At 6:25, I found Grace back on the ottoman. We briefly greeted each other. At 7:30 she was still there. We went out to the park a few minutes later.
Morning Play
The cool, crisp 49-degree weather didn’t phase Grace. When we made it to the dog park, it was empty, so we went on. As we passed Abby’s window, Abby barked. We walked for ten minutes and returned to the park.
After getting clean, fresh water and washing off the prized balls, I began playing catch with Grace. Shortly thereafter, Abby came out. Grace and Abby played catch with Abby’s owner.
After a half hour, Abby left. Grace and I resumed the catching play. Then a new dog, who was just visiting, showed up. Her name was Franklin. She was a Saluki and ran like a gazelle. Even Grace with all of her fluid speed and quickness, was no match for that dog. Still Grace was able on occasion to beat her to the ball.
Sadie came next. Grace and Sadie spent a little time wrestling. The cover of the prized ball was coming off. Franklin made short work of it. Grace grabbed the cover, and clung to it as a fond remnant of a former friend. Franklin left first. About ten minutes later, Grace and Sadie also left.
Lonely Morning
At 9:15, Grace came home and went to the balcony lounge chair to wait for Betsy and me to prepare to leave. At 10:10, I called her in. Grace lay on the living room chair as I adjusted the shades to block the bright morning sun from her bed for the moment. I then left her home alone for the rest of the morning.
At 12:20, we returned home to find Grace on her sofa. As we came in, she did her long yawn as she stretched off the sofa in a way that only Grace can do it. After a treat, tummy rubs and kisses, despite the direct sun, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair. After fifteen minutes, Grace moved to a shady corner on the cool concrete. Betsy turned on the fan to give her a breeze, and Grace settled in for a relaxing nap in the fresh air.
Trying Her Patience
At 1:10, Grace came in and sat under the table as we ate our lunch. At 1:20, I put out Grace’s first meal and told her to come. She looked it over and went to the kitchen. Five minutes later, Betsy picked up the bowl. When Grace went over to where it should be, Betsy brought it back and Grace ate it all.
At 1:40, Grace went back out to the balcony lounge chair to enjoy the sun and fresh air. At 3:20, Betsy went out to check on Grace. Grace came in and whined softly as she waited not so patiently to go out for a mid-afternoon walk. At 3:35, they left for a walk.
Play at Last!
At 4:00, I met Grace and Betsy down at Grace Beach. Betsy threw a stick in the water and Grace retrieved it. When she saw me, Grace wanted to run and meet me, but we told her to stay at the beach. She obeyed. I greeted her happily there. We played catch a few times.
We saw a dog that might have been dangerous. We decided to leave and go to the dog park. Grace arrived to an empty park. After I cleaned some balls, Grace and I played catch. Zeke came next followed by Abby. Grace still favored the prized ball despite half of the fuzz was now missing.
Happy You’re Back
At 4:40, I had to leave to get ready for church. Grace had a quick shower followed by a treat. Grace went to the balcony. I called her in when we left at 5:05. When I returned home, Grace greeted me with excitement. She jumped up repeatedly licking my face. At one point, as I kneeled to greet her, Grace hit her head against my brow. The hit was hard enough to leave a small cut above my eye. I gave Grace a treat and told her, “Good bye-bye.”
Grace wanted to do tricks for treats. I told her to eat her food. She did. The we played our game. She was so interested in her treats (the Blue Buffalo) she was a bit distracted. She breezed through them including fetch object and the door closing and opening exercise. Grace wanted more. I told her to get her Kong. She fetched it to the kitchen, and I filled it.
As Betsy and I ate supper, Grace waited. She wanted something more. I gave her a dental chew followed by some new mini-treats. She seemed to like them. After going out on the balcony and returning inside a few times, Grace came in and went to her perch in the office. At 8:15, Grace barked. Grace called her into the living room. Grace restrained herself, but stayed in the office.
