Morning Play
At 6:20, Grace came by the bed and whimpered. Betsy invited her up. Grace joined us in bed but really wanted to get going. We started outside at 6:30. After ten minutes, Grace spotted her friend, Olive. They wrestled for about twenty minutes before Olive had to leave. The rain from Saturday night left the grass and shrubs laden with water. We stayed within the bounds of the complex most of the time.
Reluctant Grooming
At 8:20, we returned home. Grace ate her breakfast and followed that with telling Betsy good morning. Betsy said she needed to get her comb. Grace pressed against the wall and corner of the room and watched with a worried look. She knew what was coming! We were amazed. Betsy combed out Grace’s coat. The amount of fur that came out was dramatically greater than before. Shedding has begun in full measure.
Sensitive Puppy
At 9:30, Grace was again subjected to rising tensions between Betsy and me. She could obviously feel it. It made her sad. She moved to the office to retreat to a more peaceful spot. Grace stayed home with Betsy as I left for church at 10:10. Betsy met a friend and me for lunch at our friends place. Betsy hurried off after eating. I lingered on with the friend until returning home at 2:30.
I Can Swim!
Grace was very excited to see me. She greeted me with exuberant wags and kisses. Fifteen minutes later we were off for the afternoon. We met Tucker and Isabella and followed them a new way to Bond Park. They first went to the ball field, chased each other, and played fetch. After a stop at the drinking fountain, they went to a secluded shore of the lake. There they had the best time frolicking and splashing in the water. Grace saw Tucker and Isabella swimming. When enticed to fetch in the water, Grace swam also. We can mark this as a new milestone for Grace.
After playing in the water for about forty-five minutes, the three dogs headed home. Once we left the crowd behind, Grace and her friends ran free along the return path. We repeated practiced recall as the three reinforced each other. At 5:45, we returned home as Betsy was leaving. Grace had her supper and went to the office to relax and watch for friends.
Love That Ball
At 6:30, she spotted Olive. We rushed down to play with her. When Betsy returned, I left Grace with her. Grace and Olive didn’t do much more than just hang out together. Grace also played with Olive’s ChuckIt! ball. They came home at 7:30. Betsy lamented that Grace resisted her prompts to come inside.
Grace rested and slept until 10:00 when I took her outside. Grace and Fraggle met for a few minutes. When we returned home at 10:15, Grace went to the office for the night.
Monday
In the middle of the night we had a surprise guest. It was Grace! She climbed up on the bed and took great care to stay on the cover sheet that we placed there for her. I had neglected keeping it over a large portion of the bed since it had been many weeks since she slept with us. We have to assume that in the dark she still knew to stay off of the comforter and lie on the sheet.
Gloomy Morning
At 6:05, I got up and returned to bed. It was raining outside. Grace started stirring at 7:00. I gave her tummy rubs for a while and then got up for the day. Grace watched from the bed. She finally got up when she knew I was not coming back to bed. We did rubs and kisses. I checked the weather report. Grace whined softly. I told her to wait. She lay on the floor obediently.
Wet Walk
At 7:30, we headed out in the gentle rain. I took an umbrella. Strangely, Grace relieved her bladder in the mulch this time. I suppose it had something to do with the soggy grounds, but normally she sticks to the grass for that task. After exploring the grounds for about thirty minutes, we saw Olive. Grace and Olive played for a half hour. Olive in particular seemed to gravitate to the puddles in the courtyard. They wrestled with an occasional romp through the puddles.
Runnin’ Free
At 8:30, the rain had let up. Grace weighted in again at 51 pounds. After breakfast, she lay on the floor by the balcony door to take a nap. At 11:00, we went to Salem Pond Park. Grace enjoyed running free in her old stomping ground. She stayed fairly close to me with her usual lingering back and running ahead. She waded in the small pond.
Well Afternoon
At 11:45, we returned home. Grace took a shower. Betsy washed her tail with soap because Olive’s owner noticed a reddish color in the undercoat. After her shower, Grace ate her lunch. I left for a meeting at 12:40. When I returned at 2:20, Betsy had a phone call for me. The well drillers wanted me to come out to the lot. I quickly changed and headed back out. Grace and Betsy followed in the other car after a brief play time with Olive.
By the time we made it there, it was raining and the crew had left. Grace explored and herded the Guinea hens. After the rain stopped, Snoopy came out, and they played for about an hour. Grace learned that the neighbor’s chickens are not something to bark at. Betsy and Grace left for a few other stops at 4:30. When they returned home at 5:15, Grace ate her supper, lay down at the balcony doors and fell asleep.
Play with a Friend
At 7:00, Grace came into the dining room as Betsy and I ate supper. We gave her a dental chew. At 7:15, she went to her office ottoman perch to watch the action below. At 7:30, Grace spotted Olive and whined. Grace and Olive played for about forty minutes. When we returned, Grace lay on the floor by the balcony doors.
