Sunday
Grace got up at 6:30. I took her out at 6:45. She found a discarded hash brown or fish square and ate that. The weather was below freezing and snow continued to blanket the ground. I wish I had my camera for this one. Grace stood on the rise above the south pond on the vacant lot. It was blanketed in snow. Grace’s sleek black silhouette punctuated the scene as she stood confidently overlooking the serene landscape.
When we returned at 8:00, Grace ate her breakfast (one cup). At 9:20, I spotted Olive below as Grace slept on the ottoman. Grace and Olive played chase, wrestled, and ate snow for about a half hour. We left for church at 10:10. At 12:40, we returned home.
While we ate at 1:00, Grace began to whine near the foyer. Betsy concluded that Grace needed to go outside. I didn’t think so and told her to wait. Grace persisted. When I finished eating at 1:30, I took her out. It turned out that she did need to go. We returned home at 2:00.
Fun in the Park
At 2:45, Betsy took Grace to the park. They returned at 3:45. Betsy said she saw Grace holding up one paw. She inspected it, found a thorn, and removed it. Despite the freezing weather, Grace was not shy about jumping into the pond. I was on the floor doing paperwork. Grace was very happy to see me. She licked me on my face to greet me. We gave her a shower to clean her off.
Playing with Olive
At 5:10, Betsy noticed Olive outside. We were on the telephone and Grace was sleeping on the ottoman. I got up and started to get ready. Grace went out on the balcony and obviously sensed that Olive had been around. She became anxious. I took her outside, but we never found Olive. Grace went to the Cary Christian Academy. Afterward, we went to the south woods for lots of exploring.
Winding Down
At 6:15, we returned. Betsy fed Grace supper (three-quarter cup). She then relaxed on the dining room floor and watched Betsy prepare dinner. After dinner, Grace wanted to do tricks for treats. We worked on all of her tricks including selective fetch. Grace rested until I took her outside at 8:45.
When we returned at 9:00, Grace curled up on her sofa with Betsy. We went to bed at 11:10. Grace joined us shortly thereafter.
Monday
Grace got up at 6:45 and left for outside at 7:00. The it was a clear, cold 19 degrees. The temperature didn’t phase Grace. Olive was outside, so we played with her for about twenty minutes. We warmed up my car after exploring for a while. Grace said good-bye to Betsy as she headed for work. She then proceeded to explore the south woods. At 8:30, we came in, and Grace had her breakfast (one cup).
At 10:30, I left to visit Mom, leaving Grace home alone. I returned at 12:10. Grace had lunch (one-half cup).
Afternoon Play
At 12:15 Fraggle called. Grace and Fraggle played for an hour. We went to the park for a run at 2:15. There was a teenage boy there fishing. I was able to call Grace off at least to some extent. We returned home at 3:30. I gave Grace a quick bath. She then took a nap.
Fraggle called to play at 5:00, but I didn’t make it out with Grace until 5:30. They had a good time playing down in the obstacle course in the east woods. They had a good time streaking through the puddles, over down trees and through the brush. It was fun to watch then hide behind brush and then peek up to spy each other. When Grace returned, she was dirty again, so she took another bath.
Making It Through the Evening
Grace curled up on the ottoman. At 7:00, Grace played tug the sock with me for about twenty minutes. She then stretched out on the carpet until 8:30. Betsy popped some popcorn. Grace came to me to sweetly ask for some. I gave her about half of my small bowl. Afterward, again Grace played sock tug with me for a few minutes before trying Betsy for popcorn. After that didn’t work, she curled up on the ottoman and tried to unwind.
We finally made it to bed at 10:00. Grace was on the sofa when I went to bed. She joined us some time later.
Tuesday
Grace got up at 6:30. We went outside at 6:45. After exploring the south woods briefly, we came up and spotted Olive. Grace and Olive played for thirty minutes. Grace then went down to the east woods. She looked cute taking that three-legged stance and peering through the brush and reeds. That stance with one front paw raised I suppose started about six weeks ago. I’ll log it now as a milestone.
Grace had slogged through a fair amount of mud down there. As we approached the apartment, Grace said good-bye to Betsy. We went inside at 8:10 and straight to the bathtub. After a quick shower, Grace had breakfast (one cup). She then curled up on the ottoman for a nap.
Something Different
It was supposed to rain later in the day, so I decided to go running early. We left at 9:10. Grace still found some snow and ice to eat along the way. As usual, she enjoyed the run and showed off her boundless energy. When we returned at 10:00, I had Grace wait in the car. At 10:15, we left to look at a rental property. I ended up forgetting her leash, but it really didn’t matter. Grace enjoyed exploring the 1.5 acre lot and the little house in the woods. The house was empty, but somehow she found a tennis ball inside. I think she would enjoy living there, but I’m not sure I could.
When we returned at 11:00, Grace took a quick shower. After her shower, she napped on the ottoman. She had lunch (one-half cup) at 12:00. At 12:45, Grace went out to play with Fraggle. They played for an hour. Then Olive came by. A group of three dogs does not work nearly as well for play. Olive left after fifteen minutes. I gave Grace a full shower when we returned. She curled up on the ottoman for a couple hours before moving to her sofa.
