," and so I asked her, "Why be sad for him if he isn't?"

I guess some people see the wheels first and then 'a poor dog', while others see 'an amazing dog' in wheels. Often, though, just by meeting him and seeing how capable he is in spite of his paralysis most people get it.  Life is life!  It's not about being perfect and 'whole' but about living the best that we can and living wholly.  Here's to keeping on keeping on no matter what life throws at ya, right Harrison?

Bath Time

Harrison loves to take baths! He has even created his own game with his ball. Watch how he holds his breath and opens his eyes under water in order to search for it! He also kind of steps on the ball to cause it to spin upward so he can get it. It's incredible how he keeps going and adapting...

Harrison's Travels

One of our trips this past year was a road trip to Pennsylvania and Virginia to visit Rob's and my relatives. Of course, we took Harrison along, wheels and all, and we had a fabulous time! Here are some photos and videos of our trip. 

Here are Rob and Harrison at a rest stop.

 

At Uncle Jimmy's in Richmond, Virginia:

Here is Harrison climbing a step!  (He had just taught himself to do that about 10 seconds before this video!)  Amazing!

 

At the Rendezvous Taylor Family Reunion in Pennsylvania: 

In this video, you can certainly hear Harrison's howl.  Look at the top left corner, and you should see him run across the back above the pond.  The 'shadow' chasing him is actually a little black dog!  LOL.

 

Harrison Takes His First Swim of 2011

We have had such a fantastic spring and summer with Harrison, going around doing all the things we used to do, but for the first time in his new condition. Going to the park, playing fetch, but especially going swimming! Each old new event is a milestone that reaffirms our decision to have his life-saving surgery last year. If there was ever any doubt, all you have to do is look at his face and see how happy he is to be alive! (The picture at the top of this blog is from the day we brought him home from the surgery.)

In June, we got to take him swimming for the first time in his new life jacket! He was so excited on the way over to Casey's dock the first time. As I set him down on the dock and got ready to lower him in the water, he gave me a look that said, "You mean, I get to do this again, too??" We were hopeful that being in the water would trigger some movement in his hind legs or his tail. Though the hind legs did not repsond, we got very excited once when his tail went straight up in the air until we realized...he was pooping!! He had a fantastic time swimming and fetching the ball. A family of ducks even came by to say hello. I wondered if the new momma duck was the same duck that came to play with Harrison last year. (She swam back and forth, closer and closer to the dock until Harrison got in the water and followed her. Too cute!)

Stay tuned for the next post: Harrison's Travels :)

How is Harrison doing?

Hi everyone,

I have been meaning to get back to blogging about Harrison, but we've both been so busy since the new year!

So, how is Harrison doing?

He is doing really great! I mean, he still can't use his hind legs at all, but he's the same dog that he was before the surgery. He's healthy, happy, and not on any medication. Best of all, he's in no pain and his condition is not getting any worse.

He still loves to do the same things: chase the cat (the cat actually runs away slowly now!), growl and bark at dogs from our balcony window, take his 'babies' into the living room to his bed, and of course, play fetch with his orange ball at the park or on the Beltline. He loves his wheels and going outside, so we try to make sure he gets to do that as much as possible.

Truth be told, things are pretty much back to normal as far as his daily routine and life goes. We call it "The New Normal." The only thing that has really changed is that we have to do his 'business' inside instead of out. He isn't able to go by himself so we have to press on his belly to make him pee, but he does seem to have an awareness and will actually pull himself over to the spot where we do that and just stare at us if he has to go. He doesn't usually have accidents in the house as long as we are paying attention to his schedule.

It's surprising how easy it is now that we are used to it. I am certainly glad that we went ahead with the surgery because he's still alive and well. It makes me so happy to think that he probably has at least another five years of his life to enjoy, having fun running around in his wheels. All we need now is a life jacket for him so we can go swimming with him this summer! I can't wait!

Thanks to all of you who gave us support throughout this experience. It means a lot to us! We'll keep posting stuff about our life with our Beagle on wheels!

Harrison's New Wheels

The past two weeks have been busy ones for us. Harrison is still improving a little each day, but the big news is, we got his wheels from Eddie's Wheels this weekend.
The first video is Harrison for the very first time in his wheels. He took to them immediately. The cart keeps his weight evenly distributed and his spine aligned properly. There are stirrups in the back to keep his back feet from getting injured when he runs. His back feet can also be let down when he starts using his legs or when we do rehab with him.

The second video is the first time outside playing fetch. Just like he used to, only with wheels. He was quite exhausted afterwards, but seemed to have a renewed spirit.

It was a great weekend for us all! We can't wait to go outside again. Stay tuned for more!

small improvements every day

Hi all,

Harrison had a good week. He is showing tiny improvements every day and we are trying to work with him to help him get his legs back. He has improved muscle tone in both legs, but especially the left one, and also in his tail.

Some exercises that we have been doing with him include 'push-ups' both in his sling and on his exercise ball (above). In the picture below, he is in a sling on a treadmill. He's not yet able to move his back legs much beyond twitching, but we are trying to get his muscles going and remind him what walking feels like.

He is moving his tail more, even wagging it a bit, and today when I took him in the hallway to do some sling walking exercises, I am pretty sure he gave a good push with his back legs. Way to go, Harrison!