At 1:30, Grace barked like she saw the hated white cat. In order to calm her down, we shut the blinds and called her into our bed. Grace came and curled up next to me until I got up at 6:20. When I returned to bed, Grace had moved to the floor. At 6:40, she started whimpering softly. I got up to find her standing in the living room. She was less affectionate than usual. She just wanted to go out. I told her to greet Betsy. Grace briefly went into the bedroom and returned while I dressed to go out in the 38-degree morning.
Breakfast of Champions
When we went to the park, it was empty. We stayed alone playing a low-energy game of ball. After about an hour, Grace went out exploring. She cut through the woods to go to the dog park next door.
From there she went over to the low area next to Winstead and then up to the end of the Greenway.Grace discovered a pair of deer legs that had been eaten clean. She ripped a little bit of something from a bone, broke the pair apart, and moved on.
Grace wanted to stay up on the hill and run in the field. She planted herself there for about five or ten minutes before she was ready to move on. As we returned home, Grace first met a black, male Labrador Retriever at the deck area and then met her friend Abby coming from the other direction. Grace and Abby did a minute of leash play before heading home.
Quiet Morning and New Friend
When Grace made it home at 9:05, she went to the balcony. When she saw her breakfast ready, she first just sat on the lounge chair looking in and looking very much like a Borador. She then moved off of the chair. Grace came in, ate her breakfast, and curled up in the living room chair. We left Grace there as we left her home alone at 9:15.
When we returned home at 12:30, Grace was on her sofa. She got down as we entered and gave us a tail-wagging, kissing welcome. She then went out on the balcony. at 12:45, Grace saw a dog playing in the park. I took her out. It was a new dog named Bailey. He was Grace’s age. Bailey definitely had Border Collie in him but was a bit larger and stockier. Bailey’s owner speculates the other major component in Bailey is Swiss Mountain Dog.
Grace mixed it up some with Bailey, but the play was not as energetic as with Abby or Sadie. Grace latched onto a ball and wanted to play fetch. That could have been part of the problem. Peaches came and left. Bones came in next. The three mixed it up a bit and seemed to have a good time together as I spent a lot of time getting to know Bailey’s owner.
Afternoon Fun
At 2:30, we returned home, and Grace went to the balcony. She came back inside at 3:30 shredded an empty cracker box from her toy box, and then began to grouch about wanting to go outside. Betsy finally took her at 4:05.
While gone, Grace ran free in the field and up the briar-covered hill toward the apartments. Betsy thought she lost Grace as she was gone for ten minutes or more, but Grace finally returned to her. At Grace Beach they saw the remains of a gray crane. Betsy said that Grace acted like she had respect for the dead animal and did not want to disturb it. Grace also found the pelt from yesterday, but Betsy kept Grace from getting her paws and teeth on it. When they returned home after being out an hour, Grace went straight to the balcony.
Sundowning
At 6:00, Grace came inside and looked at her empty bowl. Betsy replenished her it with supper. Grace ate it and curled up on her sofa. At 6:30, Grace got off of her sofa to start sundowning. She grabbed balls and wanted to play — whining and doing the chomp-chomp routine. I played fetch a bit with her, but she really needed more stimulation.
Grace did tricks for duck food. When she finished at 6:45, I put an empty cereal box in her toy box. Grace went there immediately and gleefully tore it to pieces. She finished at 6:55. She decided next to use her fox toy to play tug.
At 7:15, Grace wanted a little something else. She threw her small Kong. I gave her a small Kong loaded with her regular food and topped off with peanut butter. She polished that off in ten minutes. At 7:30, as I worked in the kitchen, Grace brought her now empty small Kong back to the kitchen for a refill. After she made short work of that again in ten minutes, she wanted more. I gave her a doggie treat and left the kitchen. When she finished, Grace went to the balcony. At 7:55, Grace came inside and curled up on the chair. I turned out the lights there and moved to her sofa.
Radar and Retreat
I went to the kitchen to get a piece of chocolate. Grace heard the sound of the wrapper and headed for the kitchen. I was already on my way out. Grace missed her chance. She turned and curled up on the sofa. I turned out the light there and went to the bedroom.
At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time and returned inside ten minutes later. After a short stint on the patio, she returned to the chair. Betsy turned on a television show. Also a rather intense discussion ensued. Grace retreated to her perch. I finally made it to bed at 10:45.
Monday
At 3:00, I got up and didn’t see Grace. She may have been hidden in the chair. I returned to bed until the alarm clock sounded at 6:50. Grace was in the living room chair. Uncharacteristically, she stayed there until she was sure it was time to get up. The thick clouds may have fooled her into thinking that it was not yet morning.
