New Delicacy
At 7:45, I took Grace out. We returned home at 8:15. She found a large ball of something. I later determined that it must be horse manure. I had her leave it, but she ate enough to leave the unpleasant odor on her. Grace had her breakfast, and I returned to my studies. Grace went to the office to curl up on the floor below the window. At 9:15, we left in a whirlwind. I did nothing to protect Grace from temptation.
Unbelievably Well Mannered
When we returned home at 12:30, Grace greeted me with wags and kisses. She disturbed nothing. Grace is unbelievably good. The house was rife with opportunities for her to grab her food, our food, or pills. She reminded me it was time for her lunch. I fed her and followed that with a doggie treat and a dental chew. Before she finished her chew, we headed outside while Betsy fixed lunch.
We returned home at 1:30. Grace wanted some of my chicken. I told her to wait. When I finished, she did tricks for scraps. She then retired to the office carpet protector and stretched out for a nap.
Olive Withdrawal
At 4:15, she was back up on the office ottoman. She saw her friend Olive below, but it was no use. She is not allowed to play for a week or two. This will be really hard for Grace. It’s hard on me too because I cannot communicate to her why she cannot play with her. It’s even harder since Grace returned from her trip and hadn’t played with her friend for five days.
I played tug and fetch with her until Olive left the area. Grace then grabbed some cardboard from her toy box and shredded it. After that she went outside and lay on the balcony. The weather was cloudy, wet and 62. That is pleasant enough for Grace. She returned inside at 4:35 and decided to try working on her antler.
Home Alone
Grace went outside at 4:55 and returned home at 5:05. We left for church at 5:15 and returned at 7:00. Grace greeted us with wags and kisses. She was fairly restless. After I finished eating, Grace did tricks for treats. She then returned to her cardboard pieces to shred.
Good Night Kiss
I took Grace outside for the last time at 10:00. It was raining. I left her in the stairway while I ran to the car to get the umbrella. We returned at10:10. I shared an apple with Grace. She then came into my chair and after some kisses, curled up for the night next to me. I left her there, took a shower and went to bed.
Monday
When I got up at 7:10, Grace was awake, lying peacefully on the office floor. She came in and gave me morning kisses as I gave her pets and tummy rubs. The grounds were soaked. A light rain still fell. Out the window, I noticed Olive, but thankfully Grace didn’t see her. After they left, I grabbed the umbrella and we went off for an abbreviated walk at 7:20. We stayed mainly on the walks.
We returned home at 8:10. I dried off Grace with a paper towel. She jumped up on the living room ottoman and washed herself off. I forgot to give her breakfast when we returned. At 8:30 Grace had breakfast and curled up in the corner by the balcony for a few minutes. Betsy said good morning to her for a couple of minutes. Five minutes later Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to survey the action, or lack thereof. At 8:53 she curled up there for a nap.
She came inside at 9:00 and wanted to play tug and fetch. We played for a few minutes, and she settled for entertaining herself with chewing that toy and disemboweling the giraffe toy she found a few weeks ago. At 9:20, she jumped up on her sofa for some serious napping.
Fraggle Play
At 11:00, Grace went back out on the balcony to watch for friends. Then it happened. At 11:45, Grace spotted Fraggle. We went down to see her. They played until 12:10. After Grace finished her lunch and went back out on the balcony.
Errands Around Town
At 12:30, Grace and I went out to run some errands and go running. The first stop was the credit union. Grace waited patiently and watched me through the window as I deposited some checks. Next we went running at Salem Pond Park. The weather had cleared, but as soon as we started running, a light rain began. After the first lap, I grabbed my hat and jacket.
Grace was unfazed by the rain. She was just thrilled to run free and explore freely in her old stomping ground. After our run, we went to the post office to mail some letters. When Grace returned home at 2:00, I gave her a shower. Getting into the tub now is a breeze. With the floor mat on the side of the tub, Grace has traction and also has learned just to step over the side and into the tub. I’ll mark this as a milestone in case it hasn’t been already. Two other milestones that need to be recorded are that she fully understands the “Stand” command and the “Crawl” command.
Friends
After the bath, she spotted Olive out in the courtyard. I tried to explain to Grace that she could not play with Olive. She seemed to be catching on, but it was hard since Olive is her favorite playmate. At 2:40, Fraggle showed up again. We raced down to play with her for twenty-five minutes. Betsy returned from the grocery store and gave both Fraggle and Grace some doggie treats that she had bought. Betsy found a flea on Grace and gave her a topical medicine called K9 advantix II.
Winding Down
Grace returned to the office carpet protector to stretch out for a nap. When Betsy returned at 7:45, Grace greeted her. and stayed in the living room. She followed Betsy into the office and went to sleep. At 9:00, I took Grace outside. We returned at 9:10. As I snacked, Grace wanted something. I gave her a dental chew. She then lay under the dining room table at my feet.
