At 5:30 AM, Grace jumped off of the bed. At 6:30, she whimpered followed by a bark. At 6:45, we went outside for a walk. We circled the block twice looking for Grace’s puppy friend from the day before, but he never showed up.
Morning Snack
Grace headed for the water on Dock Street — scavenging along the way. We walked up to the courtyard of the U.S. District Court building. From there, we took Market Street back up to the main street. There was a clean-up crew busily at work there, but they had not gotten a half slice of pepperoni pizza and soft pretzel likely from the night before.
When we returned back to the inn at 7:45, there was a tray with tea and coffee outside our door. I fixed myself some tea and returned to the porch with it to the front porch. Grace sat calmly there, enjoying the peace and quiet. She got excited and barked when people and dogs passed by.
Dog Gone!
Then a guest came out with her Pekingese dog. It proceeded around the side of the house. Grace followed. The house was fenced and gated in the front and fenced along the rest of the area except for the rear driveway. I had left Grace unleashed on the porch because it felt fairly secure from that spot.
Suddenly, Grace bolted out through the driveway. It was as if she saw her way to escape went for it. I raced after her whistling to call her back. After a block an a half, Grace turned into an enclosed area. It still had a twenty-foot opening, but I thought I had her trapped.
Grace found a cat and chased it until it eluded her. Grace then slyly ran between the building and hedges to make it to the way out and back to the road. Grace raced down the next block and turned left out of sight. I followed and saw her dart into and back out of another enclosed area.
From all of the running we do together, I know that she follows me when I run. I got her attention, called her and headed back to the inn. Grace turned and followed from a half block away. A block later, she came close enough for me to grab her collar. I walked her back to the inn, leashed her, took her inside, and gave her to Betsy, while I cleaned up for breakfast. Whew!
What I will never know is whether it was a cat chase that sparked her bolting or just the desire to run free in the city. I didn’t see the cat until later, so my first impression was she just bolted. It was only after seeing the cat that I surmised that Grace’s quick and very directed running must have been the result of pursuit. The minimal early Sunday morning traffic was minimal, so thankfully Grace was spared getting hit by a car.
Leash Resentment
When we went to breakfast, Grace did okay, but not perfectly. She resented being in the house with a leash. After we sat down, Betsy realized we hadn’t fed her. She took Grace to our room and fed her. When Grace returned, she settled down.
As we packed up the luggage and took it to the car, Grace waited patiently in the room. Perhaps this was becoming a bit more familiar. When we finished loading, Betsy brought Grace and we were on our way. Grace napped enroute. We stopped at a “dog friendly” motel. The lady at the front desk said Grace exceeded the 10-pound limit for dog weight. She did said she would accept Grace in the the off season though. We tried another place down the road, but it was unacceptable.
Fun at Topsail Beach
We proceeded down the road until we found parking at a public access point. We we went to the the beach. Grace happily came along. When we found a suitable spot, I carefully put a sheet down for us to lie upon. A few minutes later Grace sat on the sheet and began frantically digging a hole next to the sheet. Within seconds, the sheet was covered with a pile of freshly dug sand. When I told her to stop, she did.
We played fetch and shortstop with a handball along the shoreline. It was lots of fun. While we played, a Golden Retriever / Chow mix came by. Grace greeted him as he joined in with her to play shoreline fetch. The first time, he got the ball. He ran, and Grace flew across the beach after him. When he dropped it, Grace picked it up. Grace gave the other owner the ball who threw it into the ocean. Grace beat the other dog nearly every time. While he would chase Grace, he was no match for her.
Grace played shortstop with me. After about twenty minutes, I changed the game from up the shore to along it. She really enjoyed that. When she tired, we went back to the shade of the beach umbrella. Grace had a drink of cool fresh water and lay in the sand to relax to the rhythmic beat of the surf.
At noon, we went to the car to get Grace’s lunch and pick up some more water. Betsy and I each wanted to get in the ocean before we left. Betsy went first. Grace watched her and as she went out in the deeper waves, Grace let out a different bark — something I never heard before. It reminded me of Lassie’s bark when she was alerting characters of danger. Since this is a new bark, I’ll log it as a milestone.
After Betsy came in, I went out. Grace did the same thing with me. Betsy walked Grace out to meet me. After going in as far as she could safely walk, she barked the warning bark at me. Going out allayed her fears for a minute. Grace then headed for shore with her leash as she went. Grace went through this routine twice before Betsy decided to take Grace for a short walk. I came in a few minutes later. Betsy and Grace joined me a few minutes after that.
