At 1:30, Grace was lying awake on her sofa. At 6:50, I got up, and we did tummy rubs and kisses with her on the living room chair. At 7:00, we set out to the dog park. The past few days, for some strange reason, when we reached the stairs, Grace stopped. At that point, I could nag her or give her tugs on the leash. This time, I waited for her to finally decide to go down.
Looking Backward
After a minute or so, we proceeded. It’s interesting and sort of cute too that when we go down the steps and reach a landing, Grace looks back at me repeatedly with an expression that seems like she says, “Is it okay to keep going down?” She does this almost exclusively on the stairs, and it’s not in response to any tugs or other wait indications that I give her.
Park Play
As usual, we were first to arrive at the park. We did our short walk outside first. Grace then brought a ball to me and dropped it to indicate she wanted me to play fetch with her. After about ten minutes, Beckham came in. He and Grace did a bit of chasing and wrestling. He left ten minutes later.
Next came Sadie. Both dogs were full of energy. From the start, they launched into chasing and wrestling and kept it up for about fifteen minutes. Shortly thereafter, Sadie left. Next came Olivia and Rascal. Grace had limited interaction with Olivia and mainly played fetch for Olivia’s owner and avoided the relentless, methodical approaches of Rascal. After ten minutes they left.
Zeke came next. After about fifteen minutes, he and Grace began to mix it up. Zeke is the most intense and strongest of the wrestlers. Grace is still trying to feel safe with his level of play, but she’s warming up to it. Typically, she rolls over on her back or runs under the bench for refuge when he gets too intense, but today she engaged him a little more in running hard and roughhousing.
Next came Abby. Grace and Abby mainly just played fetch as Abby’s caregiver tossed the balls. At 9:30, I had to leave, and we all packed up for the morning.
Rest and Recovery
When we returned home, Grace had her breakfast and curled up on the sofa to recover from all of her play time. We left for church at 10:10, leaving Grace home alone.
When we returned home at 12:30, Grace was still lying on the sofa where we left her. She had obviously been sleeping. She didn’t even bother to get her food after I gave her lunch. At 12:15, she moved to the living room chair.
Fresh Air
At 1:00, she finally got down, ate her food, and went out on the balcony. At 1:30, Grace came in from the balcony and went to the foyer to let me know she was ready to go out for her afternoon romp. At 2:40, Grace went back to the balcony to enjoy the cool fresh air.
Catching Up with Friends
At 3:00, she spotted Beckham at the park. We raced down there, but missed Beckham. Grace wanted to stay in the shade most of the time. We played some fetch and shortstop. After a few long fetches, Grace tired of it and just lie down in the shade. At 4:15, Betsy came up. She was not interested in watching Grace but was disagreeable, so I left her with Grace. They returned at 4:45.
At 5:00, she spotted Abby in the park. We raced down, but by the time we arrived, Abby was gone. Riley (a small, 10-year-old small German Shepherd mix) was there when Grace arrived. He was very interested in mating with Grace. He was neutered, so he wasn’t a threat but was agile, quick, and persistent. They never were able to wrestle or chase. At 5:20, we gave up and came home.
Grace immediately went out on the balcony. At 6:30, she spotted Abby and Beckham. We raced back down to the park again. They played fetch with Grace running along keeping a ball in her mouth. Before we left, we had Olivia, Rascal, Zeke, Sadie, Abby, Beckham, and Grace playing. Grace and Zeke got going some while Sadie and Abby paired off.
Evening Routine
When we returned home at 7:30, Grace had her supper followed by a treat and a dental chew. After I had my supper, we did tricks for treats, working on fetch object, and come through a shut door. She even worked on her own to latch an almost closed door. She performed surgery on her fox and gave me the squeaker to play fetch with it. Betsy threw away the squeaker to prevent Grace from choking on it.
At 8:15. Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair. At 9:15, she came in and stretched out on her sofa. At 9:30, we went out for the last time, returning ten minutes later. Grace again stretched out on her sofa for the night as I prepared for bed. There she remained ten minutes later when I retired for the night.
