I got up at 5:45 to study. Grace came to the closed door where I was studying at 7:00. We went outside and played fetch at the beach of the lake. When we returned home at 8:15, Betsy gave Grace breakfast. We left Grace home alone. When we returned home at noon, Grace greeted us happily.
BBQ Picnic
After we changed our clothes, Grace came with us to a BBQ lunch. We shared a small amount of BBQ pork, some hush puppies, and some cake. After lunch, the caterer said that pork is not good for dogs. My quick look on the Internet did not confirm that.
Fun in the Heat
After lunch, noticed another dog in the ball field. The owner was happy for Grace to join in. He used the ChuckIt to throw tennis balls. The grass was lush and well manicured. Trace was faster than the five-year-old dog which was there before her. The high eighties temperature, sunshine, and high humidity took its toll even on Grace. She shot after the ball like a bullet, running about 100 feet at a time.
After about twenty minutes, Grace was overheating. If she had a pool or lake to dip into she could have recovered. Instead, she went to the gate where we entered. She went to the dog drinking fountain. I also gave her a pitcher of water as she lay in the shade under the park bench. After twenty minutes (3:00), we got into the car with the air conditioner blasting.
Limp Aggravated
We stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way home. While Betsy shopped, Grace and I hung out under the shade trees. At 3:30 we returned home. Grace’s limp had become very pronounced. She seems to have a problem with her right shoulder. I though it might be her paw, but after seeing her run on that perfect turf, I think the best guess is a shoulder joint or muscle.
Dinner
At 6:00, I ate a salad. I gave Grace a few soda crackers. After that, I had some watermelon. I let Grace try a piece. She left it in her dish. She came back into the kitchen giving me the look that she wanted more food. I gave her a doggie treat. She wanted more. I gave her another dental chew. That satisfied her.
Betsy took Grace outside at 6:30. They returned at 7:00. I needed to go out. Grace wanted to follow me. We took out the trash and returned at 7:15. Grace met the Corgi with the injured shoulder. The dog’s owner said the vet put her on an anti-inflammatory. She said if that doesn’t fix it, she could have cartilage chips that cannot be repaired.
Grace came in to chew the stick that she brought in when she returned with Betsy. Grace brought me her old sock tug toy to play a little tug for old time’s sake. At about 8:30, Grace finally gave up and lay on the living room floor. Betsy is getting concerned about Grace’s limp. Checking the web mentioned ice, glucosimine condroitin, and omega fish oil in the 1000 mg range as possible cures.
Monday
When I got up at 7:00 Grace lay on the living room chair. She chewed a stick for a while as the rain came. At 7:20, she went to the balcony to watch the rain from there. At 7:30, we went out and Grace headed directly to Grace Beach (my name for where she plays in the lake). About the time we arrived it began to rain hard. That did not phase Grace. I played fetch with her in the water. Then she would run across the shoreline, back and forth. She did her frantic digging routine at the shore also.
Don’t Go
When it was time to go, I picked up Grace’s harness and leash. When she saw it she took off and ran out of sight — up the grassy hill next to the beach. She wanted to do more running. She darted by me a few times during the span of about fifteen minutes. I finally decided the best approach was to act like we were going on a run. She followed me running ahead as usual. She came back when I turned and ran ahead of me. At least we were headed home.
Then I noticed Grace in the parking lot. A young lady had the rear hatch of her car open as she held her white Huskie back and tried to deal with Grace’s advances. She was very nice about it. This gave me the opportunity to put her on the leash.
Limp Returns
When we finally made it back home at 9:00, I was soaked. Grace had her breakfast and went out on the balcony. As the sun came out, Grace came inside and curled up on the living room chair. While there was no evidence of her limp during the morning exercise time, when she came in from the balcony the limp was back and fairly pronounced.
Unnatural Sight
At 10:50 a power washer swung his rig in front of the balcony. That really threw Grace. She started to bark at a man standing out in the air. I opened the door to give her a chance to meet the man. She then returned inside. She’s familiar with going through the car wash so when he actually sprayed, she was okay with that. Eventually, Grace returned to her spot on the sofa but this time with a stick to chew.
