Sunday
I passed by Grace 5:00 to find her asleep on loveseat. She didn’t stir so I didn’t disturb her. At 7:30, Grace came in the bedroom to get me up. Betsy had opened the patio door earlier to give her a few more minutes before Grace needed to go out. The 48 degree temperature was pleasant enough for me to wear just a light jacket.
Catching Up with Abby, Avoiding Traffic, and Playing Fetch
By 7:40, I finally took her out. We rushed down and just caught Abby as she was leaving. Abby returned, and Grace played with her for about twenty minutes. When Abby left, Grace followed.
Grace led me over Clump Grass Hill, through the parking lot, to the gate to Grace Woods. On the way, Grace found a portion of a chicken breast that had been discarded. She happily finished it up. Grace chased some squirrels and then moved to the bridge. I held my breath as there was a fair amount of traffic out on the road.
Once we entered the Greenway, Grace played fetch with the flying squirrel. At 9:00, Grace saw Betsy approaching and ran to greet her. I left the two and returned home. Fifteen minutes later, they followed. Grace had her breakfast and went to the balcony lounge chair to catch a few rays.
Home Alone, Abbreviated Walk
At 10:05, we left Grace home alone. When we returned a couple hours later, we greeted Grace who was lying on the sofa. I gave her a doggie treat and told her “Good bye-bye.” The weather was deteriorating rapidly, so at 12:30, I took Grace back out. Grace played more fetch with the flying squirrel. As the rain started, we headed back home.
Grace didn’t want to go up the first walk. I moved on to the second. Grace looked longingly at the woods there that housed many squirrels. She was nearly salivating to go chase them. I believed they all returned to their nests to get out of the rain, but I couldn’t resist her. She darted through the woods and when I whistled, stopped going any father away. After making her rounds, she let me leash her and at 1:30 we returned home, and Grace went to the balcony.
Snack, Storage Play
I proceeded to prepare some food and put out Grace’s duck food and scrambled egg snack. Grace was unaware it was there. At 2:30, when she came in, Grace spotted her lunch and ate it before curling up in the chair for an afternoon nap.
At 4:00, I left to go to our self-storage. As we pulled out of the parking lot, Grace spotted the black Poodle and barked at it. After driving about three miles, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I turned around, retrieved it, and again headed for my destination. Grace sat in the back seat. During the ride she rested part of the time and sat up occasionally to watch as we approached our destination.
Once there, Grace told me she wanted to play. I pulled out the hard rubber ball that we used to use and threw it near her. She normally tried to grab it after the first bounce. She also tried to avoid the puddles to keep from getting her paws wet. When another person pulled up into our section, I picked up the ball, directed Grace to the car, and left.
Pay Attention to Me
When we arrived home at 5:30, Grace wanted to walk around the building. On the way, she relived her bladder. I mention this because she would not relieve herself again for another fourteen hours!
Ten minutes later, Grace returned to the apartment, ate her supper, and curled up in the chair. As I worked on the floor at 6:00, Grace came by with a tennis ball to ask me to play fetch with her. I threw the ball as I worked, and she retrieved it.
Fifteen minutes later, I moved to the office, and Grace climbed up on her perch. She was content to be with me there as I tore my hair out with a computer problem. Grace’s patience waned though.
Treats
At 7:05, she was after me to play with her. I decided it was time for tricks for duck food. Grace breezed through her routine. She then had a dental chew followed by a drink of water.
At 7:25, Grace went to the balcony but returned inside five minutes later as she saw Betsy eating some freshly baked pecan pie. Grace sat in front of her. Drool started dripping from her mouth.
That’s hard to take. I gave her a small loaded Kong, then another, and then still another. At 8:00, after Grace polished off her third Kong, she came to me with a rope toy she received at the DNA sample event Saturday.
At 8:25, I took Grace outside. We walked around the entire building rather than just half, but Grace did not bother to relieve herself. She did lots of sniffing. Finally, I gave up and brought her in. She got up on her sofa for the night and went to sleep.
Monday
At 2:30, I found Grace in the office on the floor. I had left a mess in there but had cleared off her perch. She opted for a spot on the floor though. After a brief greeting, I returned to bed.
Frosty Morning, Good Catch
After the alarm clock sounded for the second time at 6:40, I got up to find Grace on the living room floor next to her bed. There we greeted each other enthusiastically with tummy rubs and kisses. I noticed one of her toy puppies was up on the sofa. I presume Grace had brought it up there during the night. Five minutes later, we went out into the 32-degree morning. Again the car windows were iced, so I brought my car keys to defrost a car for Betsy.
