Jake continues to have good days and bad days (from a legs perspective).  I don’t count the days but it feels pretty 50/50.  It’s all about giving him time to adjust, he needs to figure out how to accommodate his limitations.  I have ideas I’d share, but little guy still does not speak human.

How he has evolved so far…

• He can now go down steps on his own by letting his hind legs swim out behind him.
• He can lift himself onto the couch using only his upper body strength and front paws, it’s amazing to watch! He can also go up steps this way.
• He has started signaling to me if he wants to watch out the window.  I will help him get his front paws up on the sill and he will hang there, doing a modified push-up/chin-up.  I guess he might need some muscle T’s now. (Obviously I came up with a better solution for this one – it’s called just look out the door).
• He knows when he can ‘run’ (in grass) and when he cannot (on concrete).
• He takes a beak when his legs give out, wherever that happens to be.

It is what it is, we have to deal.  I will admit that one part I still can’t bear to see is him knuckling.  I don’t know why it upsets me so much.  I think it’s because when he does all the other things, I know that he is aware of the adjustment he has to make.  When he knuckles, I have to accept that he does not know it’s happening.  It doesn’t hurt him and I’m sure to keep him on soft surfaces during those moments but he does not have the brain-to-leg connection at that moment.  It pains my heart a little to watch.

Dude can certainly strike a pose though!