Wednesday’s Video: Gigi the Dog in Action

After Gigi the dog left us last week, I mused to my sister, Terri Berry, that Gigi was more like a person than a dog. “Moody and opinionated?” Terri asked. For a split second, I wondered if she was talking about Gigi in particular or making a sweeping statement about humanity. I didn’t ask for clarification because, either way, this was an accurate description of parts of Gigi’s personality.

Gigi was “Bye Felicia” in canine form. Woe betide anyone who continued a medical exam that she decided was unnecessary, or gave her one kiss too many. Don’t get me wrong: Gigi had lots of loving and cuddly moments. But when she put her paw down, she meant business.

You’ll see Gigi being her opinionated self about a minute and a half into a video we did in her final days. I wanted to celebrate her sixteenth birthday and her life in general, and she tolerated the hugs and petting for a while. But when she had enough she simply took off for another room, like …

Thanks to my right-hand woman Eryn for shooting and editing this video, as well as putting up with the week of near-hysteria that followed months of Gigi-related ups and downs.

If you have any questions about senior dogs and canine cognitive disorder, feel free to ask in the comments.