Sundowning
At 5:15, Grace told me she wanted her supper. I fed her three-quarter cup. After supper, she wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. Then we played fetch and tug with the sock toy. As I ate my dinner, Grace let me know she would like some pork. I told her to wait. She responded by lying down. When I finished, I gave her a piece of my pork portion while we practiced tricks. After that she wanted to do tricks for treats. We worked on them for about fifteen minutes. She didn’t really let up until 8:00.
Grace went out at 8:45. She returned at 9:05, curled up on her sofa and went to sleep. I don’t know what time she joined us, but at 11:50 she was in bed with us.
Wednesday
Various stress items had me up three times during the night. Grace didn’t budge until 6:30. I gave her tummy rubs and she washed herself. She got up at 6:45. We left at 7:00. Exploring on the leash—especially in the woods—was quite a challenge. I did my best to manage the constraint without choking her. She said good morning to one of the two little dogs that live on the first floor below us.
Restricted Play
We met up with Fraggle and then Jack. Three dogs all on the leash was pretty unmanageable. Grace wrestled a little with Fraggle, but neither dog was too interested in the arrangement. As we climbed the stairs at 8:30, we spotted Olive. We descended back down and did some gentle wrestling with her. At 8:45, we returned home. Grace ate breakfast (one cup). Grace curled up on the ottoman until 9:15.
Skin Irritation
She then got down and scratched her right side behind her front leg. I told her “tummy” as she lay on the floor by the balcony doors. She understood. Her skin looked dry and irritated in that area. I was unable to find any fleas. I put some anti-bacterial ointment on her irritated area. Grace then proceeded to give herself a full shower. By the way, we do not use soap for these showers—only water.
Mid-Pond Run
At 11:30, we left for the park. Grace ran after some ducks in the smaller of the two ponds. She continued into the water more than half way across. Despite the distance, she did not need to swim to make the course. We returned at 12:30. Grace had a shower and then lunch (one-half cup). At 12:50, I left in a hurry. That included leaving cabinet doors open and chairs out, allowing her to easily get on the table. I also left the door to the storage area open. I returned at 3:30. Grace disturbed nothing. As I entered, I saw her lying on her sofa. She’s a wonderful little dog.
Late Afternoon Activity
I took Grace downstairs for about a half hour. I expected a phone call on my land phone, so I needed to stray no farther than the courtyard area. Grace didn’t understand but reluctantly complied. We returned upstairs at 4:00. I ate a late lunch. Grace lay under the table and fell asleep. At 5:30, Grace had supper (three-quarter cup). After supper, she worked on a dental chew. She still wanted more, so we did “tricks for treats.”
Sundowning
At 6:25, Betsy arrived with groceries. Grace and I went down to meet her and help bring up groceries. While we ate, Betsy gave Grace a sweet potato treats. Betsy at some peanut butter Girl Scout Cookies. When she finished, she loaded up a Kong with peanut butter and dog treats. Grace enjoyed working on that for twenty minutes. Grace, having had less play than usual, was a bit listless. She brought me the sock toy and we played tug and fetch with it for about a half hour.
At 8:45, Grace gave me repeated chomping gestures. She wanted to go outside. We met up and played again with Fraggle for about a half hour. Grace returned home at 9:30, curled up on her sofa, and went to sleep. As far as I know she stayed there during the night.
Thursday
Grace joined us in bed at 5:00. The morning comes earlier now, so Grace got up with her characteristic stretching out of the bed move at 6:30. Grace immediately found a discarded chocolate drink with mini-marshmallows. That captivated her attention for twenty minutes as she completely cleaned it out. Grace traveled the west woods, south woods, and the east woods. As we headed down the railroad tracks, I thought that Grace might go to Manard Road, but she turned back abruptly when she heard a dog barking. As we were heading home, we met Olive. Grace and Olive played for thirty minutes.
We returned home at 8:45. Grace had breakfast (one cup). She then settled in for a morning nap in the sunshine by the balcony doors. At 10:00, she went to the balcony for ten minutes. At 10:15, she grabbed the very hard antler and started to work on it. In recent weeks, she had begun to make slight progress with the antler.
Goose Adventure
I left Grace alone at 10:40 and returned at 12:30. After feeding her lunch (one-half cup), I took her outside. We explored the grounds in front of Cary Christian Academy and the adjacent woods. We then traveled to the south pond. There I spotted a dead goose in the middle of the pond. I pointed to it and told Grace to fetch. Then I threw a stick next to it and told Grace to fetch it. She went within ten feet of it but then returned back. We moved to the other side of the pond. I used another stick to direct her to fetch. She went all the way up to the goose but then turned around without the prize and came back. Oh well, at least I tried.
Fun at the Park
We came back upstairs at 2:00. I left Grace in the foyer since she had pond water on her. After getting the car key, we went back downstairs to go for a run at the park. Grace had her usual fun time chasing birds and catching up with me. When I returned to the car, Grace watched me, but stayed put. I whistled. She came immediately. We made it back home at 3:30. Fraggle broke loose and came running to greet Grace. We went inside, and I gave Grace her shower. While I prepared lunch, Grace wanted something. I gave her a chicken and sweet potato treat.