At 9:30, Grace went out on the balcony. I brought her in at 10:00 to take her out for her last walk. We dropped of a bag of trash and returned at 10:10. Grace went to her office perch. After applying lotion to her paws, I went to bed.
Monday
At 4:00, I got up and found Grace on her sofa, lying awake on her back. I softly rubbed her tummy as I passed by and returned to bed. Betsy got up before the alarm clock sounded. At about 7:00, Grace jumped up in my bed and gave me a royal greeting. She licked my face as her tail wagged for about five minutes.
Wrestling Fun
We went out five minutes later. The 40-degree temperature Grace took her time going to the park. When she arrived, Abby and Sadie had just entered. Grace launched into action. Abby had the prized ball, so Grace went after Sadie with the zest of her younger years. Sadie’s always ready for a good wrestling match.
When Abby dropped the ball, Grace picked it up and Abby switched to wrestle with Sadie. Grace still enjoyed exercising by running with the two gladiators. After Sadie left, Abby and Grace played catch with Abby’s owner until she left at 7:50. Grace and I played catch until we left the park at 8:30.
Spooked
Grace begged me with her eyes to make a short walk around the building rather than go home. I followed her. In the back, one unit (Chowder’s) had a jack o’ lantern on the balcony ledge. When Grace saw it she barked and growled. When it didn’t react, she realized it was not alive and moved on.
Morning Tasks
When we returned home at 8:40, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair until 9:30. At that point, the sun started bothering her. She came in and lay on the living room chair to take a nap.
At 11:20, we left to run and go on errands. Grace sat up in the passenger seat next to me. I need to mention that the past few weeks I’ve noticed that Grace leans into turns while standing or seated in the car. I’ll log this as a milestone.
We first stopped at the grocery store for about five minutes. Grace waited patiently as always and this time stayed in her seat. From there, we proceeded to Borador Pond Park. We arrived at 11:55. As usual, we had the place to ourselves (and the birds). Grace enjoyed both running with me, running in the meadow, and taking an occasional dip in the pond.
Errands Continue
Next, we stopped at self-storage. Grace jumped out and lay down in the shade between the car and the unit that I accessed. Five minutes later, we headed on to the lot. I directed Grace away from the road. She seemed to understand. I spent a lot of time running a measuring tape to understand a possible house site location change.
Eventually, Snoopy came out to play with Grace in response to her barks. Grace wanted to play with him, but was on the other side of the fence. She whimpered. The fence was about two to three feet high. I told her to jump. She hesitated. After she moved away from it, I told her again. This time she cleared it easily and she was in the yard with her friend. They ran and hung out together.
When I called, Grace came immediately. It was very impressive since she was leaving a playmate. We left the lot and headed home at 2:00. We made a short stop at another grocery store.
Spying
At 2:30, we returned home and Grace had her shower and went to the balcony. She came inside at 3:00 to lie down on the office ottoman. At 3:50, she came to living room floor near me but move under the dining room table shortly thereafter.
At 4:40, she went out on the balcony and spotted the dog that I believe was the one that barked viciously at me a few nights before. Grace barked at it. A man was walking it outside our balcony in the grassy area by the mailboxes. He also had a toy-sized dog that looked like a Yorkie. The larger dog had a white face. They quickly returned to the entrance that we use.
Late Appetite
At 5:00 we went to the park to play catch. She returned home at 6:30. I gave her her first meal of the day. She ate some. After I added turkey bits twenty minutes later, she finished it all. Grace did tricks for treats. She then hung around the kitchen wanting more. She then had a doggie treat followed by a dental chew.
At 7:20, Grace went back out on the balcony. At 8:30, she returned inside, groaned, and took a long, refreshing drink of water. She then proceeded into the kitchen to scavenge food. She groaned from the dining room. I gave her another half-cup of her regular food. She ate it immediately. Grace grouched again. I gave her another half-cup. She ate that too immediately. For the day, she had a total of two cups of food.