Shower Fear
We went to the shower to try to rinse Grace off. She resisted stubbornly. Finally, Betsy used Grace’s dish to fill it with water and pour it in her. We dried her with a towel when she was finished. Grace then proceeded to “dry” herself by rubbing her body against the sandy deck floor.
Betsy poured water on her face one last time. I quickly dried her face. We got into the car and took off. At 2:00, we stopped at a grocery store. Betsy brought back some chicken dinners to the car. Grace enjoyed the scraps we ate. After stopping at a vegetable stand, we stopped at Wendy’s for a Frosty.
Home Again
We returned home at 5:20 PM. Grace raced to meet Olivia and Rascal in Borador Park. She came home at 5:50 and went out on the balcony. At 7:00, Grace had her supper. She had a doggie treat. Betsy gave her a medicated dental chew. She wanted more. I gave her a loaded Kong. She still waned more. We did tricks for treats. She then went out ont he balcony. At 9:00 I called Grace inside. She immediately went to the sofa, curled up in a small ball and looked at me like she really didn’t want to go out.
I put her leash on her and after repeated promptings, Grace limped off of the sofa. We went out and returned ten minutes later. Grace had to wait while Betsy prepared a clean sheet for her bed. A minute later it was ready. Then Betsy applied paw lotion to each of Grace’s paws and told her good night. I followed her there at 9:45.
Monday
Shortly after 1:00 AM, Grace jumped off of the bed. At 5:30, she was awake, lying with her head up in the bedroom hallway. At 6:30, Betsy got up and told me she thought Grace might vomit. She didn’t. It was suddenly raining hard outside. By the time we went out fifteen minutes later, the rain had trailed off. A few minutes later it was gone. Before we left, I waxed her paws. Grace found a large nylon dog bone in the bushes. It has been chewed in half but still was plenty big for Grace.
Morning Ritual
Sadie came in first. Grace was happy to see a friend she hadn’t seen in a few days. They wrestled and ran as usual with Grace spending a lot of time keeping track of the nylon bone. Next came Olivia and Rascal. Olivia tried to join in some but as usual was mainly a spectator. Olivia and Rascal left followed by Sadie. Then Beckham came in for about fifteen minutes. He and Grace almost got into mixing it up a bit, but that fizzled out as quickly as it started.
When Grace returned home at 8:30, she had her breakfast and jumped up on her sofa for a nap. I had a computer problem, which kept me occupied. As I prepared to go running, I couldn’t find my keys. I had left them in a drawer with a key lock. After thirty minutes, I remembered where they were and took Grace to Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed running with me in the cool morning air and bright sunshine.
Travelling
Our next stop was the grocery store for ten minutes. When I returned, Grace was sitting right where I had left her. We made a five-minute stop at another. This time when I returned she was in the driver’s seat because that was closer to the door where I entered the store. She knew to move from there when I returned. She has been doing this for a few weeks now, but I’ll log it as a milestone now.
Our next stop was the land for me to look over the house position and for Grace to see if Snoopy was out. He wasn’t. As I called Grace back to the car, I noticed she had a tennis ball in her mouth. She dropped it and got in obediently. I shut the door and threw the ball back in the woods. It made me feel bad that I didn’t play a little bit of fetch with her.
Shower and Rest
We returned home at 11:30. Grace headed for the shower, but I had forgotten the groceries in the car. When I went back to get them, Grace jumped up on the living room chair. When I returned, I called her in for her shower, and she came obediently. After her shower and treat, Grace had her breakfast. As I prepared my lunch, Grace wanted more. I gave her a doggie treat. I finally gave her some cooked egg. She also presented her tug toy for tug and fetch while I ate and cleaned up.
At 1:00, Grace went to the bedroom hall to relax. I don’t recall her ever choosing this location for a nap. At 3:30, Grace got up and looked out the window. There in the parking lot below was a bright-yellow mower. It was something odd and different. Grace barked to let me know. I told her it was okay.
Strange Sound
I left the laundry-room door open. When the laundry hit a particular cycle, Grace barked at the sound and headed to investigate. I told Grace it was okay. At 4:00, Grace started grouching. She was mad I hadn’t fed her lunch and that she didn’t have her beach playtime. I delayed these things due to her nap. After her lunch, Grace left for Grace Beach at 4:15.
