Ménerbes in spring this time

 

 Second sit with Mango, the blind Cockerpoo

 

I was very pleased when Lucy asked me to come back to Ménerbes. Obviously Mango recognized me - he wagged his tail, licked my hand- even if he could not see me. 

Michaela, a german sitter who had come in winter and been invited a second time around Easter was the one who welcomed me this time. The handover was shorter : I knew already the routine.

 

Mango, 12 years old, looked more tired than 3 months ago and more deaf too. When I clapped my hands to guide him in the garden to the steps for example, he did not seem to hear... 

More lazy, he did not enjoy either his short walks nearby. He never tried to climb the staircase inside the house, remained always at night on his couch downstairs, never went to sleep in his owners' bedroom. Or in mine.

 

In the end of april, the weather was much warmer than last january. But the sun was not shining much during my stay. Unfortunately it rained quite a lot so I did not take advantage of the heated pool.  

The first days, I tied Mango around a parasol pole with a very long leash I had brought with me : he enjoyed obviously to roll on the grass !

 

    

Mango needed constant monitoring : falling twice, he hurt himself badly lately... In order to let him walk unleashed, his owner has built with some garden furniture a safe area on the terrace in order to prevent him from escaping. 

He never tried to jump over the walls as he could not see how low they were !

 

In spite of his deep  handicap, we played a lot together, outside and inside : Mango managed to find out his balls, sniffing and managing to grasp one, even when it vanished for a moment behind a curtain or under a chair. I was amazed how he often succeeded, relying on his nose.

With Lucy's permission I went back to my home twice to have lunch with my husband.  Vincent could not sit with me : he was the one in charge of our menagerie...

During that short drive, we live only 27km far from Ménerbes, Mango behaved silently on the back seat. A nice change with my own dog who always whimpers in the car !

I tied Mango around a tree while we ate but let him free as Tahoe did not pay much attention to him. As long as some other dog does not steal his ball, he's never agressive with canine friends !

Zoé, my shy cat, had ran away but Zia, the reckless one, sat down in a thyme bed, a place the dog could not reach. And watched. When Mango noticed her, nose up, he suddenly barked : Zia did not move, she had understood he could not do any harm to her...

 

 

  

 Last january, I wondered whether I would be able to cope. I know now it is not that difficult to keep a blind dog. He manages himself so well, he's so brave ! You only need to never forget to shut doors leading outside, to never let him alone, to keep an eye on him. Always. 

What still broke my heart was to see Mango stumble, bump into the bushes or flower pots in the garden,  into the walls, the fridge or the armchairs at home. 

 

In order to protect him, I took him often by my lap when I was reading. For sure, I fell in love with that cute little chap !