At 9:00, I moved to the kitchen to clean up. Grace immediately followed — lying down on the dining room floor facing me. When I went to take a shower and we turned out the lights, she moved to the back corner of the dining room to either avoid the dishwasher noise, or eliminate the chance of being stepped on.
Tuesday
When I got up, Grace lay perched on her office ottoman watching for activity below. She turned her head as I walked by and also as I returned to get some fresh clothes to wear. I checked the latest news on the laptop until Grace emerged at about 6:45. We did our usual rubs and kisses. At 6:55, we headed off to Salem Pond Park to get our run in before the heat of the day.
Park Routine
At the park, Grace followed like she knew the routine. As usual, she would burst ahead, linger, and then sprint to catch up with me. When something jumped into the pond, Grace immediately diverted her attention to investigate. She kept a close eye on me. It’s almost as if we have a very long invisible leash that links us together. Often during the run she just trots along side or just ahead. It’s fun to watch her relish in running free. After the last lap, I turn toward the car. Grace watches and makes the turn with me. I open the door and straighten the towel over the seat. Grace jumps in without even a word from me.
Humming
As we rode home, I began humming and singing along with one of the songs playing on the background. Grace hadn’t heard that before. She cocked her head slightly and gave me a puzzled look. She wondered if I was okay. I reassured her with a smile and a stroke on her forehead. Grace just learned something else — a milestone I suppose. As we rode on, she passed another milestone.
Tense Day at the Lot
Before we went inside, we walked the grounds for a few minutes. At 8:00, Grace came inside and had breakfast. After breakfast she lay asleep in her usual spot across from me on the living room floor by the balcony doors. At 8:40, I received a call from the well company that the drillers were there at the site. I took Grace and we went there. It’s a tense experience as each minute another $10 is spent. After two hours, they got one gallon per minute. After three more hours, the had it up to four gallons per minute.
First Drink
Grace was the first to drink the muddy water that was blown out. Other than that, she was oblivious to the whole process. When I tied her up in order to talk with the crew manager, after a while she would bark. This was her normal bark and not the big girl one. I would then go over and bring her with me on the leash. During the drilling time we sat in the shade together. Grace also played with Buddy. I took a dish and gave her water in it as well as lunch at noon.
Dental Chew Choke
At 2:30, we left for home. When we returned, she saw one of the neighbor dogs and barked loudly while still in the car. When we came inside, Grace lay on the carpet by the patio door and then moved to my living room chair. Betsy and I went to the clubhouse for pizza until 6:00. when we returned home. Grace at her supper, but wanted more. Betsy gave her a dental chew. At 6:15, Grace threw up her supper and dental chew. We think it was caused by being gagged by the dental chew, but I cannot be sure. Although it was in the house, I really cannot count this as an accident since it was really something over which she had no control.
Soothing
Grace was really embarrassed about messing up inside. She tried to stay away from Betsy and me despite our reassurances. Grace’s feelings were hurt. By 6:40, Grace finally put it behind her and lay on the floor by the balcony doors. At 8:00, I went to the kitchen to get some ice cream. Grace got up and came in. I gave her some along with the empty container to lick out. After she finished, I fed her a few handfuls of dog food from my hand so she would eat them slowly.
Short Play
At 9:00, Grace went outside. We met Fraggle. Grace and she played for ten minutes. She exhibited no evidence of intestinal distress. This is further evidence that her vomiting incident stemmed from choking on a one and a half inch piece of dental chew. When we returned at 9:15, Grace climbed up into my living room chair. Betsy messed with her and kept her awake as I went to bed at 9:45.
Wednesday
I got up to use the bathroom at 4:30. Grace was not in the living room and not on the office ottoman. My guess is she was on the office floor asleep. At 7:00 I got up to start the morning. Grace whined from the office. I checked outside for friends but saw none. We greeted each other with tummy rubs and kisses. At 7:45, we went to Salem Pond Park.
Three Reactions
Grace enjoyed her usual frolics in the meadow and dips in the pond while keeping up with me. On one lap we passed three teen girls walking the opposite direction. The three reactions were telling. The (Asian) Indian girl seemed slightly frightened by this 51 pound black dog running toward her. The chubby girl in the middle care most about the drink in her hand. The traditional American girl of normal size smiled and acted like she wanted to pet her.
Junk Yard Dog
When we finished running, we drove to the city dump to check that they accept excavation debris. Apparently they do. When we returned home at 8:30, Grace had her breakfast. After breakfast she went to the office until 9:45 when she emerged to join us in the living room. Betsy combed her looking for fleas and ticks. She found none. Grace then went out on the balcony lounge chair to watch the action.