Pelted
I told her to greet Mommy. She went in, but I don’t think much went on. She wasn’t particularly interested in greeting me either. As we left at 7:05, Grace a neighbor lady with her young girl headed to school. Grace was cautious around the girl, but the girl was still happy to see Grace. We rode down the elevator together and then went our separate ways.
Grace went to the park. We played ball for about a half hour. No other dogs showed up. Grace then walked to the Lofts grounds and again through the gate to the drainage area next to Winstead. As we approached the Greenway, a gust of rain and ice began to pelt us. It was particularly strong since that spot on the Greenway is unobstructed, elevated, and adjacent to the lake. As we ran, Grace would stop momentarily to shake off before continuing.
Drying Off
When we returned home at 8:10, Grace curled up in the chair while I removed my wet clothes and put them in the wash. At 10:05, Grace awakened and stretched off of the chair. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She walked around and grouched. She went out to the balcony and returned an a couple minutes. Finally, she just gave up, and went back to the chair for another nap.
At 11:30, Grace stretched off of the chair and looked longingly out the balcony door window. After a few minutes, she went out on the lounge chair. She returned inside at 11:50. I decided to get ready and told her we would go for a ride. We left at noon.
Cramped Style, Freedom, and Barking
This time, I buckled her up with a dog seat belt. She noticed the restriction, but took it in stride. At Borador Pond Park, Grace enjoyed running and chasing. On the first lap, she found a net about her size and had a good time running with it and tossing it. On the fifth time around though, Grace went down to the neighboring property and got into a barking contest. After about three minutes, she finally responded to my calls, and we resumed our run.
When we finished at 1:00, I drove to a grocery store and picked up one item. Then I stopped at another before returning home. As we pulled in the parking spot at 1:45, Grace saw two new dogs being walked. She let loose with loud barking in the car. By the time we got out, the dogs had vanished.
Park Play and Snack
Five minutes later as Grace went to the balcony, she spotted some dogs in the park and expected me to take her to play. There, Grace met Emma, a Grayhound mix Grace’s age and Darwin a 5-month-old female Golden Retriever mix. Darwin was a bit intimidated by the other two dogs. Grace and Emma played fetch.
When Grace returned home at 2:40, she went to the balcony while I cooked some food. At 3:00, I had her duck and scrambled eggs prepared. Grace came in. I told her it was hot and she had to wait. Grace lay down in the foyer. After five minutes, I put her food out for her, and she happily ate her snack. When she finished, she sat next to me as I ate. I gave her a small piece of toast, but that didn’t satisfy her. When I finished eating at 3:10, I gave her a few light treats. When she finished her treats, Grace returned to the balcony.
Missed Friend Park Play
At 3:30, Grace came inside, got up into the chair, and took a late afternoon nap. At 5:00, as I spoke on the phone from the office, Grace came in and whined. When I hung up, I checked the park. Abby was there. At 5:10, we rushed down, but by the time we reached the ground floor, Abby was gone.
We went on to the park anyway. After playing ball for twenty minutes, we learned that Abby was out just five minutes and that she would not be at the park Tuesday. At 5:35, Grace returned home to be greeted by Betsy. She then went to the balcony.
Sundowning
At 5:50 Grace came in grouching. Betsy gave her supper. Grace wanted more. She angrily tossed her small Kong at my feet. I loaded it up with her food and peanut butter. When she finished, she wanted more and tossed the Kong again. I gave her another. When she finished that at 6:15, she still wanted more.
I remembered that she hadn’t had her bath yet. After her bath she gets a treat. After giving her legs, tail, and chest a good scrubbing, I soaped up her left paws to clean the cute white fur patches there that enabled us to first identify her. There was a lot of dirt there. Hopefully, they will look a bit whiter for a while.
When we finished at 6:30, Grace had a doggie treat reward for taking a shower. As we prepared to eat, I put some mozzarella cheese on my salad. Grace watched intently awaiting her ration. She enjoyed the tasty treat. Then she complained and finally played fox with me while I tried to eat my supper. I told her to wait.
When I finished at 7:00, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. Five minutes later, she did tricks for treats. Finally, she had enough stimulation and retreated to her bed. When I came into the living room, the television was off, and Grace was lying on her side on the living room floor.
At 8:40, Grace climbed up on her sofa to get into a darker area. At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time. When she returned ten minutes later, she went to her perch.
