Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Separation Anxiety

Tomorrow I am heading out a couple of days of fly fishing.  I have conflicting emotions ripping a whole in my stomach.  I have never left these dogs before.  Not just these dogs, I seldom left the dogs before this pair.  Like a nervous parent I've set out the Beano for bloat, Neosporin for injuries, cortisone for hot spots.  I've got the emergency instructions and vet numbers taped to the refrigerator door as well as those of neighbors.  Benadryl, baby aspirin, Milkbones, leashes, brushes;  you would think I was leaving newborn children.  

My friend Gena is going to be staying at the house with Elle and Chance.  They know her and she has owned big dogs; it's a good fit.  I have tried to think of everything, every scenario, every problem that might come up.  It's a good thing I will only be two hours away.  I can be back in town quickly if there were an emergency.  

In two weeks I am flying out to Chicago for four days. The dogs, they are fine.  Me, I am having a giant bout of separation anxiety just thinking about it.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Growing

Growing, my how Elle is growing.  Finally she has found her voice.  A single bark here, double bark there.  It grew into Elle barking at Chance to come outside and play with her.  Elle barks at the new, very poorly mannered puppy next door.  She also speaks in a series of broken whines when she is hungry, impatient, wanting attention, wanting me out of bed.  There are endless bouts of running a race track in the back yard and in the house.  Neither dogs stop playing now when they catch me watching.  Today I witnessed their first game of tug-o-war.   Elle won't play directly with me, yet. I think that's coming though.

We didn't walk today and I've noticed that they two are extremely playful when they haven't been walked.  Too much excess energy makes for feisty dogs.  Speaking of feisty, Elle is  pushing her boundaries and trying to tell me "no".  It's pretty funny.  If I wait long enough she usually decided to give in with the exception of getting in the bath tub.  Chance even jumped in with the special "Old Roy" treats.  Elle, poor Elle ended up in the back yard with a hose.  She just down right refused to get in.  I'm now on the prowl for one of those dog wash places although I haven't given up the idea of training her with some dry runs and see if that won't help.  


Overall, my Elle is growing comfortable.  I think that is a good thing.












Sunday, May 6, 2012

Yoga with Elle

In a solid effort to get into some sort of shape, I have been attempting yoga.  It isn't really full on yoga, it is more like pre-yoga, something that you would to before actually taking a beginning yoga class.  

Elle and Chance were sleeping.  We had been on our three mile walk and they had been fed.  It was a good time to slip in the yoga DVD without being bothered.  The DVD started off slowly, a stretch here, a pose there.  The next thing I knew Elle had come up behind me, her head filling a window my bent elbow had made doing some pose and she was making noises.  I stopped, pet her, told her she was a good girl and to go lie down.  I began to stretch the other side making the same window with the opposite elbow.  In stealth mode  Elle came in from the front, stuck her head in the window my elbow was making, then did her famous flip onto her back, belly exposed and four legs in the air.  She had landed, or rather most of her had landed, squarely in my lap.  I swear if a dog could giggle, she would have been.  We stayed there a while,  Elle contently curled up in my lap.