First Act
I awoke at 7:20. It was light outside and Grace was awake. She heard me and let me know with a soft whimper. I greeted her at her cage and opened the door. As we headed down the stairs at 7:30, there was Dakota out in the courtyard! Graced raced down to meet her friend and playmate. They played for forty minutes. Much of the time they used an empty plastic drink bottle as the football. They tugged with it and taunted each other with it.
Grace then caught up with Cato. They played for about five minutes before he had to move on. Grace found a puddle or two to quench her thirst. She explored behind the fence and found another empty drink bottle. She brought that prize to the courtyard. She batted it around playfully pouncing on it as a cat would it’s prey. I was 9:00, so we went inside.
Betsy fed her (one and a quarter cup with Vitamin E). She went out on the balcony for a few minutes, but preferred to come inside to be with Betsy and me. Grace jumped up on her sofa and took a nap. We left for church at 10:15 with Grace free. We returned at 12:30. Grace behaved alone. She left no ill effects. I praised her, and gave her a treat. Betsy fed her lunch (a half cup).
Cutest Puppy
Betsy took her downstairs. In the courtyard, she met a young lady from Slovakia, with a cute seven-week old puppy named Olive. Olive now supplants Baxter of the Cutest Puppy in the Complex title, although it’s pretty close. The puppy was a black Labrador Retriever look, but she was much smaller than we would expect. The owner said she was leaving for an twenty-five days and asked if we were interested in caring for. We told her we would discuss it. I suppose I need to go back and read the first post in this category to remember all of the challenges.
Act 2
After Olive left, Ellie came by. She’s a sweet boxer mix that’s missing one of her hind legs. Her owner said she lost her leg as a result of a car hitting her. She and Grace played until 2:00. When she came inside, she was tired but not tired enough to limit her attentiveness to me as I ate lunch. Betsy gave her some scraps of lamb from the refrigerator. Grace wanted to play “tug and fetch.” Finally, around 4:00, she relented and lay next to me on her sofa.
Another Active Evening
At 5:00, Grace wanted to go outside. We explored until 5:40. When we came inside, Betsy fed her supper (one cup). Then Betsy and I had our supper. Grace was too attentive. She would whimper and lie her nose in my lap. Finally, Betsy realized we hadn’t given her a dental chew. That pacified her for ten minutes—until she consumed it.
Then it was non-stop “tug and fetch.” She started with a sock. Then moved to sock toy. Then new toy and finally to rag doll. Rag doll was on the table for repairs, but Grace decided it was time once again to pull the stuffing from its head. Finally, Grace joined me on the sofa for a nap.
Disappearing Act
At 7:15, Betsy called me into the office to look at pictures on-line. Grace complained that we were both not in the living room. She then disappeared. I finally found her lying comfortably with her head on the pillow in Betsy’s bed. The bedroom was dark, so it made a very nice place to hang out an sleep. Betsy removed her from her bed. Grace once again joined me on her sofa.
At 8:30, she wanted to go outside. When we returned at 8:45, Grace again joined me on the sofa. At 9:30, I prepared for bed. When I returned at 9:45, Grace was in her cage. She went there on her own. I locked her in for the night after telling her “Good night.”
Monday
Betsy’s alarm clock sounded at 6:30. Grace was still asleep. I took her outside at 6:45. The weather was soggy with a temperature in the mid fifties. We returned at 7:00. Betsy gave Grace a loaded Kong to whet her appetite. I took Grace back outside at 7:30. She said “Hi” to three different dogs none could play.
Mouse Maze
I felt like a mouse in a maze as Grace coursed erratically through brush and trees. The wet ground intensified her interest in tracking smells. That’s normally not a bother, but when she’s in a place that requires a leash (like near the road) I end up having to follow. My warm-up suit is a mess as a result. She explored most of the complex including the surrounding wooded areas. Near the end of the trip, she found a half-empty strawberry shake from MacDonald’s. She gleefully downed that treat.
Morning Nap
We returned home at 8:30. Grace lay on her sofa and napped while I attended to work in the other room. Thankfully, she didn’t interrupt me during that intense half-hour. The sun had risen and the 60 degree temperatures were enough to lure Grace outside to the lounge chair.