We did the usual shortstop along the shore, fetching the ball in shallow water and fetching a stick in deep water. At 5:05 she was done. We headed out. Grace followed a nice young lady runner. She said she had a Labrador Retriever. Grace followed her. Finally, she stopped and was able to call Grace to her.
Returning Home
After leashing Grace, she and I continued along Windstead Drive. Along the way, little Lucy was playing fetch. Grace wanted to join in. She retrieved the ball once. We then went on our way as Lucy’s owner hid the ball. I ran in order to keep Grace from doing the “sack of potatoes” trick.
At 5:25, just after we returned home, Betsy followed. She gave Grace some roast beef as a treat. Grace then went out on the balcony. At 6:00, Grace had her shower followed by a roast beef treat and then supper. At 6:05, Grace spotted Sadie at the park. Early in the playtime, she threw up her dinner and the roast beef. Grace and Sadie did their usual running and roughhousing. At 6:35, Abby came and joined the fun. Ten minutes later, Grace left, returned home, and proceeded to the balcony to watch for friends.
Sundowning
At 7:00, Beckham showed up. Grace barked loudly. We brought her inside. She was disappointed and went to the kitchen. Grace had a replacement supper followed by a doggie treat. As I ate my supper, Grace whimpered. I ignored her. As I was cleaning up, she brought the sock. I didn’t respond to it. A few minutes later, Betsy let her out on the balcony.
At 8:15, Grace came in and curled up on her sofa. She was done for the night. At 9:00, I took her out for a short trip around the building before bed. When she returned at 9:10, Grace headed for bed. She waited as I straightened the sheets and then jumped up. When I came to bed at 9:45, Grace was lying across one half of the bed. I moved her back end to allow me to position my legs along the other edge. She then turned and we went to sleep.
Tuesday
At 3:00, Grace was resting in her bed. I petted her lightly before going back to bed. At 6:45, the alarm clock sounded. Grace was on the dining room floor. We did tummy rubs and kisses. Grace seemed to be more like herself but still a little reserved. As I prepared to leave with the bathroom door shut, Grace came to the door. When I finally opened the door, Grace greeted me with her enthusiastic wags and kisses.
Sad News
At 7:00, we headed downstairs. Grace quickened her pace, running down the stairs. That was unusual for first thing in the morning. When we reached the first floor, I discovered the reason. Lucy and Boggie were there. This would be the last day they would meet here at the apartment complex. Today they were moving into their house a few miles away. We learned that sadly Boggie was just diagnosed with terminal illness. He’s such a sweet dog, it was hard to hear his days are limited. We do plan to get together in the future though for play times at our new homes.
Grace headed on to Borador Park. There she played with the big ball and just relaxed as she waited for friends. First came Sadie with Olivia and Rascal close behind. Grace played with Sadie some and Olivia also mixed it up with her. Grace seemed to have greater interest in keeping track of the ball than mixing it up with Sadie. Then Abby came. She and Sadie mixed it up as Grace watched and cheered on the action.
Touching Gesture
Occasionally, Grace would get up and try to join in, but the ball in her mouth, hindered her ability to do much more than run with the pack and wrestle a little. Finally, Hannah and Miley joined the group along with a toddler. Olivia and Rascal left shortly thereafter. At one point Grace gently put the ball in the toddler’s lap. The baby’s owner took the ball, and threw it for Grace.
The party broke up at 8:00, and we returned home. Grace had her breakfast and went first under the dining room table sitting pretty with her head high. She then moved to the love seat. A few minutes later she went to her sofa, but was not pleased with that. The shades needed adjusting to block the morning sunlight that was streaming in on her sleeping area. When I made that change, Grace got up and commenced her morning nap.
Morning Adventure
At 9:30, after I waxed Grace’s front paw pads, we headed off for Borador Pond Park. When we arrived, Grace greeted a young boy in a baby stroller and his mother. Both enjoyed meeting Grace. On another lap, Grace spotted the gray crane flying from the entrance to the back of the park. Grace tore after the bird in flight — in her own form of flight. When the bird landed in a tree, Grace let her know she was below and watching it.
At 11:10, we returned home. Grace went straight to the shower without being told. She simply looked back at me to be sure I was ready to bathe her. After her shower, she went out on the balcony for a few minutes and then came in to lie on her sofa.
Healthy Appetite
I left her home alone until I returned at 12:30. Grace was still on the sofa. After our loving greetings, Grace had a treat, followed by her lunch. As I prepared my food and cleaned up in the kitchen, Grace worked on me with her eyes. I gave her at treat followed by a dental chew, but she still wanted more. I gave her the empty treat box, which she proceeded to shred. I told her to get her Kong. She either didn’t understand or couldn’t find it. I pulled it out of her toy basket. Grace then brought it to me.
