The Day Before Surgery and Thinking Back

Well, it's officially less than 24 hours before we drop off our beloved Riggins for his TPLO surgery.

At 8 years old, this yellow lab has had one heckuva life.

Born on November 21, 2001, Riggins was the puppy that I did NOT want. Don't get me wrong. I always wanted a lab, but I had visions of a cuddly sweet little thing who would just loooove me. Instead, I quickly became acquainted with a 5 pound ball of fury who believed that I was a big chew toy.

The breeder had put little yarn collars on the puppies so that prospective owners could pick their pups. I fell in love with the green one and the orange one. My husband spotted "the blue one" who - as I first remember him - had his sister by her little red collar and was yanking her across the breeder's garage. I was mortified. I didn't want this terror. I wanted a puppy who would love me - not eat me!

So...The breeder - sensing a marital feud of epic proportions - proposed that we put the puppies back in the whelping box to see who would come out of it first. I put "the blue one" in the far back corner and - delighted that I'd beat my husband at this game- grimaced when "the blue one" knocked over his fellow littermates and hurdled himself out of the whelping box.

Naturally, I would not be defeated; so I asked the breeder for another test. She suggested that we see which puppy would jump over the PVC pipe around the small kennel in which the whelping box was located. I again placed "the blue one" as far away as possible. He, of course, enjoyed this game and sized up the PVC pipe and leapt over it while his littermates looked at it like it was the climb to Half Dome in Yosemite.

Yep...I was stuck. However, I had one final card up my sleeve. The breeder's husband was not in the garage to witness this catastrophe. When he came into the garage, I asked him which pup he'd choose. Without hesitation, he announced, "The blue one. He'll be your greatest challenge and biggest reward."

And - as I wait anxiously for tomorrow to begin and Riggins' surgery to occur - I agree. Riggins (aka, "The Blue One') has been my greatest challenge and biggest reward.