Good Morning Olive
Grace got up at 6:30. At 7:05, she spotted her friend Olive in the courtyard. I rushed to get my clothes on and let her lead. She ended up following the scent of Baretta instead of Olive. Eventually, I spotted Olive and told Grace. Grace ran to meet her. They wrestled and roughhoused for about thirty minutes before Olive had to leave.
New Friends!
We headed off to the west. I guided Grace to the Fox Hunt area. I forgot my treats for recall, but I allowed her to run a bit off the leash anyway. She did pretty well responding to my whistle. I coaxed her under the tunnel toward Bond Park and through the Fox Hunt recreation area. There were just enough slow and annoying people to mess up letting Grace off of the leash. One person had a Doberman, another had a baby in a carriage. They all seemed to be going at a snail’s pace.
In exasperation, I took Grace down into the woods by the lake. She had her usual fun time chasing squirrels and wading in the mud and water. She also climbed up on a downed tree lying in the water. About that time, across the lake, we spotted a couple of full-sized dogs having a great time playing with each other. We both had the same idea, but Grace didn’t know that. We made our way that direction. As we got closer, Grace quickened her pace.
It took Grace only about thirty seconds to join in with them. She became the rabbit. The other two dogs were full a full-grown light tan Lab Myla and a Chocolate Lab / Pointer mix named Jackson. Grace was at least as fast as them, and could out maneuver them with sharp turns and cuts. She grabbed a bone and taunted them. They played for at least thirty minutes. Eventually, Grace wore them out. From there we had to hurry home to make it to church on time. Grace had her breakfast and a bath. We rushed out the door.
Home Alone
We left Grace home alone at 10:15. Because we went out to lunch, we didn’t return until 2:00. As we pulled in, we spotted Olive. I asked if Olive had time to play. She did. Grace was lying on her sofa and unaware of Olive. I quickly fed her lunch and changed to go downstairs. At 2:15, I took her down the stairs. When she spotted her little friend, she ran excitedly toward her. They romped around each other. As we headed for the play area, they ran excitedly. They played chase with a stick and did their roughhouse, wrestling routine.
Afternoon Fun
They then ventured down into the lower east woods. At 3:00, Betsy came to take over with Grace. At 3:20, Betsy took Grace to the park. Betsy played fetch with Grace using the tennis ball. She also threw sticks into the pond. Grace enjoyed retrieving them from the water. They returned home at 4:30. Grace had her supper at 5:00.
More Downtime
We left again for church at 5:05. When we returned at 7:00, Grace lay on her sofa calmly. As we approached her, she let out a big yawn. Betsy gave her some peanut butter in her Kong toy. Grace enjoyed working to get it out. At 8:00, Grace was getting listless. She went to the door. I took her outside. We circled the complex. On the last leg, I saw someone holding a dog. It turned out to be Brantley. Then Lady Bug appeared. They both ran up to Grace. She assumed a very submissive position. After a sniff, Grace got up and hurriedly walked away from him. This is one of two dogs that Grace is afraid of. Thankfully he did not traumatize her with his rough play but only taught her to avoid playing with him.
I’ve Got the Munchies
When we returned home at 8:35, Grace wanted a treat. Betsy and I each gave her one. She then got up on her sofa and went to sleep. At 9:30, I popped some popcorn. Grace said she had the “Munchies.” We shared our popcorn with her. At 10:15, she moved over to the loveseat to sleep there. When we finally made it to bed at 11:00, Grace joined us for the night.
Monday
Grace got up around 6:30, and needed to go outside at 6:45. As we started out, I again noticed a pair of mallard ducks enjoying the swimming pool. I had seen this a couple of times first thing in the morning the previous week, but each time it still seems strange. Today, Grace’s urgency need was not from seeing friends, but from a bit of an upset stomach. Whether it was the popcorn (with a small amount of coconut oil this time), the peanut butter, the Royal Canin treats, or a combination, Grace had some minor intestinal distress.
Morning Play
Grace wanted to explore in peripheral areas, but I tried to lead her back to the the likely spots where Olive might appear. At 7:30, I spotted Olive. They played for fifteen minutes. Olive then had to go home. Grace headed back to the south pond and woods area. As we walked in the woods, suddenly, I experienced that awful feeling of stepping on a rusty nail. One of the trash two-by-fours littering the area had a rusty nail sticking up. I could feel it go through my tennis shoe and sock. I expected it had pierced my skin also and started thinking about when I had my last tetanus shot.