Grace went straight to the park. She still did not bother to relieve herself. I took the flying squirrel toy with us. Grace played fetch with that. She’s getting pretty skilled at snatching it out of the air. It’s harder in one respect than a disk; because it’s more of a square than a circle. I’ll mark this as a milestone.
At 7:00, I left Grace in the park and started the car to defrost it. I didn’t take Grace past the car because I was more concerned about giving her a chance to relieve herself. As I learned later, that wasn’t necessary.
Grace waited and watched as turned on the defrosters on the car.. She played for ten minutes. I ran back down, turned off the car, and returned back to play with Grace as again she waited and watched.
Friendly Play, Deer Snack, Forgotten Toy
At 7:15, Abby came in. Grace and Abby did their usual running and roughhouse. After twenty minutes, Grace went to the gate to let me know she was ready to go. At 7:35, Grace went out to the lawn and finally relieved bladder after fourteen hours! I’ll mark this as a milestone.
Grace moved on past Clump Grass Hill, through the gate, down the trail in Grace Woods, over the bridge, and through the gate to the Greenway. In the field to the right, Grace stopped to have a morning deer leg snack. After she ate her fill, I realized that I had forgotten Grace’s squirrel toy. We backtracked to Borador Park, and there I retrieved it.
Naps and Snack
At 9:00, Grace returned home, went to the balcony, ate breakfast, and curled up on the sofa for her morning nap. Two hours later, she got up and went to her perch to continue napping there. At 12:30, Grace went to the living room as she saw the time drawing near when she would get her snack. Ten minutes later, Grace had her duck food and scrambled egg followed by a small piece of toast.
When she finished her snack, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair. She soaked up the sun as the cool 43-degree temperature kept her cool. Still, after a half hour, she came inside and went to the foyer to cool off. At 1:25, she went to her perch, whined, came into the living room and went to the balcony.
Time to Play with Friends
I realized that the blinds there were still closed. We close them at night to stop her from seeing something that would prompt a bark. I keep them closed in the morning, so she can have shade from the sun. By the afternoon, they need to be opened. I opened the blinds and invited her back inside.
At 1:50, Grace spotted friends playing in the park. First, she whined softly, then she made more pronounced sound. Finally, she came into the living room to complain. We ran down to the park. There she met Brulow (mix that looks like Otis) and the Bichon Frise named Jack. Grace and Brulow played. Then Olivia and Rascal joined them. Brulow took a lot of interest in Grace as a male would toward a female in heat, but they also played enough to get some good exercise.
Nap, Cat, and Treats
Grace returned home at 2:30 and went to the balcony. At 3:10, Grace came inside and curled up in a tight ball on her side of the sofa as if not to interfere with the work I was doing on the other end. At 3:15 we left for the land. I spoke with a contractor as Grace pulled the leash and barked at the cat.
We returned at 5:20. There was noticeable discharge on her seat. I wiped it off I gave Grace a doggie treat. After she ate it, she went out on the balcony. Twenty minutes later, Grace came in and licked Betsy’s plate that had a cinnamon roll on it. Then she grouched. She wanted her supper. After supper, she took a drink of water and went back out on the balcony. She came right back in and grouched. I gave her a small loaded Kong.
As I cleaned up, Grace hit me up for two more small loaded Kongs. When she came to me with a fourth, I told her to wait. We let her out on the balcony and back in about three times starting at 7:00. At 7:10, Grace did tricks for duck food.
To Squeak or Not to Squeak
When she finished, she brought her puppy toy to play fetch. Betsy took it from her because the squeaker interfered with her hearing the television. Grace then removed the squeaker from her puppy. She had refrained from doing that since she received it nine months earlier. Betsy said that Grace acted sorry that she did it and said she would repair it for her.
At 7:50, Betsy took her outside for a walk. Grace returned ten minutes later and went back out on the balcony. At 8:30, she came in and curled up on the sofa for the night.
Tuesday
At 3:00, as I passed by Grace awake in her bed, I gently pet her and returned to bed. At 6:45, after the alarm clock sounded twice, Grace and I greeted with tummy rubs and kisses as she lay next to her bed on the living room floor.
Water Etiquette
When we arrived at Borador Park at 7:00, Abby was there to meet her. They played with each other for about fifteen minutes. Then I took the water bucket to the car wash to clean and refresh it. Both dogs stopped their play to watch me.