Monday
At 1:30, Grace was still on the sofa. When the alarm clock sounded at 6:40, I found Grace stretched out in the office on the carpet. At that point she wasn’t affectionate, but she perked up ten minutes later as Betsy and I lavished attention on her.
Morning Play
At 7:00. we left for Borador Park. It was empty, so we did our short walk. After taking Grace back there, I walked the rent payment over to the office. As I returned, I saw Grace sitting facing me and watching intently with her white hour-glass chest-shield shining in the morning light. Next, I refilled the water pail as Grace settled in to pick a favorite ball.
Within minutes, Grace headed for the entrance watching excitedly as her first friend approached. It was Sadie! While the gate was still open, there came Abby barrelling in behind her. The three dogs exploded into puppy play.
Sadie’s owner commented on the marked increase in energy of Grace. I noticed it the afternoon before. Grace’s reproductive engorgement continued to recede, but she was still swollen more than usual. Yesterday, I also noticed loose stools for no particular reason. My guess this also had something to do with the change in Grace’s hormones. This morning, things have already settled down. The other dogs still give her a lot of attention though, so something’s still going on with her.
Although Abby’s owner purchased four new squeaker balls for the playground just a few weeks ago. They have all now lost their ability to squeak. As I recall, these were Kong brand. Once Grace finished her high-energy roughhousing with Sadie, she settled in with her favorite ball to watch the action between Sadie and Abby.
After ten minutes, Sadie left, followed by Olivia and Rascal. Grace guarded her ball and Abby responded in temper tantrums, taking out her anger on the dog park. Abby left at 8:05. Grace followed. At home, Grace had her breakfast and retreated to relax on the balcony until the sun became too strong.
Recovery
At 9:15, Grace came in and looked at the living room chair that I had just vacated. I encouraged her to go ahead into it. She did. At 9:30, she moved to her sofa.
At 9:50, hammering started nearby. Grace perked up and looked at me. I told her it was okay. I took her next door to see the carpet installers nailing down tack strips. When we returned a minute later, Grace jumped up on the loveseat.
10:55 she was fast asleep, letting out a three cute dream-barks followed by some erratic movements of her upper lips to show her teeth. At 11:00, Grace had awakened and looked at me before drifting back for another round of napping.
At 11:30, Grace got up to give the sunny balcony another shot. Fifteen minutes later, she stood at the door panting to come in. After getting a drink, Grace headed for the foyer to lie down and cool off. At noon, I put some food in her bowl, but she didn’t budge.
At 12:20, I started making something for myself to eat. Grace came into the kitchen to make her presence very apparent. As I sat down to eat, Grace let out a single soft bark. I told her to wait. After the eggs had cooled, I put them in her bowl. She then ate them along with her dog food. When she finished and returned to the kitchen, I gave her a doggie treat.
At 12:55 Grace went back out on the balcony. A few minutes later, Grace spotted a little puppy in the park and gave her usual whimper. By the time I could spot the dog, it was already running on its way back home. At 1:10, Grace returned to the foyer to cool off.
Run, Relax, and Shopping
At 2:15, we left for our run. We ran to the other side of the lake along Interstate 40 and back home. We did not stop at Grace Beach since Grace was still on her leash. After her shower and treat, Grace went out on the balcony to watch the action. The pleasant temperature and afternoon shade suited Grace just fine.
At 3:30, as I cut a used peanut butter container in half, Grace came to the kitchen. After about twenty minutes of licking, Grace finished her treat and returned to the balcony. At 4:00, Grace went shopping with me. We went to a pet store to buy her a bag of food. She looked at rabbits and birds and asked for a treat at checkout which they gave her as we finished up.
I took her to the car and left her there for short stints at two grocery stores. We then stopped to get gas. Grace’s leash was off, but she instinctively jumped out. I caught her, grabbed the leash, and put it on her. After we finished, we headed home. As we passed the dog park, we saw friends!
I had to put up groceries, so Grace had to go to the apartment rather than see her friends. Once I hastily attended to the groceries, we raced down to play. The gang included Zeke, Abby, Olivia and Rascal. Grace mainly hung on to a choice ball although she did roughhouse for a minute or two with Zeke. Grace also had to keep evading the relentless stalking of Rascal. Ellie May came later but was more interested in being a lap dog than playing with friends.