Grace then worked on a Kong loaded with her dog food and peanut butter. When she finished, I gave her some cooked egg. at 1:05, she went outside. She spotted some dogs in the park and asked to come in. She went to the foyer, but I told her I was not going to take her to see them. She settled down for a nap there.
Fresh Air
At 2:15, we went out. Grace took me to Grace Beach. On the way, Grace chased a crane and found a tennis ball that had been thrown in the water by someone else. We played the usual games with a focus on shortstop. At 3:15, we headed back. Grace caught up with our new neighbor who has the Bernese Mountain Dog. Grace greeted the dog and the child in the stroller.
Grace then headed by the drainage area beyond the hill and to the large level field. Above the field in the gentle warm breeze soared a majestic hawk. Grace chased the bird from below, running fast and barking as she ran. after fifteen minutes of exercise, she came back to the path only to see the gray crane again at the shore. Grace chased the crane along the shore and in the shallow water past Grace Beach.
Rest and Recovery
Grace then returned to the path and came to me. After some rolling around, She returned to the apartment where she walked to the shower without being told. This is another milestone for her. After her shower, she went to the office ottoman. I left the house at 3:50 to do some business with the city. When I returned at 4:45, Grace was still on the ottoman.
Grace went out on the balcony at 5:00 to look for friends. At 5:15, we went to Borador Park. Beckham and Zeke were there. Abby came next followed by Olivia and Rascal and finally Sadie. Although the play was spirited, Abby did not snap. When Zeke got too aggressive for Grace to handle, she retreated under the bench.
Grace joined in the action but spent a lot of time hanging on to the prized ball. As would have been reported last week, Grace likes lying on the large section of landscaping cover pulled up by Abby. It provides a bit of a cushion over the sharp wood chips. The dogs filtered out at 5:45. After they all left, Grace left too.
Just outside the park in the shady lush grass Grace pulled a short “sack of potatoes.” After a few minutes though, we came home. Grace was very dirty from the play, so Grace had a third quick shower. After her shower and treat, Grace went to the kitchen. Betsy gave Grace her supper.
Big-Girl Bark
After supper, Grace grabbed her Kong and kept throwing it at me. I threw it for her to fetch, but what she wanted was to have it loaded with food and peanut butter. After we finished our supper, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps and then went outside. When she barked at dogs below, I came outside to quiet her.
After about four of those incidents, Grace came inside and brought her tug toy to me to play. Betsy put a cover over the living room ottoman last week, making it easier for her to mount and dismount it without slipping or scratching the leather. She now routinely gets up on it again. She brought her fox toy with her but after a short time it would fall off and she would whine softly. I retrieved it for her.
Last Activity Burst
Grace entertained herself for about five minutes with her toy before whining again. We did tricks for treats until 7:55, working on most of her tricks and fetching one of four items (another game started last week). Grace then went back on the balcony. It was now dark outside. The streetlights provided the only light.
At 8:00, Grace gave up, came in and stretched out on her sofa for her nap before bed. At 9:10, Grace went out for the last time. Ten minutes later, Grace came home and went straight to bed. Just as I headed for bed at 10:00, Grace came into the office barking. She had heard barking outside. That was enough to pull her from her routine. She never returned to bed.
Wednesday
At 6:00 Grace whimpered softly from the floor at the foot of the bed. We tried to get her to jump into bed, but she stayed put. We both gave her tummy rubs and then turned over for a half hour. At 6:40, I got up. Grace was on the living room ottoman. That was also sort of unusual.
The Big Chill
The weather had turned cold with the temperature at about 50 degrees. I had dreaded this day, but woefully put on my warm-up suit to start the ritual of putting on clothes to keep warm for our time outside. We dropped off the water dish at the empty park and did a short walk in the grass before returning.
Sadie came in at 7:00. Grace and Sadie did their usual high-energy play for about ten minutes. Then Reggie came in. Grace gave him a turn with Sadie as she watched intently with her ball either in her mouth or lying between her outstretched legs. As she watched the show, it looked like her little bowl of popcorn. Reggie is about one third the length of Sadie and the smallest of the dogs that ventures into spirited puppy play with the gang.