Tuesday
At 6:00, Grace lay awake on the sofa. I greeted her with a few gently strokes, and she gave me a few kisses. I then returned to bed. At 6:50, after the alarm clock sounded, I got up and found Grace in the living room chair. She was ready to get going. I told her to greet Betsy. She did but came back to the foyer quickly as I layered on clothes to face the 9-degree temperature.
New Park, New Friends
At 7:00, we left for the park. As expected, no friends appeared. Grace played ball for a half hour before we moved on. Grace next went to the adjacent apartment complex and found their second dog park.
This one was narrower but longer than Borador Park. I was shocked as two dogs approached as we were there. They came in. Both (Chloe and Truman) were older dogs, but each still had the puppy play instinct. Grace enjoyed running and letting them chase her. They did at least four laps.
Home Alone
As my face began to freeze, I led Grace home. At 8:15, when we returned, Grace got up on her sofa and curled up into a tight ball. At 8:20, I gave Grace her breakfast. She ate it immediately. Then as I dressed to go to a meeting regarding my construction project, Grace came to the foyer to join me.
I told her that she would have to stay home. Although she understood, she was visibly disappointed. I couldn’t take her because, she doesn’t sit still enough in meetings and would end up disrupting our conversation too much.
Grouchy Grace
At 12:35, when I returned home, Grace was on her sofa. We greeted there. Grace demonstrated her displeasure by tossing a plastic bone toy. I gave her a doggie treat. Grace waited in the foyer as I cooked some food. At 1:00, Grace had duck and scrambled eggs. When she finished, she continued to grouch about wanting to outside.
At 1:40, we headed out for our ride to Borador Pond Park. Grace stayed close to me. She enjoyed her time to run free and chase birds. Grace also stayed away from the neighboring dogs that she had barked at the day before. They may have been inside though because I didn’t hear a peep out of them.
On the trip home, I hooked Grace up to the seatbelts in the back seat. As I buckled her up, I noticed ice had formed on her fur on her underside and legs as the result of her wading in the pond. I was surprised that she did fine buckled in the back, despite not being able to see out the front nearly as well.
Clean-Up and More Play
When Grace returned home at 3:00, she went straight to the balcony while I showered. At 3:30, Grace came in and had her shower followed by a doggie treat. From there, she settled into her bed. At 4:15, Grace got up and looked out the balcony door window. I got up to let her out on the balcony. She wasn’t interested. She was interested though in curling up in the chair I had been using. I invited her up. She jumped up there and resumed her nap as I moved to the loveseat.
A few minute later, Grace got down and looked out the window to check out the park. Bailey was out there. We raced down at 4:50. She and Bailey chased each other while each carried a ball. After fifteen minutes, Bailey left and Zeke came in. Each played fetch independently until 5:30 when their owners gave up due to the rapidly declining temperature and bitter wind. Grace would have been happy to continue. She left reluctantly.
When we came home, Grace went out on the balcony. After ten minutes she came in. Betsy heard people out in the hall and invited Grace out there to play with Ellie Mae and the neighbor girl. At 5:55, she came back inside and lay in the foyer. At 6:00, Grace whimpered. I gave her supper. Grace ate it immediately and then lay by the balcony door.
Sundowning
Grace got up and didn’t know what to do with herself. I gave her a hug. She jumped up on the sofa and lay with her head and chest on the armrest. When Betsy left at 6:40, Grace let out a squeak before settling down for more napping.
At 7:00, I ate my supper as Grace sat next to me watching. I told her to wait. When I finished, Grace did tricks for duck food. As I cleaned up, Grace brought her giraffe toy to the kitchen. I kicked it for her to fetch. Then she just chewed on it for a while before finding a cardboard paper roll in her toy box. She carefully shredded it.
When she finished at 7:40, Grace pulled a small clay flower pot tray and batted it around playfully for a minute as a cat would play with a mouse. Then her appetite got the best of her. She started looking for the smallest food scrap on the dining room and kitchen floors. Then she took her big Kong and dropped it on the floor to free it of a stray scrap of food that might have been left inside. At that point, I gave her another half cup of her food. After inhaling that, she returned to searching the floor. I gave her a dental chew.
After finishing off that project, Grace got up and went to the balcony door. When I opened it, she declined to go out in the 20-degree darkness. I can’t say that I blame her. When she turned back into the living room, I gave her a hug and she gave me a kiss. She then got up on her sofa and propped up against the arm facing the balcony door window.
When Betsy came home at 8:30, she came over and greeted Grace. Grace tolerated Betsy’s advances to cuddle. At 8:55, Betsy took Grace outside into the 20-degree weather. Grace sniffed around where she often spots the hated white cat. Betsy said the phrase “white cat.” That ignited Grace’s senses and set her off into a serious sniffing sequence.
