At 5:30, I approached Grace on the sofa. As always, she knew I was there and moved her head to watch. I stroked her softly a few times and returned to bed.
Good Morning
At 7:20, I found Grace lying in master bedroom hallway. I got up. Five minutes later she had moved to the office ottoman. At 7:40, Betsy took Grace to Borador Park. Fifteen minutes later, I came out to relieve Betsy. We returned home at 8:30. Grace went straight to the balcony lounge chair. I put her breakfast in her dish.
Cooped Up
Grace saw us getting dressed. She knew the routine. At 9:10, Grace was home alone. At 12:15 when we returned home, Grace was resting in the loveseat. After we greeted, I gave Grace her lunch, but she didn’t eat it. She just went back out on the balcony. Grace went outside for a short walk at 1:30 and ate her lunch when we returned fifteen minutes later.
At 2:00, Grace had a portion of the chicken that I had for lunch. After lying under the dining room table, at 2:30, Grace went out on the balcony to watch for friends. She didn’t see any, but by 3:20, she was getting a bit put off. She came in and let me know.
Finally Friends
At 3:25, Grace had about enough waiting. She grouched that she had not gotten her outside time. We left for park. I played fetch with her for about forty five minutes. Then friends came drifting in.
First came Olivia and Rascal, then Zeke, Suki, Sadie, Miley and Hannah, and finally Lucy. In the end, it was Grace, Zeke, and Lucy. They played together for about thirty minutes. This little social butterfly finally got her wish.
Heading Down Hill
Grace returned home at 5:50 and went to balcony.At 6:05, Grace came inside ate her supper and lay down outside the entrance to the kitchen. At 6:30 she did her tricks for treats. Door trick now gets a reward only after an open followed by a close. When she finished, she returned to the balcony.
At 6:50, Grace returned inside, went to the kitchen, and asked for something. I gave her a dental chew. At 7:30, Grace got up on the sofa. At 8:30, the emotional atmosphere in the house became tense. Grace couldn’t take it and went out on the balcony. At 9:30, I couldn’t take it either and happily took Grace out for the last time. When she returned at 9:40, she got up on the living room chair and packed it in for the night.
Monday
By midnight, Grace had moved to her sofa. At 3:20, I walked by and petted her gently before going back to bed. At 7:05, the alarm clock sounded. I was tired, so I didn’t get up. Betsy got up. Grace jumped up in bed where she was lying in order not to disturb me. Betsy said she acted cute as she acted like she was very proper and belonged there.
Grazing, Running, and Waiting
At 7:15, I got up. Five minutes later we went to the park. The weather was wet and dreary but not cold. Beckham was leaving. Grace greeted him as he was leaving the park. At 8:45, Grace did lots of grazing. She finally threw up. Could this be a sign of puppies on the way? I hope not. When we returned home, Grace went out on the balcony until 9:15. She then came in and jumped up into the living room chair for a nap.
At 9:50, I started out to go running. Grace looked at me as if she wanted to go too. I invited her. We circled our complex twice via Winstead and the Greenway. Grace stopped only once to catch her breath. When we returned at 10:20, Grace went out on the balcony. At 11:10, I called her inside and gave her a late breakfast. Five minutes later, I left her home alone.
Matador
At 4:30, I returned home and took Grace to the park. After about forty-five minutes, Abby came. Then fifteen minutes later, Zeke joined the fun. Abby chased Grace as Grace, like a matador, deftly evaded her high-strung lumbering opponent.
Zeke left followed by Abby. Finally, Sadie came in. Grace and Sadie eventually got into their chasing and rough-housing routine. When Sadie left at 6:15, we left with her.
Clean-Up, Dinner, Tricks, and Treats
Grace had a shower to get the slobber off of her head. She then enjoyed a doggie treat followed by a dental chew. She ate her supper and made her way under the dining room table.
After our supper, Grace did tricks for chicken. She brought her Kong to the kitchen. I loaded it up, and she worked on it as I cleaned up. That wasn’t enough for Grace, we then did tricks for treats working on fetch object and then tug and push. She liked that game so much she wanted to continue playing tug and push. By 8:05, Grace settled down to occupy herself. At 8:15, she lay down under the dining room table.
At 9:00, as I went into the kitchen, Grace marched in looking for something else. I gave her a doggie treat. She stretched out on her side on the kitchen floor. At 9:25, I took Grace out for the last time. When we returned at 9:35, Grace went to the balcony. At 9:50, I directed her inside, she got up on her sofa, and I went to bed.
