Axl has regained all the weight he lost when he was sick – and then some. He’s filling out and looks more like an adult dog. Looks being the operative word here. He is really just a big puppy – wide open all the time.

I snapped the above photo of him a couple of weeks ago. He was mad that I left the house without him.

He expressed his displeasure by snatching a towel and making me chase him all over the backyard for it.

Like I said, wide open. Filled with energy and running at full speed.

It’s one of my favorite ways to describe an animal with a case of the zoomies – or a kid hopped up on sugar.

I picked it up from Daddy or Papaw one. They probably got it from watching NASCAR every weekend.

According to Urban Dictionary, the phrase has roots in cars and references the throttle/fuel valve being fully open.

It describes Axl perfectly. If he’s awake, he’s throttled up and ready to go.

I always thought I was a high-energy person. I’m on the move a lot. Traveling, hiking, or puttering out in the yard. Axl runs loops around me, though.

But I’m not complaining. I’ll take wide open over sick as a dog any day.