Afternoon
We left at noon to run some errands. Grace stayed at home. When we returned, Grace was lying on the sofa. She didn’t get up, but we greeted each other there. As Betsy began cooking, Grace walked to the kitchen. I gave her some lunch which she promptly consumed.
At 2:30, I took her out. We went to the dog park. Grace walked a bit gingerly but did not limp. After she returned home at 3:00, the limp returned. At 3:30, I made a sandwich. Grace came out to the kitchen. I gave her a doggie treat. She wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. That satisfied her. After a short stint on the sofa, Grace went out and lay on the the balcony lounge chair.
At 4:45, Grace spotted some dogs out in the dog park. She played with Sadie a Golden Retriever that is Grace’s age. The other was a black dog a little larger than Grace. When she came back in, she was limping badly. I checked on the Internet to confirm it is her right front leg. The way you tell is her head will bob upward when she puts weight on her injured front leg. The funny thing is, she miraculously shows no sign of limping when she is outside playing. It’s only when she comes inside.
A few minutes later, Otis showed up. I called down to set up a play time, but had to cancel as I noticed Grace limping badly. Grace saw other dogs too, but we had to tell Grace to give her leg a rest. It’s tough having an active dog with an injury.
Cool of the Night
At 7:30, I ate supper. After supper I gave Grace chicken for treats. We worked on back and crawl. She was not particularly sharp recognizing these commands, but she does know them. We then went outside on the lounge chair to enjoy the cool evening breezes. Grace spotted some items being moved that were left on the lawn below. Anything different gets Grace’s attention. She began barking. We calmed her down.
Grace stayed out on the lounge chair with me until we went to bed at 11:00. She stretched out on the sofa and we retired to the bedroom.
Tuesday
When I got up at 6:45, Grace was lying peacefully on a rug by the balcony. At 7:10 we left to go to Salem Pond Park. Grace showed no evidence of her limp. She ran as usual, chasing birds at full speed, running ahead of me about fifty feed and looking back to check on me, taking occasional dips in the pond, and stopping for a drink from the storm water overflow. The weather has been really wet here lately, so there’s plenty of water around.
Football Fetch
When we finished, we played football for a half hour. Grace paused and enjoyed chewing on sticks along the way. She also has progressed to open up a larger hole in the football. It’s now about a quarter of an inch in size. When we finished, Grace obediently brought the ball to the car, and I put it in the trunk. Then she jumped up in her seat as usual. As we rode back, Grace sat in the passenger seat and watched attentively.
Wet Morning
When we returned home at 8:45, Otis was out by our parking spot. Grace just had to greet her new friend. Grace ate her breakfast and jumped up on the sofa for a nap. As the morning progressed, the rain increased. We kept the balcony door open and Grace freely moved from the sofa to the floor to the balcony. She enjoyed chewing on a ShamWow and the tassels of the rag rug.
Active Afternoon
At 12:30, when I went to the kitchen, Grace came and stared me down for lunch. After lunch, Grace grouched. I gave her a dental chew, a doggie treat and a raw egg. I also spilled some coconut oil on the kitchen floor. Grace enjoyed cleaning that up. When I finished breakfast, Grace wanted to play tug and fetch. We did it with her sock for about twenty minutes. When she tried to do it with her stuffed puppies, I refused, treating the toy like a puppy.
At 2:10, I finally relented and took Grace outside. She knows the way to Grace Beach. That’s where we went. The paved path was flooded, so there were no other people in sight. Grace played water fetch, did digging, and pulled up waterlogged sticks. One was about twelve feet long. That may be a record for her. We returned back at 2:30. On the way, Grace relieved herself in the area that is normally grass but now is flooded grass. I was able to pick it out of the water, but it was a bit tricky.
Siesta
When Grace came home, she slept in the loveseat until I made a sandwich and Betsy made some peanut butter crackers. Betsy shared a few of the crackers with Grace. Grace returned to napping until 4:45. At that time, she shifted into “friends watch” mode. Her limp had returned, but it was not very pronounced. I took her out on the balcony in the rain during the peak dog walking time. Her limp returned, but it was not as bad as Monday.
Coping with Clouds
Because of the drizzly and dreary weather, Grace just had one dog park opportunity. The dog was not particularly playful, but at least it was something. At 7:00, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to watch the action.At 9:00, she came inside and played with her ChuckIt! balls. At 9:30, Grace went outside for the last time before bed. We went to bed at 10:00 with Grace on the living room floor.