Refill
At 10:30, Grace came inside to lie next to the balcony doors. At noon, Grace ate her lunch. She wanted more. I gave her two doggie treats. She still wanted more. She was suffering from the deficit from the loss of supper last night. At 1:15, Betsy gave her another half cup of food. That was what Grace needed. At 2:00, Betsy went downtown to look at apartments. Grace charmed people she met and enjoyed exploring along the sidewalks. Of course, she scavenged some bread along the way.
Good Grace
When they returned at 5:00, Grace acted distant toward me as if I was going to hurt her. I removed her harness and collar, and she went to sleep in her usual spot across from me by the balcony doors. At 5:15 Grace had her supper. We left Grace home alone at 5:40. When we returned at 8:10, Grace was lying in the office. She greeted me with wags and kisses. I noticed that we had left a trash can with a piece of sandwich within easy reach. There was also a trash bag from the kitchen on the floor ready to go out. She could have easily helped herself to the trash. She didn’t touch them.
Grace went outside at 8:15. She explored the complex doing lots of sniffing. She acted like she didn’t have enough sniffing time earlier. We met no friends during the outing. When she returned at 9:00, she went into the office to be with Betsy. When Betsy went to bed, Grace worked on shredding a box and playing with a toy while I finished up on the laptop. I went to bed at 10:00.
Thursday
At 5:00 AM, Grace was apparently lying on the office floor. At 6:30, she whined. She was up watching out the window for friends. We left together to drop off my car at the shop. We got into the other car and headed off for the park. Betsy immediately raised the tension in the air. Grace had nowhere to go. She just cowered down in her seat. She was obviously hurt. Things remained tense until after we arrived. At least at the park Grace could run free and break away from the angry tone. Thankfully, the trip back was at least peaceful from an audible standpoint.
Ever-Approachable Grace
When we returned home at 7:45, Grace explored the grounds. She met up with Brantley and approached him. She was very submissive and tried to play on the leash. After a few minutes, we moved on. Grace said hello to two newer small dogs. We commented on how good Grace was with small dogs, getting down as low as possible on the ground to be on their level. We concluded that Grace would be great with puppies.
Discovering Roasted Peanuts
Next, Grace discovered some peanuts roasted in the shell — another mileston. She took one in her mouth and spit it out. There were three. I opened each shell and fed her the nuts inside. She enjoyed them. We then caught up with Trixie and greeted her. When we returned home at 8:15, Grace had her breakfast. She was still noticeably rattled by the trip to the park as she looked across the room with a serious and sad expression. After a few minutes, she lay down to rest.
Sensitive Puppy
Once Betsy finished in the bathroom, I called Grace in for a bath. Instead of coming, she jumped up on my chair and curled up there. This is not at all normal behavior. Normally, she gets up and obediently comes to the bathroom. Obviously, the tension a few hours earlier was still on her mind. I picked her up and brought her to the tub. She did obediently get in as I prompted her. After her shower, Grace went to the office ottoman. She seems to like to go to one ottoman or the other when she is wet — perhaps since each has a protective absorbent cover over it.
Afternoon Outing
Grace hung out on the office floor with Betsy until 11:45 when Grace at lunch and then we left to look at some condominiums in Raleigh. Betsy dropped me off at the dentist at 1:55 and took Grace to the land to play with Snoopy. At 3:15, we left to take back Betsy’s phone. She forgot her charger, so we had to reset on that plan but did figure out what she would get to replace it.
Leap of Faith
We then looked at apartments. The one on the first floor was nice, but the stone barrier on the patio prevented Grace from looking out. She attempted to remedy the situation by jumping up on top of the 38-inch wall. She did that with ease but did not realize it was only about ten inches wide. She almost fell off, but I caught her. The upper floor balconies had rails which better suited Grace since she could look out through them.
Radar
When we came home at 6:20, Grace went to her usual spot by the balcony doors and went to sleep. At 7:00, I got up from my chair. Grace immediately opened her eyes and lifted her head. She had her radar on. I went to the kitchen and fixed her dinner. After dinner, she wanted more. I gave her two very thin dental chews and told her to be careful.
Last Play for the Day
At 7:15, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair. At 8:00, she spotted Olive. They played for thirty minutes. When she returned, Grace curled up in the living room chair and went down for the night.
Friday
I got up at 6:15. Grace lay on the office ottoman. As I finished my exercises, Grace finally emerged with wags and kisses. I took her outside at 6:30. After a short stroll around the grounds, we left for the park at 6:45. At 7:30, we picked up my car at the shop. Grace came home with Betsy and lay in her usual spot by the balcony doors. We did tummy rubs for about five minutes.
Grace then had her bath. I was wondering if she would again fail to come when I called as she did yesterday. I was happy to find that she came and got into the tub on her own as usual. After her bath she joined Betsy in the office and perched on the ottoman.
