Grace seemed to stir earlier in the morning. Perhaps also her digestive system was upset from the antibiotic the day before. She licked herself and did that rapid chewing action around the base of her tail. At 5:55, she got down and went to the balcony for five minutes. She came in ten minutes later. We left for Borador Park at 6:10. No friends showed up while we were there. We walked a short circle around the buildings and returned. There was still no sign of friends.
Morning Stroll
At 7:45, we finally headed out. This time we went over around the new construction area of the Lofts next door. There was a new wing roughed in and what appeared to be a small swimming pool and showers between the new wing and the latest completed wing. As we approached the road, we met Olivia and Rascal. Grace greeted them and then moved on.
The weather was overcast with some light sprinkling starting. We headed down past Weston One and out on Weston toward Harrison. After making the loop around McDonald’s, we headed home on the other side of the road. Grace saw a dog being walked on the other side of the road and started to approach it. Before long, she picked up a scent, turned, and headed back toward home — ignoring the dog.
Home Alone
After a short stop at the dog park, Grace returned home at 9:10 and went directly to the balcony. At 10:00, Grace had her breakfast. Five minutes later Betsy and I left Grace home alone. When we returned at 12:30, Grace happily greeted us. After her lunch, Grace had a dental chew. She did tricks for chicken scraps and hung out in the living room.
Afternoon Puppy Play
At 2:30, Betsy took Grace back to Borador Park to play with Abby and friends. It looked like they had a good time running around, despite the warm weather. After the dog park, they went to Grace Beach where Grace met and played fetch in the water with a large yellow dog. Betsy told the dog’s owners that Grace prefers not to swim to fetch, but they ignored her instruction. Grace still had a great time playing with the new friend and loved getting back to the beach.
Recovery
At 4:10, they returned home. After Betsy took a phone call, she turned on the shower and Grace came without even being called. Betsy bathed her and gave her dinner. Grace then went to her sofa and passed out. At 6:25, after some dreaming, Grace awoke. We were getting low on pill pockets, so I wrapped the pill in chicken liver. Grace took it just as easily as with the pill pocket. After the pill, Grace had a doggie treat.
Fun at the Park
At 6:32, we went out on the balcony. The shade and the pleasant temperature made the balcony comfortable and inviting. At 7:30, Grace spotted Abby at the dog park. Betsy took Grace there, but Abby was gone. I took over — looking after Grace fifteen minutes later. Olivia and Rascal showed up. Grace was very happy to have friends join her. She was energized and came up and licked my face excitedly.
When Betsy left, Grace watched her. Then Olivia’s owner played fetch with Grace. At 8:30, Sadie came in and the fireworks began. Sadie ran as the other dogs chased her. Even Rascal got into the act. Grace and Sadie played hard with their usual chasing, wrestling, and roughhouse routine. At 9:10, Grace came home and stretched out on the sofa for a pre-bed nap. At 10:00, we all went to bed.
Monday
At 4:15, Grace whimpered softly and attended to a few itches along her left side, from her ear to her belly to her rear leg. She moved to an odd position and again became quiet. She was much less active than the previous night. At 6:15, she whined. It was time to get up. I let her out on the balcony while I got ready. After two minutes she started barking. I quickly let her in until I finished dressing. At 6:20, we went to the balcony together to watch for friends at Borador Park. At 6:30, she wanted to go, but I told her to wait.
False Start
At 6:45, Grace could wait no longer. We started out and went down one-and-a-half flights of stairs before I realized I had forgotten the water. Grace was a bit incredulous as I directed her back up the steps. She came obediently. Perhaps she remembered other times I had forgotten something and had to go back. After I prepared the water, we headed back down.
Park Play
Olivia and Rascal were the first to join Grace. They came around 7:15. The daughter of Olivia’s owner got to meet Grace for the first time. She was impressed by the way Grace approaches an anxious dog as well as Grace’s athletic moves. At one point Grace jumped sideways over the taller Olivia with a move I had never seen before.
Shortly after Olivia left, Sadie came. Grace and Sadie again did their high-energy antics for about twenty minutes. After Sadie left and Grace caught her breath, Grace went out for a short walk. She met a little dog along the way and greeted it. As we doubled back to Borador Park, Grace delayed at the door. She wanted back in. As I tried to get her to move along, Chowder, the Corgi came by.
Since Chowder was going inside, I let Grace in to play with him. Of course, Chowder’s short legs were no match for Grace, but he still enjoyed chasing after a trotting Grace. When Grace stopped, he barked at her to have her run some more. Grace carried the tug rope to add to the fun. After ten minutes, they finished up their play and Chowder left. Grace rested for about ten minutes before heading home.