Wednesday
When I arose at 6:45, Grace lay awake peacefully on the living room floor. We set out for our ride at 7:00. I stopped at the store on the way. Grace waited patiently in the car. From there, we went running. After a half hour, we did our football fetch game for another thirty minutes. After that play time, we went to storage. Grace played fetch with the bouncy ball while I looked for some things and straightened up.
Trip to the Vet
At 9:40, Betsy called on the telephone and said she wanted to take Grace to the vet. I told her it would just take me ten minutes from there. Betsy set up a 10:00 vet appointment. Grace is always anxious in the small waiting room. She does not like the feeling of being confined. At one point she saw a picture of a cat on the wall and leaped at it. Grace weighed in at 53.5 pounds!
The vet said Grace seemed to have a “soft tissue” injury. She ruled out joint issues by manipulation without pain and by our description that the pain increases through the day. With joint problems they loosen up as the day goes on. She said these problems usually resolve themselves if the dog rests the injury for a week. She was reluctant to prescribe pain medication unless Grace is suffering because pain helps keep Grace from further injury. She offered to do X-rays and sedatives, but I declined. On the way out, Grace saw a picture of a dog on the wall. That spooked her.
Anxious Afternoon
When we returned home at 11:00, Grace had her breakfast. I left at 12:15 to run some errands and returned at 2:00. As I reached our floor, Betsy was taking Grace downstairs. When they returned at 2:30, I was making a sandwich. Grace wanted more food. I gave her lunch. From that time until 5:30, Grace was out of sorts, bouncing between indoors and outdoors. Grace had her supper.
New Favorite Game
After supper, Grace had some chicken scraps and followed me to the balcony. The sky was cloudy and the air pleasant. At 7:00, Grace started playing shortstop or goalie with the glowing ChuckIt! toy. It first started with us kicking and throwing it. Quickly it developed into the goalie game. I would kick it and Grace would use her Boarder Collie instincts to stare it down and stop it. Grace won the first match 11 to 7.
At 8:00, I quit and went out on the balcony. Grace joined me a few minutes later with her ball. The balcony railing was low enough to prevent the ball from rolling off, but the rails were a bit wider than the ball. A perfect shot would make it through. Grace dropped the ball, it bounced, and of course it went cleanly through the railing and landed in the grass three stories below.
Grace and I left to go downstairs. Grace fetched the ball and carried it to the dog park. Grace enjoyed the sniffs. She saw some birds and raced up to them. She also spotted another dog walking by. Grace barked and bounced playfully as the dog circled three sides of the park fence, but alas, it moved on and out of sight. When we returned home at 8:35, Grace again started up with her ball.
I went out on the balcony. Grace joined me on the lounge chair five minutes later. At 9:00, Grace got down on the balcony floor. When I went inside at 9:45, Grace followed. By 9:55, she was curled up in the living room chair.
Thursday – Happy Birthday Grace!!!
At 6:45, the birthday girl lay on the loveseat as I came into the living room t greet her. We did tummy rubs and kisses. Just before we left, Betsy called Grace from the bedroom. Grace jumped up on the bed, and Betsy wished Grace a happy birthday. We left at 7:00. I thought Grace would head for her beach, but she breezed right past it.
Morning Expedition
There was a young lady with two young men enjoying the early morning sunshine. Grace barked (big-girl bark) at the lady as she lay in the grass. I really couldn’t figure out what concerned Grace about her, but after she greeted her, Grace was fine. We proceeded over I-40 and eventually into Umstead Park. Grace wanted to run and pulled the leash. I kept trying to train her to back off since I was concerned that she might further injure himself. After we investigated the cabins at Camp Crabtree, we turned around and headed back.
On the way, we met some joggers with a dog which was not pulling on the leash. I asked the jogger her secret. She said it was the pinch collar. I’d rather not do that with Grace. When we approached Grace Beach, there were two dogs there playing in the water. One looked like Grace. I couldn’t restrain her from that. She jumped in the water, played fetch, and played with the dogs. It was great fun!