We hurried home, returning at 8:10. After Grace had her breakfast, I checked my foot. Thankfully, the skin showed no sign of puncture. Grace went to the office. At 9:05, I medicated the wound on each of Grace’s ears. At 9:10, I got gel cold-pack from the freezer for my forearm. Grace perked up when she heard the sound of cellophane. I told her it wasn’t food, but she persisted. She wanted to join me on the chair. I invited her up. She licked the gel-pack for about ten minutes. When she tried to bite it, I told her no. She resumed licking for a few more minutes before stopping and settling in for a nap.
Home Alone
I left at 9:50, for a business meeting. When I returned at 11:30, Grace greeted me with an enthusiastic tail wag and lots of kisses. She watched me as I changed clothes. The Grace Shredding Company then proceeded to finish up on a dog treat box that I left for her yesterday. When she completed her work she stretched out on the carpet for a nap. Grace has her lunch at noon.
Park Routine
At 12:30, we went to the park. Betsy also joined us and threw the ball for Grace to retrieve while she also followed me around the path. We returned home at 1:10. I attended to her ear sores as she lay calmly on the ottoman in the office. Grace came out to the dining room as I made lunch. At 2:30, Betsy took Grace outside to play with Olive for fifteen minutes. When she returned home, Grace snoozed on the various pieces of living room furniture the rest of the afternoon.
Winding Down
At 5:30, I medicated her ears on the office ottoman and then fed her supper. I then gave her a dental chew. After we ate supper we gave her the ends of chicken legs. I took her outside at 6:15 for fifteen minutes. We left for church at 6:45. When we returned at 9:00, Grace lay on her sofa. I took her outside for fifteen minutes. The rain had stopped when we began, but by the time we returned home it had started back. Grace was ready to come inside.
As Betsy and I helped ourselves to snacks, Grace would hear cellophane noise and come running. I would give her a doggie treat. We were getting tired of all of this begging, so I reverted to tricks for treats. Grace performed masterfully. That calmed her down a bit, but she was still ready for more food. We went to bed at 11:20 as Grace slept on her sofa.
Tuesday
Grace lay with her head up at 6:15. I petted her for about five minutes. She went into the office to watch for friends. At 6:30, Grace came back to announce it was time to go. We left at 6:35. Olive found Grace, but they really didn’t play. Olive’s owner was more interested in having Olive do her business so she could go inside and her owner could move on with her day. Grace explored the front woods and then proceeded to the south area.
Morning Play
Grace explored the south woods and found a fluffy black sock. The wet, cloudy, 40 degree weather didn’t deter Grace. She took the sock proudly in her mouth to the top of the steep slope that borders the west side of the pond. Playfully, she tossed the sock as she ran up and down the slope. A few times she caught it after tossing it. Sometimes she did the two-paw pounce as she intimidated her imaginary prey.
I found a tennis ball there and tossed it for her a few times. She didn’t need my help much though as she made her own game, running it up the hill, setting it down, and chasing it back down the hill. That wasn’t enough. Grace’s energy stores were screaming to be used. She took off running wildly along the pond, circling up the steep slope and then back down. As part of the burst of play, she would stop at a particular spot and dig frantically. During the entire time, Grace did not seem to wear out.
We finished up walking along the east fence on the railroad side. When we came in at 8:35, Grace was a mess. I gave her a bath, attended to her ear sores, and fed her breakfast. Grace jumped up on the living room ottoman and took a nap. Her ear sores looked like they were scabbing over yesterday, but today, they looked pretty bad. They were no bigger than when we we went to the vet last week, but no smaller either. They were also open sores again as opposed to scabs.
Morning Nap
At 9:00, Grace moved to the loveseat. At 10:15, she moved to the floor by the balcony. Dr. Grace disemboweled her tiny teddy bear toy and then moved on to work on her sock toy. She continued to entertain herself and nap until we left for the park at 11:45. Grace enjoyed herself at the park as usual. I worked on recall twice, giving her a treat when she came. She responded perfectly.
Home Alone
I left for a meeting at 12:50. When I returned at 4:40, Grace was lying on the loveseat. I treated her ear sores. They looked dried up and much better. Betsy took Grace outside at 5:00 and they picked up the mail. A package came in with a special treat—bully sticks. Grace sniffed them out through both the shipping box and the plastic zip bag. She was very excited. Betsy gave her one. Grace carried it up happily back to the apartment.
