Traveling to Asheville
Betsy got up around 6:00 AM and had to turn on the lights to find some medicine. Apparently that awakened Grace, who got up ten minutes later. I took her out for fifteen minutes As we gather things for a trip, there are plenty of possibilities for little doggies to get into things. Grace was good as gold. She made us proud of her. At 7:55, Betsy fed her. After wolfing down breakfast, Grace asked to go out on the balcony.
I broke down her cage easily. We have the Petco brand cage. I’m very impressed It’s the one for fifty-pound dogs. I believe it’s second from the largest. It turns out to fit perfectly in the trunk of my Solara. While we loaded up the car, Jack came to the courtyard. Grace and Jack played “chase” for about ten minutes. We left at 9:30. Grace stayed in the backseat and slept. At 11:30, we stopped at a rest area. Betsy and I alternately walked her.
For this leg of the trip, Betsy sat in the back with Grace. She gave her some water in her water dish. That worked fine. At noon, Betsy fed her lunch. Grace, being a ravenous eater, had no problem inhaling it. Obviously, with a doggie on board, our eating options are now vastly reduced. At 12:30, we stopped at Wendy’s takeout. Betsy walked Grace, while I ate. Then I walked Grace while Betsy ate.
The final leg of the trip Grace had begun to look for more activity. Betsy tried to entertain her. When we arrived at the hotel, Betsy checked in, while Grace and I waited in the car. Before long, Grace moved to my lap. I opened the windows to give her fresh air. In the process, Grace honked the horn. About five minutes later, a lady from the hotel asked if someone honked at me. I explained it was an accident. She said that’s fine, she just wanted to be sure no one had honked at me to tell me to move.
Checking In
After checking in, Betsy took Grace to the room. The bellman, brought up our stuff, including the cage. I asked if he helped with many of them. He said, Yes, they’re quite common.” Betsy said Grace really liked the hotel and the people who met found Grace enchanting. I assembled the crate by the window. It took only about two minutes. After minimum unpacking, we headed off to the Asheville midtown park.
Grace did well. She responded to “come” without treats. We stopped by the waterspout surface, which is sort of a focal point of the area. Despite her fondness for the water, Grace steered clear of it. As we walked, people would ask if they could pet Grace. Of course, we said. “Yes.” Then we met a nice lady with two young daughters. It turns out they also have a female Borador. Their dog is eight months old. They were thrilled to have a chance to relive a Borador puppy-hood. Grace found a banana peal and had a good time playfully tossing it in the air and fetching it.
Dinner Dilemma
We moved on to the downtown streets. Grace did well coming with us—especially with so many distractions. We decided that eating outside with Grace, might not be the best plan. We decided to go back to the hotel, feed Grace there, lock her in her cage, and then go out somewhere. Betsy fed Grace dinner at 4:45. When we left, we waited outside the door and listened to Grace whimper. It lasted for about two minutes, then silence. When picked up some takeout and brought it back to the hotel covered patio to eat it there.
We returned at 6:00 to find Grace calmly sitting in her cage, waiting for us. We let Grace out and played with her. Grace went to the door. Betsy took her outside. They found a yard next door at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial with lots of leaves. Grace had a great time frolicking in the fresh mountain air. By 7:00, Grace started to get agitated. The before bedtime we see a Grace that’s out of sorts. She gives a demanding, “Yap.” There seems to be no game to still her soul. Then suddenly, she passes out. I got her up to take her outside one last time at 8:30. We returned fifteen minutes later. I locked her in her cage, and she fell fast asleep.
Benji II
Last night, I took Grace through the automatic revolving door. Of course, the hotel also had standard doors, but I wanted to give Grace this new challenge. The first time, she went too fast, not noticing the door was clear glass. Since then, she walks through it like a pro. Similarly, with the elevator. Grace walks to the entrance expectantly, both to enter as well as to exit, and passes through on her own as the doors open. Grace of course, has ridden in an elevator a few times at the assisted living facility. But here, she seems much more comfortable with it.