At 8:50, Grace came home and went immediately to the balcony. Her limp was back and fairly noticeable. She was ready for a nap. She spotted Abby in the dog park at 10:30. We rushed down to meet her. Grace and Abby played pretty well, but Abby tends to throw her weight around a bit more aggressively than she should. Grace handled herself well though.
Recharging
After Abby left, we returned home. At 11:00, Grace had her breakfast, her antibiotic, and a doggie treat. After her fill-up she stretched out on her sofa for a much-needed nap. At 1:30 Grace had her lunch followed by a dental chew. She then stretched out on the sofa for one more nap before afternoon fun.
Time to Go!
By 3:30, Grace’s patience was exhausted. She took me to Grace Beach. The water level was higher than usual, but she was still able to play fetch and walk along the shore. Grace also had fun chasing dragonflies and chewing on driftwood. When Grace spotted a log floating about thirty yards out, she swam out there, touched it, and came back. She did this with ease since she had nothing in her mouth. This long unprompted swim, marks another milestone for her.
Obedient Puppy
When we came home I called Grace into the shower. She came right away. When the water reached the correct temperature, I directed her into the shower. Grace came right away. She’s still a bit claustrophobic, insisting upon keeping her head outside the door opening. When we finished, I dried her off and gave her some special dried lamb treat as a reward. Grace then went out on the balcony to relax and watch for friends.
Evening Park Play
At 6:20, she spotted Abby in the dog park. We rushed down to meet her. Grace and Abby ran and wrestled for about ten minutes. During one instant, Grace rose up on her hind legs suspended with her front legs extended, her mouth open and her teeth prominently displayed as she taunted the bigger Abby. She reminded me of Godzilla. Beckham then joined them, but the play calmed down considerably at that point.
Connection
Ten minutes later, Beckham left. His owner opened the car door next to him directed him into the car. Beckham wouldn’t budge. His owner then lifted him in. I was told that Abby, who is almost one year old, still has to be caged when left alone. Other owners also like to play with Grace because she actually retrieves things. What a difference between Grace and these other dogs. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The real cream is that she connects with us. It makes us appreciate her all the more.
Sun-Downing
At 6:50, we returned home. After supper, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. I followed that with a doggie treat. Despite all of the activity she has had and a noticeable limp, Grace pressed on with sun-downing — craving more play time. She went out on the balcony to watch for friends.
Gang’s All Here
At 8:00, she saw Abby and excitedly whined. I was in the middle of a bank transaction and told her to wait. At8:05, we went to Borador Park. By the time Grace arrived, the whole gang was there. Grace played with Sadie,Abby, Olivia, and Rascal. After all the friends left, Grace returned home at 8:30. She wanted to go out on the balcony, had to settle for the sofa.
At 9:00, Betsy let Grace out on the balcony. She was there when I went to bed at 9:45. Grace joined me when Betsy came to bed later.
Tuesday
Grace got down from the bed at 6:10. At 6:30, I got up. It was raining, so I tried to hold her off. By 6:45, Grace had to go, and we left. I stopped by the car to pick up an umbrella. Unfazed by the light rain, Grace pressed on to Borador Park. I played tug and fetch with her there using the rope toy. After a half hour, we went for a short walk on the grounds and returned to play some more. Her limp from yesterday was slight but still evident.
Grace and Sadie
We left again at 7:40 for a short walk. When Grace spotted Sadie five minutes later, Grace made a beeline for her park to meet her. They played their usual high-energy way until 8:00. We both left. I took Grace for a walk trying to take her home. She ended up circling back to her park and planted herself at the gate. I told her we had to go and eventually got her to budge. At 8:15, we returned home and Grace went to the balcony.
Morning Recharge
At 8:30, Grace came inside and ate her breakfast and took her antibiotic pill. After eating, Grace got up on the sofa for her morning nap. At noon, Grace had lunch followed by a couple of chips, a doggie treat and a dental chew. She resumed her nap until 1:00. Then she became antsy — whining persistently. She acted like she needed to go out.
To Grace Beach
Grace went out and led me directly to Grace beach. There, we played fetch. Her trick now though is to watch for walkers and tear off to greet them when she gets the chance. She did that twice today before I called it quits. We walked back on a bit of a longer path. On the way, we met Otis, but his owner did not think it was a good idea to try to let them play.
