Our Favorite Ten Year Old

This weekend we celebrated a big milestone for our oldest (furry) son: 10 years of living a dog's life to the full.

We adopted Samson at 18 months, so we don't know the exact date of his birthday, but the shelter who rescued him determined that he was born sometime in March. So mid-March it is. We haven't ever really celebrated in the past before--I mean, since he obviously cares so much about birthdays and all--but 10 years is a big deal, especially when it equates to more like 70.

Baby Samson...

So we had a little party this weekend for to celebrate Old Man Samson and officially induct him into the AARD (as Peter calls it)!

He got all the things a pup might desire:

A new toy...

Treats...

This Kong with "EZ Treat" (modeled after human EZ Cheeze) sounded disgusting to me, but I decided since I'm not a dog to give Peter the benefit of the doubt and let Samson give it a whirl. Apparently Samson and I were on the same page; he sniffed it for a split second and then steered clear. 

And a dinner fit for a king...

A bunch of meaty goodness mixed with his dry food. He's always loved his food (and is a bit protective of it since he was sadly neglected and starved prior to his rescue), but let me tell you--even with all of that, I have never seen this guy so invested in a meal. He hardly came up for air, and then went back three separate times to lick the bowl. I think it was a hit.

And finally, he enjoyed lots of his favorite royal treatment: getting brushed and pampered and snoozing with his people.

He also got snow for his birthday after a month-long warm spell, so he got to spend his day doing what he loves most: running around, sitting, and barking in it.

We know that ten years is a pretty big deal for any dog, but even more so for large breeds like Great Pyrenees...and especially considering some of the deplorable treatment he received before getting rescued. He's still our frisky boy, but he's definitely slowing down these days and his hips especially are starting to go. We know that every day he gets older and wiser is a gift, and we're so happy we could celebrate this milestone with him. 

Happy ten years, pup! We love you and we're so glad you're ours!