The Dog That Owns Me

The Dog That Owns Me is a cute story written and narrated by volunteer Cindy about her beloved Valentine.This is the story of the petite, 15 year old GSP that owns me and controls much of my day - Not that I'm complaining.We adopted Valentine a little more than 2 years ago - our first foster failure. We began cooking for Valentine when she was newly diagnosed with Cushings, and the medication upset her stomach. The age-old remedy of rice and boiled chicken helped and we gradually added back her kibble. The more kibble we added, the less she ate. Since she came to us considerably underweight, she couldn't afford to miss a meal! So, her normal meal became chicken, rice, sweet potatoes, and a little kibble. She thrived for a long time on this mixture and enjoyed it. But then came the day Valentine decided she was bored with this meal, so half a can of sardines was added. Looking back, this was the beginning of  her incredible talent for manipulating me!Since she needed the calories, I tried crushing her kibble in the food processor and adding it to the "people food". All I accomplished here was some very dull chopper blades and creating a mixture she wouldn't touch. Back to the "people food" diet. It seemed like each week required a new addition if Valentine was to eat enough to maintain her little 42 pound frame. Carrots, tomatoes, turkey hot dogs, last night's steak, canned chicken (which apparently tastes better than the chicken I cook - probably because it is twice as expensive!), cottage cheese, hamburger gravy,  and eggs are just a few that come to mind.The morning I added an egg caused quite a bit of laughter in the house, and solidified my standing as Valentine's servant. Little Valentine bounced into the kitchen one morning for her meal. I was cooking eggs for my husband (who will gladly tell you I cook more for Valentine than for him), so I had the brilliant idea that an over-easy egg on top of her mix would be the cure for Miss Picky's pickyness. I stirred it in a little bit, careful to leave plenty on top so that she would be enticed. She sniffed her bowl, looked up at me and RAN outside! RAN! Really??I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in the grocery store scouting out new foods for a dog - and I'm pretty okay with that. This little senior GSP is totally worth it!