As I approached, Abby jumped up and down excitedly. She slammed her head into the fresh water before I could even put it down. She continued to drink as if she hadn’t had a drink in a day. Grace waited patiently next to her. When Abby finished, Grace politely and calmly drank her fill. The dogs played a bit more before leaving at 7:25.
Makeshift Toys, Leg Bone
Grace took her usual route to Grace Woods, the bridge, the Greenway, and the field to the left. Before long, Grace came back with some green stuff pasted on her shoulder and side. I didn’t bring any toys; because I really didn’t want to aggravate her limp.
That didn’t matter. Grace explored, found an empty plastic water bottle and threw it toward me. It was so light it was difficult to throw. I positioned myself so the breeze would help a little. At one point, she choked like she was choking on something. I didn’t recall if the bottle had a cap on it, and perhaps she swallowed it. I hope not. I’ll have to keep an eye on her and hope it was just some grass or she passes it if it was a plastic cap.
She also grabbed a deflated child’s toy ball. It worked a lot like her flying squirrel. Grace located a deer leg. She chewed on a lower leg primarily — eating a hoof, lower foot, a large segment of bone, and about four joints.
Recharging, Home Alone
When we returned at 9:05, Grace had a (soap) bath followed by a doggie treat. She ate her breakfast and curled up on the sofa for her morning nap. She waited for me to fix the sheet for her before she got up. Thirty minutes later, I left her home alone while I went running to keep her paws from suffering further injury.
Grace was still on her sofa at 10:10, when I returned. I praised her and gave her a treat. Twenty minutes later, Grace moved to the chair. At 11:00, Grace moved to the balcony lounge chair for twenty-five minutes before returning inside to her sofa. Ten minutes later, I left her home alone as I went to a luncheon. When I returned home at 1:50, Grace was still on the sofa. I gave her a doggie treat and told her “Good bye-bye.”
Snack Please
Ten minutes later, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair to watch the activity below. After fifteen minutes, Grace came in, lay on the living room floor. Then Grace whined.
She started throwing her Kong on the floor next to me. She wasn’t going to get her normal snack, so I made her a large Kong loaded with duck food followed by a small Kong loaded the same way. When she finished her Kongs at 2:35, she went to her perch.
Afternoon Outing
After an hour, Grace whined, got down, came into the living room, stretched, and looked at me. She was ready to go. I took her for her afternoon outing.
Grace went down to Grace Beach and followed the shoreline to the water-flow control platform. There she found a basketball mostly filled with water. It reminded me of a medicine ball, but that was Grace’s toy of the hour. I finally worked the fetch game up the earthen dam hill to the Greenway and then to the meadow.
Squirrel Dreams
After about an hour, I leashed Grace, and we headed home. As usual, Grace wanted to go past the first walk back. She had squirrels on the brain.
When I tried to turn up through the woods before the second walk, Grace put on the breaks and watched for squirrels. When we made it to the grass, she decided to lie there and chew on a stick. After about five minutes, she finally relented and came.
Greeting, Supper, and More
Grace returned home at 4:45. That was just a few minutes before Betsy arrived. Grace went to the balcony and saw Betsy’s car. She turned and went back to the foyer. I let her out as I heard Betsy coming down the hall. Betsy greeted her excitedly. When they came in, Grace lay at my feet by the sofa.
At 5:10 Grace had her supper followed by a drink of water. She noticed a small spot she had left on the carpet where she had sat and promptly cleaned it. When she finished, she went to the balcony for five minutes and then returned to her sofa.
Sundowning
Grace got up ten minutes later and started throwing her Kong at my feet. I gave her a half cup more of her food. She did it again. I gave her another. She tried again, but I told her “No.” Betsy gave her a dental chew. At 6:00, Betsy took Grace’s flying squirrel and played tug and fetch with that. After fifteen minutes, Grace went back to the balcony for five minutes before returning to the living room and lying there on her side.
At 6:35, she went to her perch for ten minutes before returning to the living room to play more with her squirrel. I told Grace to wait. At 7:05, she persisted in her grouching. I relented and had Grace do tricks for duck food. After she finished, Grace played fetch with her puppy and snake toys for twenty minutes before going again to the balcony.
At 7:45, Grace returned inside and parked herself under the living room table. Twenty minutes later, she got back up on her sofa to settle in before her last walk. At 8:45, I took Grace out for the last time. We made a stop at the trash bin before completing our normal circuit. Grace found one spot in the grass that she sniffed for five minutes. When she returned at 9:00, Grace got up into the chair and settled in for the night.