Tender Affection
Next came Olivia and Rascal. The four of them did some running together and Olivia even mixed it up with Sadie some. The dogs left about in last-in-first-our order, but then Hannah and Miley came to join in at the end. Grace mainly played fetch with their owner. Grace kissed the little boy that came with them and even carefully placed the ball on the footrest of his stroller.
At 7:50, we headed out. On the way, Grace was on the trail of some scent. within minutes. she had pulled a missing ball from the shrubs. She gave it to me, and I threw it back into Borador Park. When we returned, Grace had her breakfast (leaving about one quarter of it) and went out on the balcony. Despite the cool temperature, the sunlight was more than she could take. After five minutes, she came in and stretched out on the sofa for her morning nap.
Treat
At 9:15, Grace started getting antsy. She went to the balcony for a few minutes and came in. As I got ready to leave, she grouched. As the temperature had warmed to a sunny 60 degrees, we headed out for Borador Pond Park. We had the place to ourselves again. Grace ran fairly closely with me this time and as now is the norm, followed me to the car when I finished.
At 10:45, we returned to the apartment complex. I considered leaving Grace in the car as I went to the office to report a malfunctioning disposal and pick up a package. Then I remembered that they keep a container of dog biscuits. I took Grace with me and reminded her of the “treats.” She now knows that word, which is a milestone. Grace happily led the way into the office to the dog biscuit container. I gave her one, and we thanked them.
Home Again
After reporting the problem and picking up the package, we went home. Grace got out of the car almost normally this time, with only a short delay. As we entered the apartment, Grace watched intently to see whether or not I would head for the bathroom. I did, and she led the way. After her shower, Grace jumped up on her sofa for her late morning nap.
At 12:15, Grace had her lunch. As I prepared mine, Grace came in for her after-lunch treat. She did a lot of whining to herself as she lay on the floor outside the kitchen, and I ate my lunch. I gave her some of my scrambled eggs, which now is becoming a routine.
At 12:45, the repair man came to check out the disposal. When he knocked at the door, Grace barked and continued barking until he came in, and she sensed that he was not a threat. He threw some ice cubes down the drain and ground them up to verify the blades still worked and “to clean out the holes.” He said basically don’t put much in it and always run the water when it is used. The source of the clog is the way it is plumbed to keep any large items from getting into the drain. Grace took it in stride.
Having a Ball
At 12:55 the repair man left, and Grace returned to her sofa for more napping. At 2:15, we headed out for our afternoon adventure. On the way, I found a four-inch diameter inflated ball at the shore. I picked it up and threw it to Grace Beach. Grace retrieved it.
I threw it in the water. It presented a challenge for Grace. She is used to grabbing the object fetched in the deep water. Each time she tried to grab it, she pushed it away from her. She did this repeatedly. Sometimes it pushed the ball out deeper. She sort of caught on to that and nosed it no deeper most of the time, but finally she grabbed the softly inflated ball and brought it into shore.
We played shortstop with it a few times before she punctured it. After it deflated, Grace continued to play shortstop with it for about ten minutes. We went from there to fetch sticks in the deep water. The main tennis ball we keep hidden behind a log was missing. I got backup number one, and we played shortstop with it.
When we returned home at 4:00, Grace took a shower, and proceeded out on the balcony to watch for friends. At 4:45, she spotted Zeke followed by Reggie and some little dogs. There were no primary playmates there. At 5:00, I gave in and took her to the park.
On the way, Grace stopped and found another ball in the bushes. It’s amazing how she goes straight to the balls. Grace met Zeke first. Shortly after, Abby came followed by Sadie, Olivia and Rascal. Grace wrestled a bit with Abby and a little more with Sadie before giving up and paying greatest attention to the prized ball.
Invisible Dog
At 6:00, we returned home, walking with a five-year-old neighbor girl and her parents. The girl loves Grace and petted her as she walked. After Grace came home, she returned to the balcony to watch for friends again. At 7:00, she came inside and ate her supper. She then began grouching. I gave some mozzarella cheese followed by her a dental chew.
When she finished her chew, she grouched. We played shortstop with her while we ate. When we finished, she did tricks for chicken scraps. At 7:35, Grace got up on the ottoman, but five minutes later moved to the sofa straight across from me. In the dim evening light, she sitting eight foot away straight across from me is nearly invisible on the black sofa. The only difference is that Grace is blacker.
At 7:50, Grace took an old rawhide chew stick to the dining room floor and made short work of it. At 8:00, she went out on the balcony and ten minutes later returned to her sofa. Betsy turned on a bright lamp right next to Grace. Eventually, she retreated to the floor. At 8:55, she went out for the last time and returned ten minutes later. When she returned, she went to bed. I followed at 9:30.
