Life is a Cookie.

Jilly, my silly, sweet, stubborn, smart yellow Labrador loves cookies.  Any kind. Any time. As often as possible, please. You've heard of on demand movies, well Jilly wants on demand cookies.

If she sits, she gets a cookie. Goes outside and inside, she gets a cookie. Follows me upstairs, she gets a cookie. Follows me downstairs, you got it, she gets a cookie. In fact, lately, she's figured out a new way to get cookies. If she follows me upstairs and gets her cookie, she then goes downstairs on her own and waits for me to call out for where she is, then she ambles back upstairs, wags her tail and sweetly waits to, you guessed it, get another cookie. 

Really, I am a stickler for dog training. 

I've been through dog training classes. I've trained my own dogs, rescue dogs and helped other people with their dog issues. I've even taken care of the cantankerous ones. I know how to train dogs. But I do realize who'sq doing the training now and it's not me. 

Yup, Jilly has figured out how to work the system. And it's working. And that's totally ok with me.

Three years ago, the vets found a small mass on her spleen.  She was 9 years old. They gave her 3 months to live, maybe 6 if we did major surgery and chemo. We said no, we'll keep her comfortable and happy for as long as possible even if it's only 3 more months. 

Since she was a bit tired then, we would give her cookies to cheer her up. Ok, maybe we gave her cookies to cheer us up. Either way, it's worked for 3, going on 4 years.  And Jilly was back to her silly self. 

Another scare came this year and we thought, once again, it was the end. 

It was food poisoning. I'd bought a new bag of the food she's eaten for over a decade, gave her one cup for dinner and she woke up sick. She was weak, couldn't stand up or walk without help. We thought it was the end, but 48 hours later, she walked upstairs herself to greet us. 

And of course, she got a cookie. 

She also gets homemade food twice a day, an egg scrambled, dog vitamin, glucosamine and ibuprofen(for arthritis), a pump of salmon oil and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. I make her food every 8 days and it takes me about 2 hours. I cook rice, ground beef, chicken livers, carrots, spinach, and tomatoes. It all gets mixed together with nutritional yeast and broth, ladled into 8 plastic containers and frozen. 

Yes, it's a lot of time, money and work but she's worth every bit. So now, I know what she's eating and we haven't had any more problems. In fact, she's itching less and her eyes are clearer, too. 

The biggest bonus: Jilly is alive and lively. She has more pep in her step than she's had in a long time. She loves her walks at the park and sniffing around the neighborhood. 

I think back to how sad and scared I was 3 years ago and as I tear up, I also smile. Because she's still here, another glorious year, happily wagging away. She's proven to me that life is sweet, innocence is bliss and it's important to savor every moment.  

And yes, to her, 'Life is a cookie'. And I wouldn't want it any other way.