On the streets and especially down the corridors of the big hotel, Grace reminds me of the Benji movies. She’s walks confidently with a spring in her step. There’s not that tight leash mess you see with typical dogs.
Monday
Grace started rousing around 6:15. We waited for the whimper which started at 7:00. She went ten and a half hours without relieving herself and, she did it in a strange environment. That’s remarkable. She went down the halls, through the elevator, out the revolving door, and carefully across the entrance way to the small grassy area. There she promptly did her business, carefully crossed to the revolving door, and proceeded back to the room.
When she returned, she needed activity. She grabbed my flip-flop. my tennis shoe, and Betsy’s Crocs. While she knows to leave those things alone, she needs to chew, and we should use more care to keep temptation away. We do have lots of chew alternatives for her, but the forbidden fruit, always seems so inviting. Betsy fed her breakfast a little before eight. We tried to entertain her with “fetch,” but she was becoming difficult to manage. Betsy decided to lock her in her cage to keep her out of trouble. Grace then lay down for an after-meal nap.
By 8:20, Grace was ready to come out. Betsy loaded up the Kong toy with food to give her a little to do. That did not do it. At 8:25, Grace looked up at us with a whine and snapped her jaws. This means she needs to go out and exercise her jaws. She found she could crawl under the bed, which was fun. At 8L35, Betsy took her out. They went next door and returned after fifteen minutes. Grace impressed Betsy as she did me. She proudly carried back a wood chip. At 9:15, I was ready for the day. I took Grace downstairs. She perused the Wolfe property for about 30 minutes while we waited for Betsy. We even tried the swing on the front porch. That lasted for about two minutes.
When Betsy came, we headed off for Brevard. Grace sat with me in the passenger seat for about 15 minutes before going to the back seat to lie down. We first stopped at the Bryan Center. While Grace did fine, Betsy’s mom (Momma) was asleep. Betsy’s dad (Raymond) lives just around the corner at Tore’s Assisted Living. We visited with him in his room for a while. There were so many distractions in his room, Grace was a bit overwhelmed. I finally took her outside.
New Playmates
I had intended to take grace to a grassy field in another section of the complex, but as we walked, I spotted a little Pomeranian running loose. A fence encircles the building. The Pomeranian acted like it wanted to play. Grace took it very slowly with her at first. As she found the dog friendly, she tried playing “chase.” It worked. They encircled the building and dodged through the bushes. The Pomeranian’s owner leaves her door open to allow her dog to freely go in and out. Grace went in, found the dog’s food and started chowing down. I pulled her away and apologized. They were gracious about it, but from then on I guarded the door fairly closely.
Next, out came a Chihuahua mix. That dog was a bit more fiesty and afraid of Grace. Still, they were able to play a bit of chase also. Around 12:30, we went to a sandwich shop with a few outdoor tables for lunch. We fed Grace her normal food there as we ate. After lunch we returned to Bryan Center. This time, Momma was awake. She did not like Grace and said that she would bite. Betsy said she read that people have a bias against black dogs. Perhaps that’s what was going on with Momma. After spending all day with Grace, of course, Momma changed her mind and said she loved her.
Grace could stand typically about 45 minutes in the room before getting antsy. She would start that yap and sharp snapping of her jaws. That means she’s bored and wants some serious play or at least to go outside. I would then take her out for about forty-five minutes. She would let me know when she wanted to go in by heading for the entrance of the facility. As you can imagine, the residents loved seeing Grace and wanted to pet her. Grace happily obliged them returning the affection.
On one of our outings, we went down the road to explore the graveyard. She enjoyed the open spaces and varied landscape. On the way back, crossing the road became an issue. I had to wait until traffic cleared. When I said “Grace come,” she just sat there. I tried a second time with the same result. The third time, she finally responded. Betsy fed her dinner at 5:30. We ate with Momma in her room at 6:30. Grace tried to jump up on me a few times, but then lay down to rest. We headed back to the hotel shortly thereafter.