Thursday
Grace stayed on her half of the bed most of the night. by 4 or 5 AM, she had gotten off. At 6:55, when I got up, she was on the dining room floor. We did tummy rubs and kisses. At 7:05 we headed out. Grace did not expect friends yet at the park because she usually is the first to arrive. Today though, Sadie had arrived first. Grace took her time getting there until she saw Sadie.
In a Pickle
When Grace finally saw her friend, she raced to see her. Wednesday, Zeke’s owner left a five-gallon pail that previously held pickles and put water in it for the dogs to drink. I dipped out some water into the water container that I normally fill at the car wash. The water had a strong pickle smell. I poured it out and filled my container with clean water from the car wash.
As Grace and Sadie played their normal roughhouse and chase game, I spent five minutes trying to rinse out the pickle pail. The two dogs focused on the new smell of the freshly raked chips and the tennis ball that Grace found the day before. When I finished rinsing the bucket, I filled it with water and brought it back. It still smelled like pickles, but perhaps to a lesser degree.
Otis
Next, Olivia and Rascal came in. Grace and Sadie continued playing with each other until Sadie left five minutes later. Shortly thereafter, Olivia and Rascal also left. In the distance we could see Otis coming. He usually doesn’t come to the dog park, but since only Grace was there, his owner brought him in. He was a little interested in fetching with Grace, but the two dogs really didn’t have much interaction.
After ten minutes, Abby approached. Otis went nuts — barking wildly. Abby returned fire. Despite Otis’ owner saying she would take him home, the person bringing Abby took Abby away. Beckham heard the noise and had to come down. Beckham and Otis barked at each other, but Otis’ owner was able to get Otis out of the park so Beckham and Grace could play.
A Few Last Encounters
Beckham’s owner played fetch throwing the big ball to see whether Grace or Beckham could get it. They were well-matched. Depending on the direction of the bounce, the dog in the best position got the ball. After ten minutes, Beckham left. After Grace caught her breath lying on the bench, she left too and we headed home.
On the way back, Grace met the neighbor girls heading for school. They greeted each other happily before heading on to their destinations. When we returned home at 8:20, Grace had her breakfast. She then went out on the balcony lounge chair for a nap.
Morning Run
At 9:30, I interrupted Grace and took her for a ride to Borador Pond Park. The lawn maintenance man running the mower thankfully did not complain that Grace ran free. Grace did pretty well — leaving him alone although when we first came out she ran to him and circled his mower before catching up with me. She also jumped up on the picnic table, took a half-empty bottle of water, ran with it thirty yards, and dropped it in the grass. I returned it in case it belonged to the maintenance man.
As Grace looked the direction of the mower, I repeated the command, “Leave it.” Grace did well for a puppy. At times while running she seemed to also “heal” on her own. I forgot to wax her front paws, but she seemed to have no ill effects. At 11:00 we returned. Again, Grace was in no hurry to leave the car. She remained seated. After gently coaxing her for about a minute, I got her to relent and come with me. It was almost as if she didn’t want to go back to the apartment.
Recharging
When we returned, Grace went straight to the bathroom and helped with her shower. The balcony was sunny so Grace just jumped up on her sofa and fell asleep. At 12:15, Grace had her lunch followed by a doggie treat and some of my eggs. At 12:45, Grace went out on the balcony but returned to her sofa at 1:00.
At 1:30, Grace did her classic dismount from the sofa — slowly stretching until she was off. This time she looked me straight in the eye as she performed the move. When she reached the floor, she continued her nap with her front legs extended and her chin extended over her right paw. A minute later, she moved to lie on her side with legs extended. Ten minutes later, Grace made it back to her sofa to continue her nap.
Return of the Heat Cycle
Lately Grace has been expressing more whining than usual and making them at odd times. Her last heat cycle was ten days. It started on Saturday, Week Twenty-Nine and ended Tuesday, Week Thirty-One. I’m starting to see a small amount of redness and enlargement in her reproductive area. This may be it. I wonder if this could explain her strange behavior at the end of rides. Time will tell.
We went out at 2:40. Grace went to Grace Beach. We played mainly shortstop but also did a fair amount of deep-water stick-fetching. We finished about an hour later and headed out for our walk through the fields to go home. As we rounded the hill, Grace waited to be sure I was following behind her. Then she headed for the lake overflow stream. The day before she had found some trash someone had left on the rocks. She went back to that and checked it out again.
