Kabobs Mom

Not only am I lucky enough to be a mom of 3 great kids, I am also Kabobs mom! Kabob is our 10 year old yellow lab retired guide dog who we raised as a puppy and got him back last June. We weren't told why he was being retired or really anything about his life as a guide dog, just that he was going to be retired as a working dog and we had first crack at getting him back. We had gotton back another one of the guides that we had raised, Gunnison, and he died last January and so we jumped at the chance to have Kabob. We also had 11 year old Joelle who was never a working guide dog, who helped "raise" kabob so we knew she would love to have him back. Joelle has shoulder problems, not major problems but enough to get her "Career Changed" so she spent her life in luxury on two big pillows in our house. She was the softest dog and also passed last August. It was a sweet reunion when we brought Kabob home and Joelle and him sniffed each other out and then jumped around on each other, well kabob jumped on her! We used to say that kabob was such a good puppy because Joelle helped raise him! Anyway, now we are left alone with Kabob...even the kids are either on their own (Carly) or in Idaho at school (Cassie & Nick). Clint and I would be really lonely with out kabob to trip over at night because he moves off his comfy pillow bed to lay right next to our bed 6 feet closerto us. He is not without his quirks....he doesn't know how to chew on a dog bone/rawhide or anything that would help clean his teeth. it's like he has never been given a chew toy. He simply doesn't know what to do with it! He also absolutely hates being outside. Now I know this is common amongst house dogs. But Kabob will try to go behind me at the door to make sure that I will go out with him, so he has a better chance of getting back in if I go out! One of these days he's gonna push me out the back door! He also has replaced me as his blind person. He makes sure that I can go to the laundry room, garage, bathroom, anytime I get up and move around the house he is there by my side, or under my feet to make sure I find it okay. I am getting used to it and sometimes when I tell him I'll be right back, or to stay, he trusts me and waits for me....kindof. Mostly he is just a constant, loving, adoring, dozing presense in our life. Now if we could just get him to brush his own teeth.