Coco just did not want to get up
Coco is very quiet today. She didn’t wake up at 5:15 am as she normally does. Usually Coco stands over me and breathes on me to wake me up- she is very considerate and does not bark. She just lets me feel her breath and I know it’s time to go out.
I put Kirby on Coco’s schedule so I could walk the two of them together and today Kirby was up and watching over Coco – Why isn’t she up yet? He came over to me and nudged me to wake up and see what was happening.
Coco was sleeping deeply and I could hear her breathing with a bit of a wheeze. Lately she has begun wheezing when she sleeps and her mouth is open and while she is not struggling, she is not as calm as usual.
I put my hand on her side and she snuggled into my touch. Even though I know she cannot hear me, I bent down and softly said into her ear “Time to get up sweet girl,” and she felt my breath. She barely opened her eyes, gave a little stretch and slowly, very slowly got up.
I helped Coco off the bed, no more jumping for her. Kirby quickly followed – he really had to go out. By now he would be jumping all over the place, but today he was quiet and still, waiting for his big sister to make her way to the door. He seems to know when to respect her and just follow along.
I put their leashes on and Coco very slowly found her way to her favorite spot, right outside the door. Kirby stood there watching and when she finished, only then did he wander off a bit further and take care of his own needs.
I see why Kirby is with us more and more every day. We need him to complete our family and help Coco transition into the next phase of her life. And he needs us to have a purpose.