Wednesday
At 2:45, I found Grace lying awake on the living room floor. There I greeted her gently. She, more enthusiastic than usual, perked up and kissed me. After the alarm clock sounded at 6:30 and again at 6:40, I got up. Grace met me between the living room and master suite. There we did standing tummy rubs and kisses. Ten minutes later, we went out into the 31-degree morning.
Chilly Start
I took the car keys in case the windows needed defrosting, but they were clear enough. Grace proceeded on to the park. I convinced her to move on and take care of business first. When she finished, Abby came out. Grace raced ahead to enter the park first. Grace and Abby did some high-energy play for about fifteen minutes. Reggie came and put a damper on things as he was very interested in mounting Grace.
After five minutes, we all decided to move on. Grace took her usual route to Clump Grass Hill. Grace made her way to the gate at Grace Woods. After we passed through, I let her free. She made a fairly direct path to the bridge, crossed it quickly, jumped the guardrail as soon as she crossed, and went into Grace Weeds.
Deer Chaser’s Dream
Shortly thereafter out came one deer. A minute later, another followed. They crossed the road. I lost track of Grace, but kept going. After a few minutes, up came Grace from the other side of the road. I don’t know if she crossed under the bridge or followed the deer across. She still beat me to the gate.
From there, she headed to the closed gate at the bottom of the hill. There she flushed out a young deer. It took off toward the earthen dam and down toward the river. Grace followed, but even as fast as she is, she could not run it down. After a minute, she returned to check out where it came from.
Something Strange
I could see something there at the entrance that looked like a down mature deer. When I arrived, I could see it there with eyes open and motionless. I moved it’s body gently with my foot. It didn’t respond other than vibrate from my movement. The best I could tell, it died very recently, but I could see no evidence of injury. It was bizarre.
From there, Grace proceeded along the lake shore and up to the Greenway. She then ate a dead fish, explored weeded slope of Grace Hill, played fetch with toys in meadow, chased a hawk, and ended with a squirrel hunt at Squirrel Run.
Disturbing Noise
When she returned home at 9:10, Grace went to the balcony. Five minutes later when I put out her breakfast, Grace came in and ate. After breakfast, Grace returned to the balcony and got up on the lounge chair for a nap. Unfortunately, her nap time was interrupted by noise upstairs from a carpet replacement crew.
Grace came in at 10:30 and went to her perch to reduce the noise level that she had to endure. Forty minutes later, the phone rang. This triggered Grace to move on. Grace decided to try the balcony lounge chair again to resume her nap. Twenty minutes there was all she could take. This time the noise was punctuated with falling debris as well.
Grace decided her only escape was to go for a walk. She went to the foyer and whined for me to take her out. I really couldn’t blame her. Five minutes later, we were on our way for a run through Wessex.
Peace at Home
An hour later, when we made it home, Grace went to the balcony, lay on the floor, and conked out. At 2:20, came inside, ate her duck food and scrambled egg, and toast snack. When she finished, she went to her perch.
An hour later, Grace whined, went to the foyer, and lay down. Twenty-five mintues later, she came to the living room and lay at my feet as I sat on her sofa. At 4:35, Grace moved on the the balcony lounge chair to watch for Betsy’s return home.
Ten minutes later, Grace welcomed Betsy home. While Betsy prepared to take her for a walk, Grace played fetch with me. At 5:00, Betsy took her out. When they returned an hour later, Grace went straight to the balcony.
Sundowning
At 6:40, Grace came in and played fetch with her toy puppies and new rope toy. After thirty minutes, she finally gave up and lay at my feet. At 7:30, she lay at my side as I ate my supper. When I finished, Grace did tricks for duck food.
At 8:10, Grace went out for her last walk. She sniffed for fertilizer. After over a half hour of not relieving herself, Grace returned inside and settled in for the night on her sofa. At this point, we can close out this heat cycle. Her discharge was about over and her swelling was receding.
Thursday
At 3:20, I saw Grace curled up in a tight ball on her sofa. I didn’t disturb her but instead just went back to bed. At 6:40, after the alarm clock sounded, I got up to find Grace in her bed. I petted her as she rested upright, lying on her belly. I stroked her face rather than her tummy and she returned the affection with a few kisses.
Morning Chill
It was another cold morning. I had to put on multiple layers of clothing in order to face the 25-degree air. At 6:50, we left. I took car keys to start and turn on the defrosters. Grace headed for Borador Park. There were no dogs in there, so I persuaded her to go for a short walk first. When she finished, she met the new dog Brulow whose name means good friend in Lithuanian.