Evening
Grace then contentedly napped. This is unusual, because the nap has extended to dark and she still hasn’t had her supper. At 6:30, I finally disturbed her and gave Grace her supper (three-quarter cup). That was enough to kick her into sundowning. She wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. After that, she wanted more. Betsy gave her a chicken sweet potato treat. Grace continued with her chomp routine (first called silent bark). I switched into tricks for treats. After that, I had to retreat to the bedroom to study.
Phone Bark
The phone then rang at 7:20. We talked to our grandson and daughter-in-law. Grace wanted attention. Betsy gave Grace her Kong with peanut butter to work on. When she finished that, she started back up. I invited her to the bed with me but after a few minutes she heard the dog bark on the other end of the phone. She got down off of the bed. At 9:00, I took Grace outside. We returned home at 9:15. I went to bed at 9:40. I assume Grace hung out in the office.
Friday
At 6:00, Grace slowly slid off of the bed. At 6:10, Grace started her chomp routine. I got up immediately and we went outside at 6:15. There was no urgent need. Later I noticed that Betsy’s cell phone was beeping from low power. Perhaps that’s what got her going early. Maybe it was from lack of puppy play yesterday, or maybe she saw a friend outside. I really don’t know. Grace curled up on the ottoman. At 9:00, Grace looked straight at me and then moved to her sofa. Twenty minutes later, she moved to the floor by the balcony doors. At 9:45, we left for a run in the park. We returned at 10:30.
Late Lunch
I left to go to Sunrise at 10:50. Grace was home alone. When I returned at 1:30, Grace greeted me. She expressed her displeasure with having her lunch delayed with her chomp action. I fed her (one-half cup). Grace curled up on the ottoman until 2:30. I spent about an hour on the phone with different business items. Grace brought her sock toy to play tug and fetch while I talked. Then she moved to her sofa.
We went down to the mailbox at 3:00 and returned at 3:10. Grace again worked on me with the tug and fetch routine while I continued with phone work and afterward. At 5:05, she chomped the air to let me know that it was her supper time. Grace had her supper (three-quarter cup) but wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. She worked on that for a half hour. As we prepared to eat, Grace urged us to play tug and fetch. As we ate, Grace became impatient. I told her we will be going for a ride and to wait. She lay down in the foyer.
At 6:50, we left for dog training class. Grace did very well as all of the commands were known to her. She liked to jump up on others—especially those who have treats. After we came home at 8:45, she joined us in bed and fell asleep.
Saturday
Grace lay awake peacefully with her head up as I arose at 6:45. She got up, and I gave her tummy rubs and petting in the living room. The 36-degree wet weather was not particularly inviting. I used an umbrella this time. I kept Grace from pulling me from the pavement. As I cleaned up her waste in the grass, Grace ran off to the north woods. I called her. She turned and looked at me. I told her to come and she obeyed. I was very happy that I did not have to venture into the mud to get her.
Good News for Olive
Eventually we met up with Olive and walked with her. Her owner had told me she was having problems getting Olive to sleep through the night. She had to get up after about four hours. Last night though she tried letting Olive sleep with her. She put a sheet over the comforter on the bed to protect it from hair and dirt. She said that Olive slept for seven hours. I told her she should make it to eight hours very quickly from there.
Agility
We returned home at 7:45. Grace actually led the way to get out of the rain. I toweled her off. At 8:00, Grace had her breakfast (one cup). Grace wanted to play. She grabbed her snake toy and started running wildly around the house and jumping on and over furniture. After that, she wanted to play tug and fetch with her sock toy. Grace’s antics got Betsy thinking about finding an agility course for Grace. After searching on-line for a while, she set up a trial to teach Grace to jump over an obstacle. We’re just getting started with this, so we’ll have to add it to her tricks for treats session.
Grace Shredding
Grace napped most of the morning. The Grace Shredding Company worked on a thick cardboard box but stopped before completing the job. I placed the box in her toy box to clean up and let her know it is available for her to work on as time permits. At 11:50, Betsy fed Grace lunch (one-half cup). At 12:10, Betsy took Grace outside. Grace dragged her to the wet, muddy area of the east woods. When they returned at 12:40, Betsy said her shoes were soaked. She neglected to give Grace her treat for coming up the stairs. Grace reminded me of that, and I made that situation right.
Afternoon with Betsy
At 1:15, I was studying in private. Betsy determined that Grace would be happier with me and let her in. Grace whined a little but finally settled down on the floor for an afternoon nap. At 3:30, Betsy took Grace to visit Mom. Grace tried to cheer up Mom by licking her face. Mom, though severely impaired presently, winced. Betsy then took her to the park. They returned at 5:30. I gave Grace a shower. After the shower, she had her supper (three-quarter cup). We at our supper at 6:00. Grace had a dental chew while we ate.
I returned to study alone. Grace came in with me for about a half hour, lying on the floor. She returned to the dining room floor at 6:30. At 8:45, I took Grace outside. We returned at 9:00. Grace curled up on the chair. By 9:45, she had gone elsewhere—I suspect the office. We went to bed shortly after that.