Betsy was in the office. Grace went into the office and curled up on her perch despite the full light. At 9:05, Grace went out for the last time. When she returned at 9:15, she went out on the balcony despite my promptings for her to go to bed. At 9:45, she came in and went back to her office ottoman for the night. At 10:00, I put lotion on her paws, told her good-night, and went to bed.
Tuesday
At 3:10, when I got up, Grace was lying on her side on the office floor. She moved to acknowledge my presence. I stroked her face and side softly and returned to bed. At 6:45, the alarm clock sounded. Betsy got up ten minutes later and called Grace in. She jumped up on the bed and with tail wagging, kissed me enthusiastically as I stroked her chest and back.
Fun at Borador Park
At 7:05, we left for the park. When we arrived, Chloe was entering. The two dogs had virtually no interaction. Ten minutes later, Chloe left. As I refreshed the water bucket, Grace waited patiently. We played catch for a while. When her interest wandered for a moment, since the morning temperature in the upper fifties was much warmer than Monday, I took the balls and washed them off at the car wash as Grace watched.
After I returned and we played catch for a while, Abby came. The interaction was almost exclusively focused on getting and holding the prized ball. With a fair throw, with the exception of an odd bounce, Grace consistently would beat Abby to the ball. The last time Abby got the ball, she held it and taunted Grace to lure her into chasing her. Grace ignored Abby’s promptings. A few minutes later, Abby left.
Relaxing at Home
We played catch until 8:30. Grace wanted to go for more of a walk. I humored her for a while. In front of our apartment, a neighbor girl saw Grace and petted her. Then the girl’s mom engaged me in a conversation while Grace waited patiently. When we came inside at 9:00, Grace went to the living room chair to sleep. At 10:00, she moved over to her sofa.
At 11:15, she heard the Shelties barking as they walked below. She perked up, got down from the sofa, and went to the balcony replying with a few restrained barks. Grace then settled in on the lounge chair. At 11:35, the phone rang. Grace got up, went to the office and curled up on the ottoman.
Mid-Day Romp
At noon, we left for Borador Pond Park. The park was empty. Grace followed me most of the time. She spotted the gray crane and raced after the bird in flight. Grace nearly flew herself. At one point, she disappeared for about half of a lap. As suddenly as she vanished, she reappeared.
At 12:50, we finished there and headed on to the lot. Snoopy was out in the yard, but Grace was on the other side of the fence. She whined. I told her to jump. She hesitated. Finally, I pulled down the wire to make the jump easier. She easily jumped over to meet her friend. Their play was pretty limited though.
Fun and Food
At 1:30, we headed back home. When we returned, Grace went out on the balcony. A half hour later, Grace had her shower. From there, she went to the ottoman. At 3:30, I gave Grace the treat I neglected to give her after her shower and some food. After eating, Grace returned to the ottoman.
At 4:40, Grace spotted Abby and whined. I took her out five minutes later. Visitors included Loki and Reggie, but neither stayed long. After our usual play time in the park, we returned home at 6:00. Grace left her dinner in her bowl, but ate it all when I added a few turkey scraps.
At 7:00, Grace did tricks for turkey, followed by tricks for treats. Little more dental chew. wanted litle more went to office ottoman at 7:30.
At 9:25, Grace walked into the living room to say it’s time for that last walk. We went and returned at 9:35. Grace went out on the balcony. I called her in at 9:55 and put lotion on paws. At 10:00, I went to bed.
Wednesday
At 3:30, I stopped by to find Grace lying on her side in the office. She was awake. I stroked her face and chest gently and returned to bed. At 6:45, the alarm clock sounded. Betsy got up first and Grace went in to greet her. I had to get a quick email out before taking Grace. Grace whined at about 7:10.
Park Play
We raced down to the dog park. Abby and Sadie were already there. Grace excitedly joined the fun and engaged Sadie in running and wrestling. Once Abby gave up the prized ball, the normal arrangement began with Grace as the spectator/official with the ball and Abby and Sadie as the combatants.
