Gimli, the aging warrior poodle

My dog is old.

Gimli is a toy poodle, named for the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings, one of nine characters that made up The Fellowship of the Ring in Tolkien’s epic story. My son likes to refer to him (the dog) as a brave warrior, though the warrior part is definitely more of an honorary title.

When Gimli was a younger pup he loved adventures. We would take him and Lucy (our morkie) on jaunts through the woods, where every curve of the trail held the promise of discovery. As well-behaved, obedient dogs, Gimli and Lucy had the privilege of being released from the leash whenever there were no other people or dogs around. Gimli would dash ahead, then stop and look back at us to make sure we were following. He’d never wander very far from his little fellowship. Lucy would stick close too, but she’s always been more interested in exploring the smells alongside the path than in running off toward adventure.

Even on walks in our neighborhood, Gimli loved the adventure. We would walk toward the park, where there is a big green field bordering a thicket of trees and shrubs, and, if the field was empty of people and their pets, we’d release the dogs from their leashes and off Gimli would go, running toward the trees. As soon as he crested the little hill, he’d turn around and pop back up to make sure we were still there. He would always, always come back when we called. He was such a good listener, in fact, that often we would leave him off the leash as we walked back to our house, and he’d trot along beside or just ahead of us until we were home.

But eventually the years started taking a toll on him, as they do.

It was his hearing that was affected first. We had to be just a little louder or clap our hands to get his attention. But still, he never wandered or ran off.

One of our habits when returning home from our walk was to stop at the corner just across from our house and have the dogs wait until we said “okay,” before releasing them to run across the street and into our yard. Every time, it signaled the end of that day’s adventure.

But one day, when my husband said that magic word, the dogs darted across the street and into the yard, but Gimli kept going. He didn’t come back when we called, but kept running, and ended up in the neighbor’s yard two houses down. That was the first indication that there was something going on with Gimli besides his failing hearing.

After that, of course, we had to keep Gimli on a leash whenever we were walking in the neighborhood, though he sometimes still got to experience a little freedom when we’d head to the woods. But it wasn’t very long—or at least it didn’t seem very long—before we had to give even that up. Over the next year his hearing gradually declined, he was developing cataracts, he had a hard time jumping onto the couch, and he started showing more frequent signs of dementia. The only things that didn’t really change, and still haven’t, were his appetite and his fondness for snuggling on the couch.

Nowadays Gimli sleeps away most of the day. He can barely see or hear. He gets confused easily. I can’t let him go up or down the stairs on his own because he’s so likely to fall. And he’s lost all interest in any sort of adventure.

Every now and then I get a brief glimpse of the energetic, adventurous dog that Gimli used to be. I’ll toss a toy for Lucy, and she’ll run past him, and for just a second he’ll forget his age and dart after her, then stop just as quickly because he realizes his old bones just aren’t up to it. And soon he’s snoozing on his bed again.

Maybe he sleeps so much because he’s dreaming of his younger days, brave Gimli the warrior seeking adventure around every curve in the trail and over the crest of every hill.

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Poem: Reasons to Get a Dog

A dog can be the greatest pet
that you can ever, ever get.
They’ll sit and stay and fetch a stick,
greet you with a happy lick,
chase the rabbits from your yard,
be a faithful bodyguard,
share your snacks and warm your toes,
track you everywhere you go,
fetch and stay and jump and bark,
be your playmate at the park,
stay close by through every scheme,
and lie beside you as you dream.

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Great children’s books about dogs

• Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings (picture book)

• The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren (classic Little Golden Book)

• The Hello, Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Patrice Barton (picture book)

• A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker (wordless picture book)

• Love that Dog by Sharon Creech (middle grade novel in verse)

• Little Dog Lost by Marion Dane Bauer (middle grade novel in verse)

• Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko (middle grade)

• The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan (middle grade)

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