A few weeks ago we noticed Boone behaving differently.  After observing him it became apparent that he is now blind.  He just turned 9 years old in October.  It seemed to happen so quickly. 

Normally he faithfully follows me around the house while I do my chores every morning, but he was no longer under foot and I would find him just standing in the middle of a room or on the stairs looking unsure.  Yes, I'm giving him a human emotion but it was odd.  So I started tapping my leg and telling Boone when I move from room to room and that seems to work for him.  He occasionally gets shut into a closet or a room because he is slower than he used to be.  I have to follow the whining to find out where he is stuck.

One night while cutting up cooked chicken for dinner he was standing beside me waiting for a treat.  When I threw the little chunks of chicken at him they would just hit him and bounce off his nose or the side of his head.  He didn't even attempt to catch them.  When they hit the floor he would search for it but Bessie, who can still see, would find it first.   We have to hold things right by his nose and wait for him to grab it.  Sometimes when we call him to give him a treat or a toy he stands with tail and now head wagging from side to side as if to say "Where are you?".

Boone sits on my lap whenever I sit down this includes while I quilt, budget, read, etc.  He is kind of  a little heating blanket for me and a comfort. The only time he isn't allowed to sit on my lap is during dinner time .   He started sitting with Hailey or Nathan while they were reading, or watching TV.  I have to admit I felt a little rejected.  Then last night I walked into the living while Boone was sitting with Hailey.  When I made a comment about the show on TV,  Boone jumped up and came to sit with me running into a basket on the way.  I wasn't being rejected, the poor dog didn't know I was there. 

It would be an understatement to say that Boone has been a lot of work over the years.  Children have gotten easier over the years because they learn and grow up.  But Boone makes many of the same mistakes over and over. He once ate 9 chocolate bunnies that were hidden in a closet for Easter.  They were hollow so it wasn't enough to hurt him.  I was worried so I called Poison control and then the vet only to learn, the rule of thumb is 1 ounce chocolate per lb of dog weight. If you have a dog confirm with your own vet.   Boone has eaten a lot of chocolate and the worst outcome has been a sore tummy.  This small piece of knowledge has saved me a lot of worry over the years.  He gets in the garbage regularly.  For years we have blamed Bessie because of her size.  We didn't believe Boone could knock over the trash can.   We recently found it was Boone not Bessie dumping the trash.  Beside messes, he has a tendency to bite and has to be locked up when company comes.  We change vets frequently because I'm embarrassed by Boone's behavior and sometimes they don't want to see him again. 

But with all the hassle, I do love this crazy dog.   He doesn't seem to be uncomfortable in any way and still loves to play so we guess he is OK - just getting older.  There are some upsides to his blindness.  He no longer runs to the door when visitors come and now it the time to change the location of the trash can.