Break Out

For the past month or more, when we go to the side yard, I have a 20 foot cloth lead on him with a leather lead attached to that looped onto my wrist, so that he cannot run away from the yard. Today he suddenly raced away from me, breaking the cloth lead, forcing his way through the plastic chicken wire fencing, ripping it, while I am screaming his name. A woman with a 1 year old yellow lab was walking past on the sidewalk. Guinness was madly in love with her dog. Funny. Dogs and owners walk past all the time, but it is only Oakley and now this yellow lab that have captured his attention. The woman seemed to understand, but she had to be frightened to have this 75 pound aggressively friendly beast come pounding at her from behind the bushes!

Bed Fellow

This morning I slept in. Guinness doesn’t like me sleeping in. At 7:30, he jumped on the bed and snuggled up to my back. Then he placed his head on top of my head with his face dangling over my face. OK. I was up rather quickly!

Trampoline

Yesterday I finished putting together my new little exercise trampoline. When I jump on it, Guinness tries to get on with me, forcing me off. Then he takes over, but not in exercise mode.

The funny thing is that Grant brought in Hershey’s bed (sitting behind the trampoline) from the garage a few months ago, and Guinness loved it. After being in the garage all winter, I thought it should be washed. Since being laundered, Guinness wants nothing to do with it. He apparently enjoyed Hershey’s scent. He prefers the trampoline to the comfy bed which could be his.

And he wasn't even present!

Today I went to the vet’s office to pick up more eye medicine for Guinness’s conjunctivitis. No clients were there when I arrived; only the new vet and several of the women on staff were present. The vet immediately said, “No one has nibbled on my ear this week.” He told the staff that I had taken pictures, and I informed him that he is on my blog now.

“I just bought Cesar Millan’s book. Do you think it will help?” No one knew what it was, so I told them that it is about understanding dog behavior.

The vet said, “It probably would help with a normal dog, but your dog is a different kind of creature.”

I said I was there to pick up more eye medicine as Guinness is going to his pet hotel for the coming week and I wanted them to put it in his eyes as I cannot. The vet joked, “It will probably take four of them to do it.”

One of the women cajolingly commented, “He is a very happy dog.”

As I was paying for the med, I mentioned to Debbie, “Believe it or not, Hershey was just like Guinness when he was a puppy. But, I guess he was a bit hyper when he came here even as an old dog, though he was well behaved.”

She replied, “Hershey was a happy dog. Guinness is insane.” With that, we all cracked up.

Between howls, I told her, “You are going to be quoted in my blog!”

Sunday in the Park

Loverboy Lounging on the Loveseat

I am not happy about this scene! If I had my way, he would be taught that the loveseat is off limits, but Daddy is way too permissive. He thinks it is cute and even called me to take this picture. Daddy says the loverboy deserves the loveseat.

Annual Exam

Today was our day for annual shots. If we drive past Home Depot, he knows our destination is the vet’s, and he starts going crazy. He, like Hershey, loves visiting the vet’s office. He cannot wait to get inside. After we entered the exterior door, I paused in the entryway to reassemble myself, put the car keys away, and adjust the leash before opening the interior door. Guinness couldn’t wait! He pushed it open himself, bounding to the front desk where he bounced repeatedly on his hind legs to greet the staff on the other side. Katie, who looks after billing and dispenses treats at the end of a visit, was in her office – his next place to invade.

We were ushered into an exam room and a new vet introduced himself, though I could not absorb what he was saying as my attention was diverted by a dynamo dog. I explained to him that the goofball is too excited to settle for being weighed unless I am alone in the room with him. He exited, and Guinness sat on the scale: 75.6 pounds. He has lost three pounds, but the vet explained that he still does not have a defined waist, so we need to cut back on his food by another quarter of a cup per serving or do more exercising. It is unfortunate that he does not enjoy fetching like Hershey did. Hershey would retrieve until our arms were sore from throwing. Guinness might fetch a toy eight times, at most.

The new doctor chuckled at our comic. Guinness put on quite an exuberant show including nibbling the doctor’s ear. Keep in mind that these snapshots are just that – a snap of a second in time. Guinness was in constant motion!

Morning Song

From the beginning, as I released Guinness from his crate each morning,
I had the routine of singing this rousing ditty:

Good morning, good morning, good morning,
I hope you’re feeling fine.
Good morning, good morning, good morning,
It’s time to rise and shine.
It’s time to get up, you sleepyhead.
It’s time to get up, get out of bed.
Good morning, good morning, good morning,
I hope your feeling fine.
(from Bullfrogs and Butterflies)

Now that he no longer sleeps in the crate, it is Daddy who usually is first to get up with him in the morning. As soon as I awake, he demands that I sing to him! He won’t leave me alone unless I sing, staring into his eyes and petting him as he sinks to the floor exposing his tummy for rubs.