At 7:45, we were back in our room. Grace tried to pull that sleeping trick to stay outside her cage. I wasn’t buying it. Betsy put her in her cage at 9:00.
Tuesday
Grace awoke at around 6:00 but didn’t ask to go out until 6:50. Betsy took her out. Grace found another stick. It was too big for Grace to bring it inside. Betsy broke it for her., and Grace proudly brought her treasure to the room. About fifteen minutes later, Grace wanted to go out again. We went out and Grace did her business. Perhaps the stick had distracted Grace from finishing her business with Betsy.
Still a Puppy
After Grace returned, to Betsy’s dismay, Grace had chewed through the strap on her new Crocs. Not only did she cut the strap in two. she cut it in three. Betsy was beside herself. She locked Grace in her cage for about twenty minutes. Grace is so smart and well behaved, at times, we forget she’s a puppy. Grace at three-and a-half months of age, still has her baby teeth.
I took Grace back outside at 8:10. We explored. I found the pet waste station. Grace found another treasure—a large piece of mulch wood. She brought it back with her. As people see her, generally the women love her and men vary from indignation (what’s a dog doing in an upscale hotel like this?), to indifference, to acceptance, to smiles and pets.
Pet Rooming
After we returned, Grace retreated to beneath the bed. At 9:40 we left for Brevard. On the way, we stopped at a cabin rental place next to the Asheville Airport that is geared to dog owners. Each cabin has a private fenced in area, and the entire seven-acre complex, which includes a pond, also is fully fenced. The accommodations acceptable and will keep it in mind for future visits. Grace enjoyed frolicking in the large field and taking in all of the local charm.
Visiting Grandparents
We went to Mamma’s first. We had planned to eat with her and eat in shifts since Grace was not permitted in the dining room. I gave Grace food (one cup) and water in her bowls that we brought with us. It turned out that we just skipped eating at Bryan Center and Betsy visited with Momma as I walked Grace inside and on the grounds. At 2:30, we left and got takeout at Wendy’s. We took the food over to Tore’s and let Grace play with the two dogs in the fenced area as we ate.
Grace came inside. I filled a 30 oz paper cup with water and use it to give Grace a drink. Just as she finished, she knocked it over and I had to clean up the water from the kitchenettes floor. Next, Grace crawled under Raymond’s bed and went to sleep while Betsy showed photos to her dad. When Grace awoke, I took her back outside for more puppy play.
Dinner Logistics
We left at 5:30 and decided to get take out salad bar salads at Ingle’s. We went individually to build our salads so one could be with Grace in the car. We brought the salads back to the hotel and ate them there. Betsy took Grace out at 7:00. They returned fifteen minutes later. Grace started to get difficult. Betsy locked her in the cage. Grace was indignant and started to whine. Betsy relented. Grace acted like she needed to go back out. I took her at 7:45. She did well going from the grassy area to the waste station and back. This involves watching for parking lot traffic and crossing the driveway twice. Before bedtime Grace gets ornery. Betsy locked her in her cage at 8:00. This time Grace did not object and went to sleep.
Wednesday
While an alarm clock went off on the middle of the night and Betsy got up a couple times turning on some lights, Grace did not stir. At 7:45, Betsy got up and took her out. Betsy is afraid for Grace in the revolving door, so she used the regular door. When they returned Betsy fed her. Grace then wanted to play. I did “fetch” with her a few times with the stick. That was enough to get her chewing on her own.
Grace crawled under the bed and started to whimper. It was a tight fit. She may have feared she could not get out. Betsy used treats to attract her in a direction that got her free. Betsy put the harness on Grace and took her out for a walk at 9:00. They returned at 9:20. Grace sat by the window for a while and watched the activity outside. Then she searched from something fun to chew—going from impossible bone, to squeaky sock, to wood chip, to flying disk.