When they returned ten minutes later, Grace curled up in the living room chair to go to sleep for the night.
Wednesday
At 2:00, I found Grace in her bed. I greeted her briefly and returned to bed. At 6:50, after the alarm clock sounded, I got up to find Grace lying on the floor just outside the master suite entrance. We greeted one another, but Grace was not particularly enthusiastic. She briefly went in to see Betsy and returned as I dressed. The 17-degree temperature required that I again bundle up to face the cold.
Cold Park
We left for the park at 7:00. As we arrived, Reggie also came in. Neither Grace nor Reggie interacted much. Grace played ball and Reggie ran around a bit before his owner took him out. Then Grace went to the gate. She watched intently as Abby headed for the park. I quickly gathered up the balls so they would play with each other. They ran and wrestled for about twenty minutes before Abby left. Grace headed out too.
She made a beeline for the new dog run that she discovered the day before. After playing ball there for about twenty minutes, Grace moved on. I had hoped we would be going back home, but Grace had other ideas. She went to Winstead and then turned left to head for the Greenway. She wanted to run, so I ran with her.
When she reached the entrance, Grace met Kiko. We walked together until we passed Grace Beach. At that point, Grace wanted to play in the big meadow. I let her free. Grace enjoyed running free in the field and running up to the terraced path halfway up the hill toward the apartment area. She remained in sight and came down twice to get near me, but she was not ready to be leashed. She stayed within earshot of me and usually in sight. I finally got her to come back to me. After I leashed her up, we walked to the apartment.
Restless Morning
At 8:50, when we arrived home, Grace went directly to the balcony. When I put out fresh water and her breakfast, Grace came in and ate. When she finished, she returned to the balcony for ten minutes before coming back inside and curling up in the chair for her morning nap.
At 10:30, Grace got down to the floor and lay in the sun. Thirty minutes later, she went out on the sunny, but cold, balcony. At 11:25, Grace saw some new people moving in and began to bark. I called her in. She came in and then started grouching and tossing a ball. I told her to wait.
Afternoon Activity
At 11:30, we left for Borador Pond Park. As we ran around, the neighboring dogs barked. I repeated to Grace “Leave it!” as we passed them and the barking started. Although Grace would turn her head that way, she would snap it back to focus forward as she heard my repeated command reinforced with “Good girl, Grace.” I was pleased of her response and proud of her.
When we finished, I had Grace get into the back seat to afford her a little bit more protection since she had no doggie seat belt in that car. She did okay back there, but I could tell she had grown accustomed to looking out the front window. When we returned home at 12:45, Grace took her shower, but I forgot to give her a treat. She went out on the balcony while I showered.
When I finished, Grace came inside and went to the foyer as I started to prepare some food for myself. At 1:30, Grace had her duck food and scrambled eggs. When she finished eating, she came by my side to get a small piece of toast.
She then went to her bed for an afternoon nap. At 2:45, Grace came into the living room and lay with her chest on the armrest of the sofa so she could watch out the window from there. At 3:00, Grace changed positions, and stretched out for some serious sleeping.
Getting Her Way
At 4:00, I went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Grace wanted something. I told her to get her Kong. She just stared at me. I retrieved her small Kong from her toy box and loaded it with duck food and peanut butter. She worked on that as I ate my sandwich. When she finished I gave her the doggie treat that I forgot to give her after her bath.
At 4:15, she spotted Zeke playing in the park. I told her “No” and “Wait for friends.” Grace sadly lay on the floor next to her sofa and across from me as she sensed that her day was slipping away from her. At 4:45, Grace came beside me, put her paws on the loveseat and gave me a kiss. That was it. I took her out.
Cool Fun with Friends and Ice
At 4:50, we arrived at the park. After a few minutes, Abby showed up. I quickly gathered up the balls to keep the two puppies from being distracted. Abby found a ball that I had missed. Then, Grace dragged a chunk of ice from the water bucket. Abby’s owner threw it outside the fence. Grace stood at the fence looking longingly at her lost prize. After a minute, Abby came by and resumed the wrestling, diverting Grace’s attention from her chunk of ice.
At 5:20, Abby left me to play ball with Grace. Five minutes later, I remembered the ice chunk and retrieved it for her. Grace had a great time with it — pushing it around and jumping like a playful kitten. As a bonus, Grace enjoyed munching and crunching on it as well.
Wanting More
At 6:10, when we returned home, Grace didn’t know what to do with herself. Betsy gave her supper, which she inhaled. She wanted more. She picked up and dropped her small Kong. I threw it for her to fetch. That wasn’t what he wanted to do with it.