Balcony Run
At 10:00, I left to go running. Before leaving, I told Grace I was leaving and would return soon. She understood this time. I spoke to her from below as I left. She was fine with it. This is another milestone. When I returned, Grace was as calm as when I left her thirty minutes earlier.
Play Time
Grace stayed outside until 12:15. She then spotted Fraggle in the courtyard. This made her very excited and anxious to go down and play. As I quickly readied myself, Grace attacked the exit door, focusing in the doorknob. I opened the door and Grace raced out to meet her friend. They had a great time chasing one another for about twenty-five minutes.
Then Dakota came outside. He needed us to come over to his area. That resulted in a three-dog playtime. Around 1:00, Fraggle had to leave. Grace and Dakota followed. They refused to come. That was enough to earn Dakota an end to the playtime. I brought Grace home and fed her (one-half cup).
Bath
Grace does not like baths. When I told her one to come to the bathroom, she retreated to the foyer. I picked her up and put her in. She seemed to prefer being lathered down with her front two feet on the side of the tub. That was fine with me. It even made it easier to reach her underside. I used the Selsun Blue again to help fight the bug that attacks her skin. After rinsing and drying her, I let Grace go. She did her normal gyrations on the carpet and finally on the sofa to dry off. She then lay down next to me on her sofa for a nap.
Fraggle 2
At 4:15, Grace heard some barking downstairs. I looked outside. Fraggle had returned! Grace couldn’t wait for me to get dressed. She went to the door, played with the doorknob and whimpered. I let her out. She bounded down the stairs to meet her little friend. They played for nearly an hour with lots of running and wrestling.
New Milestone
We returned at 5:10. I fed Grace supper (three-quarter cup). Grace then wanted to do “tricks for treats.” We went through Grace’s repertoire. Betsy returned at 6:15. Grace greeted her with a wagging tail and a bounce in her step. Grace wanted some attention. We knew a dental chew would do the trick but wanted to wait to give her that when we sat down for our supper. I told Grace to “wait.” She understood. We reached another milestone with Grace responding to a new vocabulary word.
We gave her the dental chew as we sat down for supper. It worked like a charm. After she finished, she looked for something from our plates, but she received none. At 7:30 Betsy asked me if Grace needed to go outside. I told her we just returned at 5:15, and she was fine. We sat down on the sofa after dinner and Grace joined us. She basically passed out in virtually every conceivable position. I remarked to Betsy that she looked like a contortionist.
Winding Up
I took Grace outside at 9:00. Grace met Cato and played with him about ten minutes. We returned at 9:15. Grace went back to her sofa while I prepared for bed. Shortly after I got into bed, there came Grace—leaping on the bed to join me. While Betsy was amused, she didn’t want to deal with any potential disturbance. Personally, I’ve found Grace to be much less of a disturbance than either of us are. Anyway, Betsy locked Grace in her cage.
Tuesday
Morning Play
The alarm clock sounded at 6:45. I took Grace out at 7:00. We met up with Brantley for a five-minute play session. It was different without Dakota. Grace did her usual introduction to playtime with a very submissive posture. After that introduction she usually moves on to serious running and wrestling. In this case she continued with submissive posturing throughout the play.
There was a marked difference her though, and I really don’t believe it relates to Grace’s posturing. With Dakota and Brantley together, they operated in a different mode, ganging up on Grace. One-on-one with Dakota is very playful. Surprisingly, Brantley was more playful and less aggressive with Grace as well than with the threesome. I’m theorizing that one-on-one is the best play arrangement unless the dogs are very evenly matched.
We explored most of the grounds, said “Good-bye” to Betsy as she left for work. We also said “Hi” to Cato. At 8:45 we went inside. I fed Grace her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E). She then went outside an curled up on the balcony lounge chair. The weather was cloudy and pleasant with a temperature of 55 degrees.