Just as the two dogs entered, Abby joined in also. The play wasn’t very spirited until Brulow left. Then Grace and Abby went at it in their usual fashion. When Reggie came in, he became primarily a slight distraction as his interest was in mounting Grace. After about ten minutes he left.
Abby’s owner cracked the ice in the water pail to give the dogs access to the ice chunks and water. Grace loves munching on ice, as does Abby. Abby bulled her way to the pail and hogged the ice while Grace waited patiently for her turn. We gave Grace a few pieces while Abby continued her brutish behavior. Shortly after that, the dogs left.
Hoping for a Chase
Grace took her normal route to Clump Grass Hill and through the gate to Grace Woods. There I unleashed her. After the deer bonanza the day before, Grace was anxious to find and chase more deer again. She searched all of the places where she found them the day before but came up dry.
The deer carcass by the lower gate had been moved by the maintenance workers, but Grace still smelled it. She spent about five minutes investigating. The lower gate was open. I hoped that Grace wouldn’t bolt through it and go running in the woods around the lake. She went through the gate and sniffed there as I continued whistling. While on the other side of the fence, Grace went down to the water but quickly came back up and went back through the gate to the area where she usually plays. I was relieved.
Snacking on Deer
Grace went along the lake shore and then moved up to the field to the left of the Greenway. Grace found a deer leg bone and ate about half of it. She sniffed around before going down to the deer carcass by the river. After about ten minutes, there came Grace dragging the remains of the carcass up the earthen dam to the field. It included the head, spine, ribs, some hide, and at least one leg.
Grace spent the rest of her time there munching on the head, hide, and ribs. I finally leashed her and told her it was time to go. She wanted to take a leg with her. I told her to leave it. The area is littered with deer legs. She’ll have plenty of chances in coming days to snack on them.
One Last Chase
As we returned home, I was surprised that Grace cooperatively turned up the first walk to the apartments. I had feared that she would insist on doing another squirrel-chase session in Squirrel Run.
Shortly, after we entered the parking lot area, Grace spied a couple of ducks in the parking lot. She watched motionlessly with her mouth slightly open and her tongue slightly out. She really wanted to chase her prey. I released her from the leash. Grace shot after them, but alas, they took flight. Grace had her chance. She ran down to the field next to Squirrel Run. I proceeded toward the apartments and whistled. Grace came running to me and let me leash her. I was very proud of her.
Recovering at Home
Together we went back to the apartment. As usual, Grace went to the balcony for a few minutes and then came inside as I put out fresh water for her first and then her breakfast. After eating her breakfast, Grace curled up in the chair for her morning nap.
Twenty minutes later, I noticed she had taken a rather odd position on the chair and saw bands of sunlight streaming between the blinds and onto the chair and Grace’s coat. I quickly got up and adjusted the blinds the other direction to completely block the sunshine.
At 10:30, Grace took a long drink of water and moved to her perch as the lawnmower noise outside the balcony disturbed her beauty sleep. At At 11:15, Grace came strutting into the living room to lie next to me on her sofa. The mower had moved on.
Let’s Go!
As I snacked on some chocolate, Grace looked at me expectantly. I gave her some light treats. At 11:55, Grace started to get antsy. I finished up on my computer and moved on to take her outside at noon.
At the light at Weston Parkway, we met a group of women headed toward Harrison Avenue. Grace adopted them. She seemed to view them as part of the herd. We ran ahead of them most of the way. We parted ways and said good-bye as Grace and I turned into Wessex. Grace then slowed her pace and began to linger frequently.
Grace wanted to turn up the first street to the right, but I told her we would come back that way. After many stops, we passed our friend’s house at the 400 block and took the road to the right there. Then we took the next right to head back.
Happy Dog
As Grace lingered more, I told her we needed to find the cat. That perked her up to a nice pace. She ran to the house near the end of the road where I had seen the cat the day before. Grace had only caught its scent that day. I was surprised that Grace remembered and knew the exact house. Sadly for her, the cat was not outside.
After looking for the cat for a few minutes, Grace reluctantly moved on. We ran out of the subdivision and back home along Weston. Along the way, Grace stopped for a little slide down a hill of freshly spread pine straw. A cyclist commented “There’s a happy dog,” as he went by.
Time for Treat
On the way back into the complex it was as if Grace knew we were going to the office. She turned right to it. I went into the door and Grace parked herself next to the treat jar. After she sat, I gave a drooling Grace her treat. We then picked up a package and headed home.