Grace drooled as I prepared a small Kong with duck food and peanut butter. When she finished, she picked up her large Kong and tossed it around. Betsy filled it partially and gave it to her. Grace wanted still more. I gave her a dental chew.
At 7:00, as we ate our dinner, Grace stared at me. I told her to wait. When I finished, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. She just swallowed whole the joint cartilage. I ate the last piece of a coffee cake for dessert. When I finished at 7:25, I left a small piece on the plate and gave it to Grace to lick off.
I went to the living room loveseat to study some house design plan changes. Grace dropped her big Kong at my feet to demand more. I didn’t respond to her as I needed to concentrate. A few minutes later, Grace gave up and got up on her sofa.
Grace Spooked
At 9:35, as she heard the characteristic rattle of her leash and collar, Grace instinctively got up for her last walk of the day. The night was particularly still as Grace sniffed the grass in the dim light. The only sound was the tapping of her claws as she walked along the sidewalk. That reminded me that I need to purchase some claw clippers and trim her claws.
Suddenly, the silence was broken as about 100 feet away two young adults climbed the stairway to the the recreation area. Grace was spooked by the apparition-like image that they made. She growled and then barked. I directed her with the leash and told her to move on. Grace resumed following her nose as we progressed around the building. When we returned home at 9:45, Grace went to her perch.
Thursday
At 5:30 as I walked by, I heard Grace stir in her bed. I went over and stroked her face and chest before returning to bed. When the alarm clock sounded at 6:45, we stayed in bed. That was Grace’s queue to get up. She waited in the master suite hallway — making her presence known with soft infrequent whines. When the alarm sounded again ten minutes later, I got up and greeted the waiting puppy. I put on multiple layers of clothing to face the 25-degree morning.
Cold Start
Grace happily welcomed the pre-dawn with energy and enthusiasm. When we reached the gate to the park, Grace stopped and looked back expectantly, as if to say “Let’s go inside now.” I tried to get her to move on and take care of business, but she was ready to play.
She immediately went to the block of ice from the previous day. While it was much smaller, it was still fun. As is often the case, the eastern sky became a fleeting painting of pinks, purple blues, and blue gray.
Puppy Play
Just then, Abby came to join us. I quickly gathered up the balls and then grabbed the ice chunk and threw it outside the fence. The two had a rollicking good time running, chasing, and wrestling. They mixed it up for twenty minutes before Abby left.
As soon as she was gone, after Grace’s persistent prompting, I pulled out all three balls and threw them on the ground. Grace quickly checked them out. I could tell that she was smelling each of them. She settled on the prized ball. Grace played for about ten minutes, before tiring of it.
Tense Greeting
We then moved on. Near the main entrance to the apartments, Grace met the black dog that seemed to spook her. At first, Grace was aggressive toward the dog — barking and lunging toward it. I apologized to the owner and said it was not characteristic of Grace.
I don’t know if the muzzle leash had something to do with it, but after a minute, Grace calmed down. Grace then assumed her non-threatening posture and the two dogs greeted before moving on.
Delightful Bones
Grace went to the neighboring complex and then to Winstead. She ran as we headed down the hill and back up to the Greenway. She then headed down the hill toward the lake. I removed her leash, and she found the deer bones.
Grace chewed on them there before grabbing them in her mouth and carrying then to the meadow across from Grace beach. By 9:00, I was ready to go. I leashed her and prompted her to come. After a few minutes, Grace left her prized find and we travelled on.
Balcony, Breakfast, and Tormentors
At 9:10, when Grace came home she went straight to the balcony. The rapidly warming temperature and the bright sunshine made the outdoors inviting for this little black-coated Borador. At 9:35, Grace saw me in the kitchen as I cleaned her dishes.
When I put out her breakfast and fresh water, Grace came in and ate her morning meal. When she finished, she returned to the balcony. Children staying or living upstairs spotted Grace below and talked to her. Grace took it in stride.
At 11:10, the boys on the balcony above persisted and finally evoked a soft bark from Grace. I went outside and consoled her and spoke to the boys. They then went inside. At 11:55, Grace came inside and curled up on the chair for a nap.
Rude, Aggressive Drivers
At noon, we left for Borador Pond Park. I put Grace in the back seat. As I turned onto Weston, I saw a truck coming, but he had his right turn signal on. When I turned out, he honked at me. I sped up to evade him. I then tried to indicate to the driver that his turn signal was on by flashing mine alternately left and right. He didn’t get it.
