Tucker hit the beach for the first time today. It's amazingly moving to watch an old dog do things that he's never had a chance to do before. He loved the sand, he had a blast just digging holes, like every dog on the planet should have the opportunity to do.
Tuck is 15 years old, but one would be hard pressed to believe it while watching him do his mountain goat routine on the steep hill at Hayward Lake. He looked so very pleased with himself, and although he still needs to come back to his humans for reassurance frequently, he looked for all the world like any dog just hanging with his family at the lake.
I wonder, when Tucker is sniffing flowers and eating gross stuff, when he's walking the dikes or catching rays on the deck, when he's racing the lawn mower or chewing on a ginormous bone; whether he thinks he might only be unchained from his doghouse and free from his pen for a little while, so he'd better get as much living done as possible. He certainly has not forgotten being lonely and sad......I don't think he'll ever forget his miserable existence prior to S.A.I.N.T.S., but can he worry about going back to that?
I hope not. I really, really hope not.