At 5:35, Betsy gave Grace supper. After Grace inhaled it, she returned back to her prized bully stick. A half-hour later we looked and the bully stick was gone. Grace had devoured it. We left at 6:30 and returned at 9:00. Grace greeted us with a wagging tail and lots of kisses. At 9:15, I took her out. Tucker and Isabella were out on their patio. Grace greeted them through the railing, but now of course not of the dogs can fit their heads between the bars. We returned home at 10:00.
Grace seemed to disappear, but as soon as I went to the kitchen for a snack, there was Grace waiting for hers. I gave her a chicken and sweet potato treat. We finally made it to bed at 11:15. Grace went to the office.
Wednesday
I got up around 6:00. Grace was lying in the bed with her head up. As I returned, Grace whimpered and wanted attention. We petted her and gave her tummy rubs. After ten minutes, she stretched out of bed. She whimpered that she wanted to go out. We started off at 6:20. I forgot treats and wanted to continue working on recall, so we returned five minutes later to pick them up. Grace then went down to the lower east woods. It was dark, so I was not comfortable letting her off of the leash.
Ditches and Play
Today, Grace seemed to have a fascination with walking in drainage ditches. It’s kind of tough straddling the ditch, keeping the leash out of the mud, walking through downed limbs, and navigating around briers. Grace proceeded up to the north ditch next. As she proceeded to the west woods, I checked my watch. It was 7:00. That’s when Olive often is out. I turned around to take a look. There was Olive!
Grace and Olive played with each other for an hour. As people and dogs came by, we were able to keep both Grace and Olive from bolting after them. Brantly came by and was on a leash. He had definitely grown. Olive approached him followed by Grace with tails wagging. Brantley snarled and growled. Olive and Grace retreated, and Brantley went on his way.
Grace and Olive wrestled and fetched Olive’s squeaky tennis ball. Grace fetched it and tried to taunt Olive into chasing her. Olive would find a stick or pine cone and use that for her toy. They also did some wrestling and roughhousing. Took Olive turf surfing too. They had great fun. At one point they went down in the lower woods. I told Olive’s owner that I was working on recall with her. I whistled. Grace came running. I gave her a treat. It was very impressive, and Olive’s owner said so.
Downtime
We returned at 8:15. I medicated Grace’s ears. Grace’s food bag was about empty. I emptied it into a small treat bag. I then went into the other room and transferred food from the monster bag to the one of manageable size. Grace watched patiently. When I finished, I gave Grace a small reward. Grace then had her breakfast. After breakfast, she came into the living room with me, lay on the loveseat across from me and did her morning nap.
At 10:30 Grace moved from the loveseat to a spot on the floor by the balcony doors. Betsy came in with a box of crackers. The sound of cellophane perked up Grace. As Betsy at a cracker, Grace watched her intently. Betsy relented and gave her a doggie treat. At 10:45, Grace went out on the balcony. At 11:55, we went to the park for a run. I did the recall twice. We returned home at 12:45. At 1:45, Betsy spotted Olive in the courtyard. Grace went down and played with her for about twenty minutes, returned home, and conked out on the loveseat.
At 5:00, Grace moved over to her sofa and napped some more. At 6:15, Betsy said Grace wanted to go outside. I took her out. She had a fun time over on the slope by the pond. She found her sock, tennis ball, and various pieces of wood to toss and chase. She dug some more in the hole she started the day before. Then, it happened. A squealing noise like the sound of a hurt dog came from by the road. Grace bolted that way. I followed her.
Bolted
The sound was coming from a stupid beagle. It was with its owner and not in distress. Grace tried to approach the Beagle, but started its stupid noise again and scared Grace off. I tried to recall Grace the entire time, but all of the former practice was of nearly no benefit. I tried to stay between her and the road, but it was to no avail. She bolted halfway across the street to a turning lane, stopping traffic on both sides. I called her back, and finally she came and I leashed her up. Needless to say, it was a harrowing experience and very disappointing.
When returned home at 6:50, I gave her a bath. We then ate. After dinner I went over tricks with her using the ends of chicken drumsticks. She didn’t do as well today. After supper, she relaxed on the sofa. A friend came to the door at 8:45. I entertained Grace and showed him her tricks. He seemed to have little interest as I put her through her paces. After he left, we went outside for fifteen minutes and returned. Grace watched me from under the dining room table. When I finished in the kitchen, she retreated to the office and we went to bed at 10:40. Grace joined us there a few minutes later.