Spreading the Joy
By 10:00, we were off to Brevard. Our first stop was Tore’s Place. There Grace got to play with Pom Pom, and Boo Boo. Boo Boo was more fun, since she understood how to play chase. Pom Pom would chase a little and then crawl under the air conditioner and hide. Grace was also fascinated with food thrown just over the fence. I fed Grace at noon (one cup). She came into Raymond’s room and lay down for an afternoon nap.
At 2:00 we left to grab lunch at a local Mexican place. They have tables outdoors, so we were able to eat with Grace with us. After lunch we traveled to Bryan Center. Mama was happy to see all of us. Grace licked her on her face. At that point she had enough close contact with Grace. Most people at the nursing home were pleased to see Grace and asked to pet her. Grace graciously obliged them. One staff member thanked us for bringing her on our visit and commented that Grace’s presence brightened up the place.
We walked outside on the grounds for an hour and a half. A group of residents sitting outside asked Grace to come over. They enjoyed playing with Grace and watching her. When she was ready, Grace turned back to the entrance and made her way to Mama’s room. There, after trying to figure out what to do, she crawled under Mama’s bed and took a late afternoon nap. We traveled back home at 5:00 and stopped at Wendy’s to get a few light snacks. Grace became a bit difficult to handle at 7:00, so Betsy locked her in her cage. At 8:10, I realized I had not given Grace her supper. Since it was so late, I fed her just (one-half cup).
I took Grace out for the last time at 8:30. I dropped the leash on the hall to return to the room. She grabbed her leash and walked with me into the room. Shortly after coming back to the room, Grace crawled under the bed. Betsy claimed that perhaps she crawled under there to find a place that was dark and quiet. That entertained us for about ten minutes. At 9:05, Betsy finally pulled her out, turned out the lights and locked her in her cage.
Thursday
We got up early to allow us a chance for another trip to Brevard before we go home. Betsy said “Good morning,” to Grace at 6:00. She acted like she might throw up, but didn”t. After that she seemed fine. Downstairs, a man raking leaves distracted her, and I ended up carrying her to the waste station. Beyond that, Grace followed my lead promptly. Again, in the final hall, I dropped her leash. This time she picked it up so she didn’t have to drag it.
Shortly after we returned, Betsy locked Grace back in her cage to assure as we packed that Grace would not get into any trouble. We left for Brevard about 9:00 and went to Bryan Center first. Grace wanted to stay outside. At 10:45, Betsy wheeled Mama out to meet us. We had a good time watching Grace’s antics—from chasing leaves, to interacting with staff and residents, to fetching and chewing sticks. About an hour later, Betsy took Mama in for lunch. We said “Good bye” shortly thereafter and headed on to Tore’s Place.
At Tore’s, I fed Grace (one cup). We then found Pom Pom. Grace tried mightily to entice her to play—from going to submissive position, to running, to bumping. Pom Pom lacked enthusiasm and eventually ran under the air conditioner. We were disappointed to find Boo Boo was not there. Around 1:00 Grace joined us in Raymond’s room and sprawled out under his bed.
Trip Home
We left at 1:30 and made three stops in Brevard before heading home. Grace slept most of the way home. We stopped at a rest area at 5:15 and fed Grace dinner (one-half cup). Grace slept until 7:00 when we pulled into the complex where we live and stopped to get the mail.
Grace perked up and looked around attentively. Things were about to get even more exciting. As we pulled into our parking place, there stood Isabel and Tucker. Grace bounded out of the car, dragging Betsy behind. That commenced a thirty-minute playtime. We went upstairs, unpacked and played with Grace. Betsy put Grace to bed at 9:00.
Friday
At 7:00, Grace awoke. I took her out. After a few minutes, she spotted Tucker. She played with Tucker and Isabel for about a half hour. We walked with them and then finished up with a little play session again—returning home at 8:00. We fed her breakfast (one cup), let her out on the balcony for a few minutes and then gave her various toy with which to play. At 8:40, she let out a whimper and lay down at my feet. A few minutes later, she went back on the balcony. The noise from the leaf blowers, bothers her. When it picks up, she comes in. When it stops, she goes out.