Lonely Evening
When we returned home at 6:00, Grace had her supper. At 6:20, she spotted Sadie in the park. I had to tell her I couldn’t take her. We left for a performance at 6:30. On the way out, I yelled to Sadie’s owner that Grace was there in spirit.
When we returned at 9:00, Grace was on the floor between the dining room and kitchen — likely sleeping. She greeted us with wags and kisses. Betsy took her out at 9:10 and returned at 9:20. Grace came to the kitchen to let me know that she wanted more. We did tricks for treats. Betsy was very impressed at how effortlessly Grace navigates through doors.
I noticed Grace’s dog tag was missing. Given that it was fastened with a metal ring, I was puzzled how it came off. Betsy printed Grace’s name and our phone number on her collar. At 10:00 Grace jumped up on her sofa to go to bed. I followed fifteen minutes later.
Tuesday
At 5:10, Grace was awake on the floor in front of her sofa. When I greeted her in the dark, she moved up to the living room chair. At 6:50, the alarm clock sounded. I got up to find Grace lying on the floor outside the kitchen. We did a little session of tummy rubs and kisses. At 7:00, as we headed out, Betsy greeted Grace. That perked her up. She jumped up and enthusiastically licked my face.
Social Director
No dogs had arrived at the park when we passed by, but a few minutes later Olivia and Rascal showed up. Rascal continued his relentless pursuit of Grace. A few minutes later, Sadie came in with Abby close behind. First Abby and Sadie played while Grace guarded her prized ball. Olivia and Rascal left after about ten minutes. After fifteen minutes, Grace finally dropped the ball and joined in the rough play with Sadie. All three enjoyed some good exercise.
After Sadie left, a new dog showed up. She’s a year-old playful rescue Labradoodle mix named Lucy. She’s not as fast as Grace, Abby, Beckham, or Sadie, and she’s a little less aggressive in her play. She became the rabbit that Grace and Abby stalked and (playfully and lightly) mauled. After ten minutes Lucy left.
Grace returned to guard her ball, while Abby tried to engage Grace and ripped up more landscaping cloth from beneath the wood chips. At 8:00, Abby left and Grace followed.
Refresh and Relax
When we returned home, Grace went out on the balcony. Despite the sunshine, the cool 55-degree temperature was enough to keep her comfortable.
She came in at 8:35, walked by her breakfast and jumped up in the living room chair. After a lot of soft whimpering, at 9:00 Grace got down from the chair, ate all of her breakfast, and moved to her sofa for her morning nap.
Running Free Again
At 9:45, we left for Borador Pond Park. This was the first day since her heat cycle started that I allowed Grace to run free there. A young couple reached the park just before us. I asked them if they were okay with Grace running free. They said they were dog people and were happy to share the park with her. Grace enjoyed running ahead of them and behind me to accompany all of us.
Our next stop was the attorney’s office to sign some papers. After fifteen minutes, I returned to find Grace in the drivers seat, waiting and watching for me. When I opened the door to get in, she moved to the passenger’s seat.
Deja Vu
Finally, we stopped at the apartments where Grace grew up. She recognized the place and was excited to be there. We stopped in the clubhouse for about five minutes and returned to the car. I wondered if Grace would want to stick around and walk the grounds. While she hesitated a moment, she jumped into the car and moved on.
Waiting Patiently
When we came home at noon, Grace went to the balcony. After a few minutes, I called her to the bathroom for her shower. After her shower and a doggie treat, Grace went to the balcony. At 12:15, I put her lunch in her dish. At 12:30, she came in and ate it. Then she proceeded into the kitchen to remind me to be sure to save her some scrambled eggs. When they cooled, I gave her some.
At 2:15, I left for my haircut appointment. When I returned at 3:15, Grace went out on the balcony. At 3:40, she came in to the foyer.