Clean-Up and Play
When we returned home, Grace took her shower. I used a small amount of medicated shampoo on her to aid her with healing. After her bath and a treat, Grace went to the balcony to watch for friends. At 5:30, Grace spotted Abby. We went down to Borador Park. They played fifteen minutes. When we returned home at 5:50, Grace returned to the balcony. She came in at 6:10 had her supper and antibiotic. She then returned to the balcony to watch for friends.
One Last Playtime
At 7:15, Grace spotted Beckham. We returned to the dog park. While they were happy to greet one another, Beckham was aloof when it came to play. Grace played with Beckham’s owner and friend. Beckham left at 7:45. At 8:10, Sadie showed up. Grace and Sadie mixed it up as usual.
When we returned home at 8:30, Grace again went to the balcony. At 8:50, I left to go to the grocery store. When I returned, Grace and Betsy were in bed. As I prepared a bedtime snack, Grace popped up. I gave her a doggie treat. When she finished at 9:40, she returned to bed with a noticeable limp. I joined her at 10:00.
Wednesday
At 6:50, Grace was at the side of the bed, standing on her hind legs supported by her front paws. She and Betsy were awake and ready to go. Grace greeted me with enthusiastic kisses. At 6:55, Grace left with Betsy to go to Borador Park. At 7:10, I joined them. All was quiet until 7:40 when Olivia and Rascal showed up. Olivia loves to hug and tried to hug Betsy. Grace continued fetching the tug rope with us.
Grace and Sadie
Five minutes later, Sadie joined the fun. That sparked the serious play time. At 8:00, Olivia and Rascal left. Sadie soon followed. Grace left at 8:15. We took the long way home and returned at 8:30. Grace went directly to the balcony. A few minutes later, Grace spotted Beckham in the park and whimpered.
Something Different
Then Grace was startled and got up. There was something strange going on outside her balcony. It was the painter’s ladder. After he got it in place, he came up. He said he was going to paint the door and said that Grace could stay there with him. I said thanks but brought her in. Grace intently watched as the painter scraped the door. She wanted to go out, but I didn’t let her go.
Like the Old Days
While I did my situps, Grace sat at my head and tried to kiss me. This reminded me of when Grace was just a little pup, and I did my situps and pushups, she couldn’t resist playing with my moving head. I then went running. When I returned home at 10:10, Grace lay peacefully on the loveseat. I approached her and rubbed her tummy. She greeted me with her famous kisses.
Afternoon Play
I left to go to a luncheon at 11:30. Grace watched me and was not particularly happy to see me go. When I returned at 1:45, we greeted each other with tummy rubs and kisses. Grace was ready to go out at 1:30, but Betsy waited until 3:00. I had to play tug and fetch with her to help her deal with her need to exercise. When they returned at 4:00, Grace took her shower. She went out on the balcony. At 4:30, she spotted Beckham in Borador Park. We raced down to meet him. Grace and Beckham played some but as usual not much after the greeting.
Home Alone
When we returned home at 5:15, Grace had her dinner. At 5:45, Grace stayed home alone. When we returned at 8:00, Grace stood at the door and greeted me with enthusiastic wags and kisses.
Rare Fear
We went out again to meet Beckham at the park. This time, Grace and Beckham played the chase game. Beckham actually had Grace a bit afraid, as she tried to get me to protect her. She shook it off though and gave Beckham a run for his money. After a few minutes, they played individually — Grace playing fetch with adults and Beckham mesmerized by a bee.
Bedtime Snack
At 8:20, we returned home. Grace had the remnants from an ice cream container followed by a dental chew. She bummed a sweet potato chip from Betsy and at 9:30, went to bed. I followed her at 9:50.
Thursday
Grace jumped off the bed at around 4:00 but returned a few minutes later. She may have heard something, thought it was morning, or took a small drink, but whatever it was, she returned a few minutes later. At 6:00, she got down for the morning. When I got up at 6:20, she was curled up quietly on her sofa with her head up. My being up stirred her to want to start moving. She picked up a ball and tried to get me to play shortstop with it, went on the balcony, and generally acted ready to go.
Early Start
At 6:45, she heard a bark, perked up, and went back out on the balcony to investigate. Olivia was out in Borador Park. We did our usual rush to meet friends. Grace happily greeted Olivia and Rascal. When they left at 7:00, I took Grace out for a short walk. There, she spotted Abby. It was Abby’s first birthday so she got to go to the dog park to play. They did some high-intensity wrestling and running for about fifteen minutes before Abby had to leave.