Sadie left first. Abby left at about 7:45. I cleaned the balls at the dog park as Grace waited patiently for our game of catch. At 8:00, I called Grace out of the park. She came obediently and understood the routine. We went for a short walk before returning to the park. Grace played catch but seemed to be less interested or distracted.
Relaxing
At 8:30, I called her out of the park. She wanted to walk around the building again. She lingered in the bushes where a few days ago she spent ten minutes licking something on the ground. When we finally made it home at 8:45, Grace went out on the balcony.
Grace came inside at 9:00, went to her perch in the office, and curled up in a ball. I’m becoming concerned that perhaps she became pregnant during this most recent heat cycle. Her change in eating habits and her slight increase in breast size bother me. I called the veterinarian and made an appointment for Thursday at 9:30 for an exam. At 12:20, Betsy came in. Grace got up, greeted her and then went out on the balcony.
Afternoon Outing
At 1:15, we left for a run in Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed a dip in the pond followed by a chase of hawks flying across the meadow. She ran with me most of the way.
At 1:30, we made our next stop at a brick dealer. Grace enjoyed going in with me and back outside talking with the designer there. After fifteen minutes there, we headed on to and office supply store to get a small amount of legal paper. Grace waited for about five minutes in the car.
Next, I dropped off and picked up at J.C. Penny. Again, Grace waited patiently in the car. Seated in the driver’s seat, she intently watched for my return. Finally, we went to the post office. We went in together. Grace always enjoys going into stores. It makes her feel accepted. This was no exception. The line was short, so we were in and out in a few minutes.
Fun with Friends and Tricks
When we returned at 3:45, Grace went out on the balcony to watch for friends. At 4:40, she spotted them. We raced down to meet Miley, Hannah, and Abby. Next came Josie (not a playmate), Zeke, Reggie, Olivia and Rascal. Both Hannah and Reggie could not restrain themselves from jumping on Grace. Other than that, the activity involved catching and fetching balls.
At 5:45, we left and met Betsy coming up to see us as we were headed back. Grace went back out on the balcony. At 6:00, Grace ate one meal. At 6:15, she ate a half-portion meal that I put out and then went to her perch on the ottoman. At 6:30, I gave her a send half of her supper.
Fifteen minutes later, Betsy gave her another half-cup. At 7:00, I moved into the bedroom to avoid the emotional tension. Grace followed me. I gave her some of my turkey and let her lick my plate. When she finished, we did tricks for treats including fetch object and open and close the door using push and tug.
Cat Watch
At 7:30, Grace went back up on the office ottoman to relax and watch out the window. At 8:00, as I made noise accessing a plastic bread bag, Grace marched into the kitchen and gave me the look. I gave her some little treats that looked like thin oyster crackers. Grace looked around the kitchen floor to scavenge some more and then moved under the dining room table and lay there on the floor.
At 8:40, Grace did seven cute dream-barks. At 9:00, Grace went outside for the last time before bed. When she returned, she went out on the balcony while I took a shower. At 9:20, she spotted the hated white cat and began barking. Betsy let her in. Grace went to her ottoman. After lotioning them down, at 9:25, I went to bed.
Thursday
At 4:10, I petted Grace softly as she lay on her side on the office floor. At 7:10, Betsy got up and greeted Grace. At 7:20, I took Grace down to Borador Park. It was so cold, I wore a light winter coat.
Park Play
The temperature didn’t phase the dogs in the least. There Grace met her friends Sadie, Abby, and Reggie. Grace watched Sadie and Abby wrestle while she focused on a prized ball.
By 8:00, after the other dogs had left Grace went out for a short walk on the grounds. When we returned ten minutes later, we played some catch, but Grace was less interested in it than usual. She picked up the tattered and torn rubber flying disk, ran with it, and shook it back and forth violently as she ran as if she was killing her freshly caught prey.