About halfway through the trip while stopped at a light, Grace whined softly indicating she wanted to come up front. I directed her to come up through the console area. The light turned green, but I delayed a second to allow Grace to move up safely. Immediately, the lady behind me honked at me to tell me to go. I was dismayed at the level of impatience she showed toward us.
Fun at the Park
When we arrived at the park at 12:20, Grace chased a flock of geese into the pond and also chased some ground-loving birds. Grace saw something like the net that she had found a few days ago hanging from a branch of a tree. That spooked her. She stopped and barked at it.
She also chased a squirrel in the woods near the barking dogs, but otherwise stayed clear of the barking dogs next door. I praised her. Grace ran obediently past them. When we left the park, I let Grace sit in the front passenger seat.
Beauty Aids and Errands
We stopped at the pet store to get some claw clippers. The saleslady recommended a scissor style clipper. I purchased one. Grace put her front paws on the checkout counter.When I asked for a treat, the lady gave her a couple.
I next made a quick stop at the grocery store as Grace waited in the driver’s seat. When I returned a few minutes later, Grace moved over to allow me to drive.
Warm Fresh Air, Shower, and Snacks
When we returned home at 1:55, Grace went straight to the balcony. While she was out there, I took a shower. The 50-degree, sunny weather suited Grace just fine.
At 3:00, I made her some duck and scrambled eggs. Grace came in and enjoyed her afternoon snack. When she finished, she came under the dining room table to see if I had some toast for her. I didn’t. I then called Grace into the bathroom for her shower. Grace came immediately and obediently. When we finished, Grace polished off an ice cream carton, had her doggie treat, and concluded with a small dental chew.
Afternoon Park Play and Dinner Goodies
At 3:15, Grace went to her perch in the office. At 4:30, Grace spotted friends playing in the park. We rushed down to meet Bailey and Zeke. Bailey hung on to the ball a fair amount, but they still did a lot of wrestling and chasing. Reggie and Abby joined in about fifteen minutes later. It was a fun time for all of the dogs.
When we returned home at 5:30, Grace went to the balcony. Grace spotted Betsy come home at 6:10. She barked and whined and then came inside. Grace went to the foyer and greeted Betsy as she entered. Betsy brought me a half of a milkshake. I shared a small amount with Grace. At 6:20, Grace had her supper followed by a small Kong loaded with duck food and peanut butter.
At 6:40, Grace went to the balcony. She came in five minutes later and grouched a bit. Then, she curled up and lay on the floor next to me as Betsy fixed dinner. While we ate, Grace watched intently with her front legs resting under her on the arm of the loveseat. As soon as I finished, Grace moved into position. She did tricks for chicken scraps, but that wasn’t enough. She brought her Kong into the kitchen for more, but I decided to have her do tricks for duck food.
Something Different
When she finished, Grace went out on her perch. At one point, she thought she saw something sinister, like perhaps the hated white cat. Instead of a full bark, Grace did her muffled minimal bark to keep the noise down but still get some of her barking desire out. At 9:05, I took her out for the last time, but things were different this time.
Grace stopped in the nearest landscaped area and sniffed around. Then she crossed the sidewalk and poked her head into the dense leafy landscaping there. After about fifteen seconds she emerged. Grace walked down the sidewalk toward Borador Park, but rather than turning to go around the building, she reversed and retraced her path. In the elevator, I noticed what looked like the skin on one side of her mouth hanging more than I had remembered. I figured it was from all of the puppy play skin pulling.
When Grace came inside at 9:10, Grace didn’t want her usual light treat reward for coming home without a struggle. She just wouldn’t take it. That too was unusual, but I just chalked it up to her having eaten a lot of food that evening. Then, Betsy noticed something. She reached into Grace’s mouth/throat and pulled out a whole chocolate cupcake with the wrapper still attached. Betsy said that Grace’s mouth was also foaming. Once the object was out though, Grace showed no more signs of distress.
Grace climbed into her bed and curled up for the night. We also went to bed a few minutes later.
Friday
When the alarm clock sounded at 6:40, we stayed in bed. Grace came into the room, sat by the bed next to me, and started making an occasional whining sound. Eventually, She did enough to stir me to pay attention to her. We did tummy rubs and kisses. I got up and dressed by about 7:00 but wanted to load up an application on Betsy’s phone. Between the down Internet connection and my forgetting her password, I ended up burning fifteen minutes without finishing my task. Of course, Grace protested softly as this was going on. I finally gave up and took her down.
Morning Adventure
The weather was much warmer, with a temperature of 39 degrees. As we approached the park, we saw that Abby was already there. Grace and Abby ran and wrestled as long as we keep the balls out of Abby’s mouth. When she got a ball, the action stopped. Abby would taunt Grace, and Grace would act aloof to trick Abby into dropping it.
