The One Where a Year Makes All the Difference

During the Ohio State-Texas game last year, I sat in my room with the door closed, trying to console a Muggsy who was literally shaking because he was so scared by all the yelling going on in the next room. I was so mad that I couldn't get Ross to calm down for even a second so that I could calm down my puppy, which had just gone on anti-anxiety medicene.

This year, there was peace in the house. Ross is much better about his highs and lows during the football games, and Muggsy is much better all around. Sitting in the living room last night watching the game reminded me of how far we've come in this last year.

At this time last year, Muggsy had his infamous 36-hour blowup that resulted in me firing my behaviorist and removing him from medication. We were having regular blowups that ended in Chubbs having bloody paws, and Muggsy was always so nervous that he could barely contain himself.

It's hard to recognize when you're right in the middle of it all the progress that you've made. Muggsy still gets nervous about a lot of things. We still have occasional attacks on Chubbs. In fact, we had one Thursday morning. But it was brief and much less scary than they were a year ago. But he's doing much better. He spends a lot of time relaxing outside, which he seems to like a lot. When he needs to calm down, I still lock him in the bedroom, but he can relax and sleep soundly, which I haven't heard him do in years. It's the little things that make the difference, I guess. Muggsy will never change completely, but I'm very happy about what changes we have been able to make. I guess thinking about the difference in the last year, it just made me happy.