Betsy started vacuuming at 10:00. Grace retreated hurriedly to the balcony. Fifteen minutes later a driving rain hit, and Grace came back inside, jumped up on my chair, and curled up for the night.
Tuesday
Grace jumped up in our bed at 7:10. We spent a lot of time doing tummy rubs and getting kisses. At 7:40, we went outside. Although it took a while, Grace finally made it to Bond Park. I let her loose to run in the woods. I recalled her three times. She came running each time, and I rewarded her with a treat. When we returned home at 9:00, Grace had her breakfast. We ventured out for errands at 10:30.
Grace Not Herself
Grace acted strange. I called her in off of the balcony lounge chair to go for a ride. She came in and jumped up on my chair and curled up. I tried to encourage her to come. She then jumped up on the lounge chair and curled up. I almost decided to leave her at home, but she finally came on her own. On the way, Grace met and wrestled with Fraggle for about fifteen minutes.
Morning Outing
We travelled to my lot to meet the well driller. Grace saw the Guinea Hens across the street. While she looked at them intently, she would not chase them. As I discussed plans with the driller, Grace disappeared in the woods. I whistled, and she came immediately. When we finished up, we stopped a couple minutes at the super market.
Grace sat in her seat and waited patiently. The car was positioned blocking her view of the store entrance. She noticed me when I opened the trunk. Our next stop was the bank. This time she could see me, but the wait was about ten minutes for her. She stayed right there waiting and watching for my return. The cloudy, cool weather suited leaving her in the car.
Afternoon Outing
At 11:45, we arrived at Salem Pond Park. Grace ran with me but was noticeably less energetic. After I started the last lap, I noticed that Grace was missing. After I finished, I whistled — no trace of Grace. I started imagining the worst.
After about three minutes of whistling, I headed for the nearest road to see if she went up there and was hit by a car. As I moved up the hill, Grace came racing toward me from the meadow. She was soaking wet. She must have been swimming in the lake. That would have prevented her from responding to my call immediately. I was very relieved and gave her a treat.
We stopped at the self-storage to pick up a chain saw, went to a second bank, filled up the car with gas, and took the chain saw in to be tuned up. In each case, Grace was not herself but instead lethargic. When we returned home at 2:00, Grace had her lunch. After lunch she went to the office to stretch out and sleep on the floor.
Evening Events
As Betsy and I ate supper at 5:30, Grace finally came into the dining room. After we finished eating, I gave her supper. Grace ate all of it as usual, but she lacked the usual zest. After she ate, Betsy left and Grace went to the office ottoman by the window to watch. At 5:50, she got down on the floor to nap again.
Poison Search
As she was leaving, Betsy asked me to investigate poison control with respect to Grace’s exposure and symptoms. The links I found online each indicated big fees. I opted to call the phone number, (800) 255-6826, on the box.
I called the number on the box and spoke with Kris. She was very helpful. Kris said the side effect could up to 72 hours. She said lethargy is one of the two side effects. She said that humans say that it feels weird. She said promethren is a common insecticide used for this purpose and side effects of using K9 advantix II are in the one in ten thousand range. She says to bathe grace with a hand detergent like Dawn, etc. a few times to get the oil off. Treating it with Vitamin E will also help. She will refund if we send back the package and receipt.
Playmates
At 6:30 she whined. Olive was outside the window again. Rather than be the bad guy, I decided to take Grace down. Olive’s owner saw us and ran away. At least Grace wasn’t taunted by Olive being there and she didn’t feel like I was depriving her of her playmate. As I talked on the phone, Grace hung around the courtyard, At 7:10, we headed back home. Then Fraggle showed up.
Grace and Fraggle played for about fifteen minutes. As they were playing, Ada a five-month-old playful boxer mix joined the fun. Ada knew how to play. The three dogs had a good time together. After Ada left, Jack appeared. Grace did her usual kissing routine around his face. He wasn’t thrilled with it but sort of played along with her. At 7:45, we returned home. Grace stretched out on the office carpet protector.
Poison Removal
When Betsy returned at 8:30, I told her about the instructions from Bayer. She washed Grace with our dish washing liquid and olive oil soap. Betsy dried Grace with paper towels because she did not want to spread any residual poison. Grace perked up immediately after the bath. We were relieved.
At 10:45, I woke Grace up to take her outside one last time before bed. We returned at 11:00 and went to bed shortly thereafter with Grace curled up in my living room chair.
Wednesday
Betsy had the window open during the night. I heard the door slam in the middle of the night from the wind blowing it shut. When I got up at 7:15, I opened the door. There sat a little Borador with her bright, white chest shield facing me as she looked straight ahead. I have no idea how long she was sitting outside the door staring in that direction. I suppose she didn’t want to disturb us by whimpering or pawing the door.