Recharging
At 9:40, we returned home. Grace ate her breakfast and then took a nap on the loveseat. At 11:00, after barking at a dog outside, Grace disappeared. After searching for five minutes and including looking to see if she lie dead from a three-story leap to the lawn below, Grace lay peacefully in the bedroom between the window and the air filter.
At 12:30, as she heard me preparing my brunch, Grace emerged. She was limping slightly but not nearly as badly as earlier in the week. After lunch, Grace hopped up on the sofa to continue her nap.
Afternoon Exercise
By 2:30, Grace had had enough. It was time to go outside! I picked up some trash attached her leash to her collar, and headed down. I switched from using the harness to see if that might relieve the limping.
After dropping off the trash, Grace went to the dog park. There’s scant shade there, but Grace likes the freedom and the smells. At 3:15, she spotted a Pekingese puppy and barked wildly at it. We left the dog park and Grace approached the dog in her usual non-threatening manner. The dog was neither threatened nor playful. The owner was nice and commented positively about Grace.
Birthday Treat
About that time, Betsy appeared. We walked together to the pool area and hung out on an outdoor couch in a covered patio. Grace lay on the cool concrete floor as we enjoyed the cooling breeze on a hot day. At 4:30, we returned home and headed for Wendy’s. There Grace had some hamburger meat, French fries, and a small portion of a small Frosty. It was Grace’s birthday treat, and she enjoyed it.
Evening Fun
We then went to look at houses. Grace tagged along and enjoyed the walk. When we returned home at 7:00, Grace had a light supper followed by a dental chew. From there, we went to the balcony. At 8:15, Grace spotted a little dog playing fetch Weston One’s parking deck. We raced down and I drove Grace over there. By the time we arrived, they were gone. Grace and I played shortstop fetch for thirty-five minutes.
When we returned home, I made some popcorn and Grace satisfied her munchies. She then hopped up on the sofa and tried to sleep as Betsy and I analyzed to death house plans. I went to bed at 11:00.
Friday
At 7:20, I got up. Grace lay awake on the sofa. We greeted one another. Grace went out on the balcony. After five minutes, she complained about not going out for our walk. Chomp-chomp. Grace still had her limp. At 7:30, we went outside and to the dog park. After a half hour, Sadie joined her. Sadie is a sweet one-year-old rescue that looks like a small Golden Retriever. Sadie stayed for about ten minutes.
Fun Outside
Grace then went for a walk around the grounds. She met a little black dog named Peppers who was playful and knew how to play. She and Grace would have had a good time chasing and wrestling, but the person caring for Peppers, didn’t understand and did not have time to go to the dog park. Before we came home, Grace spotted a toy ball in the weeds. It was a fun size — a little bigger than a basketball. Grace batted it around and chased it, but before long, she punctured it with one of her sharp fangs, quickly deflating it.
Recovery Time
When she returned at 9:10, Grace had her breakfast. She then settled in on the living room chair for her morning nap. At 11:00 she moved to the sofa. Betsy applied ice to her shoulders for about twenty minutes. At 12:10, I made some brunch. Grace came marching in to let me know it was time for lunch. After lunch, she wanted more. I gave her a dental chew followed by a doggie treat. She then lay on the office carpet protector until 1:00 when she tried the balcony.
At 1:15, Grace came inside and lay on the mat at my feet. She worked carefully chewing and ripping it up. After a few minutes of busying herself, Grace collapsed into a nap. At 3:15, I got up and made a sandwich. Miss Grace walked in to see what she might bum off of me. She saw her dental chew there and proceeded with that. Afterwards, I gave her a doggie treat.
Feisty Encounter
At 3:30, Betsy took Grace outside and dropped off some trash at the dumpster. When they returned at 4:30, Betsy said that Grace played with two Jack Russell Terriers in the dog park. At one point one dog rubbed another the wrong way and and one of the Terrier’s reacted with snarls and growls. Grace took it in stride, but Betsy said Grace may be a bit wary of those dogs next time. Grace also met the two white poodles, but their owner was not interested in playing due to the heat. About ten minutes after they returned, Grace came out to the balcony to enjoy the breeze, the view and the cool concrete floor.