Tuesday
At 6:00, Grace was resting on the sofa. I petted her softly as I passed by. At 7:00, I got up and took her to the park. We played catch most of the time. This now is her favorite game at the park. I’ll mark this as a milestone.
Morning Friends
At 7:30 Abby came in. At 7:45, Sadie joined them. Sadie sparked Grace to a short bout of running and wrestling.
At 8:00, the other dogs left. Grace played catch for another ten minutes. At that point, I picked up the leash. Grace wanted to play longer, taking the ball and dropping toward me twice. I insisted and she reluctantly but obediently came.
Fly Inside and Lying Around
When we returned home at 8:15, Grace went out on the balcony. At 8:20, she whimpered, and I let her in. Grace curled up in the living room chair. At 8:45, Grace got up wondering what to do next. She finally decided to get up on her sofa. At 9:30, she jumped up as if she were chasing a flying insect. She did it again for a minute before going to the office and curling up on the ottoman. I later found and killed the small fly.
From the ottoman, she moved down a step to an adjacent ottoman with a larger surface area. A few minutes later, she was lying on the office floor. From there she went to lie under the dining room table. At 10:25, Grace came over and looked at me. I moved from the living room chair. She jumped into it, curled up, and resumed her nap. At 10:45, Grace got up, pushed open the balcony door and went out on the balcony lounge chair.
Open Country
Five minutes later, we left for Borador Pond Park. When we arrived the English gentleman was there with a companion and his two beagles. Grace didn’t notice them until we rounded the last bend or our first lap. She tore across the meadow to greet them but then approached them cautiously. She then did her usual greeting as all tails were wagging. She stayed with them for a while before rejoining me on my run. Grace took one dip in the water. The gentleman did mention that he saw a water moccasin and to beware.
At 11:45 we went to the land. It was cleared and the silt fence was up. As I tried to take a photo of it, I crossed the road. Grace tried to follow, but I directed her back. I don’t think it will take her long to know her boundaries. She easily jumped the silt fence and went into the backyard.
At 12:15, Grace went up to Snoopy’s house and barked. Snoopy came out and they played chase and roughhouse for about fifteen minutes. I had to get going, so I called Grace to the car. She came obediently.
Afternoon Inside
Next we stopped at the grocery store for ten minutes. Grace was on the floor in the passenger area when I returned. It might have been a little warm, but the main cause of her panting was likely the intense running and exercise she had just finished from her play with Snoopy.
When we came home at at 12:30, Grace had her first meal of the day. I had delayed her breakfast because her appetite has been waning, and we were trying to cut back a bit on food since this new variety is higher calorie. She ate it all quickly.
After lunch, Grace hung out in the kitchen. Then the phone rang. Grace came into the living room to be near me. While I was on the phone, Grace brought me her fox to play tug. After a few minutes of that, she went to the office ottoman and curled up. At 3:30, I started vacuuming. Grace stayed put although she did sit up when I entered her room.
Afternoon Friends
At 4:00, Grace went out on the patio to watch for friends. At 5:00, Grace had her supper. Grace spotted Abby in the park. We raced down to meet her. They played separately. Abby had the choice ball. I brought Grace’s bowl with me in case Betsy wanted to go directly to dinner. Abby was convinced there was food in the bowl and dropped the ball in favor of the bowl. That’s when Grace grabbed it.
She she skillfully retained it even through multiple fetch bouts. Zeke came in followed by Sadie. Sadie wasn’t interested in playing. She left ten minutes later. Grace left at 5:45. On the way out, I told her to drop the ball. Unlike Abby and Beckham, she dropped it immediately. After we were outside the gate, she did resist leaving her friends, but as I persisted, she came.
Dinner Out
We went to BurgerFi since we could take Grace with us. They had water bowls out and brought Grace a large dog biscuit. I got a double hamburger and gave Grace one of the patties. We shared the french fries, and Grace licked out the bottom of my milkshake.
The burger was okay, but it was certainly not to the level of quality of a gourment burger. The day before, I ate at My Place in Wake Forest. There I was served a hamburger. Both were Angus beef. In my opinion, My Place qualifies as gourmet quality and a better value where BurgerFi is overpriced and the blaring “music” is annoying. We won’t be going back. Grace attracted the attention of many passers by. They loved her sweet disposition and commented on her beauty.