Out of Character
At 9:30, I told Grace I was going running. She understood I would be back soon. She stayed on the balcony with no apparent problem. At 10:30, I took her to Sunrise to visit Mom. Grace was her charming self. I dressed her in her pink harness. I joked to Betsy that it makes our little athlete look like a sissy and called it her bra. Betsy said I was hurting Grace’s feelings. Since the PetCo harness that I like was drying, I put the pink one on her.
The staff at Sunrise commented on how pretty she looked and how much she had grown since the last time. I decided to use the less offensive term prissy to describe her outfit. Grace navigated the hallways and elevator with ease. When we arrived to where Mom was, we found she was asleep. Rather than disturb her, we decided to return later. We returned home at 11:15.
At 11:50, Grace spotted Dakota. By the time I made it to the balcony, Dakota was on the side of the house. I let his owner know we’d be down. On the way, we met Fraggle, who joined us. Fraggle left at 12:10. Dakota left at 12:20. I fed Grace lunch (one-half cup). She proceeded back to the balcony.
At 12:50, I took her out to go back to Sunrise. We stayed there until 1:15. We spent most of the time in Mom’s room. By the time we left, Grace was climbing the walls, looking for more action. Mom enjoyed watching Grace prop herself up on the window sill and intently watch the action. Grace went back out on the balcony.
At 2:00, I left to go shopping. Betsy wanted Advantage II flea control. Both stores had a four-pack for about $55, but a guy at PetCo suggested we try getting it on-line at the PetCo site. He said the price is much lower there. He commented on how well behaved Grace was for a five-month-old puppy. I showed him some of her tricks.
Incredible Energy
I stopped at the veterinarian’s office to buy a single dose of Advanticks. The price was $17.50. As soon as we returned home, I learned that Fraggle was ready to play. I rushed to put on some warmer clothes and at 4:50 ran down with Grace to meet Fraggle. Dakota stopped by at 5:20. Fraggle left at about 5:35. Brantley came about five minutes later and played for about fifteen minutes. Then Ellie showed up for about ten minutes. Dakota finally went inside at 6:15, and we called it a day.
When we returned home, grace went out on the balcony to watch for Betsy. The Internet said the temperature was above 50 degrees, but it felt like about 40. Grace finally came in at 6:55 and curled up in the black leather chair. In low light, Grace blends right in. She moved to the dining room floor at 7:45.
Betsy returned home at 8:20. I took Grace for her final time out. We returned at 8:30. Grace grabbed her bully stick and worked on it. She then jumped up on her sofa and fell asleep. Betsy left her there for the night when we went to bed at 9:30 but shut the bedroom door.
Wednesday
At 6:30, Betsy let her come in. Grace joined us on our bed until 7:00 when I took her outside. Grace played with Brantley for about ten minutes, before he had to move on. She said “Hi” to Rhino and a three-year old light Lab. Grace found a plastic drink bottle, brought it to the courtyard and batted it around playfully. She said “Good-bye” to Betsy as she left for work at 8:10. She said “Hi” to Luna before returning home at 8:30.
I fed Grace (one cup plus Vitamin E). She then jumped up on the leather chair, curled up, and took a nap. At 9:30, she moved to a sunny spot on the floor by the balcony door and curled up there.
Local Road Trip
At 10:20 we left for a very long day. First, we stopped to get the tires rotated. Grace and I walked the shopping center lot for a half hour. She found a partially unfinished DQ milkshake and polished it off. When we returned to the waiting room, Grace met a nice young man who works with pets.
At 11:00 the car was ready. We drove next to the next destination in the shopping center, a place for me to get a haircut. I left Grace in the car. When I returned in a half hour, Grace was waiting patiently. I introduced Grace to the nice lady who cut my hair before moving on. The next stop was my property. Since may build on it, I wanted to see how Grace liked the area and get her used to the boundaries.
To my surprise, they repaved the road. The asphalt road is about forty years old and had never been repaved. Grace seemed tentative and more interested in going on other properties. The neighbor has a dog. He was out and barked. Grace was anxious to play. Unfortunately, the neighbor dog would turn in fear if we approached him. Hopefully, he would get to know Grace and they could play together if we moved there. We stayed and explored for about an hour.