Playful Puppy
At 5:30, Betsy fed Grace her supper. She really missed playing fetch. She brought her balls to us so she could pay shortstop inside. After supper, I gave Grace chicken scraps for tricks. At 7:30, I went to storage and took Grace with me. Once there, Grace wanted to play shortstop. I did a very gentle version of it with her as I loaded and unloaded a few things. On the way back I stopped at the grocery store for five minutes while Grace waited in the car.
When we returned home at 8:30, Grace made a beeline for the dog park. After checking out the latest sniffs, Grace and I left the park to walk the grounds. After passing the pool area, Grace spotted her friend, Sadie, up on her second-floor corner balcony. They barked at each other and expressed their interest in playing. When we returned home at 8:45, Grace continued wanting to play. By 9:15, Grace stretched out on the sofa for the night as I did my work out on the balcony. At 11:00, I went to bed with Grace lying on the living room chair.
Saturday
I arose got out of bed at 7:20 and looked around the living room. I checked the floor, Grace was not there, looked carefully at the black furniture: chair, loveseat, and sofa. Grace was not there. I checked the kitchen and office. Grace was gone. Then I looked down by my chair at the living room. Grace looked up at me taking a break from dismembering her baseball.
Play Time
Grace determined that it was play time. she repeatedly dropped the ball at my feet to indicate my need to throw it her way to chase. Besides trying to limit the stress on Grace by being gentle with the play, we live on the third floor. Most of the floor is carpeted here with a layer of concrete below that, but a baseball has some mass that produces a thud when it hits the floor.
Morning Outing
After about ten minutes of play, we set out for our morning walk. The first stop was the trash bin. From there, Grace went to check out the dog park. After ten minutes, Grace completed her investigating all of the new smells and went to the park entrance. From there, we headed down to Grace Beach. While she found a ball, I would not play fetch with her. After about ten minutes of wading and exploring at the shore, we headed on.
About 100 yards down, Grace left her business in the grass. I cleaned it up and headed back to Grace Beach to the trash can that is there. From there, we proceeded down the greenway towards home and beyond. The big trick was to try to train her not to pull. She likes to go with a tight leash. I kept working on her. The collar works better than the harness, but it still was a challenge.
Morning Nap
When we returned home at 9:00, Betsy gave Grace her breakfast while I went running. When I returned, Grace was lying in the chair waiting expectantly for my return. After our greetings, she continued her nap. At 10:00, Grace moved across to the sofa to continue her nap.
Toy Taken
At 12:25 Grace got down and started playing with her baseball and tearing it apart. Betsy saw it and took it away from Grace giving her the impossible antlers (unsoaked). Grace tried for five minutes and gave up. She went into the office lay on the plastic floor protector, and sulked.
Listless Afternoon
At 2:30, she came into the kitchen. After she had her lunch she went to the balcony until 3:00. Then Grace returned to the dining room to work on the impossible antlers. After five minutes, she went to her toy box and picked a cardboard box. She then moved to chew on one of her small puppy toys. Betsy took that away from Grace claiming the stuffing might hurt her. Grace resigned herself to further napping on the sofa. I was surprised that the 2:30 to 3:30 window had passed without Grace grouching about being couped up in the house.
At:4:30, Betsy took Grace outside as I was coming up from the car. Grace was excited to see me, but we parted ways. When she returned at 5:00, she gave me and the repair man a tail-wagging greeting. Betsy fed her at 5:45, but she wanted more. Betsy gave her a dental chew.
Playing Shortstop
At 6:00, we ate supper. Grace wanted to play shortstop while we ate, while I cleaned up, and afterwards while I was on the laptop trying to get some work done. She loves that game. Since her activity has been severely restricted to help her limp to heal, she has greater need to play inside. I left her home alone at 7:50. Betsy returned home at 8:00.
New Friends
At 8:45, I returned and took Grace to the dog park. There she met a couple of miniature Dachshunds named Lucy and Rascal as well as a rescue hound mix about Grace’s size named Olivia. Olivia was a bit skittish, but knew how to play fetch, chase, and wrestle. Olivia’s owner threw the ball and of course, Grace chased it. She and Olivia also mixed it up. At 9:15, Grace returned home with her limp more noticeable. When I went to bed at 10:30, Grace was in the office with Betsy.