Then His Appetite Began to Decline
At first, staff noticed food remaining after meals.
Major might approach his bowl and take several bites.
Then he stopped.
Another day, he showed even less interest.
For a recovering dog, decreasing appetite could not simply be interpreted as sadness about retirement.
It was a medical concern.
Pain can reduce appetite.
So can medication side effects.
Nausea.
Stress.
Underlying illness.
Reduced activity.
Gastrointestinal problems.
Dental discomfort.
Many possibilities needed consideration.
Major's emotional circumstances mattered, but they could not replace a veterinary assessment.
He Could Ignore Food but Not Footsteps
That contrast became one of the strangest parts of Major's recovery.
A bowl could sit near him without bringing him to his feet.
But footsteps outside the kennel?
Major responded immediately.
Sometimes his eyes opened before the person even reached his section of the hallway.
His ears moved forward.
His head came up.
Then he began the difficult process of sitting.
The dog who seemed to have little energy for eating somehow found enough energy to assume that familiar posture.
It Wasn't an Easy Sit Anymore
Major's front legs still provided much of the initial push.
He raised his chest.
Then his hindquarters had to stabilize beneath him.
That was where the effort became visible.
His rear legs were weaker.
His injured body was still recovering.
Sometimes a hind paw needed repositioning before he could settle into the posture.
Once upright, however, Major tried to hold himself straight.
He looked toward the kennel door.
He waited.
Staff Began Recognizing the Posture
It was not a casual sit.
Major did not curl his body comfortably against the wall.
He did not sit merely long enough to change positions.
He seemed to place himself deliberately in the open part of the kennel.
Head raised.
Attention forward.
Body organized as well as his current strength allowed.
To anyone familiar with working dogs, the posture looked painfully recognizable.
Major looked ready.
His body simply was not.
No One Could Know Exactly What He Expected
It would be easy to tell the story as though Major believed his former handler was coming.
There was no evidence for that.
Perhaps the footsteps had become associated with staff arriving.
Perhaps they resembled cues from his former working routine.
Perhaps Major had simply learned over years that approaching footsteps meant he should become attentive.
Dogs can form powerful associations through repetition.