chasingbaxter

[chasingbaxter]

I'm trying to come up with a caption, but there's no description for this feeling. #tibetanterrier #watsonoftheday #tibetanterriersofinstagram #puppysofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv43txWH34pcVJ6-F5OgLi3pGseadsmN2oVq_g0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3mtkbcmax38v

[chasingbaxter]

2019: My year of magical thinking. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRdmltHyawzt71u7C3esaEira8qEIejm8GJio0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ekzyl7i543sz

[chasingbaxter]

Barney K. Lurko Edmunds Purdy, lover of scratches, beggar extraordinaire, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2018. He was just two days shy of his 17th birthday. He lived a full life, particularly after moving to Brooklyn eight years ago. Barney thrived in this environment, with its laid back energy, wide sidewalks, and proximity to Fort Greene Park and its off-leash hours. He is survived by his parents who love him very much still. (at Fort Greene, Brooklyn) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsGFZ62HOuC21xPuL4QKREkyToUIfz-yGrDIOk0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wb9f2mg9ep4d

[chasingbaxter]

#tbt to when Barney reenacted Hallie Berry's entrance in Die Another Day. (c. 2002) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnYmQQiAdeHLpq46AznO0JkLfzIeRg5UikYzcU0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jg1pr4l3xb8m

[chasingbaxter]

Barney here. Some of you have been asking about my wellbeing, as Caroline posted rather morbidly for a day or two. She apparently thought a walnut-sized rectal tumor would be a death sentence. Little did she know I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. In fact, it has all just been a cynical ploy to get a steady diet of wet food and personal transport up and down the stairs. https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUc8tCA_fMSGM1NbrUtHVaKq6biBSD7B7tOSo0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jeki1h73klw7

[chasingbaxter]

#fbf to hugs from Morning Food Man. #tibetanterrier #tibetanterriersofinstagram (at Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan)

[chasingbaxter]

"Yeah runnin' down a dream That never would come to me Workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads." #tompetty #tibetanterrier #tibetanterriersofinstagram

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#tbt before Barneys stomach surgery, when he would happily lie on his back to receive scratches.

[chasingbaxter]

#tbt to 2009 when Barney sabotaged our vacation to Bermuda by swallowing a few inanimate objects that had to be surgically removed from his belly. 🤦‍♀️🤨

[chasingbaxter]

#tbt Barney's first trip to Brooklyn. (at Prospect Park)

[chasingbaxter]

Dear Baxter, My nighttime routine has been a bit disorienting these days, but Caroline and Ryan would say it's pretty predictable. I have a habit of barking on the other side of the apartment and it takes one of them to come into the room to snap me out of it. Perhaps this is why they call it the twilight years.

[chasingbaxter]

Wherein You Learn about Eternal Youth

Dear Baxter,

It has been far too long since I had the opportunity to update you as to my comings and goings and doings. Suffice it to say, there may be some benign lumps here and there, and the occasional stress-induced piddle, but I am hale and hearty and a constant surprise to my parents, especially now that fall has arrived. 

True, I spend more and more time curled up on the floor in the hall, or in front of front door, or in front of the refrigerator, or in front of the bedroom closet (there’s a nice cool draft there), And true, my brain may be showing signs of slight addledness as I spend evenings barking with intense focus at the bedroom wall/window/radiator area -- Mother and Ryan attempt to silence me, but I feign deafness.

However, as I approach my sixteenth birthday, the one thing I do hear more and more often from humans in the park is, “He’s how old?!”, as I sprint and flop forward into its greenery with a trademark bounce in my step. (Humans seem to enjoy watching my prancing trot; I was called a “muppet” the other morning, which I assume is something cute and fluffy.) 

Recently via social media, Mother and Ryan encountered a TT who made it to 17 years of age. I am looking forward to surpassing that record and then some. It should not be difficult, as I have a good family for attention, a good park for roaming, and good stack of bully sticks to keep me chewing for years to come. 

Keep them on their toes,

Barney

PS. Are you familiar with Instagram? Although I do not have my own account, many of our brethren frolic virtually there. Do you?

[chasingbaxter]

Wherein you learn what it means to be an aging Tibetan Terrier: Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star

Dear Baxter,

I have been experiencing some age-related issue these days. What began as a series of accidents has resulted in $800 of veterinary investigation which has led to little conclusion. Now, as has been established, I am an old man (15 years in 16 days!!), but I don’t believe that these little embarrassments are because I have simply forgotten my manners. And they can’t be due to the fact that I am not being walked enough: my walks have been upped lately to four or five a day. No, something else is going on and I think it has to do with my water consumption. Baxter, I am so thirsty these days. I empty by bowl of water as often as my kibble, and I sometimes even go after the toilet water. This activity is what is probably drawing me to empty on the floor, but the medical cause is still yet to be determined. We’ve ruled out UTIs, diabetes, and cancer. The next stage would be Cushings Disease, but that is a diagnosis that would cause much despair and little relief. It’s not something that I can be cured of, and any medication would have side effects. No, this is not meant to be treatable. This is something to remind me that, despite my friskiness in the recent frost, I am getting really old. I have kidney disease and I better get used it. I mean, actually I’m fine with it; it’s Caroline and Ryan that have to dealt with the consequences. 