Grace went out for another walk before we returned to the park. At 7:45, we met Sadie. Grace and Sadie did their usual running, wrestling, and puppy play, were a little slow in getting started. During the play, Grace did her patented Godzilla move again. It would be fun to have a photo of that, but we likely never will. At 8:00, Beckham came inside and joined Sadie and Grace. After an enthusiastic greeting, the dogs settled down to each do his and her own thing.
Morning Routine
At 8:15 the dogs left the park. At 8:25, Grace returned home and went out on the balcony. Despite Grace’s attempt to find shade there, by 8:40, she was back inside on the living room chair and panting. At 8:45, she got down and ate the breakfast I had prepared for her when we came home. Then Grace went to her sofa for her morning nap.
I went running and when I returned, greeted Grace on the sofa with tummy rubs and kisses. Grace continued her nap as I left again at 11:00 — this time to run errands. When I returned at 1:30 Grace still lay on the sofa. We repeated the greeting sequence we went through a few hours earlier. Betsy then gave Grace some lunch.
Afternoon Swim
As the afternoon drew on, Grace became more alert and more anxious to get going for her afternoon outing.Betsy delayed, so at 3:00, I took her. Betsy caught up with us and I left them to finish their trip to the lake. Grace met Otis at Grace Beach. In the balmy heat, Grace and Otis enjoyed playing fetch together. When they returned at 4:30, Grace went directly to the balcony.
Shower Fear
At 5:00, I called Grace to the shower. She didn’t come without my using my hands on her body to direct her. She first moved to the other side of the balcony, then she tried to go up on the chair, finally she tried to head for the office. Each time, I redirected her. When Betsy finished washing her, I gave her a special lamb treat. Grace proceeded back to the balcony.
False Alarm
At 5:20, she spotted friends at the park. By the time we made it downstairs, they were gone. We reversed and Grace came back obediently. She went to the balcony until 6:00 when she ate her dinner. At 6:30, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. We worked on roll because she seemed to not remember it. Perhaps part of it relates to the sequence. Often I request roll after tummy. At 6:45, Grace returned to her sofa and took a nap.
Woof Pack
At 7:45, Grace went to the balcony to check for friends at the park. She spotted them. We hurried to meet them. With Grace, there were seven dogs: Abby, Zeke, Grace, Olivia, Rascal, and a couple tiny dogs (Yorkie and Dashhund). Zeke even joined in the play. Abby left and Sadie came in. The play ended at 8:20 as all dogs left.
When we returned home, Grace stretched out on her sofa and went to sleep. I went to bed at 9:40. Grace followed shortly after.
Friday
At 5:15, Grace was off of the bed and Betsy was up. At 6:00, Grace was whining outside the master suite doors. At 5:45, I let her out on the balcony. Betsy let her in fifteen minutes later. Although Betsy had left them open, they had shut. I opened one for Grace. At 6:15, I got up to find Grace lying in the hallway of the master suite. We did tummy rubs and kisses and then went outside.
Daybreak at the Park
After about ten minutes at Borador Park, we saw Olivia and Rascal coming. Grace was happy to see some friends, but as usual, they seemed to do their own thing. Grace played fetch with their owner and me. After fifteen minutes, they left. At that point, I decided to take Grace for a walk.
On the walk, we met a dog that looked very much like Beckham (Lokie). The main difference was his straight tail. Along the way, Grace found a tasty bone that she easily crushed and devoured. After we made a circuit, we returned to the park. A couple of Yorkies showed up. Grace didn’t quite know whether to treat them as puppies or small dogs, but she caught on. They didn’t play, but Grace did try to reassure them and engage them.
We spotted Abby out in the yard, but she did not have time to come in. The time drifted on past the normal time when Sadie came. I wondered whether Sadie’s owner might be taking the day off or sleeping in. At 8:00, Sadie finally showed up. Grace was excited to see her playmate. Grace stared off the play session like she was tired, but before long they were going at it as usual. Because Sadie’s owner was late, after their first burst of play, he took her back inside.
Cooling Down
Grace returned home at 8:15 and went out on the balcony. I prepared her breakfast. She then came in and continued to catch her breath on the living room chair. A few minutes later, she ate her breakfast and returned to the chair. At 8:45, she jumped over her bed to land on her sofa, still hot and panting.
Sweet Sorrow
Betsy said that on Thursday Grace was distressed when I went running. To remedy that, I decided to see if I could help her cope. At 9:05, I said good-bye to Grace and went running. When I returned at 9:35, Grace was still on the sofa where I left her. I made sure to greet her with tummy rubs and kisses. Betsy said Grace did fine. Perhaps that’s the answer.