Time for a Check-Up
When we returned home at 8:40, Grace ate a treat and went to her perch in the office. At 9:05 we left for her appointment at the vet. When we arrived, Grace put her paws up on the low counter almost as if she were going to sign herself in. She hates the closed-in feeling of the exam room. Unlike the usual rooms this one had a window. Grace repeatedly stood up on the bench, reached the window sill with her paws, nudged the vertical blinds out of the way and looked outside.
The vet looked over Grace’s heat cycle details that I gleaned from this website, examined her, and found no evidence of puppies. She was not producing milk. He said we could spay her to be sure, but unless she had a “lockup,” she would not have been fertilized. The lockup has the male and female attached and facing opposite directions for at least two minutes and often up to a half hour. That never happened, so Grace’s strange behaviors were likely not symptoms of pregnancy.
The vet said that she looked very good but not to let her weight of 57.8 rise any higher. He again marvelled at how beautiful her coat looked. I told him about her change of eating habits and her waning interest in the Purina food mixes. We decided to bring Grace back in a week for another look and to get up to date with shots. He said if she’s not pregnant and we decide to spay her, it would be better done after she fully descends from this current heat cycle.
I also told him how she loved Blue Buffalo. He was high on the Purina Pro Plan could not recommend the “holistic” products. He said to beware that the Vitamin E in the product, used as a natural preservative, can go rancid quickly. He recommended storing it in a sealed container and buying small bags. We moved the food bag into the refrigerator.
Despite Grace’s waning breakfast appetite, the vet recommended that she be fed morning and evening. He said evening feeding alone, which is where her appetite was inclined to be, was not good for her health and would lead to her becoming fat.
Puppy Plans
While the vet encouraged me to have her spayed, I explained to him we are sick of all this propagation of inbreds (AKC) and junk dogs that you find at shelters (pit mixes and German Shepherd mixes). Grace is such a wonderful dog, we would like to share her genetics and enhance the canine gene pool with something positive before we break the mold. If you’re interested in applying for one of Grace’s Borador puppies or if you have a suitable Borador sire (a male dog like Grace) please contact me soon. Her next heat should be in about five months and the resulting litter in seven months.
Relaxing
When we returned home at 10:40, Grace went to the balcony. At 11:30, she came inside and went to the office. By 11:50, she was lying on the ottoman next to the ottoman perch to stay out of the sun. At noon, I put out her first meal of the day. Grace didn’t touch it.
As I prepared my food at 12:30, Grace watched me with begging eyes. When I finished my meal, I took her ration of scrambled eggs and put it in her bowl. She then ate both the eggs and all of her food. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair for a sunbath.
Business Assistant
At 1:30, we left for the Town of Cary to speak with officials relating to my building project. Grace helped my case as everyone loved her. When we returned home at 3:00, I changed my clothes and took Grace running. When we met a bird dog running free, I unleashed Grace. She enjoyed running with the dog. When they finished, she reluctantly let me leash her back.
When we returned home at 4:00, Grace went to the balcony. At 4:40, she spotted Zeke at the dog park. We raced down to be part of the action. After Grace played there for an hour, Betsy showed up with some food from Wendy’s. Grace hopped into the car and enjoyed a few french fries.
Sundowning
At 6:00, Grace had her dinner. I tried mixing half Pro Plan and half Blue Buffalo. Grace ate it all immediately. After her dinner, Grace wanted more. She had some of the light treats, followed by a dental chew. Grace wanted more. We did tricks for treats at 7:00. When she finished ten minutes later, she went to the balcony. At 8:00, Grace came in and jumped up on her sofa. At 8:15, Betsy put lotion on Grace’s rear paws.