I needed to make a drop-off at the waste station. The closest one was at the dog park. Grace went inside. A few minutes later, Jack joined us. As we talked, Grace lounged in the shade of the bench.
Rest Up for More Play
At 2:00, we finally returned home. Grace went straight to the balcony. I prepared some food and left Grace’s afternoon snack in her bowl as Grace lay curled up in the shade on the balcony floor keeping watch over the flock by day.
At 3:30, Grace moved to the lounge chair to find a bit more comfortable surface and get a better view below. At 3:45, Grace spotted her friends Hutch and Finn in the park. She came in and went to the foyer expectantly. We raced down to meet them. As we arrived, Abby joined the party.
Grace played the role of cheerleader most of the time as Abby and Finn wrestled. Once Abby left, Finn’s owner, pulled out the toys. Grace focused on the flying disk. Reggie came in too, but he and Finn seemed to have a problem at times. Eventually all of the dogs left.
Happy Greeting
When Grace returned home at 4:40 she went to the balcony to watch. At 4:55, she whined, came inside, and went to the foyer. I didn’t pick up on it, but she had seen Betsy drive in and wanted to greet her. She ended up greeting her at the door instead.
Grace then jumped up on the sofa next to me and did wags and tummy rubs with Betsy. Betsy came in with a plate of food and sat on the loveseat. Grace perked up with her paws on the cushion and watched her. Betsy got up, and gave Grace her supper. When Grace finished, she took long drink of water, licked out her bowl, and returned to Betsy to see if she had anything more for her.
After Dinner Walk, Polite Puppy
Betsy didn’t. Grace lay at the foot of the living room chair, watched, and waited. At 6:45, when I finished my supper, she did tricks for chicken leg scraps. She waited until 7:00 for Betsy to take her out for a walk. They returned at 7:30 and went to the balcony.
When Betsy took the trash out, Grace barked at her. I brought her in. She stood facing the loveseat where Betsy had left a package. On the other cushion, were magazines and some remote controls. Grace didn’t want to disturb anything. I picked up the package and moved it out of the way. Grace got up and melted into the loveseat.
Shower and Bed
Suddenly, at 7:45, Grace got up and went to the balcony door as if she heard something. She went out on the balcony to investigate. She then curled up on the lounge chair.
Betsy called her in to take a shower. Grace came to the bathroom. When she finished her shower, Grace enjoyed a doggie treat. At 8:00, Grace got into her bed and went to sleep for the night. We shut the blinds and turned out the lights.
Friday
At 5:15, I found Grace lying on the floor next to her bed and greeted her just briefly as I returned to bed. At 6:30, I got up to find Grace in the same spot. We did tummy rubs and kisses for about five minutes.
Park Play with Friends
At 6:45, Grace headed out to park. Finn 2 (Australian Cattle Dog) was there. Grace and he played. Reggie joined them, followed by Zeke. Zeke and Finn 2 got into it and the other dogs left. Grace played fetch with the flying squirrel. Although her bladder was as full as I have ever witnessed, Grace waited until after the play time to relieve herself. Her bladder control is simply amazing!
We left the park at 7:40. Grace wanted to go the normal route past the office, but I led her to the car wash to clean off her very dirty squirrel toy. When we finished, Grace headed straight for Grace Woods via the gate. Once we made it through, I unleashed her.
Running Free
Grace raced through the woods excitedly. She beat me across the bridge and wanted to go into Grace Weeds. I called her, but she didn’t bother to come. Then a county lawn maintenance truck came speeding by. Thankfully, Grace was not on the road.
The man opened the extra-wide gate to allow him to drive his truck into the Greenway. A second truck came speeding in a minute later. Each time, Grace was safely to the left of the road. She then went in and headed to the lower gate which was open.
Rather than have to deal with the maintenance people, I followed Grace in. She was in bolting mode. I called her, but she would not come. Instead, she raced ahead staying only close enough to keep track of me. I kept whistling and calling her to no avail.
After about fifteen minutes, a man on a bike stopped as I continued my persuit. He angrily asked if I saw the sign about leashing your dog when I came in. I told him I didn’t, but really it was Grace who couldn’t read. He then blamed dogs running free for a “family of deer” missing from the park.
That was particularly amusing to me since deer roam freely up by the Greenway where there are hundreds of dogs daily. Also, just two days earlier we spotted three live deer and one dead one. Finally, it wasn’t dogs that were killing deer but coyotes.