Thursday
In the middle of the night, Grace got down from the bed and threw up. Betsy said that she saw something like quarter-sized black chips of plastic or wood in the vomit. She asked me if Grace had eaten anything unusual. As I could recall, she has been eating more grass lately and did drink more water than usual from what seemed to be a clean pond. Grace spent the rest of the night in the office to avoid disturbing us. I got up at 7:30 and took Grace out at 7:45.
Morning Walk
After Grace wore me out walking the drainage ditch in the north woods, I directed Grace to the Bond Park route. I was able to let her off the leash there. She saw a sign with a picture of a beaver on it. That really spooked her. She barked loudly and pounced with each bark. She eventually made it past there as we took the dirt trail to the left to see if perhaps a playmate was available. We found none, but Grace enjoyed exploring and running down and back up the steep bank to the lake.
We moved on to the paved trail and the secluded woods across from the playmate area. Grace enjoyed chasing birds and squirrels. She met a sweet Boarder Collie mix on the trail. At one point, she was nearly out of sight. I recalled her with a whistle. She came running immediately. What a difference this was from the near disaster yesterday. As we left the park, I leashed her back up. We returned home at 9:30. I gave Grace a shower and fed her breakfast. I forgot to medicate her ears. I left for a business meeting at 9:50.
Afternoon
I returned home at 12:15 and gave Grace her lunch. We left for the park at 12:45. I practiced recall a couple times. Grace did very well. On the way back, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. When we returned, Grace had another shower. She then had lunch and went to the balcony. She came in ten minutes later and watched as I prepared my brunch. I gave her a dental chew after she looked at me expectantly. She then retreated to the office.
At 2:30, we heard a knock on the door. A deliveryman left a package. Grace moved from the office to the living room, hopped up on the loveseat and lay there. Ten minutes later, she was dreaming. She let out the loudest muffled yelp I had ever heard from her in a dream. By 3:10, she had transitioned to deep sleep with heavy breathing. At 3:30, I made a sandwich for lunch. Grace perked up, but she stayed on the loveseat.
Evening
At 5:30, I medicated her ear sores and then gave her supper. At 6:00, Betsy came home. Grace saw her from the balcony. I didn’t notice and couldn’t figure out why she was so excited. Grace went to the door. When the door opened, Betsy came in and was greeted by a happy puppy. Grace wanted to play. Betsy and I played tug and fetch with sock toy and snake toy.
At 7:30, Grace kept going to the balcony door. I finally realized, she wanted to go outside. We went out for 40 minutes. Grace lounged around, but did stop by the kitchen when I went for a snack. I gave her the empty ice cream carton to lick. At 9:45, I took Grace outside for the last time. We returned ten minutes later. Grace lay on the dining room floor as Betsy cooked cupcakes. We went to bed at 10:30. Grace joined us shortly thereafter.
Friday
At 7:00 we left for our morning walk. I led her to Bond Park. Grace enjoyed running free in the woods and along the path there. The weather was clear and crisp. Grace’s breath was clearly evident when she ran. Grace took me all the way to the recreation area. Then we went back in paths along the lake in the woods. I used recall twice. Grace responded well as I gave her a treat each time. We returned at 8:45. I medicated Grace’s ears and then gave her breakfast. She then went to the office to relax.
Tension at Home
Things got pretty tense verbally between Betsy and me this morning. Grace could sense it. She whimpered in response. Sometimes a dog has more sense than humans. This was one of those times. I took Grace with me to run some errands at 11:00. When we returned at noon, I medicated her ears, fed her lunch and prepared to take Grace to the park.
We left at 12:30. Grace met a mature Labrador Retriever there. She was pleasant but not interested in playing. Grace also met a fisherman and a little girl learning to ride a bike with her mom. Grace greeted them with her usual kisses and tail-wagging enthusiasm. I recalled her successfully f from the fisherman, the Lab, and the little girl. She also came nicely when it was time to return home.
Bad News about Grace’s Sores
When we returned home, Betsy told me the vet called and asked about Grace’s progress. She told him she didn’t notice much. She said the vet recommended the next step up in the treatment which included a topical tetracycline. Betsy then searched on-line about Grace’s condition. She was nearly in tears. She said that the disease is triggered by vaccinations and that it can be chronic.