After ten minutes of exploring, Grace saw me heading out. She followed. At that point, especially since she likely was going into heat, I leashed her. We went up the hill. Grace found an old fish head. It was a great toy to roll around on and to eat as a snack. As we headed back toward Grace Beach, I spotted the tennis ball that was discovered missing the day before. I took it back to our normal hiding place for it.
We then went on. I used the running trick most of the way to keep Grace moving with me and discourage her from doing “sack of potatoes.” When we returned home at 4:10, Grace went straight to the shower. After her bath and treat, Grace went out to the balcony on friends watch.
Evening Park Play
At 5:00, we went out. As Grace approached the park, Abby’s owner was taking her back out. She had just arrived, but she had some aggressive behavior with Miley and had to leave. By the time I could get Grace there, Abby had turned and left. Grace played with Miley and Hanna, mainly fetching the new favorite toy. It was a three-inch squeaky tennis ball. Olivia and Rascal came in next.
Olivia tends to howl a lot — especially when she does not get the prized ball. She howled near the toddler that comes with Hannah and Miley. Although he is very well behaved that noise was too much for him. He broke into tears. The fetch play continued for Grace until Betsy came home with take-out supper from Moe’s.
We left at 5:30. That’s always a bit of a struggle when other dogs remain in the park, but Grace came without too much resistance. Once we arrived home, Grace had her supper. Then she enjoyed steak pieces (most of them actually) from my burrito and corn chips.
Heat Cycle Start Confirmed
Betsy noticed some red spots where Grace sat on the sheets the night before. That marks the start of Grace’s second heat cycle. Perhaps that helps explain some of Grace’s behavioral changes as she is experiencing big hormonal changes to make this cycle happen.
I put some protective pants on Grace before we left at 6:45 for a concert. Grace went to the office ottoman to sulk. When we returned at 9:30, Grace was on the sofa, but out of her pants. Grace went out for the last time. When we returned, Betsy put the pants back on her. Grace went to her sofa for the night. We have been keeping that sofa covered with a sheet to protect it, so that works out well for this heat cycle. Of course, this is quite different than her normal routine of jumping up on the bed.
Friday
When I checked on Grace at 4:00, Grace was out of her pants on her sofa. At 6:50, I got up and gave Grace tummy rubs as she lay on the sofa. By today, her heat cycle had progressed to produce now very obvious engorgement of her reproductive area. I decided to use the harness on her to better assure when we walk she would not run away. It turned out to be raining. We went to the park anyway. Sadie was there, but Grace and Sadie didn’t mix it up. Perhaps it was the rain or Grace’s condition or both. At 7:45, when we returned, Grace had a shower followed by a treat.
At 8:00, Grace had breakfast and went directly to the sofa. At 9:15, she got off of the sofa and went to the balcony lounge chair for fifteen minutes before returning to her sofa. At 11:00, I left to go running. I told Grace to “stay.” When I returned she was still on the sofa. I praised her and gave her a treat.
At 11:15, she went out on the balcony as I took a shower. The thick clouds blocked the usual morning sun making the balcony comfortable for Grace. At 12:10, Grace came in and ate her lunch followed by her usual treat. I put a doggie diaper on her. They seem pretty lame for this purpose. They have a lot of padding where she needs none. As I ate, she walked out of the diaper.
I put the protective pants on her instead. They fit and worked better. Grace had some of my scrambled eggs and then went to the office ottoman. After thirty minutes, she walked in carrying her protective pants. She dropped them at the foot of her sofa, got up and fell asleep.
At 2:30, we went outside. I will continue to use her harness until this heat cycle is over. The 70-degree temperature did not invite a lot of swimming. Grace immediately retrieved the tennis ball from our hiding place. After that, I felt I had to disconnect her leash. We played shortstop for about twenty minutes before I leashed her again. We walked to Winstead Dr. and around the adjacent new apartments.
Dog-Fest at the Park
When we returned at 4:00, Grace took a very quick shower to rinse off only her feet. She then went out on the balcony to watch for friends. At 4:40, we went to the park. Zeke and Abby were there when Grace joined the party. Then dogs kept flowing in:
- Zeke
- Abby
- Grace
- Little Lucy
- Olivia
- Rascal
- Sadie
- Reggie
- Bones
This was a record as far as I could tell. Grace ran a little with Abby but mainly paid attention to retrieving and controlling a ball. Rascal and Bones were two males that were not fixed. Rascal is very old and Bones is still a puppy. Reggie was the first to get excited about Grace. Then came Rascal. Finally, it was Bones who couldn’t keep his paws off of her.
