Though Teddy was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis he has not let it stop him from living the life he chooses. It looks a little different now but it’s eventful and adventurous all the same. Some days he can do more than others. Some days it’s 90% sleeping and resting. Other days he can move and run and play for extended periods of time. He tries his very best everyday and we’re truly grateful for all our moments with him.

Teddy has never been a water dog. So, I can’t imagine those adventures will be on our bucket list anytime soon. If we did take him swimming, he would need a life vest and we would hold him every moment. I would never let him free in any body of water. Way too scary, at least for me.

Climbing, hiking, walking, and peeing on everything is definitely within Teddy’s wheelhouse. We recently took a trip up to Mount Shasta California and Teddy climbed a mountain! No, no, not Mount Shasta. Not Black Butte. Nope, not Castle Crags either. Nothing too crazy, yet it was a big feat in our eyes none the less.

The place we went to is called Spring Hill Trail. It is a beautiful loop trail that is 2.8 miles long and open all year round. It takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes to finish for the average everyday hiker. With Teddy, it took us a little bit more time. Maybe 2 and a half hours. We went at 7:00 in the morning so it was nice, cool, and quiet, with very few people.

Dogs are definitely welcome on the trail but must be on a leash. We saw quite a few dogs on the way back down the mountain. Many of them were actually unleashed. But, we were carrying Teddy by then so it wasn’t a huge deal for us. If we had Sophia it would’ve been a little different. She isn’t a huge fan of dogs running up on her.

The trail has a good incline for the majority of it and can get fairly rocky. We had to lift Teddy through the more intense rocky areas since it is quite the tipping hazard. Yes, tipping hazard. If he happens to clip a curb or a large rock with one wheel he can most definitely tip over. He has almost done it a few times and scared the daylights out of me. We carried him just so it was safer and easier on his body. Carrying Teddy, who’s a solid 22 pounds, along with his wheelchair, isn’t the funnest thing. Taking him in and out of it isn’t ideal either. It isn’t super complicated or anything like that but it does take time and often takes two people. I can do it myself but it’s easier with two people by far.

We also carried him through the significant inclines since he was just flat out tired. He is 14 after all! Still, he pushed and pushed and did a solid 1 and a half miles at least by himself. The way down was where he needed the most support. By then his body was just too darn tired so we carried him most of the way. He still has a good time being carried and just being out. We stop to let him sniff the trees as we pass by. Look at the view. Stop to pee on some trees. He enjoys it. You do have to be especially careful with your footing when holding him since any fall would hurt him significantly.

We found that going up the mountain it was easier to take the weight of the wheelchair off of Teddy. It was pulling him back as he was trying to climb those steeper sections. We wrapped his leash around the handle of the chair. We then lifted it ever so slightly. This way, we supported the full weight of his chair. It’s only about 3 pounds on its own but with Teddy’s back end, maybe 10 pounds. This helped him significantly actually.

I tried to get him one of the backpacks for dogs before his back legs stopped functioning. He never liked them. Now it just wouldn’t work. They would put him in a weird position. The backpack would put a lot of pressure on his back. I don’t want to put him in an awkward position and then have him going over bumps and what not.

I figured we would have to carry him for a lot of the hike. We were both ready for it. We figured even if it means we go slower. We would just take our time and rest more often. At least they’re memories we can cherish with him. My Dad had come out from Kentucky to visit us along with the rest of my family. We hadn’t seen him in over 2 years so it was such a nice reunion. He joined us, along with my older sister, on our trek up the mountain. They were both so impressed with Teddy but originally thought we were crazy for taking him.

It’s likely the most intense hike we will ever take him on. I don’t plan on doing any Mount Shasta climbs anytime soon. As long as Teddy is willing and not in pain then we will continue on our hiking adventures. He is great about letting us know when he’s done and needs to be carried. But we always give him significant breaks along the way no matter where are.

We noticed going up the mountain it was easier if we took the weight of the wheelchair off of Teddy. It was pulling him back as he was trying to climb those steeper sections. We wrapped his leash around the handle of the chair. We then lifted it ever so slightly. This way, we supported the full weight of his chair. It’s only about 3 pounds on its own but with Teddy’s back end, maybe 10 pounds. This helped him significantly actually.

My Dad was so excited that he beat Teddy up the mountain. It was his only goal: Beat the paralyzed dog up the mountain. He did win but I think we should do a rematch pretty soon here.

Teddy always amazed me with his will to thrive. He is at more of a disadvantage nowadays but he is so unbelievably strong. He has an army of people behind him cheering him on every step of the way. People we’ve never met before cheer him on as he ventures on. They stop us and ask questions about the little paralyzed dog. Marvel at how incredible it is to see him so strong, so willing to continue. He amazes people on a daily basis and he constantly reminds me of how precious the little things are. Sometimes I look at him and just think wow. If he can do that, then I need to get my booty up and get my stuff done. No excuses.

I’m excited to see what our next adventure will be. We usually go to the snow every winter. We will have to see what mound of snow Teddy will conquer. He will pee on it victoriously.

I like to share Teddy’s stories and adventures to show others just how special, strong, and courageous dogs truly are. Teddy is an inspiration to everyone in our family and I hope he can be for others as well. We hear so many stories of others who have been in a similar situation. It makes me want to share his story that much more and let people know that it is possible. It is doable and it is rewarding. It’s been hard. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t but Teddy is worth it. He will always be worth it and I would do it a million times again. In every lifetime.