![\"Puppy](\"http:\/\/www.8statekate.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Puppy-Bandit-Chicken.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTwo weeks later Bandit joined our family. Soon I learned that if I was going to be the pack leader, I\u2019d better stay ahead of him. He is so smart, and good at everything, that he kept me busy as we learned many things together. When he was an adolescent, I quickly learned that I had better lead or get out of the way, thus he made me a better leader. We played ball and went for long walks every day, and completed several levels of obedience school. He passed the Canine Good Citizen test. We learned to herd livestock, including sheep, goats, and eventually cattle. We competed in agility and learned tricks in an acting class, which led to a commercial gig. Together we earned titles in obedience, Rally, agility, sheep herding, cattle herding, and versatility, and just last year trained toward a tracking title. Over the years, we earned several second place ribbons, but the only blue ribbon we ever brought home was for herding cattle. Bandit moved the cattle around the course without much help from me, except for penning them at the end. He was one proud dog that day, beaming with pride, doing what he was bred and born to do, and doing it well enough to place ahead of our instructor and her dog.<\/p>\n
Several times we had the opportunity to work with an entire herd of cows at a local farm. Watching this 55 pound dog move the herd across a field absolutely changed my view of life and what is possible. That can-do attitude and bullet-proof confidence goes a long way, especially when matched by ability. Once Bandit committed to moving the cattle, even a moment of hesitation could have been dangerous. He had the courage and confidence to run out in front of a cow about 30 times his weight who was breaking away from the herd. She rolled him with her nose, and he bounded right back up and bit her on the nose, turning her back to the herd. I\u2019d been holding my breath, and as I inhaled again, relieved to see him get back up, I admired his chutzpah.<\/p>\n
Last spring and summer, Bandit and I spent many hours training for a tracking test. In August, when Chase was in cancer treatment, Bandit completed the Pet Partners therapy dog test with the highest marks. I thought he\u2019d be able to substitute for Chase at our monthly library visits if Chase wasn\u2019t feeling well. Then one September morning, the month before we had planned to take the tracking test, Bandit wasn\u2019t able to start a track. Something was terribly wrong. We went straight to the vet and eventually he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a systemic cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Now Bandit is living with cancer and is expected to be on daily chemo meds for the rest of his life. The average prognosis after diagnosis is 18 months. Bandit has never been average.<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve aged, life has become not so much about participating in activities, but just being together, out for a game of ball or a run in the fields and woods, or just hanging out together, sharing our undivided attention. Bandit continues to teach me, as he has all along. Although his body has changed as he\u2019s lost muscle mass from the medications that manage his disease, he greets each day with enthusiasm and joy. He engages me in a game of jolly ball every chance he gets. He doesn\u2019t like it when I get sad or upset. If I cry, he consoles me by licking my face, but if I continue to be sad, he eventually gets up and walks away. He doesn\u2019t want to feel the sadness; he wants me to be happy.<\/p>\n The roller coaster ride and financial stress of Chase\u2019s cancer treatment followed by Bandit\u2019s cancer diagnosis has had me focused on keeping both dogs well, and worried about my finances. We\u2019ve been to several vet clinics many, many times over the past seven months. Along with just keeping up with daily life, I got caught up in keeping the dogs healthy, helping them deal with cancer, and doing my best for them. But then that started to get in the way. At times we had to focus on treatment, but eventually we had to get back to living. I noticed that the dogs were running and playing and enjoying every day, and I needed to get back to enjoying life along with them.<\/p>\n So, again I\u2019m trying to find a balance, to focus on being well and living in the moment, enjoying what we can do today, and not focusing so much on the illness or worrying about the future. After all, not a one of us will get out of this alive. For now, both dogs are doing well. The irony is that as well as Bandit is doing, I may not be able to afford to keep him going for as long as he wants to. The costs of the monthly medications and tests are not sustainable long-term. I want to live without regrets, and one regret would be to have to let him go before he\u2019s ready. So as long as Bandit looks and feels well, we\u2019re not going to the vet as often, but we\u2019re continuing the medications, trying to focus on life.<\/p>\n The dogs make me think of a conversation between Pooh and Piglet:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat day is it?\u201d, asked Pooh.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s today\u201d, squeaked Piglet.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite day\u201d, said Pooh.<\/p>\n Ironically, as we have learned to live with cancer and enjoy the time we have left, Bandit\u2019s only littermate, his brother Baron, enjoyed his last game of ball before he passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly on January 16th<\/sup>. Our hearts go out to Baron\u2019s mama Bitsey as she mourns his loss. Sometimes we get a long time to say goodbye and sometimes we don\u2019t, which encourages us even more to seize this day.<\/p>\n Remembering Baron, with love:<\/p>\n How do I want to spend the rest of my dog\u2019s life with him? Playing and living in the moment, right here, right now. Because this present moment is all we really have. So today is our favorite day. Every day. Soon it will be Valentine\u2019s Day, one day of the year when we\u2019re all focused on love. At our house, we focus on love every day. You can too.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n