By 8:45, Grace had fallen asleep and was snoring — first softly, then a few loud ones, and finally softly again. Five minutes later, she shifted positions and stopped snoring. At 9:20, Grace stretched and let out a long groan with her front legs and head overhanging the edge of the sofa as she prepared to stretch off and go out for the last time. I dressed to go out and called her. When we returned, Grace went straight to her perch. I went to bed shortly thereafter. At 11:40, Grace was still on the ottoman. I stroked her gently and went back to bed.
Friday
At 6:55, Grace was on her sofa. I told her good morning and we exchanged affections. At 7:10, we arrived at the park. The temperature was a chilly 40 degrees and Abby was already there.
Morning Energy
At 7:15, Sadie joined the fun. That kicked off the normal routine with Abby and Sadie as combatants. Grace watched chomping on the ball rapidly. They took a break as usual and started up again. Then Abby took the ball and Grace, like a tag-team partner ,switched to wrestle and run with Sadie. After a short, intense session, Abby rejoined the battle, and Grace resumed her ball-chewing spectator role.
Tasty Find
When Abby and Sadie left at 7:45, Grace went out for a short walk. She sniffed out a turkey drumstick bone in the bushes and took her prized possession directly to the park. The state fair is in progress. This bone likely came from someone who bought a drumstick there.
Grace started on the largest, joint end. She deftly and patiently reduced the bone to marrow and powder. As splinters dropped I gathered them and threw them away. After her treat, we played catch with the ball, but she tired of that. She picked up a toy rope. We played tug and fetch with that.
Balcony Living
At 8:25, Grace went to the park entrance on her own. We did another lap of the nearby building and then returned home. Grace ate about two-thirds of her breakfast. She then went out on the balcony lounge chair. Despite the sunshine, the mid-fifties temperature kept her comfortable.
At 2:00, Grace started to whimper. I took her for a quick trip around the building. When we returned at 2:10, she went back on the balcony.
Afternoon Run
At 3:00, I called Grace back in, waxed her paws, and took her for a run around the complex. She wanted to stop at Grace Beach both times around, but I kept her running. As we were finishing the second lap, we met a lady with a 10-month-old Golden Retriever puppy. Grace and she immediately hit it off.
Grace went down to the water for a drink and then returned to play with her new friend. They vied for a fish skeleton and ran together in the large meadow. A caravan of about a hundred bicyclists presented a hazard to walkers, so we tried to guide our dogs into the large field to romp and run. After Grace finished her fish, I leashed her, and we went on home.
Treat and Ride
When we returned home at 3:50, I gave Grace an almost empty ice cream carton. When she finished, Grace went back to the balcony lounge chair. At 4:15, we left to get gas and pick up some more Adult Purina Pro Plan Shredded Chicken and Rice.
Friends and Food
At 5:00, we returned home to see friends were in the park. I pulled in. Grace met Olivia and Rascal who were just leaving as Zeke, and Abby remained in the park. The play went about the same as usual with Grace’s interest focused on the prized ball. She enjoys biting down on it multiple times and letting it expand back. I guess it feels good in her mouth. Abby did a few temper tantrums and Zeke played fetch. We all left at 5:45.
When we returned home, I put in another half cup of food into her bowl. Grace cleaned her bowl and went to the balcony. At 6:00, put out the last half cup of food into her dish, and I called her in for a bath. When she finished and had her treat, she went to her perch in the office.
After I ate my supper, I put some turkey bits in her dish. Grace finished of that last cup along with the bits. She did a few tricks for some turkey and lay on her side on the floor next to the dining room table. After polishing off a dental chew, Grace went back to her perch in the office. At 9:35, Grace came into the living room. Betsy put (Atvantage topical) flea medicine between her shoulders and gave her a treat. Grace returned to her perch in the office.
At 10:05, Grace went outside and returned at 10:15. She came to the kitchen and wanted more to eat. I gave her a half cup of Blue Buffalo food. She still wanted more. I gave her about five small helpings of the oyster-cracker-looking treat. Finally, she had enough. Grace went back to the larger ottoman in the office next to her perch. I went to bed at 11:15.