After Abby left, I checked to see if the car wash water had been turned on yet. It hadn’t. The water bucket had been empty for a day. Grace played ball for ten minutes before wanting to move on. She travelled over to the newly discovered dog run at the other apartment. Grace played ball a bit there, but her heart really wasn’t in it. After about fifteen minutes, Grace moved on. She took me to the gate to the open drainage area by Winstead. She explored the woods before finally emerging on Winstead by the bridge.
Once on the road, Grace ran up Winstead to the Greenway. From there, Grace went into the open field to the left, carefully tracking scents. When we reached the steep slope that heads down to the river, I let Grace off of the leash. She ran free and explored there for about fifteen minutes.
As she came back up and approached the Greenway, I met her and leashed her as she obeyed my stay command. It was important to leash her there because people were aporaching on the Greenway. Grace was content to explore the grassy hill across from Grace Beach and then head home. She did linger at the open field at the bottom of the hill but didn’t press the issue.
When we made it home at 8:40, Grace went out on the balcony. When I put out her food, she came in, ate it, and then settled in on the living room chair for her morning nap. At 11:00, Grace moved to her sofa. At 11:25, she got up and looked out the window. Then she turned to the foyer. There were four dogs in the park. Her nap would have to wait. We rushed down to meet them. While it was sprinkling lightly, it was of no consequence to playing dogs.
By the time we made it there, two left. Grace met Hutch (Rhodesian Ridgeback male) and Finn (three-month-old male German Shepherd mix). Both dogs were playful, but Grace was careful to express submissiveness to the dog twice her size. These dogs had just moved in to the apartment.
The service crew turned on the water at the car wash. This allowed me to fill the empty water bucket. All three dogs enjoyed taking a drink of fresh water. After a few more meetings, I think Grace will be able to relax and just play with Hutch. At 11:50, they left. Grace played ball for a few minutes. When she took a break, I told her we were going to go get a treat. Grace looked up and paused for a moment with a puzzled look on her face. Then she got up and happily came to the gate. At the office, Grace got her treat, and I picked up a package.
Lazy Afternoon
When we returned home at noon, Grace got up on her sofa and settled in for a nap. At 12:15, I began preparing some food. Grace perked up but stayed put. When I mixed up the scrambled eggs, Grace strategically moved to the foyer. She stayed there as I prepared her dish, let it cool, and ate my food.
After five minutes, Grace got up and looked at me. Her food was cool enough, so I gave it to her. When she finished, she came to check with me to see whether or not I had any toast for her. I told her I didn’t. When she knew I had settled back into working on my computer, Grace made her way to her bed for her after-lunch nap.
At 2:20, Grace got up and went to the balcony. The weather remained wet and dreary. While Grace was out there, I fixed myself a sandwich. At 2:35, when I was eating, Grace came in and lay on her side behind me in the living room. When I finished, she checked outside again before returning to her bed.
Grace made a few soft whines that I ignored. Then, I went to the office to get a couple books. As I opened the door, Grace had to back up to get out of the way. I shut the door and repeatedly told Grace to tug. After about thirty seconds, she got the idea, opened the door and let herself out.
Grace was getting ansy. She wanted to go out. I directed her to the balcony so she could see the rain for herself. She turned and went to her toy box. There she pulled out toys and tried to entertain herself while complaining to me with whines and air chomps.
At 4:45, I gave in and took Grace into the sloppy weather. Grace took the hallway to avoid the rain. From there, Grace made a beeline to the park. With umbrella in hand, we played ball for forty-five minutes. When we passed by the mail area, I saw the package notification indicating that we had two packages. We reversed as I told Grace we needed to get a treat. Grace went straight to the office. Grace got her treat, and I picked up the other package.
Surprise Meeting
When we headed back to the apartment, we saw Betsy pull in. We met her as she got out. We greeted each other and Betsy walked on ahead of us. Since Betsy took the stairway, we followed rather than take the elevator. As we headed up we met a black Labrador Retriever mix.
At first all was well as Grace assumed her non-threatening posture. Then, the two dogs erupted into fierce barking. Apparently, the other dog sent the wrong signal to Grace. I pulled Grace back down the stairs and took her up the elevator.
Preparing for Nighttime
When we returned home, Grace had a shower followed by a doggie treat. When she finished, Grace curled up in her bed. At 6:10, I gave her supper as she started to whine softly. As usual, Grace ate her supper as soon as I put it out. When she finished, she played fetch with me using her mostly shredded giraffe toy. After ten minutes, she lay on the floor next to me on the loveseat, watching me typing and Betsy cooking.