Park Play
At 3:50, Grace went to the park. She thought we were headed for the lake, but I directed her the other way. The Bernese Mountain Dog came to the park for the first time. Grace greeted her, but there wasn’t much play between them. When Abby came in, Abby tried to assert herself with the new dog. The Bernese would have none of that. She stood her ground, growled softly, and showed her teeth. Abby backed down.
More dogs filed in including new Lucy, Reggie, Zeke, Sadie, Olivia, and Rascal. The play went about as expected with Sadie and Abby mixing it up the most. When things became a bit heated, Lucy’s owner decided she had enough. Reggie relentlessly pursued Grace, who was still attracting male attention.
Lobster Treat
At 5:20, we returned home. Grace went to the balcony. I filled her dish with her supper. When she came in at 5:45, she ate her supper. At 6:00, we went to Bonefish Grille for their lobster special. The server brought Grace water for her bowl. Grace was very well behaved, waiting patiently for what I would give her. She had small scraps of bread and pieces of lobster. After supper she lay on the sidewalk calmly.
When we returned home at 7:00, Grace went straight to the balcony. At 7:40, Grace came in and found an empty water dish. I told her to wait and filled her bowl. After quenching her thirst, Grace came into the kitchen for a treat. After a treat, Grace had a dental chew. When she finished she played tug with Betsy.
Learning Games
Grace came after me. We did tricks for treats. Grace worked on opening the door. After that Grace wanted to play fetch followed by tug and fetch. At 8:30, she was scratching me too much. I decided we will go to Grace Beach tomorrow, soften up her nails and grind them down. Grace went to the door where we practice opening and closing the door.
At 8:45, I took Grace out for the last time. When we returned at 8:55, Grace jumped up on her sofa and stretched out for the night. I went to bed at 9:15.
Wednesday
At 4:10 AM, Grace was awake on the sofa. I stroked her on the head before going back to bed. Betsy heard Grace making a popping sound at 6:20. Betsy investigated and found nothing, so she opened the balcony door to let her go outside.
Ready to Play
At 6:25, the alarm sounded. Betsy called Grace to the bedroom. Grace came and jumped up on her side of the bed. She greeted me with lavish wags and kisses. After ten minutes, Grace returned to the living room. As I was in the bathroom, Grace sat outside and tried to use her door opening ability to come in. Because the door was latched, she couldn’t move it. When I finished, I opened the door to find Grace waiting for me.
We left for the park at 6:55. When we arrived, the park was empty so we went for a short walk first. About five minutes after we returned to the park, Abby came in. Lucy was next followed by Reggie and Sadie. The major activity was between Abby and Sadie, but Lucy joined the play and to a lesser extent, Grace. Reggie pursued Grace. Olivia and Rascal followed. Rascal continued stalking Grace as Grace seemed to try to ignore him.
The dogs filed out about as quickly as they came in. By 7:35, all had left but Grace. Beckham was next about ten minutes later. He didn’t stay long because he too was just trying to hop on Grace. At 7:50, we left the park and made a large circle around the main complex.
Usual Routine
When we returned home at 8:00, Grace went to the balcony. Five minutes after I put her breakfast out, she ate it and then returned to the balcony lounge chair. Grace enjoyed the pleasant 60-degree morning air despite the sunshine. At 8:30, she came in and jumped up on the living room chair. By 8:45, she was fast asleep.
At 10:00 Grace moved to her sofa. At 10:25, we left for a run in the park. At 11:25, we returned home. Grace had her shower followed by a doggie treat. She jumped up on the loveseat.
Home Alone
I told her I was going bye-bye and to be a good girl. When I returned at 1:15, Grace was still there. At 1:25, I left for another meeting. When I returned at 4:00, Grace was both happy to see me and a bit disgusted that she had missed her afternoon romp. We went out immediately.
Outside at Last!
We first stopped to pick up a package and get a treat. Grace now knows they have treats in the office and she gets one when we stop there. By the time we made it to the park, Suki, the Bernice Mountain Dog, was there along with the toddler and his mother. Grace licked the toddler’s face. He giggled. The heat was too much for Suki so he had to leave.