Anyway, he moved on in a huff, and I continued my exasperating pursuit of Grace. I finally was able to turn her around and get her to move back toward the entrance. About ten minutes later, she finally came and let me leash her.
Heading Home
We unwound our path back to avoid getting near the maintenance crew. On the grounds of the Lofts, Grace found some recently discarded slices of toast. Grace happily ate them. That brought to mind the time Granddaddy carefully and neatly opened a loaf of bread and ate half of the slices. When she finished her snack, Grace led me along the fence by the pool. We took that route and went in the back entrance to our building.
We arrived home at 9:00, and Grace went to the balcony. I left the door open since the temperature had risen into the fifties. When I put out her breakfast, she came in, ate it, and returned to the balcony. At 10:20, Grace heard me get a snack in the kitchen. Always ready for a treat, Grace perked up, came inside and went to her sofa. I gave her a light treat, and she settled in for her morning nap.
Stuck on You
At 11:50, Grace got up, let out a moan, took a long drink of water, went to the balcony, and lay on the lounge chair to watch the activity below. Ninety minutes later, I took Grace running. The first problem was that we caught up with a walker.
Grace decided to include the walker in the herd. That meant going ahead and then waiting repeatedly. It’s annoying. Eventually, I tugged her and constantly told her to come and heel to pull her away from the attraction.
Interrupted Run and No Fun
She also stopped and tended to slow down frequently. I quickly tired of this. It was not a good day for me with Grace. I began thinking that I will have to let her stay home alone when I go running — at least for a while. Perhaps she’ll learn to mind better. Otherwise, she will just have to stay cooped up at home.
When we returned, Grace went to the balcony. At 3:00, she spotted Hutch and Finn at the park. She came inside whining. It had rained outside and was a mess at the park. I told her “No.” She understood, but wasn’t happy about it. She went to the foyer to sulk.
Snack and Greeting
At 3:30, she had her duck food and scrambled eggs snack. When she finished, she went to the balcony. Fifteen minutes late,r she came in and went to her perch. I raised the window for her as the temperature had risen to the sixties.
Grace returned to the balcony at 4:45 to watch for Betsy’s arrival. When she saw her, Grace whined and came inside. I took her to the door so she could greet Betsy. After Betsy gave her a happy greeting, Grace waited while Betsy prepared to take her out. At 5:20, they left.
Eating
When they returned forty-five minutes later, Grace went to the balcony. I put out her supper, and Grace came in and ate it. When she finished, she waited in the dining room as Betsy prepared our supper and we ate.
At 7:00, Grace did tricks for duck food. She watched as I cleaned up. I gave her some chicken scraps, she ate them, and went to her perch. At 8:30, Grace marched into the living room.
Walking and Snacking
It was time for her last walk of the night. I took her out a few minutes later. Grace followed our usual route around on end of the building and returned home ten minutes later.
Grace settled in on the living room to watch Betsy. When Betsy got some O’s cereal grace let her know that she had the munchies. Betsy watched a TV show and shared some of her treat with Grace as I went to bed.
Saturday
When I walked by the living room at 5:20, I found Grace on the floor next to bed. A couple minutes later, Grace had moved to sofa. I went by and stroked her face a few times before returning to bed.
Cold Shoulder, Restricted Freedom
When I got up at 7:50, Grace was on floor. I didn’t give her my normal greeting because I was still upset with her lack of obedience when we went out the day before. We left five minutes later. I forgot a ball so we turned around, and I leashed her on the water valve for about twenty seconds while I returned, grabbed the ball, and relocked the door. Grace waited obediently.
The morning was wet with a light mist with a temperature in the low fifties. We walked by the park since no one was there. Grace headed for Grace Woods. We went through the gate, but I kept her on the leash. Grace took it in stride. I kept her on the leash the whole time.
We entered the Greenway. Grace took me down to the gate below. Surprisingly, it was open. We walked carefully along the trail. On the way, she ate some grass and threw up. Grace spotted a few squirrels as we went. I could tell she really wanted to chase them. She holds her mouth open just slightly as she watches them. She didn’t tug though this time. Perhaps she had gotten the message that she needs to behave better on the leash and off of it.
Lockout
I wondered if the park crew would come by and lock the gate. If they did, I didn’t know how we would get out. Would I have to wade through the lake to get around the fence or perhaps climb the cow fence that borders I-40. I turned back. Grace was not really anxious to go back, but she didn’t resist.