I picked her up and weighed her. Grace had breached the fifty pound mark (a milestone of sorts), weighing in at 51 pounds. It could be that the switch to the higher calorie puppy food Purina Pro Plan Focus chicken and rice 521 kcal per cup (without shredded chicken 384 kcal per cup) fostered some of this gain.
Grace Returned
At 7:30 we went outside. Grace found an empty cheese / peanut butter crackers wrapper and some Bojangles French fries. She seemed to be her old self again. We went to the goose nest by the pond in the south vacant lot. It looked like the fox must have eaten the eggs or chicks. Grace finished up munching on some remains of mostly shells.
When we returned home at 9:00, Grace ate her breakfast. I washed Grace’s leash, collar, and harness to remove any residue from the poison. At 10:00, Betsy gave Grace her second bath to rid her of the poison. At 10:10, Grace spotted Fraggle in the courtyard. Betsy was not quick enough. By the time she was ready, Fraggle had left.
Afternoon Play
Betsy and I left for a luncheon at 11:40. We returned at 1:00. Grace had her lunch. At 1:20, Grace went out to play with Fraggle. At 1:35, we left for the Salem Pond Park. When we returned home at 2:30, and we gave Grace her third bath to clean off the poison. She relaxed on the living room chair.
At 3:45, Fraggle called again. Grace and Fraggle wrestled for forty-five minutes. When we returned, Grace jumped up on the loveseat and took a nap. Grace had her dinner at 5:20. I gave her a dental chew followed by a bully stick. We left at 6:15. She was asleep on the loveseat when we returned at 8:15.
Evening Munchies
At 8:30, Betsy made popcorn. Grace said that she had the munchies. We sat together in my chair as we shared the popcorn. Grace went outside at 9:15 and returned home at 9:30. Grace jumped into the chair and curled up for the night. I finally went to bed at 10:30.
Thursday
I got up at 7:00. Grace was curled up on the office ottoman watching for friends out the window. At 7:15, Grace whined. Both Fraggle and Olive were outside. I rushed out. They were both gone, but Grace followed Olive’s scent and met up with her between the south-most buildings. Olive wanted to play, but because of her recent operation, her owner could not allow it. She said Olive could start playing again this coming Tuesday.
Lost in Subdivision
Grace meandered around following her nose and finally going into the neighborhood bordering Cary Christian Academy. Grace seemed to be more nose-driven than usual lately. We walked to the end of the road and doubled back. The roads were winding. I never made it back. I asked a lady walking her baby. She directed me to a road that took me to West Chatham. From there, I tried to turn back home, but Grace was determined. She knew the way to Bond Park and led me there.
New Friends!
As we came under the cleared area, I spotted two dogs playing. One was a Poodle and the other a Border Collie and Pyrenees mix named Peaches. Grace was a little apprehensive but of course was anxious to play. After some cautious introductions, Grace was off to the races with her swift running and sharp cuts. Peaches ran close behind. After ten minutes of vigorous exercise they were done. Grace was ready to head home.
Active Morning
At 9:20, we returned home. Grace had her breakfast at 9:30. By 9:45, she had curled up in the office for a nap. We left to visit my nephew at 10:50. While we waited for Betsy, Grace played for a minute with Fraggle. At noon, we left my nephew’s place and moved on to downtown Raleigh for Betsy’s 12:30 appointment. Grace and I walked for about an hour. Grace scavenged a few morsels of food along the way.
Munchies
After an hour, we returned to check on Betsy. They said she would be done in thirty minutes. We walked a few blocks to McDonald’s. The sign on the door said that no pets were allowed inside. I fed Grace some food I had brought for her in a bowl. I then put some bottled water in it for her to drink. I walked up to the drive in ordering spot, but could not get a response. I finally went directly to the window to order. I bought a value Double Cheeseburger. Grace knew I had something good. I split it with her giving her most of the meat and cheese.
Fraggle Play
We returned home at 2:30. An hour later, we received a call that Fraggle was ready to play. Grace and Fraggle spent an hour mainly chasing each other and chewing sticks in the lower east woods. When we came up, Luna was there. Grace was good with her, but Fraggle was too much for her. When Fraggle left, Luna relaxed and Grace was able to even play chase with her.
Afternoon Fun
At 4:30, we left to go running. Grace ran with me despite all of the puppy play. I did three recalls with the whistle. She came running full speed each time and each time I gave her a treat. We stopped at the grocery store for a few minutes. Grace waited patiently. When we returned at 5:30, Fraggle was waiting. They just did a little wrestling before we had to move on. Grace met up with Luna again and played fetch for Luna’s owner.