Other dogs that came in during the afternoon were Abby, Reggie, Sadie, Zeke and Beckham — in that order. Reggie continued his pursuit of Grace, but with a little less intensity. Grace mainly focused on hanging on to her ball and trying to stay in the shade to stay cool. She did a bit of fetching but wasn’t particularly interested in high-energy play in the heat.
Mental Stimulation
Grace returned home at 6:00 and went straight to the balcony. At 6:30 she moved to the foyer. Then her energy clock ticked on. At 6:50, she got up, stretched and headed for the kitchen. I gave Grace her supper. While we ate supper, Grace played fetch with puppy. When we finished eating, Grace wanted to do tricks for treats. She did fetch object with four objects perfectly. Then she did her favorite of tugging a rope to open the door. It’s very impressive.
Grace played tug and fetch with me until 8:40. We went out for the last time at 8:50 and returned fifteen minutes later. As I went to the kitchen Grace came in and just gave me a look. I gave her doggie treat. As I ate a snack, Grace lay under the table. At 9:15, Grace jumped up on the sofa and went to sleep.
Thursday
At 1:30, Grace was still on the sofa. I petted her a few times before returning to bed. At 6:50, when I got up, Grace was on floor in front of her sofa. She got up and happily greeted Betsy and me as we lavished affection on her. Betsy said she reminded her of Grace’s very sweet mother. When we arrived at the park, it was empty. We took a very short walk before Grace insisted on returning.
Fresh Morning Air
Sadie came in followed by Olivia and Rascal. Olivia and Rascal stayed only a few minutes. Grace and Sadie had about five minutes of high-intensity running and roughhousing before stopping as suddenly as they started. Both focused more on balls that usual. Before they started round two, Sadie had to leave.
After playing a little fetch, Grace left the park and went home at 8:10. Along the way, Grace did a little grazing — enjoying some select tender and sweet blades of grass. As we approached the elevator, a pit bull came up from behind. I spoke the word danger to her to let her know this was not a social dog. When we returned home at 8:15, Grace went to the balcony to enjoy the morning air and watch the activity below.
At 8:20, she had her breakfast before returning to the balcony. At 8:30, Grace came in and since I was in the living room chair she went t the sofa. At 9:15, Grace got up, had a drink and move to the now vacant living room chair to continue her nap. At 10:00, it was back to the sofa.
Having a Balll
At 11:40, we left for our run in the park. As we got out of the car, Grace found a tennis ball. On the second lap, Grace met a three-year-old and her grandmother and was her bubbly self. She even jumped up on the picnic table to be closer to them. The girl had a pretty pink ball about one-half her height. The girl wanted to throw it to Grace and Grace was anxious to play with it. Grace has popped too many of those things, so we passed on that.
I called Grace to follow me and picked up the tennis ball. We did our normal routine. When we passed the girl and grandmother, I threw the ball to divert Grace’s attention forward. The next lap I risked it. Grace didn’t disturb them. On the final two, as we approached them, I leashed Grace — just to be sure. As we finished up, a couple of new dogs came in. Neither they nor their owner looked anxious for them to play.
Relaxing at Home
Grace jumped into the car, and we travelled home. At 11:50, we arrived, and Grace took her shower. After her shower and treat Grace wanted more. I gave her a Kong with her food and some peanut butter.
After my eggs had cooled, I gave her some. She came back again as I cleaned up in the kitchen. I gave her another loaded Kong followed by a dental chew. At 2:00, she finally gave up and stretched out on the sofa for her nap.
Freestyle Swim
At 3:10, we left for Grace Beach. This was the first day there off of the leash in almost two weeks. Her genital swelling continues to subside, and male dogs are calming down around her — although still in pursuit of her.
Grace enjoyed swimming for a stick tossed into the deep. She repeatedly retrieved it and brought it to me for more. One time, she lost track of it and swam to the left. After she was about 15 yards left, I shouted to her and pointed in the correct direction. She turned, swam directly to it, and brought it back.
I’ll mark this as a milestone for understanding pointing from a long distance. I really need to teach her left and right. She also enjoyed playing shortstop — occasionally getting into the Border Collie crouch in anticipation of my throw.
Grinding Claws
When we returned home at 4:10, Grace had her bath followed by a treat. After that, I pulled out the grinder and worked on her front claws. The left side was difficult, but she put up with it.