At 7:00, we ate our supper. Grace impatiently threw her large Kong down repeatedly. I told her to wait. When I finished eating, Grace did tricks for chicken followed by tricks for duck food. Grace did particularly well with fetch object. When she finished, she went to her perch.
At 7:40, from her perch, Grace let out some of her “Woof, woof,” restrained barks. I went in to see what was bothering her and to comfort her. I didn’t see anything. A few minutes later, she did it again and went to the balcony door. While I opened the door for her, she was not interested in going outside in that mess. She acted as if she wanted to get up in the living room chair. I invited her up, she curled up there, and I turned out the light. We made it through another evening of sundowning.
At 9:00, Grace went out for her last walk. When she returned ten minutes later, she jumped up on the living room chair and curled up there for the night.
Saturday
At 3:20, when I passed by, Grace was in her bed. As I tried to approach her, I bumped into the dining room table. I had Betsy’s laptop on it. That turned on the screen. I went by and stroked Grace gently, took a towel and covered the laptop to block the light, and went back to bed.
At 7:00, Grace came into the bedroom. I greeted her from the bed. At 7:15, we went out for our morning activity. The temperature was a warm 60-degrees, but it was a bit dreary. There was not enough moisture coming down to need an umbrella — just enough to keep things wet.
Exploring
Grace went first to the park. There, she played ball for twenty minutes. She then moved on to the Greenway. As she entered, she spotted Abby. Grace greeted her friend, but then ran on ahead as if she were on some kind of mission. She excitedly ran west on the Greenway.
At the 2.25 mile marker, I turned her around. When we went under the first bridge going back, I went up that alternate paved path. I found it took me to Cary Parkway. From there we continued our run to Harrison Avenue, through the Arboretum, to Winstead and finally back home.
Fun with Peaches
Once we were at the apartment complex, Grace lay on the lush grass to rest and relax. As she was there, Peaches showed up. Grace and Peaches greeted and headed for Borador Park. Peaches was a bit aggressive. This was a big change for her because previously she was shy.
Her owner said she learned this at the dog daycare where she attends. She was also bitten there by a Pit Bull mix. Grace and Peaches just vied for the prized ball for about thirty minutes before the dogs returned home.
Calm and Fierce Storm
When she returned home at 9:05, Grace had a bath followed by a doggie treat and her breakfast. Grace then went on her perch to watch outside. At 11:00, Grace went to the balcony and returned inside at 11:15 where she got up on the living room chair for a late morning nap.
At 12:20, I prepared some food. Grace stayed in the chair but watched. I then grabbed her dish and put a half cup of duck food and a scrambled egg in it to cool. As I finished my food, Grace very gently put her nose in my lap to remind me that her food was cool. She was right. I brought it from the kitchen to her food and water spot. Grace carefully and promptly enjoyed her mid-day snack.
When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony. At 1:30, a strong wind came, Grace came inside, and resumed her nap in the living room chair. Then at 2:00 a blinding rain came. Apparently, record high winds or perhaps a tornado ripped through near here. We leashed Grace in case we needed to move to the relative safety of the hallway. We took Grace there for a minute. She barked as the high wind rattled the doors. After a minute, we brought her back inside.
Good Eater
By 2:20, the storm had passed, and Betsy took Grace out for a walk to get the mail. When they returned, Grace went out on the balcony, curled up in the corner and went to sleep. At 3:30, Grace went with me to the office to get a treat and pick up a package.
When we arrived, the offices were locked. Grace waited for about fifteen minutes when one of the staff members on duty returned. She unlocked the side with the treats first, and then went to get the package. Grace had waited so long that she began to drool.
Both times we went by the park, Grace looked back at me to see whether or not we could play. I couldn’t stop, and we moved on. When we returned, Grace went to the balcony for fifteen minutes and then came inside to watch me make a sandwich. I gave her a small Kong loaded with duck food and capped with peanut butter. She worked on that while I ate. When she finished, she parked herself next to me and watched. She wanted more. I gave her a doggie cookie to hold her off until supper. I then went to a private room to study.
While I studied, Betsy fed Grace supper and gave her both Kongs loaded. She wanted more. At 7:30, I loaded the small Kong with her food and capped it off with peanut butter. That seemed to satisfy her.
At 8:15, Betsy opened the door, and Grace came in to give me lavish kisses. She missed me, but I had to do some more studying. At 9:05 we went out and dropped off the trash. When we returned home at 9:15, Grace went to her sofa and went to sleep.