Winding Down
After we returned to the apartment, Grace had a bath. She then ate her supper. After supper she stretched out on the loveseat for a long nap. At 8:00, Grace woke up. I let her lick the remains from an ice cream container and followed that with a dental chew. Finally, Grace did tricks for scraps as I gave her the usual chicken drumstick scraps. Her performance was outstanding. At 9:00, Grace went outside for the last time. As part of the trip, we took out the trash. Grace was more reluctant to move than usual, but we made it back home at 9:20.
I told Grace it was time for bed. Grace curled up in my living room chair, and I turned out the light. I sat on her sofa to do this writing while she slept. At 9:30, Betsy came in and gave Grace some chicken. Betsy then fixed a pear half with cream cheese for both of us. That perked up the little Borador. She said she wanted some. Instead, we gave her a doggie treat. After the treat, Grace went to the office ottoman to lie down in a really strange position. She propped her head on the window sill with her left front leg hanging off of the side and her hind legs hanging off of the back. When I went in to take a picture of it, she moved to the floor next to the desk and beneath the window.
Friday
At 6:30 AM, the phone rang. It was a contractor with whom I had left a message the day before. After a fifteen minute conversation, I worked on the computer. At 7:15, Grace got up and came into the living room. After we gave each other our morning greetings, I dressed to take her outside.
Active Morning
At 7:30, Grace we left for our morning walk. She covered most of the complex and immediate surroundings. When we returned at 9:00, Grace had her breakfast. She then went to sleep on the loveseat. At 10:55, Fraggle’s owner called. Grace and Fraggle went down to the lower area to play. They mainly chased and chewed sticks. They didn’t really play together that much though. At 11:30, we returned home. At noon, Grace ate her lunch.
Run and Rest
At 12:15, we left to go running at Salem Pond Park. Grace enjoyed her run and stayed with me the whole the way. When we returned at 1:10, I gave Grace a shower. After the shower, she curled up on the living room ottoman. At 2:00, Grace was left home alone for us to run errands.
Home Alone
We returned at 3:45 to pick up some supplies and then headed at 4:00 off to the lot to clear some land with the chainsaw. We considered taking Grace, but decided against it because of the potential danger and the traffic on the subdivision road at that time of day. When we returned at 6:30, Grace literally washed my face with kisses. Perhaps it was the salt from perspiration.
Sundowning
Grace ate her dinner but wanted more. I gave her a dental chew followed by the partially eaten bully stick. She finished all but two inches before tiring of that. I had a chicken leg, so I gave her scraps for tricks. After eating, grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to relax and watch for friends.
She saw Olive and raced out to meet her at 7:30. Grace missed her. We walked around the complex until 8:00 when we returned for the last time. Grace jumped up in the living room chair and curled up for the night.
Saturday
At 7:00, I got up. Grace was lying on the office ottoman watching out the window. She turned her head and saw me. She met me in the living room to exchange kisses for tummy rubs. At 7:15, we went outside. I came home early to make a call to a radio talks show. At 8:45, we went back outside until Betsy called me in to meet a contractor out at the lot.
Fun at the Lot
At 9:20, we left for the lot. Grace’s buddy Snoopy was not there, but two adults and a toddler as well as a cat were there. Grace had great fun chasing a soccer ball, playing with the toddler, and barking at the cat. Grace faced the cat and barked at it with her low “tough girl” bark relentlessly. The cat just sat there unfazed and looking straight at Grace. Grace also followed the contractor and me through the woods.
Another New Friend
At 10:30, we were back home. Grace proceeded immediately to the balcony. We left for Salem Pond Park. As I finished my first lap, Grace met a playful creamy three-year-old Labrador Retriever named Ellie. They played hard, doing a lot of chasing. Grace ran across the meadow to meet some children. I called her back, and she turned around before reaching them. Ellie’s owner said that she just reached the point where she can trust Ellie alone in the house without being caged. What a difference that is compared to Borador Grace.
At 1:15 we returned home Grace had her bath followed by lunch at 1:30. She went out to the balcony and saw Olive. We met down to meet her. They played until 3:00. Ellie (from this apartment) joined in the last half hour. When Grace came in, she made a beeline for the loveseat and quickly went to sleep. We left her at 3:45 to go to dinner.
Good Girl
We returned at 5:30 to be greeted with wags and kisses. I had left the master suite door open, but Grace did not disturb her big food bag. After eating her supper Grace went outside on the balcony to watch for friends. At 6:00, she spotted Olive. At 6:10, I finally relented and took her outside. They played chase, tug sticks, and keep away ball. They also wrestled a bit.
Munchies
When Grace returned home at 7:00, she went back on the balcony. At 7:30, Grace came in as Betsy and I ate dessert. I gave her a doggie treat. Betsy made some popcorn. She wanted Grace to lie next to her while feeding her the munchies. Grace stayed with her relaxing on the sofa. At 9:30, I took Grace outside for the last time. When we returned at 9:45, Grace curled up in the living room chair for the night. We went to bed at 10:00.