Grace was even more difficult with the right side. The only thing that seemed to get me through it was stopping and letting her rest a minute when she lost her tolerance for it. After she calmed down, I proceeded. After a struggle, the ordeal was finally over. I gave Grace a treat and she went out on the balcony to watch for friends.
Play with Friends
At 4:50, Grace saw Zeke in the park. We headed out. Grace found the favorite ball and guarded it carefully. Abby came next followed by Sadie. The interest was almost entirely in balls. The small former squeaky ball, new less than two weeks ago, was the prize. Grace managed to hang on to it most of the time.
Betsy came up at about 5:40. When we left at 6:00, Betsy took Grace for a short walk before heading home. When they returned, she said that Grace was limping. I hadn’t noticed much, but perhaps she had pulled something during the claw trimming struggle we had a couple of hours earlier. Grace returned to the balcony to watch and nap.
Active Evening
At 6:30, Betsy gave Grace her heartworm medicine. Grace came in and went to the foyer to relax and stay cool there. As we ate at 6:45, it was odd to me that Grace did not come over and try to get us to play with her while we ate. When we finished, Betsy went over to her to check her out. Despite bright lights, Betsy said she thought Grace’s pupils were dilated.
Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. After that she did tricks for treats. We ended up with her favorite which is to open the door on the side where she uses the rope to tug it. I started working on teaching her to close the door. We haven’t made much progress on that yet. When we finished, I played tug with her using the fox toy. After five minutes, she went back out on the balcony.
At 8:00, I made a snack before bed. Grace came marching in. I gave her a doggie treat. She wanted more. I gave her a Kong toy with kibble in it. Finally, Grace shredded an empty box. At 8:20, Grace returned to the balcony lounge chair.
At 9:20, we went out for the last time. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went out on the balcony. I called her in at 9:45. She got up on the living room chair and curled up. I went to bed five minutes later.
Friday
At 4:30, Grace was lying awake on the floor by her toy box. At 7:00, I got up and saw no dogs at the park. A few minutes later, I spotted Sadie at the park. We rushed down, but as we approached, we could see them returning to their apartment.
Park Play
A few minutes after we arrived, Abby lumbered in. Grace found the prized ball and guarded it. I washed the ball to get the dirt and slime form it. When I finished, I gave it back to Grace. She still had the same affinity for it. I finally figured out the attraction of the special ball is that the dog can chomp down on it and it gives. My theory is that we need to puncture a hole in tennis balls to make them more fun.
I cleaned some more of the balls and brought them back. Olivia and Rascal came in for a few minutes and left. Grace guarded her ball and Abby tried to sneak in and grab it from her. Grace never let her have it. Abby chomped to take one of them. She got my finger, leaving a bruise but not an open wound. She didn’t want the balls I washed and again went for Grace’s ball. Abby left at 8:00, but Grace was not ready to leave.
Grace wanted to play. We played shortstop for ten minutes. We practiced her catching longer and longer throws. A month or so ago, she was limited to catching a toss a few feet away. Now, if the toss is on target or a line drive, she can catch from ten to fifteen feet away. This is another milestone.
Each time I tried to get her leash and take her home, Grace would pick up the ball and toss it at my feet. She was not ready to stop. I tried every five minutes until 8:30. At that point, I insisted despite her promptings to the contrary. I took the prized ball again to the car wash to clean it off and carefully placed it back in the park to dry off in the sun.
Lots of Stops
When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went to the balcony for five minutes and then came in to eat her breakfast. After breakfast, Grace curled up for a nap in the living room chair. At 9:40, Grace moved to her sofa to continue her nap.
At 11:45, we headed out. The temperature was 82 degrees and climbing. The sun was shining brightly. It would be a bit tough with all of the places we needed to stop. On the way out, I met our new neighbor. They were headed downstairs and offered to help me carry my four packages and help with Grace.
The new neighbor took Grace, who followed her on the leash beautifully. She commented on how well behaved Grace was and marvelled at her young age. We headed to the post office first. Grace waited patiently for the five-minute stop.
