Sunday NIght With John: Down Goes Marv

I didn’t plan on writing about my new puppy because I didn’t think I would have a life lesson to relay from a puppy this soon. Plus I vowed that I wouldn’t turn into one of those weird dog people that only talk about their dogs. They are just as annoying as the people who can only talk sports, or only talk about food. I like people who have a wide array of conversations topics they can pull from. So why am I am here today laying in bed next to my puppy writing about the newest addition to our family?  Let me tell you…

The little guy stole my heart the second we started the drive home from the breeder.  The little fur ball of energy bounded around between and on my leg and he has a stubborn streak that endeared me to him right away. I love almost anyone with a little stubborn streak. It’s a Derryberry trait and I was glad to see my four-legged friend share it with me. But recently, Marv has been struggling with a little separation anxiety from Anne and me so decided to spend the weekend socialization him around other people and dogs.  We want Marv to be a dog that others want to be around.

Saturday Marv and I went to my friend’s house to hang with his dog. Marv loved the time bouncing around the cross-country fields with his dog friend, which resulted in a long nap.  Later in the day we invited friends over to watch the football games and they were bringing their dog. As the dogs the played, Marv let out yelp and wouldn’t put weight on his foot. Our little guy was down for the count.

A trip to the emergency vet hospital lead to a morphine shot, which lead to puking, which lead to me lying on the floor cuddled up with Marv. An x-ray that revealed a broken tibia came next and then a bright green cast.  This means our little ball of energy is laid up for at least six weeks. His first day on the mend has been rough as he is drugged up and can hardly stand on his own two feet. We haven’t left the bed today as he has laid between Anne and me resting and sleeping.

As Marv went down, our care went way up. It’s amazing what the power of love can help you endure and how it brings out our caring sides. If we only brought that side out of us on a more consistent basis the world would be a better place. I haven’t showered today, I ate my breakfast sitting next to a puppy trying to not wake him, and I have had to type this blog while helping clean up his pee because he couldn’t move to let us know he had to go.

As I finish this blog Marv is out cold again as we delivered his latest round of pain medication. It’s a simple reaction that makes the world a better place:  If someone or something is hurting, help them and show them love.  If we put forth effort to extend care and love to the people and things around us we will begin to create a chain reaction. For me, Marv gets my attention and love for a while, little guy needs it.