Late to the Party!
When we returned at 6:45, Abby, Olivia and Rascal were in the park. Grace raced to meet her friends. They stayed about fifteen minutes. Then we all left. On the way back, she met a couple with two dogs. The lady was very impressed by how non-threatening Grace was as she approached the dogs. She too commented on Grace’s beautiful appearance.
Vigilant Grace
When we came home, Grace went to the office ottoman. When I went to the kitchen and opened up the ice cream container, Grace marched into the kitchen. I gave her a doggie treat. Betsy gave her a dental chew. She wanted more. We did tricks for treats. That satisfied her. When we finished, Grace went out on the balcony.
At 9:20, she came in from the patio to make her last trip downstairs. When she returned home, Grace insisted on going back out on the balcony. At 9:50, she came in for the night and curled up in the living room chair.
Wednesday
At 5:20, I stopped by where Grace lay and softly stroked the side of her face. At 6:10, the alarm clock sounded. When I arose five minutes later, Grace was standing next to her sofa. I tried to hold her off, but by 6:30, she was ready to go.
Early Morning Play
It was dark and misting. The park was empty. After a short objection from Grace, we walked on. Grace found something behind a bush. Perhaps someone had thrown out some grease. She spent about ten minutes licking the ground there.
At 7:00, we heard Abby bark from the park. Grace went staight in to meet her friend, pushing the door open after I unlatched it. Grace and Abby ran together a bit. 7:10, Abby’s owner got some of the balls. Grace nabbed the prized squeaky ball. That set off Abby chasing Grace for a few minutes. Grace still had her persistent, variable limp that has plagued her since the last time I trimmed her claws.
Sadie came in next. Abby and Sadie ran and wrestled as Grace guarded her ball and watched the action. When Abby and Sadie ran, Grace ran with them. When they wrestled. Grace watched intently with her ball safely secured between her outstretched legs and paws as she lay facing them.
When Sadie left, Abby chased Grace with the ball. Then Abby left. Grace and I played catch using the prized ball (larger than a tennis ball). Grace enjoyed it. It seemed she could go on forever, but I had to get going. On the way out, I washed off the rubber disk and the prized ball before placing them back in the park. Of course, Grace hoped we would play some more there, but I led her on home instead.
Restless
When Grace returned home at 8:30, she went out on the balcony. She came back inside at 8:50. Since I was in the chair, she got up on the sofa. At 9:00, she jumped down from her sofa and looked at me. I moved to the loveseat, and she jumped up on the chair. At 9:10, Grace went back to the balcony.
At 9:55, Grace spotted a white miniature dog across the parking lot where the white cat often frequents. She barked until I came to calm her. The dog and its owner walked out of sight into the woods.
Downtown and Beyond
At 10:05, I received a call from the Town of Cary. They had a mix-up with my building permit application paperwork. I told them I would come by and help them straighten it out. We left at 10:30. Our first stop was the office to pick up a package. Grace now knows that when we go to the office, she gets a treat. She made a beeline for the treats jar.
Five minutes later we left. At 10:50, we arrived at the Cary Municipal Building. Grace stayed in the car at first. At 11:15, I went out and brought her inside. We stayed until 11:50. Grace was a hit with people there. They commented on how pretty and well-behaved she was. The people at the office gave her a couple of treats, which Grace thoroughly enjoyed.
Our next stop was Guy C Lee. We arrived at noon. Grace went in with me as I looked at windows. She climbed the stairway to the second-floor showroom and wiggled around on her back on the carpet for part of the time. At 12:15, we left and moved on to Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed running free and taking a short dip or two in the pond.
Recharging
At 12:55, we left and made a short stop at a store. Grace stayed in the car. After ten minutes, we headed home. At 1:20, Grace went inside and straight to the balcony. Ten minutes later, Grace came in for her bath.
When we finished, she had her reward treat followed by her first meal of the day. She ate it all as soon as I put it out. Grace then went to the office ottoman to relax and watch out the window.
In Her Element
At 2:20, Grace enjoyed her portion of my scrambled eggs. When she finished, she returned to the office ottoman. At 3:20, we left for Lowe’s to look at doggie doors. We arrived fifteen minutes later. Grace was in her element, walking swiftly and taking in all of the people and visual stimulation. We found a not-so-pretty storm door by Larson that includes a dog door.