Next we went to the park. The men were mowing the grass again. I leashed Grace when we came near the mowers and removed the leash when we passed them. I’ll mark this as a milestone. I was able to call her reliably to leash her each of the six times around.
Our next stop was the self-storage where we have some of our things. I picked up a box to bring home while Grace lay peacefully in the shade on the pavement. After fifteen minutes, we moved on. The air conditioner in the car was a bit limited, so Grace moved down to the passenger floor by the vent to stay cool.
We stopped at the land next. The excavator’s equipment was there, but no work had been done. Snoopy never showed up. I took three tennis balls from the excavation area and moved them under a bench away from it. I walked Grace around the lot to familiarize her with the boundaries. Grace stayed on the lot and came to the car when I called her.
Our cordless phone batteries were getting weak. Our last stop was Wal-Mart for about five minutes to pick up some replacements. I parked the car in the shade, raced in, grabbed the batteries, used self-checkout to pay and returned to find Grace waiting as patiently as usual.
Our final stop was the bank. Sometimes I took Grace for a walk there and she scavenged food. Today though it was hot, and I had a lot to do. I was also tempted to take her inside with me. The spot that I went to is isolated from the main office area. I could have taken her. After less than ten minutes, I finished, returned, and headed home.
Filling Up
When we returned home at 2:15, Grace took her shower followed by a treat and her breakfast. As I fixed my food, Grace stretched out on the kitchen floor. When I finished eating, Grace had her ration of my scrambled eggs. As I cleaned up, Grace wanted more.
I told Grace to fetch her Kong. She brought it and dropped it on the kitchen floor. I filled it with her kibble and topped it off with peanut butter. That satisfied her need to work for her food. When she finished, Grace went back out on the balcony to watch for friends.
Friends
At 4:45, Grace saw Zeke at the park. We rushed down to start afternoon with friends. Before we arrived Zeke left, but Olivia, Rascal, and little Lucy came in. The favorite ball that I had so carefully washed and set out to dry in the morning was now gone. I need to bring an awl with me the next time I go to make the balls more fun for play by poking holes in them.
Little Lucy’s owner brought a Chuck-It! ball and launcher but left it outside the fence. Grace saw it and tried to get it. After about ten minutes, I told her to leave it. She then opted for the next best ball in the place. She played fetch with me a little but had to watch out for Abby’s cheating moves.
Grace took her ball under the bench. Abby eventually went under, bit Grace’s lip, ignored Grace’s squeal, and started a fight. This time, Grace didn’t back down to Abby but got up and lunged at Abby with a fierce show of her teeth. Abby was taken aback by Grace’s response.
Grace and Abby both left the park. We went to the office to pick up a package and get a “treat.” When we returned, Abby was there. They started to mix it up, but the chemistry wasn’t there or it was too hot. Betsy came up a few minutes later. She tries to intervene whenever the play gets a little rough-looking. I left Grace with Betsy at the park at 5:45.
Food and Fun
When they returned at 6:15, Betsy gave Grace her dinner. Grace went out on the balcony. Betsy had some leftover hamburger from lunch which she fed to Grace out there. At 7:00, while we ate our supper, Grace played fetch with a ball. After supper, Grace came to the kitchen. Betsy wondered what Grace wanted. I told her it was time for tricks for treats.
Today was a banner day! She achieved two big milestones with her tricks. The first milestone was the elusive fetch object task. She gets it now and performed it perfectly the two times we tried with different orders of four objects. The second was the tug and push commands related to opening and closing a door.
Grace did her usual tug to open and come and push to open and come from the other direction. She really enjoys it — perhaps because it is such a useful thing to learn. The new milestone came next. I need to get her to shut and latch the door also. I stood with her on the side of the door that requires a push to open. It requires a tug to close. I draped the rope around the door knob to bring it to that side.
At 7:55, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to enjoy the cool air and oversee the Friday night activity. At 8:45, she came in and went to the foyer. We went out for the last time and returned at 8:55. After some affection from Betsy, Grace went back out on the balcony lounge chair. At 10:00, Grace came inside and jumped up on her sofa for the night.