Afternoon Playtime
At noon, Grace was agitated. We went outside for fifteen minutes for her to relieve herself. When we came in, she had her lunch. After lunch, she perched on the office ottoman to watch for friends. At 1:30, she spotted Olive in the courtyard and let us know. I took her down and they played mainly tug and keep-away until 1:50. At 2:00, we came upstairs, and Grace went back to the office to watch for friends.
Going for a Ride
At 4:00, Betsy took Grace for a ride. They went to the Sprint store. Grace was agitated there and did her chomp, chomp gesture. When she finished at the store, Betsy took Grace back to the land. Grace played with Snoopy. Grace also had a loose stool. Perhaps that explains Grace’s irritation earlier. When they got home at 6:30, Betsy stopped and talked with another dog owner. Grace was content to lie in the grass and enjoy the outdoors.
I Thirst
At 7:00, they returned to the apartment. Grace ate her supper and drank a full bowl of water. When I refilled it, she drank another half bowl. I never recall her drinking that much water at a single time. She was definitely thirsty. At 7:15, Grace jumped up on the chair and curled up into a ball.
Digestive Distress
After supper, I gave Grace fish for tricks. She worked on learning the back command (back up) and reviewed her others. At 9:10, she needed to go outside. She hurried over to the location where she usually leaves her bowel movements. This time she had only gas, but it was definitely rather urgent. When we came home at 9:25, I gave her milk and cheese followed by a small amount of her dog food.
When she finished, she followed me to the bedroom. I positioned her sheet and invited her up. She jumped right up. At 9:45, Grace heard me in the kitchen and came striding in. I gave her a doggie treat. After eating it, she lay in the dining room against the wall. That’s where she was when I went to bed at 10:00.
Saturday
When I got up at 6:25, Grace was lying on her belly on the office floor with her front legs stretched out and her head resting on them. This was a strange position for her. She didn’t greet me. I went to the living room to do a few exercises on the floor. after five minutes, she came in and greeted me. A few minutes later, she spotted Olive.
Olive and the Ball
At 6:35, we raced down to meet her. Grace and Olive played mostly with the ChuckIt! ball. They had a good time chasing one another, but the wet grass. With the temperature in the forties, it was a bit nippy, but that didn’t seem to bother the dogs. Unfortunately, Olive has also become a bit nippy in her play. While Grace had taught her well, apparently Olive has added biting to her play after playing with Ada.
When Grace tries to extract the ball from Olive’s mouth, she’s very careful to keep her teeth only on the ball. Olive is not as careful and will bite Grace’s face on her jowls. When we came home at 7:25, I noticed that Grace had too bite marks on her face. After I gathered up my things, we headed out to the park.
Running Free in the Park
Grace enjoyed her run at the park but spent less time in the pond. She mainly just followed me around. As we finished up, she went up to a couple men who had come in. While her approach was friendly, the men were obviously not familiar with dogs and were slightly intimidated. Grace simply went up to greet them and then turned back to be with me. She followed me to the car, and we went home.
New Food for Clean Puppy
At 8:50, we arrived home, and Grace had a bath. I was surprised how much dirt was on her tail and back end. After her bath Grace had breakfast. Today we began the switch back to the lower-calorie shredded chicken formula. We’ll see how that effects her weight. Grace waited and watched patiently as I filled her smaller food bag from the big one. After I finished, I gave her an extra bit of food to reward her for her restraint. After breakfast, Grace went to the office ottoman to watch the action below as I went to my room to study.
Missing Me
At 11:45, Grace needed to see me. Betsy let her in. She greeted me with wags and kisses and a little chomp, chomp to express her opinion of my isolation. At noon we went outside. Grace met a family who was thrilled with her. Grace was a bit more cautious with the toddler though since in recent encounters some were violent. When we returned at 12:15, Grace had her lunch. When she finished lunch, she went back to the office to nap, and I retreated to study.
Enjoying the Afternoon
At 3:30, Grace wanted out. The weather was beautiful and people were enjoying sunshine, fresh air, and the pool. Others were cooking on the many grills in the courtyard. We took two bags of trash to the dumpster and then picked up the mail. There was a package left in the office we also had to pick up. Grace happily greeted the receptionist as we met her.
With mail in hand, I was ready to go inside. Grace was not. She planted herself firmly (sack of potatoes) in a shady spot as we approached the stairs. I resigned myself to going through the mail and package there in the shade on a grassy bank. Looked at important mail and moved on to unpack the package and learn to use the gadget inside. At one point, a nice lady invited me to share in their cookout. I thanked her but politely declined.
Good Night, Sweetheart
Finally, at 5:00, Grace relented and came inside. After supper, Grace went to the office to relax and watch for friends, and I returned to my study. While I ate dinner, Grace had a dental chew. At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time. When we returned at 9:20, I gave her more milk and cheese to help her with her loose stools. When she came home, Grace had some more milk and cheese. Grace then returned to the office. I went to bed at 10:00.