In a dog door demonstration area, Grace was able to fit through an 8.5″ x 12″ dog door. Grace enjoyed lying on the concrete floor as I spoke with sales staff. While we were there, many people raved about her and asked to pet her. When we went to the appliance area a nice lady offered Grace some treats. Grace performed a few of her tricks for her, and Grace happily enjoyed earning her treats. The lady invited Grace to come back often.
As we left the store, a man was seated outside. He reached out to Grace and affectionately stroked her. Then Grace met a lady with three middle-school-aged daughters. They loved Grace and petted her. One of the girls especially loved that she and Grace shared the same beautiful name.
As we drove back to our place at 4:25, we returned to a dog party. Rather than go down to our parking area, we pulled up short and parked next to the Borador Park entrance. Including Grace, there were nine dogs at the park:
- Suki
- Hannah
- Miley
- Abby
- Olivia
- Rascal
- Zeke
- Grace
- another small dog
Tense Evening
Grace came home at 5:30 and went to the balcony. I put her dinner out. She ate half of it. She snagged another doggie treat and then returned to the balcony. At 5:45 she spotted a pair of Shelties and a little dog walking below. She barked until I went out and calmed her.
At 6:00, she barked excitedly and even let out a nutso bark. I figured she must have seen the little white cat. The barking continued. I eventually spotted it. It was the cat. I went out about four times to calm her. By 7:00, it was getting dark, and she finally calmed down.
At 7:45, Grace came in and whined softly. We did tricks for treats. She continues to become more automatic with the door. Eventually, I will try to graduate to just using the come command. After the tricks, Grace wanted something else. I gave her a bully stick.
At 8:50, as tensions rose in the house, I took Grace out for the last time. As we finished up and headed for the back entrance, a light tan Bulldog-looking animal with a long tail violently snarled and growled across the parking lot about thirty feet away. I told Grace to “Leave it,” and “Danger.” The tall lady with the dog, restrained it. Grace kept her cool and obediently proceeded with me.
When we returned at 8:55, Grace went out on the balcony. At 9:30, she barked. After I went out and calmed her, she stopped. At 9:45, I brought her in and applied lotion to her paws. I went to bed at 9:50. Perhaps the phase of the moon had something to do with all of this aggression.
Thursday
At 6:45, Grace was lying on her sofa. I greeted her and stroked her face softly. We left for the park at 7:10. Abby was already there. Abby had the prized ball but quickly gave it up. Then Grace grabbed it. That frustrated Abby.
Play Ball
Sadie came out. That set up the Abby / Sadie wrestling match with Grace as the official and sole spectator. When Sadie left at 7:30, Abby was left to chase Grace. Despite her continuing injury causing a left-leg limp. Grace easily evaded Abby’s swift, but lumbering attempts at running her down. Grace repeatedly made her signature Boarder Collie cuts and reversals to evade the less-agile Abby.
Abby left at 7:45. Grace played catch with me until 8:30. Our normal range now is twenty to twenty-five feet. If I give her a good toss she will easily catch it. I’ll log this as a milestone for that distance. When we returned home at 8:30, Grace went to the balcony.
Mid-Morning Romp
At 10:00, Grace started barking. Her friend, Lucy, was out in the park. We started to race down after her. Then the maintenance people met us to do check the alarm and change the air filter. After a five-minute delay. Grace raced down to meet her friend.
They didn’t play much together — mainly because Grace was more interested in just holding on to the ball or playing catch. Lucy tried her best to engage Grace, but Grace responded only with a short time of chasing. Grace played catch with me and Lucy’s owner. At 10:50, we returned home, and Grace went again to the balcony.
Shop and Run
At 11:20, she came in and relaxed on the living room chair. We left for Borador Pond Park at 11:40. Our first stop was Guy C Lee. Grace charmed the people there and was looking for treats. We spent almost an hour considering window options. Grace caused no trouble, followed me as necessary, and relaxed on the floor as she waited.
At 12:35, we arrived at the park. There were two sets of people who were there while we ran the usual circuit. Grace restrained herself by not running up on the first couple as we approached, and being very non-threatening as she approached the other group. She captivated them with her bubbling charm.
Clean-Up and Eat
When we returned home at 1:30, Grace went to the balcony. After five minutes, I called her to the shower. After her shower, Grace had her usual treat and went to the office ottoman. Grace ate her first meal for the day and returned to the ottoman.