Evening Antics
Grace was kind of a mess from the slobber of other dogs and dirt at the park. When we returned home at 5:40, Grace had her bath. Betsy was cooking so grace didn’t want to go out on the balcony. I put her pants on her so she could roam around freely. At 6:00, Betsy gave Grace her dinner.
As I ate, Grace lay by my side awaiting scraps. When I finished, she did tricks for beef. When she finished, Grace went outside on the balcony. She enjoys hearing herself bark out there, so any excuse will kick it off. When she wants to bark but knows I’ll come out, sometimes she will do a muffled bark instead. Betsy thought it was a dream bark, but it wasn’t because it grew to a full-blown big-girl bark.
At 8:55, I took Grace out for the last time. She was on the balcony lounge chair with her pants removed. When we returned at 9:10, Grace went back on the balcony. When I went to bed at 10:00, Grace was lying on her back asleep on her sofa.
Saturday
At 2:00 AM, Grace was on the floor by the sofa. When I got up at 6:55, she was lying on the living room chair. We did tummy rubs and kisses. Ten minutes later, we headed for Borador Park. No dogs were there yet, so after I dropped off the water dish, we did a short walk in the grass before returning. Within ten minutes, Hannah and Miley showed up. They were happy to see one another, but they really didn’t play much. They did play fetch a bit with their owner though.
Mexican Standoff
Next, came Abby. Grace and Abby vied for the prized squeaky ball. When Abby had it, Grace would chase Abby slowly and wrestle with her gently. When she could grab the ball while it was in Abby’s mouth, they would at times be at a standoff for five minutes or more.
Olivia and Rascal came in next. Olivia and Abby actually did some chasing of each other. Grace focused on the prized ball. When Sadie came, Grace wrestled and ran with her for a short time, but the main attraction was Abby and Sadie. Grace switched to spectator mode with her ball secured between her front legs. Olivia and Rascal left while the remaining three kept up the play.
Common Invasion
At 8:30, Sadie and Abby left. Grace played fetch and shortstop with her prized ball for a few minutes before leaving too. When we returned home, Grace went straight to the balcony. The painters were working close to our balcony with the big power lift, but they’ve been at it for so many weeks, it didn’t even phase Grace.
At 9:20, Grace came in, ate her breakfast, and got up into the living room chair for her nap. The cloud-cover made the balcony livable for her. Grace went out at 10:00 and watched the painters some more. At 11:15, she returned to her sofa for more napping. At noon, Betsy gave her lunch. Grace returned to her sofa until 1:00, when I started making my lunch.
Waiting
I gave her a doggie treat. Grace wanted some eggs. She bit the air as she waited for the eggs to cool and to be given to her. After Grace had her eggs, she went out on the balcony again until 1:50, when she came in grouching about going out for a walk. I told her to wait. She went to the foyer and lay on the cool hard surface.
Grace went out at 2:45. With hormones raging, she didn’t have a lot of energy, but she still enjoyed the freedom. Betsy took her to the park. Grace did some fetching and a lot of sitting and watching. Grace returned at 4:00 and went directly to the balcony.
Miffed
At 5:00, Grace had her dinner followed by a medicated dental chew. She stayed on the floor by the kitchen as Betsy made our supper. At 6:00, while we ate, Grace was a bit miffed. She picked up a nylon bone and tossed it against the wall. She stared at us indicating she wanted something else. We didn’t have any suitable table scraps, and I didn’t want to give her cheese after doing her dental chew.
When I finished eating, Grace did tricks for treats. We finished up with the fetch object exercise. She seems to be catching on to this, but I cannot claim it as mastered yet. When we finished, Grace went to the office ottoman. At 7:00, Betsy made Grace move from the ottoman so she could put a towel under it despite the fact that Grace was already wearing a ridiculous diaper.
Grace moved to her sofa, feeling sad and not knowing where she could safely go. At 8:30, she started to get angry at me for not spending much time with her that day. When I got my snack, I gave her a doggie treat. Then she brought me her sock to play. I threw it, but she didn’t want to play with it. She saw her reflection in the balcony door and started to bark. I tried to show her that she was looking at her own image. I even took her to the bathroom to show her the mirror. I’m not sure it registered, but it may have.
Grace went out at 8:55 and returned at 9:05. She then went to the bed for the night. I followed her thirty minutes later.