I have mentioned before that our dog is getting old. But, it's becoming all too clear that she's completely neurotic as well. Once upon a time, the only things that gave her dread were normal dog-phobias. Things like the vacuum cleaner and garbage trucks. But, her bravery is diminishing with each passing day.

Lately we've noticed that she is losing her spunk, because her newest fear is going for a walk. The thing we used to have to spell out...W-A-L-K, because she would attack you with kisses if you said the real thing. For awhile, we even had to spell it backward. But not anymore. Her mania has taken over. It's not just trash trucks or city buses anymore. If she sees anything bigger than a sedan, her tail goes down and her ears flop over. She begins to shake, and darts around on the end of her leash looking for somewhere...anywhere...to escape the four-wheeled monster.

So, now we have a battle before we can even get her outside in the morning. She knows when my husband grabs her collar off the door that it's time to go spineless and find a good place to hide.

The other day he found her holed-up under our son's bed. When he got down on the floor and said her name, she turned her head and faced the other way as if to say, "You can not see me! I am invisible! Go away with your leash and find someone else to torture." My dog...the only one on the block who wishes she she could really be a ghost for Halloween.

Labels: Creature Features