At 2:00, I told Grace her eggs were ready. At that point, she had about one-forth of her first meal left. While eating her eggs, Grace finished her food in the bowl and went back out to the balcony.
More Friends
At 3:00, Grace spotted Otis at the park. We raced down to meet him. Grace and Otis didn’t play, but Grace did play catch with Otis’ owner. At 3:30 Abby came and Otis left. Abby made her usual attempts at stealing the ball. At 3:45, Abby and Grace left. Grace returned to the balcony to watch for friends.
At 4:35, Grace came in to go see friends. We raced down to meet Sadie and Zeke. At one point, Sadie encouraged Grace to run and wrestle with her for about five minutes, but Grace was mainly focused on hanging on to the ball and playing catch with it. Other dogs that came and went were Suki, Abby, Olivia, and Rascal. Beckham came in last.
Tasty New Treat
When Grace returned home at 5:50, she went straight to the balcony to nap and watch for friends. At 6:30, Grace came in and ate her supper. As we ate ours, Grace walked up and looked at me. She wanted more. Grace had a dental chew. Betsy brought home a new bag duck-flavored Blue Buffalo. Needless to say, Grace loved it.
Grace did her tricks masterfully for Betsy. When she finished everything, Betsy loaded her Kong with the new food and capped it off with peanut butter. At 7:30, Grace again went out on the balcony lounge chair.
At 9:15, I called Grace inside. We went out for our last trip around the building for the night. When we returned at 9:25, Grace went back on the balcony. At 9:50, I called her in, put lotion on her paws, and we told her good-night.
Friday
At 6:20, I walked by Grace curled up tightly on her sofa against the armrest. I didn’t disturb her. At 6:35, the alarm sounded. When I got up, Grace was awake. She made her usual variety of whining, monkey, and almost talking, sounds, yawns, and stretches. We did tummy rubs and kisses.
Morning Greeting and Fun
Grace then went into the bedroom to say good morning to Betsy. Her tail wagged rhythmically as Betsy beckoned her and stroked her head. After a minute of greeting her, Grace went out on the patio to watch the day break.
At 7:00, we went out. No one was at the park. Grace paused by the gate but understood and moved on. After a short walk to do her business, she returned, entered and grabbed the prized ball. I told her to drop it — which she did immediately. While I cleaned the toys and put fresh water in the drinking bucket, Grace watched expectantly.
By the time I finished, Abby came in to join her. Now two dogs awaited the return of the toys. I was faced with a dilemma. I had taken the prized ball from Grace to clean it. Now both dogs wanted it. By rights, I should have given it to Grace, but in order to demonstrate a spirit of fairness, I waited until Grace was ready and threw all three balls into the park. Grace beat Abby to it.
Abby’s owner said she worked with her two hours the previous night — teaching her to catch and drop the ball. Abby was remarkably better behaved. Grace was less trusting giving up the ball to her to play catch. Grace cautiously responded on occasion to her but remained wary of Abby.
After twenty minutes, Sadie joined the fun. Abby and Sadie wrestled and ran as Grace followed them with the prized ball in her mouth. As usual, while they wrestled, Grace lay facing them with her ball either in her mouth or between her front paws, watching and barking sharply as she cheered them on.
Sadie and Abby left together at 8:00. Grace and I played catch until 8:30. She favored the larger ball but occasionally would toss me one of the regular-sized tennis balls to play with instead. As we left, Grace delayed and tried to move away from the way home.
Beckham then entered the park. Grace wanted to return to play with him, but I told her to leave it. Beckham’s owner doesn’t like Grace to be around him because she has not been neutered, and even after her heat cycle has passed Beckham persists in wanting to “hump” her.
Morning Nap
When we returned home at 8:40, Grace went straight to the balcony. At 9:50, she came in and went to the foyer. Perhaps the sunshine chased her inside. There she fell asleep on her side.
At 10:23, Grace let out a low groan. Two minutes later, she followed it up with a higher pitched one, repositioned, stood up, and settled back down with another low groan. At 11:00, Grace got up, noticed the sun no longer was shining in the balcony and went back out to the lounge chair. At noon, Grace came in and started to whine. She looked at me, did a long stretch and looked and whined again. As I got ready, Grace went to the office ottoman. When I was finally ready, she came anxiously awaiting her outing.