Anticipation
Grace stayed on her sofa until 12:10 when I started making lunch. Grace had her lunch followed by a doggie treat and a raw egg. When she finished, she got back up on her sofa, taking one of her puppy toys with her, to wait anxiously for the next time she could go outside. At 2:00 after some whining, she made her move to the foyer as another hint that she is ready to go outside.
Missing Ball Found
At 2:30, I took Grace out. She led me to Grace Beach. The ball was missing so I used the one that I brought. In the process of play, Grace found the missing ball. I put the new ball in my pocket and we proceeded with the old one she just found.
Worth the Wait
At 4:50, Grace spotted Abby at Borador Park. When we arrived, the person caring for Abby decided it was time to leave. Grace and Abby did a minute of leash play as Abby left. Thirty minutes later, Sadie came in. It was still sunny, hot, and humid, so Grace judiciously tended to migrate to the shady corner to do her play and limited her running. A few minutes after Sadie, Zeke joined the group. They played for twenty minutes. Then they all left. When we returned at 5:55, Grace went to the foyer to try to cool down on the hard surface floor.
Grace went back out on the balcony at 7:30. At 7:40, Grace spotted friends. Betsy took her to the dog park. At 8:25, they returned. Grace went to the balcony to cool off. At 8:55, she returned inside and got up on her sofa. Betsy and I went to bed at 9:15. Grace followed about a half hour later.
Saturday
At 5:20, Grace was off of the bed. She was lying in the master suite hallway. At 6:30, I got up and took Grace out to Borador Park. The first friends were Lucy and Bogie. Each time they meet, Lucy becomes more able to play with Grace. Lucy mainly likes to run, so Grace takes the rope toy and uses that as something that Lucy can chase after.
High Energy, Low Energy
At 7:30, Abby came. That raised the energy level from gentle tag to race and roughhouse. After five minutes, Lucy and Bogie left. Ten minutes later, Abby left. This gave Grace a moment to catch her breath and relieve herself. We stopped the antibiotic yesterday. Thankfully, her stool had now returned to normal. The next visitors were Olivia and Rascal. The intensity was reduced, but it was still fun for Grace to socialize. Finally, at 8:10, Sadie joined the party. The intensity immediately shot up. Olivia and Rascal, left. Then, after ten minutes they were worn out and the party disbursed.
Guess Who
When Grace returned at 8:30, she had her breakfast. After breakfast, she went out on the balcony. When I returned from running, Grace was lying in the living room chair. After my shower, I gathered up study materials and went to the bedroom to get some privacy. After I had everything spread out on the bed, guess who showed up? Grace wanted to be with me. She saw her spot on the be all cluttered with books. I tried to clear a spot for her, but she not wanting to disturb me found a place on the floor.
Grace Beach Confirmed Safe from Contaminants
At 1:00, I got up and made some lunch. Grace followed a few minutes later. She had her lunch followed by a doggie treat. She also shredded a paper towel roll. We received a call from a county expert regarding the safety of Lake Crabtree for Grace to drink or swim. He said the water has no measurable PCBs and is safe for her. At 2:45, Betsy took her out to Grace Beach in the hot afternoon sun.
But Not from Beasts
They returned at 3:30. After a short time in the water, Betsy saw a water snake and called Grace in. They walked some, but the heat and humidity was oppressive. Betsy gave Grace a short shower followed by a treat. Grace found a cool spot and relaxed until supper.
Friends
At 5:30, she had supper. When I finished my supper, I gave her some pork and worked some more on the roll command. She seems to be getting better at it. At 6:30, I was back with a shut door studying. Grace whined at the door. I thought she wanted to see me. When I opened the door she walked to the office. I shut the door. She did it again. Grace wanted me to take her to Borador Park to be with friends.
When we arrived, Zeke and Sadie were there. They ganged up on Grace, and she immediately rolled into the submissive posture. That happened a number of times, reducing the fun of the playtime. After twenty minutes, Sadie left. Grace and Zeke do not usually do much together. Grace mainly played with me and Zeke’s owner. After fifteen more minutes, Zeke left and we went home.
Quiet Night
At 8:30, Betsy took Grace out one last time. There were no friends at the park, and they returned home at 8:50. Grace proceeded to the sofa to stretch out as Betsy fired up the vacuum cleaner. When I went to bed at 9:30, Grace preceded me there.