I had to cancel my second consecutive trip East to see my mother. I (with Molly and her fella) was going to head back in late June. But that’s still too soon. I have plane reservations for October as well. We’ll see about that. I really miss my mommy. I know I’m not alone in that.
What I did today: have the weekly Zoom with my girls, talk to some friends, and do lots and lots of dog-care.
This morning Bessie came up the back stairs all by herself once, without any coaxing! The next few times she regressed and I needed the leash, and of course treats, to encourage her to focus on following me up. But then she did it again, when I gave her an entire hour to make the decision on her own. She still walks and climbs like she hurts but her incision doesn’t look inflamed. Everywhere she went, she’d plop down and take another nap. The sand must have been nice and cool.
I’m slowly putting her through her paces. Since it was so difficult to get her into my car when I brought her home, I decided to work with her on that today. Expecting resistance, she surprised me by stepping right in ahead of me before I even asked her to. Unfortunately, she got tangled under the seat cover, which scared her, but she persevered. Was she hoping to go back to her foster? Am I projecting too much? Surely. When she finally reached the top of the seat, she flopped down once again as I figured out how to hook up the doggie safety tether to her harness. The challenge came in cajoling her back out of the hot vehicle when I was done. Did she wonder about the futility of our exercise, in and out like that? I’ll try again in a few days and attempt a short drive with her back there.
When she saw my next-door neighbors, whom she met yesterday, she whined and strained (gently) at the leash to go see them. Tail still tucked, but friendly. That made me glad. That’s good, right, Eleni?
She didn’t side-eye me this time when I took her bone away (the one she’s not allowed to eat for for than fifteen minutes a day unless I want diarrhea in the house, which is not my main goal in life). She tried to hold onto it, but I didn’t sense any aggression. When I feed her, I pat her and put my hand in the bowl, as a child might, to make sure she’s not reactive. She hasn’t been.
I read that puzzle toys are important for dogs, so I got her this classic: rout out and destroy the squirrels. Before:
After:
Some toys aren’t made to last. But she was a contented dog as she disemboweled it.
our daisy would jump into anyone’s car. when we had a yard sale she was in the people’s car before the stuff they bought was. so it means nothing. arnold loves the car, too. lots of dogs do, even though some don’t like the ride. a mystery.
i see she disemboweled the toys, also arnold’s superpower. i’m always afraid he eats the stuffing. so i take them away before they start to disintegrate.
what do you put in the kong?
she looks so comfortable in all the photos.
and no mishaps!
I laughed out loud at the before-and-after shots of the squirrels. So reminiscent of what Stella used to do. She never attempted to eat the stuffing — the joy was in the successful dis-emboweling!
Fingers crossed for the October visit.
Marianna: I put a bit of peanut butter in the kong. Your saying she looks comfortable makes me glad. It does seem she’s getting a little used to us.
Small: Yes, the disemboweling is the joy. Bessie did so in record time.
It’s so interesting to read this progression! To me, it does sound like she is creeping slowly back out of her shell again – still wary, but a little less so each day.
What a talented and dedicated disemboweler she is!