Failed Test
I decided to take Grace on the Greenway rather than drive to the park. I hoped I could run with her off of the leash. Once we cleared the apartment grounds and headed down the Winstead extension, I took her off of the leash.
Grace stayed close to me as we headed down the hill, passed a few people, and went up to the Greenway. We ran past Grace Beach. I was surprised Grace came along. As a man with a baby in a stroller approached, I leashed her.
Grace continued the circuit as we headed back through the apartment complex for our second lap. Again when we reached Winstead, I unleashed her. This time, she ran in the adjacent woods within view and rejoined me at the bridge. As we entered the Greenway, a cyclist headed down the trail around the lake.
Grace bolted ahead of him and kept going don the trail. I ran after her, whistled, and called her. She stayed within sight but just kept running about a mile down the trail. The cyclists tried to assist by slowing down and taking different routes, but she still persisted. She picked up on one who stopped and grabbed her collar until I could come and get her.
Goodies
We ran back and arrived home at about 1:00. She went out on the balcony. I put out her food, but she ate only half of it. She was getting a taste for Blue Buffalo. As I got a snack from the freezer, Grace came bounding in the kitchen. I gave her a doggie treat. She stuck around, lying on the floor, while I prepared my meal.
When I finished eating at 1:40, I gave Grace her ration of scrambled eggs. She enjoyed eating them and polished off the rest of her dog food at the same time. She then went to the office ottoman to relax and look out the window. At 2:20, I opened the window to give her some fresh air and make it feel a little more like being outdoors.
At 3:00, Grace got up and went outside to nap and watch while lying on the balcony floor. At 4:00, she spotted a dog out in the park and did her monkey whine. It wasn’t a good friend. I told her to wait. I went to the kitchen to get a snack. Grace followed. I gave her another doggie treat.
Friends
She came into the living room and gave me two rounds of the chomp-chomp. She did the yawn and the soft whine. I told her to wait. Grace put her head down and groaned. At 4:50, I took her out. We raced down to the park.
Zeke and Abby were already there. Grace focused on controlling the prized ball. After fifteen minutes, Bella, the Flatcoat Retriever, came in. Her face closely resembled that of Grace.
Sundowning
At 6:00, we returned. Betsy fed her supper. Grace went to the kitchen and stretched out on her side there. When we started eating, Grace moved to beneath the table. At 7:00, she did tricks for fish. She wanted more. I gave her a loaded Kong. She still wanted more. We did tricks for treats with the Blue Buffalo as the reward. The food was so good, it seemed to distract her at times.
When we finished at 7:35, Grace rechecked the floor for anything that might have fallen. Then she gave a chomp. She wanted to play. She took her puppy toy from her toy box and tried to engage Betsy in play. Betsy asked for the fox. She brought it. Next Grace brought the shredded giraffe toy.
At 8:00, Grace went out on the balcony, barked repeatedly and came in two minutes later. She wanted me to take her outside. I told her, “No!” She wasn’t happy. She went back on the balcony at 8:05 and returned at 8:15. I gave her a dental chew. She began sniffing again looking for the treat food. When she found none, at 8:30, she lay on her side and went to sleep.
At 9:25, Grace got up and came into the living room. At 9:30, she went out for the last time and returned five minutes later. She made one last trip to the balcony until 9:55. I applied lotion to her paws. Five minutes later, I went to bed.
Saturday
At 2:30, Grace lay awake on her sofa. I stroked her face gently and went back to bed. At 6:15 the alarm clock sounded. Grace was still on the sofa. We did tummy rubs and kisses there. She then stretched off of the sofa and went to greet Betsy.
Strange Approach
After waxing her paws, I took Grace out for a morning run. We did the circuit twice. It was dark went we started. When the first bike with lights approached us, Grace barked. She had never seen that before. I told her, “Danger!” When the second one passed, it didn’t phase her.
Thinking of Her
When we returned home at 7:15, I gave her a treat and let Grace out on the balcony to watch the day dawn. Betsy and I left Grace home alone at 8:00 as we went to the state fair.
While at the fair we thought of Grace would enjoy herding seep and cattle. We saw the black face of a cow and the black nose and eyes reminded us of Grace. One cow was lying down and softly licking her lower leg. That too reminded us of how Grace licks the to of her paws.