Saturday
At 4:00, Grace was lying on her sofa awake. I gave her a pat on the head. At 6:45, I got up and found Grace on the living room floor. We exchanged morning greetings with tummy rubs and kisses.
Social Director
At 7:10, we left for the park. Grace was there first. Then came Abby followed by Olivia and Rascal. I washed all of the balls and punctured all except the one that belonged to little Lucy. After Olivia and Rascal left, new Lucy came in.
The dogs still seemed to go for a most popular ball. Lucy, Grace, and Abby mixed it up for about five minutes. Otherwise, the activity centered around getting and keeping the best ball. Lucy, Grace, and Abby left at 8:10.
Going to a Parade
When Grace returned home, she went out on the balcony. She ate her breakfast and jumped up on the living room chair. At 8:30, she moved to her sofa. We left her home alone at 8:45.
When we returned at 11:40, Grace greeted us with wags and kisses. After she ate her lunch we took her on our afternoon trip to the Parade of Homes. Our travel time was about 35 minutes. Grace rode in the back curled up on the floor. When we arrived, I left Grace locked in the car with the air conditioning running and the window cracked open.
Grace could see us go into the house and barked some — not understanding why she couldn’t join us. After quickly touring the house, I released Grace from her prison and walked her around the house. We drove to the next house around the corner. Again, Grace stayed in the air conditioned car alone, but this time it was only for a few minutes as I saw nothing particularly interesting there.
We walked to the third house. There, Grace greeted people as they came in as Betsy or I hung out on the rocking chair with her on the front porch as the other went in. The people loved Grace as they went in and left. After I switched off with Betsy, she took Grace to the screened porch around back. There, Grace met our builder’s family. The builder said that Grace was actually attracting business and that he was concerned that he would have to hire her.
We took the car back around the corner to the final house. There, Grace hung out in the screened-in porch for fifteen minutes calmly relaxing on the deck floor. Then she barked a few times. The real estate agent asked us to leave. He didn’t realize we were his boss’ clients. If he had, he likely would have been more tolerant. When his colleague figured out who we might be, she said she wanted to meet Grace. We eventually found Grace and Betsy cooling off in the car.
Last Stop
Finally, we moved on to the appliance dealer for Betsy to look at appliance options. Grace and I stayed outside in the shade. Grace rolled around, rubbing her back in the lush green grass. She also lay along the busy four-lane road watching the busy traffic.
After a few minutes of that, I took her to a less dangerous place. Eventually, we retreated to the air conditioned car. At 5:05 we headed home.
Playing with Friends!
When we returned home at 5:30, Abby, Sadie, Olivia, and Rascal were in the park. The gang was there without their social director. Grace raced to meet them. After being cooped up most of the day, Grace was ready to mix it up. She ran with Sadie and Abby and wrestled with Sadie.
Unfortunately, after five minutes, Sadie had to leave. The play reverted back to trying to keep Abby from stealing Grace’s ball. At 6:00, the dogs left. As I was walking Grace, Betsy came out and took Grace back to the park while she studied.
Sundowning
They returned home at 6:30. Grace went to the balcony. I gave her supper. She came in. At at 7:00, she wanted more. I gave her some cheese, a doggie treat, and finally a mammoth dental chew. After fifteen minutes, Grace polished that off.
By then, we had finished our supper. Grace did some tricks for chicken scraps. Then we did our new open and close door tricks. Grace wanted to play more. We worked on fetch object. Next, she still wanted to do fetch puppy. She even brought it out to me on the balcony a few times.
By 8:30, she started to wind down and lay on the balcony at my feet. At 9:20, we went outside for the last time. At 9:30, we returned. Grace let me know her water bowl was empty and then came to the kitchen to ask for more. She had a doggie treat. She wanted more. I told her to fetch Kong. She did. I loaded it for her. When she finished it, she presented it to me again. I loaded it again.
Grace has achieved two more milestones. The first has started appearing the last month or so. When she feels threatened, the fur stands up behind her shoulders and in front of her tail. Also, I can now declare that Grace favors her right paw, making her a “righty.” At 10:15, I went to bed.