Vet Report
Betsy left with Grace to go to the vet at 9:50. They returned at 11:45. The vet finished with Grace’s shots with the exception of one for parvo. She weighted in at 26.2 pounds. We asked how she looked with regard to her body fat. The vet said she was fine. That means we’re feeding her about the right amount. Shortly after returning home, Grace came into our bedroom (where I am), crawled under the bed and dropped off to sleep. It may be her normal nap or perhaps also a reaction from the three vaccines she received today.
Betsy fed Grace lunch (three-quarters cup) at 12:30 and then took her out for a walk. They returned at 12:45. I was unable to look after her, so Betsy locked her up for a nap at about 2:30. Grace whimpered a little and then settled in. By 4:30, Grace wanted out. I took her outside for about an hour. She played with Fraggle and explored. When she returned around 5:00, Betsy fed her dinner (one-half cup).
Feelings
Betsy tried to keep her entertained throughout the evening. Grace took a sock and wouldn’t drop it for her. Betsy locked her in her cage. After about a half an hour, Betsy let her out. Grace’s feelings were hurt, but she eventually came out. Grace is a sensitive little dog. She took her out one last time at 8:00. When they returned, I let her crawl under the bed in the room where I was working. At 9:40, I dragged her out and locked her up for the night. Grace made no protest.
Saturday
Worms
Grace got up at 7:15. I noticed many (about ten) white things in her stool. At first I thought they might be plastic shavings or dental floss pieces. On closer examination, they moved and looked like worms. They were white, flat, about a half inch long and a sixteenth inch wide. On our journey, we saw Dakota out on his patio. Grace and Dakota played gently with each other for a while through the railing. We returned inside at 8:00. Betsy fed her breakfast (one and a quarter cup). Betsy started vacuuming. I directed Grace out to the balcony to get away from the noise. After a while, Grace barked. She just spotted Dakota below.
We rushed down and met up with him. They played chase for about twenty minutes. Then Dakota’s owner pulled out a ball . They fetched the ball and chased each other with it. Grace kept playing, but her running was not as fast as usual. I suppose it the vaccination yesterday and/or the worms we discovered today may explain her reduced energy level. She still had a great time running and with Dakota. At 9:45, Dakota had to leave. Grace reluctantly came upstairs. While she was playing she had another bowel movement. Surprisingly, the stool showed no evidence of worms.
When we returned we went back out on the balcony on the lounge chair. Betsy left for a hair appointment and locked us out on the balcony by mistake. I realized this at 10:45. I tried emailing the office, which had just sent me an email but received no response. At 12:15, I called down to a neighbor passing by who was kind enough to come up, enter through the unlocked entrance, and unlock the balcony. I fed Grace (a cup) and rushed her off to the vet. The vet confirmed tape worms. They prescribed a single pill (Drontal for medium dogs), put it in a pill popper (treat) and gave it to Grace. She swallowed it whole. The bill was less than $20.
Make that a Double
When we returned, Betsy was home. Without my knowledge, she fed Grace another lunch (a cup). I went out running and then was busy much of the day. Grace was difficult for Betsy to handle. She had to cope with lots of whining and disobedience. At supper time, she started barking a lot. Betsy relented and fed her a limited amount of food (half cup). She barked as I ate. I took her to timeout. That stopped it. I had to leave, and Grace started up again.
When I returned at 8:10, Grace was in her cage asleep. At 9:00 she made strange noises. Apparently, they were barks in her dreams. At 9:15, I let her out of the cage. She proceeded to the balcony. At 9:45, I locked her in her cage. She did not object.
Standing Tall
You notice various things as a puppy matures. Often these changes seem abrupt. Betsy commented on how her face and head shape continue to develop and specifically how her snout has lengthened. Today I realized how tall she’s getting. It’s hard to believe how many changes we’ve seen in her in these seven short (and long) weeks.