Wanting to Play
When we returned home at 11:45, Grace was on the sofa. We greeted with strokes and kisses. Grace went out on the balcony for fifteen minutes and returned. While she was out, I put out some food. She didn’t bother to eat it.
Instead, she whimpered softly — wanting to go out to the dog park. There were no dogs there, so I didn’t rush it. She whimpered again at 12:30 and lay patietly on the living room floor. By 12:40, Grace had had enough. It was time to play tug and fetch with her fox toy. We played for ten minutes. Then she too the fox to a spot on the floor and carefully, gently worked on tearing it to pieces a thread at a time.
City Walk
At 1:15, we left to look at counter tops in downtown Apex. Grace could take it for a while but eventually had enough and let me know with her chomp-chomp. I took her for a walk.
First she found a Labrador Retriever in the back seat of a parked car. Next, she cruised up the sidewalk following her nose. On the way, she found two french fries. We crossed the street and headed back. Grace charmed children and adults alike as we went.
Uncommon Friend
Our next stop was Home Depot to look at storm doors that would accommodate a dog door. Grace kissed the face of one of the salesmen. She jumped up and repeatedly kissed me too. When we finished, we returned to the car. We were running low on gas. Grace stayed in the back seat as we stopped, and I filled up.
Our next stop was the storage area. Betsy wanted me to tie her up to keep her safe. Grace didn’t particularly appreciate being treated like a common dog. When we moved across the drive to our other unit, Grace objected and barked. I brought her over to the unit that we were at. She liked that better but still was at the end of her rope.
As we drove home, part of the time Grace would sit up in the back seat. When she was little, she couldn’t see out the side window, but now that she’s grown up, she can look out and see the scenery. When we arrived home at 4:20, friends were in the dog park.
Friends
Grace raced to see her friends. Zeke, Abby, Olivia, and Rascal were all there ahead of her. Sadie had come and gone. Zeke left soon after Grace arrived. Grace mainly played fetch and tried to hold on to the prized ball. At one point, Abby chased Grace as they both sped around the park about three laps.
When they finished the chase, Abby, Olivia, and Rascal left. Grace and I played catch for about twenty minutes. Then, two dogs that we hadn’t met came in. One was an old Jack Russell mix named Disney. The other was a Pomeranian puppy. Grace did her best to take a non-threatening posture with them, but neither was ready to play. Their owner and a grandchild watched Grace catch and then played catch with Grace too. The enjoyed playing with her.
Treats
After they left, we played more catch. At 5:30, I told Grace we were done. She dutifully came, and we went home. Grace came in and lay on her side on the living room floor. Betsy wondered if Grace was feeling okay. She asked Grace if she wanted a treat. Grace perked up with an expression like, “Huh?” She got up, came into the kitchen, and savored her delicacy.
When she finished, Grace settled in under the kitchen table to await our dinner. When I finished, Grace did tricks for chicken. She wanted more. We followed up with fetch object and then our door opening and closing work. Grace is getting very good with the door operation. I still won’t claim it mastered yet though.
Seeking Worthy Sire and Homes
When she finished, Grace jumped up on the office ottoman as Betsy searched Facebook for Boradors like Grace. We need to find a suitable sire for Grace before her next heat in about five months.
If you have a male Borador that looks like Grace and has no genetic problems, please contact me. We cannot break this mold before letting it blossom and reproduce. Also if you’re interested in adopting one of Grace’s puppies in about seven months, please contact me to discuss whether you would be able to provide a suitable home for a Borador puppy like Grace.
Obedient and Smart
At 7:25, Grace came to the kitchen to see if she could charm Betsy into giving her more goodies. I told her that some of her first meal remained in her dish. Betsy brought the food to Grace and encouraged her to finish it. Grace ate it obediently. When she finished, she went out on the balcony using the push command to open the door.
At 9:50, Grace barked. I went out and calmed her. Five minutes later, we went outside for the last time. I used the stay command to take waste to the waste station. It was dark. There’s always a risk. Grace stayed frozen. It worked beautifully.
Bedtime Snack
We returned home at 10:05. Grace went into the kitchen and told Betsy she wanted a little something else. That’s understandable since she had only half her normal meal portions. Betsy gave her a Kong loaded with her food and topped off with peanut butter.
When she finished, Grace went on the office ottoman to look out the window. At 10:30, I called her in the living room to the sofa. I applied lotion to her paw pads, told her good-night, and went to bed.