Extended Puppy Play
When we returned home a few minutes before 1:00, both Dakota and Fraggle were waiting to play with her. The threesome played for an hour. They were thirsty so I ran back to the apartment to bring them a bowl of water. While Dakota guzzled most of it, they all drank their fill and did so in a civilized manner. Then Grace and Fraggle went at it for another two hours. I refilled the water bowl. They went to it repeatedly. At 4:00, we returned inside. I fed Grace a very late lunch (one-half cup).
Time to Crash and Chew
I went running at 4:30 and left Grace on the sofa. As expected, she did great. When I returned, I praised and rewarded her. At 7:30, she had awakened enough to feed her. I gave her three-quarter cup followed by “tricks for treats.” I topped it off with a dental chew. She still needed more chewing action, so she picked one of her prized sticks and worked on that. I’m coming to understand that Grace needs more chewing than the one to two minute food-inhaling process provides.
Betsy returned home at 8:00. Grace stayed on her sofa, exchanging greetings there. I took Grace out at 8:30. At 8:40, we returned. Betsy noted that Grace was tired and invited her to her cage. After locking her in, Betsy turned off the lights in the room. We then prepared for bed and shortly afterward went to bed ourselves.
Thursday
Morning Play
The alarm clock sounded at 6:45. Grace had been sleeping but having been awakened, was ready to start her day. We went out at 7:00. Grace said “Hi to Cato, and moved on to play with Brantley for about ten minutes. As she finished up, we went past Dakota’s place and spotted Fraggle. They played fifteen minutes before Fraggle had to leave.
Grace found a homemade ball made by some teens who live here. She brought it back to the courtyard and began her play. She repeatedly tossed and kicked it. It was fun to see her antics—much like a cat—standing on hind legs with front legs extended outward, pouncing on her latest prey. After a bit of that, she proceeded to tear it apart, one layer at a time. It’s amazing that even indestructible duct tape wound tightly in a ball is no match for the persistent teeth of a puppy.
Cat Napping
We said “Good-bye” to Betsy as she left at 8:15, found a plastic sports drink bottle, and finally at 8:30 came in for breakfast. I gave her one cup plus Vitamin E. After breakfast she curled up on the chair. Frequently, when I see her curled up or stretched out, she looks like she’s sleeping, but really she’s catnapping. She tips me off at this because if I move, I see her eyes open. I suppose this behavior is characteristic in shepherds.
Sweet Dreams
When she’s really sleeping, her breathing will change and be more audible. She may make sounds as well—especially when she’s dreaming. During her dreams, sometimes she barks. The associated cute sound comes from her diaphragm and throat but never makes it out of her mouth. We also can observe slight movements in her paws as no doubt she’s running in her mind. Often, shortly after dreaming, Grace awakens. This time (9:45) the phone rang.
Home Alone
At 10:00 she asked to go out on the balcony. She sat up on the lounge chair surveying the activity below. When I returned home, Grace was right where I had left her. Nothing was disturbed. I praised her and gave her a treat.
Afternoon Play Marathon
We then went outside.Fraggle caught up with us as we were looking for Dakota. They played in the courtyard until 2:10. I brought out the water bowl and between them they drank nearly all of it (about a quart).
Grace curled up on the sofa next to me. At 3:30, she brought a ball to me. She wanted to play. Busy and exasperated, I told her “No.” I gave her a dental chew and then a bully stick. At 4:30, she went to the door and whined. I used the trip out as an opportunity to get the mail. It turned out she had a full bladder. I suppose it stemmed from the water I made available to her and Fraggle. We returned at 4:50. Grace then began serious work on her bully stick.
We left for a Christmas party at 6:05. Grace was curled up on the sofa. When we returned, she was still on the sofa but in a slightly different position. Again she did great, and I praised and rewarded her. Grace returned to her bully stick until 8:30 when we took her out for the last time. She jumped up on the bed and curled up for the night.
Friday
At 6:20 Grace whimpered. I took her out at 6:30. She said “Hi” to Cato, but otherwise had no dogs with which to play. She worked some more on the duct tape ball that she found yesterday. The ground was wet and the weather crisp. Grace followed her nose in that double-time mode she had done before.