There is some hope of healing, but it could get worse. So far, Grace’s ears seem to be little changed compared to when we started medicating them. We discussed options. I told Betsy I wanted to try soaking them in a warm normal saline solution and then treat them with Neosporin. I have found that ocean water really heals my sores quickly and thought it was worth a try. Betsy opposed my suggestion saying that salt will remove moisture and exasperate the problem.
Betsy left with Grace at 2:30. They returned at 5:30. I fed her supper and included Vitamin E in the hopes that it may enable Grace’s ear sores to heal. Grace rested and entertained herself most of the evening as the tension at home persisted. She didn’t whine or whimper this time though. It seems we have two sets of open sores here. At 8:30, Grace wanted something. I decided to do tricks for treats. Betsy gave her a bully stick. We did the tricks for a while, but then Grace moved on to her stick.
At 10:05, I took her outside. We returned ten minutes later. I tried to keep things calm and still interact with Betsy. As we both interacted in the office, Grace lay on the ottoman there. At 10:40, I took a shower and went to bed ten minutes later.
Saturday
Grace joined us in bed early. She got up at 6:25. She acted like a friend was outside, so I quickly went out. There were none. I limited the morning session to just a half hour because I anticipated a big day at the dog show. She had her breakfast at 8:00. After breakfast she wanted to play but resigned herself to entertaining herself and resting. We left for the show at 9:30.
Raleigh Dog Show
When we arrived, the excitement of the sights, sounds, and smells of the fairgrounds excited Grace. We made our way to the dog show and then to the “agility” section. This was a very big disappointment. To them, agility is “jumping” over a bar four inches above the ground, “jumping” up on and off of a six-inch high platform. Walking over a see-saw that raised about three inches in the middle and going through a few small tunnels. It was a joke.
Their objective was to get you to sign up with the AKC mutt program so you can pay yearly dues. The price was $20 (normally $35) and t-shirt or two came with it. If the dog is a year old or more it must be fixed to join. We decided to pass on this for the present time. We walked around the show and watched some of the competitions. The Westminster champion made an appearance also. The dogs were pretty well behaved, but Grace was at least as well behaved as most. We saw a bunch of Labrador Retrievers but missed the Border Collie competitions.
We asked around about Grace’s ear problem. The regional representative for Purina was the most helpful. She wondered if shaking her ears was causing the problem. I think that is the answer. It sounds like a helicopter and the force would be greatest at the tip, and the inner part of the ear (where the sores are) would be the point where they strike. We’re going to try to treat them with Neosporin. If that doesn’t work, we will try protecting it with a couple small circular adhesive bandages.
Grace behaved well, but despite all of the dogs, there was really very little real activity. At noon we fed her food we had brought followed by water. I took her out of the building to walk around the fairgrounds for about twenty minutes. At the show, she could socialize a bit, but that was about it. Betsy got a barbeque sandwich and some french fries which we shared. I gave one bite of my sandwich and some french fries to satisfy her “munchies.” We left at about 2:30 and made a few stops at grocery stores. We returned home at 3:30.
Run in the Park
Grace did not get her normal nap times, so she was pretty tired. I needed to go running though. We left at 4:00 for the park. Grace still had plenty of energy. I practiced the recall. Grace responded well. We returned home at 4:45. After Grace had a quick shower, Betsy fed her, and then Grace got up on the loveseat and took a nap. At 5:39, I could hear the heavy breathing of a tired puppy in deep sleep.
Supper
At 7:30, we ate our supper. The meal included chicken. Grace let her know by her posture and a couple whines that she wanted some. I told her to wait. As my eating dragged on, she whined again. I told her again to wait. Each time she reluctantly changed her posture and stopped the whining. When we finished, I gave her some chicken over near her feeding area while we practiced her tricks. After that I gave her a doggie treat followed by a dental chew.
At 8:00, we stopped by a friend’s place to leave him a message. It seems that Grace knows that when we are talking with others and she is on the leash, that she must wait patiently. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace stretched out beneath the dining room table. She lost a lot of her napping time today, so she has a lot of catching up to do. At 9:00, Grace said she had the “munchies.” Betsy made some popcorn. I shared some with her. When we finished, we went outside for the last time. We returned at 9:30.
Grace curled up under the dining room table. At 10:10, I went to bed.