The Daddy Mac Will Make You Jump Jump

You won't find anyone so grateful for a meal as a dog who's been starved. My current Boxers, Gideon and Gretchen, were around 40 pounds each they came into rescue. They both weigh in the low 60's now, which gives you an idea of just how emaciated my sweet pooches were.

Though healthy now, neither has forgotten the hungry days that came before. Therefore, each meal is met with much fanfare and theatrics.

As I prepare their breakfast each morning, Gideon stands at the edge of the kitchen and leaps into the air. Straight up, several feet off the ground. I decided to attempt to capture it on video this morning. He only leaps once during this clip, but here 'tis:

In the background, you can hear Gretchen tap dancing on the kitchen floor. She dances while Gideon leaps. This scenario is repeated twice a day, every day. I should add that my nine-year-old foster dog, Fritz, is not in the video, because he refuses to get up early. You should see the dirty look he gives me when my alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. (I'm guessing that both of my readers will side with Fritz on this one.)

Guests and visitors always marvel over Giddy's vertical leap. He does it when he wants to come in from outside (BECAUSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY! I MUST COME IN NOW! EVEN THOUGH I JUST DEMANDED TO GO OUT FIVE SECONDS AGO!) He jumps as high as he can and then smacks the glass repeatedly with his paw, which is just as endearing as it sounds. I routinely clean smears off the sliding glass door that are at my eye level, sometimes higher. What makes his leaping so remarkable is that when he was found (left in a crate, outside a shelter), his left foreleg had been broken. However, too much time had passed since the break and we were unable to have it repaired. If you could see his x-ray, you'd be amazed at how jumbled up his bones are. He compensates for it by pushing up higher on his toes on that leg and miraculously, barely limps at all. I give him glucosamine every morning to help his joints deal with the constant misalignment. He is likely to develop arthritis eventually, but for now, he continues to defy gravity with his leaps.

I think this unbridled joie de vivre is one of the reason I love my dogs so much. Every day is a new day, no grudges are held over from the day before. I can run outside to check the mail and be met with great fanfare when I come back in. And mealtime, of course, is the greatest celebration of all. We should all be as grateful for our kibble, ne c'est pas?