Root Ball
During the night there was a high wind that destroyed a few things. One of the things she found was a root ball likely from a flower pot that was overturned by the wind. That became her object of puppy fun for the following ten minutes or so. She batted it around a bit and then carried it to the courtyard. That’s when the real puppy play began. She tossed it in the air and batted it with both front paws like a soccer ball. She raised up on her hind legs and extended her front legs before pouncing like a cat on her new toy. The ball receded in size as she played. In the end, she held it with her front paws and finished ripping it apart.
We returned home at 8:00. I gave her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E). Marks on her coat related to her young immune system seem to have just about resolved. I’m not sure if we should continue with the extra Vitamin E, but I guess it won’t hurt.
After breakfast, I gave her the “tummy” command to allow her one more bite of food as a treat. She did it perfectly. After saying “Good-bye” to Betsy, she curled up on her sofa and took a nap. At noon, I gave Grace lunch (one-half cup). We then went outside. At 12:20, we met Fraggle for playtime. At 1:00, we returned home.
Blue Afternoon
I went running at 1:15, leaving Grace on the floor by the balcony door. When I returned thirty minutes later, she lay peacefully on the sofa. I praised her and gave her a treat. She rested and entertained herself with her toys and bully stick. She polished off that one at 3:30, so I gave her another.
At 4:10, she went out on the balcony. The day was mostly cloudy with a temperature in the mid forties. That’s a little cooler than Grace prefers. Five minutes later she returned inside. She wanted me to play with her, but I was busy. Grace seemed particularly despondent and distant today. I noticed it this morning, so it happened before I cut back on my direct play with her today.
At 5:05, we went outside. At 5:30, we hooked up with Fraggle. They played until 6:20. When we returned, Betsy was home. Grace wasn’t particularly engaging with her either. Grace lay in the dining room and rested. I took her out at 9:00. We returned at 9:15. I went to bed and she came with me.
Saturday
Grace slept through the night next to me. She sat up at 7:00. I took her out at 7:10. Grace played with Cato for about five minutes. Then she met Moose, a chocolate Labrador mix. They played a short time also. We returned inside at 8:40. Betsy greeted us and fed her (one cup plus Vitamin E). We broke out a brand new 34 pound bag of Purina Pro Plan Shredded Chicken Puppy Food for the occasion.
Grace proceeded to entertain herself and nap. At 11:00, she went out on the balcony despite the 42 degree temperature. The sky was clear so the sunshine helped as she utilized her sleek black coat to soak up radiant heat. At noon, she came in for lunch (one half cup). After eating, she immediately returned back to her balcony perch.
At 1:00, Grace said she wanted to go outside. I took her out and stopped by to get the mail. During our journey, we spotted, but didn’t play with Cato. We said “Hi” to Moose again before returning home at 1:45. By then, Betsy had returned home. The temperature had climbed to 50 degrees. The sunny balcony was the place to be for another hour. She then came in to rest on the sofa and floor before Betsy took her for an afternoon outing at 3:20.
Outing, Tricks, and Play
They returned at 4:45. Grace enjoyed chasing birds and wading in a pond at a school. At 5:15, I fed Grace (three-quarter cup). I tried to pacify her with a dental chew, but that was good only for about ten minutes. She didn’t forget the “tricks for treats” time and let me know with the silent bark. She breezed through her commands. I then gave her the new command “Roll.” With a hand motion, she executed that one. I project within a few days she will have added that command to her known tricks.
At 5:30, she came after me with Kong toy demanding play. After that it was sock toy. Finally, because I was busy, I asked Betsy to help out. She played with Grace for about ten minutes before she had to make dinner. Thankfully, Grace returned to her bully stick.
We had fried fish for dinner. Grace could smell it. Grace let us know she would like some too. Betsy gave her a few pieces from her plate. We held her off for ten minutes with a dental chew. Eventually, Grace returned to her bully stick. At 8:00 she returned to the sofa. At 9:00, I took her outside. We returned at 9:15. Grace curled up on the sofa until I went to bed at 9:30. She then jumped up on the bed, and we went to sleep.