You don’t see us picking up their poop,

Barney

[chasingbaxter]

Wherein you learn what it means to be an aging Tibetan Terrier: Lesson Two- Alerts

Dear Baxter,

I did not mean to upset you by my last post. I can imagine that as a younger pup, you may feel like the idea of losing your awareness, your innate habit of alerting humans to all things unusual and immediate, may be of great despair. That is why with this post, I want to assure you, that you will never lose your voice. I may be an old man, but I still take my duties as a family watchdog very seriously. For example, whenever the buzzer to my home goes off, I still freak out as though it were the first time anyone has ever dared to interrupt my day. But of course, it doesn’t stop there. If Caroline or Ryan manage to calm me down, I’ll be fine until that person—friend or foe, even family!—walks through that door. At that time I will bark at them for a few moments until they acknowledge my presence. Also, the smoke alarm: that thing is so loud and pierces my ears I have no choice but to whine and freak when it goes off. It’s a terrible thing to my delicate senses.

And finally, if you thought that many of the fun freakout quirks will disappear, do not worry; as a young man and to this day. I do, every so often, go into the other room and bark for no reason in particular. It’s just something I like to do, mainly for attention.

Stay alert,

Barney

[chasingbaxter]

Wherein you learn what it means to be an aging Tibetan Terrier

Lesson One: Fear

Baxter,

Is there anything you’re afraid of? Maybe something that just irks you and gets under your skin that your only reaction is to lose control and start barking? Maybe it’s a noise or a dog or something you can’t see or hear but it TOTALLY FREAKS YOU OUT. Have no. . .(wait for it!) fear. Some of these pet peeves will soften as you age to the point you’ll forget why you even cared about them in the first place. For me, I have lost several of these ticks. The following is a list of things that used to freak me out but that I no longer care about:

- vacuums

- skateboards

- thunder

- Shiba Inus

- Ryan’s sneezes

- the upstairs dog passing by my door

Now you may realize that most of these things have one particular thing in common: they are all loud noises. It stands to reason then that I have developed some late life hearing loss and those high pitched sounds no longer sear my brain to the point of my freak outs. Of course, that doesn’t explain my lack of disgust for certain dogs. Perhaps it all means that I just don’t have the energy to fight anymore. It couldn’t possibly be that after fourteen years, I’ve suddenly realized that all these things won’t kill me.*

Hear here,

Barney 

*Actually, there’s a real possibility that the dog upstairs might kill me. When I see her face to face, I still freak out.

[chasingbaxter]

Dear Baxter,

I’ve been looking back on my posts to you, reminiscing about the days of your puppydom. I so enjoyed watching you grow and passing on all my advice on what it meant to grow into your Tibetan Terrier-hood. Now that you are, what, like seven?? (I can’t believe it) you know by now what it means to be an adult. So, as I enter my new beginning, I want to now invite you to experience what life is like in old age—as a Tibetan, naturally. As Caroline has mentioned before, we Tibetans are like a fine wine and we only get better as we age. Keeping up with that metaphor, Ryan and Caroline would like to uncork me now, as they often exclaim that I am the perfect dog; some things about me are very much the same, but many things are also different.

To wit, the above [long and slightly boring] video is an example what my walking speed and demeanor is like of late. I laggardly stroll along the sidewalk, taking my time and ignoring any disturbance near me, even if it’s a gaggle of children excitedly questioning my existence. I’ll stop if I want to, I’ll look around, and I generally take my time. When I was younger, I remember how I was so insistent that we get somewhere when I got outside. Nowadays, I’m kind of over it, happy to get some fresh air, but more inclined to finish up and go back inside. I’m not a hermit, but as an elderly dog, retirement to my napping schedule takes priority. 

Smooth Sailing,

Barney

[chasingbaxter]

Lesson Eleven: Wherein you learn what it means to be a (almost) fifteen-year-old Tibetan Terrier

Dear Baxter,

I know it has been too long and I apologize. But as you know, we old folks can be forgetful sometimes. I haven’t had much going on these days, which is perhaps why I hadn’t written. But change happens, and it’s around this time I’m realizing that I may be entering a new beginning. I think this, because my vet trips seem to be fraught with urgency these days. For example, last week something happened, and Ryan and Caroline were very worried. I was walking off balance and generally didn’t seem to be myself. Most alarming to them was that the next morning, I wasn’t so interested in eating. One trip to the vet later (and a painful needle-like instrument in my ear!) and everyone is of the opinion I had a spell of Old Dog Disease. The truth is, no one, not even really me, knows what happened, and that’s OK. But I now know that I’ve entered a new age as a Tibetan: I’m too old to go under. Finding out what really went on would involve an MRI and thus anesthesia, which can be lethal for a dog my age. 

But, I’m not scared, Baxter. In fact, I’m loving my life right now. The park is full of grass to munch, the streets are alive with smells, and most of all, I get a lot of attention these days. Ryan and Caroline practically moon over me first thing in the morning and I kind of love it. I’m getting softer too. In response to their affection, I’ve begun to lick in return. Sure, there are many reasons why we dogs lick, and of course calves are nice and salty in these sticky summer months, but there’s something else to it. I may not be able to wrap my legs around my parents and give them hugs and scratch their ears like they do me, but I know that a warm, soft tongue on the ankle is enough to melt the heart of dog lover. 

Sincerely,

Barney