As we made it to the end of the lake, I saw someone at the gate. I wondered if it was an official there to lock up. I quickened our pace along the muddy trail. Sure enough, it was a young man waiting for us to come through before he locked up. I had turned back just in time. I did notice though that I could have gone up to the left along the fence and make it to the Greenway entrance that way.
Deer Bone Snack and Socializing
After we made it to the Greenway, I took Grace over to the deer bones. There she snacked on mainly deer rib bones.
Then she saw a couple of Boxer / Pit Bull mixes. Grace got up and quickened her pace to meet them. One of the dogs was a male that had not been neutered. The dogs greeted without incident. Grace wanted to linger with them but came when I coaxed her.
More Cold Shoulder
When we returned home at 9:35, she went to the balcony. A minute or so later she came in and ate her breakfast. Grace went to her bed. There Betsy gave her the attention that I was withholding from her.
As I prepared to leave to go shopping, I put on my jacket. Grace got up and ran toward me expectantly. I sternly told her “No, you stay with Mommy.” She turned away sadly and went to her perch. It reminded of the times that Granddaddy would go home at night and walk slowly back with his head down and tail down.
When I returned home at 11:05 Grace was still curled up on her perch. I didn’t bother to greet her. At 11:35, I went to the kitchen and fixed myself some cereal for breakfast. Grace heard the sound of plastic wrappers and got down from her perch. Then she realized that I was still mad at her. She froze with her head cocked. She lay motionless at the office door watching my every move.
After I continued preparing and eating my food, Grace lay on her side there while I finished. When I finished, I walked into the office and ignored her. Grace got back up on her perch and curled up into a ball. As Grace is very perceptive at reading emotions.
At 12:15 I got ready to go running. Grace came out into the foyer and lay by the door expectantly. I told her sternly “No.” When I returned thirty-five minutes later, she was on the balcony lounge chair watching. I ran out back, so he had no opportunity to see me.
I came in and took a shower. When I came out at 1:20, Grace was outside the master suite lying on her side and obviously upset. Betsy said I should pet her, but I just ignored her. At 1:40, Betsy invited her into the bedroom. She came in, but seeing my demeanor, she kept her distance and curled up sadly at the foot of my bed watching me. Then she started moaning for a few minutes.
Restoring Good Graces
This was about all I could take. I hoped that Grace got the message and had learned her lesson. At 2:30, Grace was on her perch watching me. I went to the door and called her. “Grace come.” She came immediately. I was stern if not angry with my tone during this session to let her know I meant business. I closed off the hallway outside our door and practiced “Grace come,” Grace stay,” and “Grace heel.”
She performed nearly perfectly. Her only flaws were coming once on her own before I called and the other was lagging a little on the heel command. I used both “come” and the whistle and she responded equally well to each. Unlike our usual times, there were no treats. I gave Grace her duck food when we ended. I made her sit and wait for it a few seconds. While she waited, she salivated and I told her “Good come, good stay, and good heel.” I then gave it to her. When we finished, she went to the balcony.
At 3:00, I called her. She came to the foyer, I leashed her, and we went for a walk in the wet mist. I was more insistent this time that she heel. We headed for the office. When Grace went to the other side of the hollies, I told her to sit.
She just stood there. After repeating the command twice, she sat. In fairness to her, the ground was wet, but it was clean where she was positioned. I told her to stay. I walked around the bushes to the spot that wasn’t roped off. She waited patiently until I returned to her and took her leash.
She wanted to go to the park, but I told her we were going to get a treat. She didn’t pull but did quicken her pace. When we arrived, she sat on her own at the treats jar. I gave her one, and she enjoyed it. I picked up the package, and we headed back.
Grace wanted to go to the playground, but I told her “No.” She obeyed reluctantly. When we made it home, I praised her. Grace went to the balcony. Betsy leashed her up at 3:30. Grace waited patiently in the foyer. Betsy took her out for another walk five minutes later. Grace stayed on leash and met with Otis while she and Betsy walked.
When they returned at 5:15, Grace went to the balcony. An hour later, Betsy gave Grace her supper followed by a large Kong. Grace ate her Kong as we had our supper. When I finished, I ran Grace through her tricks without treats. When she finished, I gave her chicken leg scraps. Then, at 7:00, Grace finished her treats. Again, when she finished them all, I gave her a half-cup of her duck food.
Grace then went on her perch to watch the action. At 8:45, Grace went out for the last time. She went quickly around the path as it was raining. When she returned five minutes later, Grace went to bed on her sofa.