Saturday
When I got up at 6:55, Grace was stretched out on her side on her sofa with her head facing away from the balcony. I came out and stroked the side of her face gently. Grace responded with a few kisses. This was the first morning at this apartment with frost. As I bundled up in a winter coat, hat, and gloves, Grace went into the bedroom and gave Betsy a brief greeting.
Morning Park Time
At 7:05, we left for the park. We were the only ones there. I carried the water bucket to the car wash, poured out the old water, grabbed the hose nozzle and tried to fill it. No water came out. They had turned off the water in anticipation of freezing weather. I brought back an almost empty bucket containing only some ice.
After ten minutes, we went out for a walk. Then we saw Abby. Grace ran back to the park ahead of her. After all, Grace is the Social Director. Once in the park, the game reverted to Grace securing the prized ball. She retained possession of it through bouts of fetch. Occasionally, Abby would beat Grace to it, but she would then lose interest in it and drop it. Grace would then tip-toe over and discretely pick it up.
Right before Abby left, she had the ball and wouldn’t give it up. Her owner had to get serious with her to get her to let the ball go. When Abby left, Grace played catch for a few minutes. Then we went out for a walk. Grace likes to walk along the building to sniff and scavenge. I dropped the leash so I don’t have to squeeze behind the bushes.
Killroy and Sadie
It’s really cute to watch her as the bushes are trimmed to about waist high. Occasionally, Grace’s little head would pop up above the bushes to make sure she knew where I was. The patios for apartments have a stone wall a little higher than waist high. Grace would also place her paws on the walls and look over it. I said to myself “Killroy was here.”
Then I spotted someone in the dog park. I told Grace, “Friends.” She stopped her work, turned and raced back to the park. There she met Sadie and they burst into play. I had to get them to stop long enough for me to remove her leash. They ran and wrestled for about ten minutes. When they took a break they went to the empty water bucket and licked the ice on the inside and frost on the outside.
Polar Bear Club
At 8:45, when Sadie left, I took Grace home. When she returned, she went directly out on lounge chair in the sun with the temperature in the mid-thirties. That cold suits her just fine. She didn’t bother to take a drink of water. After she went outside, I opened the new bag of the adult shredded chicken and put some of that out for her. When she came in later and found it, she polished it off quickly.
At 11:00, Betsy went out on the balcony to see Grace. A few minutes later, Grace followed her in, found her food, ate it all, had a drink, and curled up on the living room chair. At 11:30, she went back out on the balcony. Through the afternoon, she barked a few times. I went out and calmed her but didn’t scold her.
New Friends
At 2:30, we spotted someone new out in the park. We asked if the dog wanted to play. The owner said yes. When we arrived, the dog, named Jack, really didn’t do anything but walk around. Grace played catch as the owner and I talked.
At 3:00, we went for our run. On the second lap, Grace met a lady on a bicycle with a dog. She said she keeps dogs in her house. She told me of a dog swim at a pool the last day it is open. The pool is located on Evans Road between Weston Drive and Cary Parkway. She also said the Millbrook Dog Park was a good place for dogs to run. We ran the last part of the lap with her.
When we returned at 4:00, Grace went directly to the balcony. At 5:15, she spotted Zeke at the park. We went down and Grace played catch and fetch. Shortly after Zeke left, Grace returned home at 6:00, I gave her dinner which she ate immediately. She then went back out on the balcony.
Evening Appetite
At 6:30, Grace came in hungry. Betsy gave her a loaded Kong. After supper, Grace had chicken scraps followed by tricks for treats. She wanted more. I gave her a doggie treat, followed by several oyster cracker style treats. She finally retreated to her perch in the office with Betsy. At 9:30, she was on her side with her head propped on the window sill.
At 9:35, Grace went out for the last time before bed. When we returned at 9:45, Grace returned to her perch with Betsy. I went to bed at 10:00.