Gifts

Of course, Guinness was ecstatic to see us. He immediately found his fuzzy bone toy from Kevin on the floor inside the door. When Grant dropped him off a week ago, the kennel gave him a Christmas stocking stuffed with toys and treats. I don’t know why Grant didn’t leave it in his villa, but it came home and I set it beside the fireplace. He found it right away too and loved all his gifts!

Lonely House

Even though we arrived home today, we will be away from the house for long hours each day until the weekend, so we will pick up Guinness from his pet hotel on Saturday. It is a lonely house without him bouncing around. However, it is a bit of a relief to unpack our suitcases and NOT have his “help”!

Molly

Yep! He did it again today. One lap around the car, and he was ready to jump in.

We had to leave doggie park early today, because Molly, a little Bishon, came to play for the day. Immediately, they were good friends. Guinness was so happy to have a playmate and was so gentle! What a grownup, well-mannered boy he was. He made Mommy proud! I think he would love to have a little dog sibling! Should we get one?

Guinness readily submitted so that Molly could check him out thoroughly.
Molly had not shown interest in eating her breakfast for the first hour, so I put Guinness away with a Xmas treat and got out her food.
True to form, she placed her meal on the rug, piece by piece, before eating it.
After leaving a little puddle on the carpet, I thought that perhaps it was time for a potty break. Guinness immediately demonstrated what you were to do outside, but Molly was already done. I assumed that she would not want to go near the deep snow, but, she is so small that she walks on top of the snow – whether deep or a skiff. After coming inside, she got a little “bitchy,” so Guinness snuggled at my feet between the desk and the chair (not his usual spot).
She decided that his soft mat was comfy.
When she left it, he decided to move there. Molly let him know that it was now her mat, but he held his ground. Just look at her forlorn expression!
Their next activity was for Molly to get under his body or to try nipping his tail or hind flanks.
Guinness decided that his crate might be a safe place. Molly peeked in his door at him. I shut him in so that Molly could have a drink of her water and perhaps go inside her crate, if she wished. She did have some water but was not ready for a nap.
When I let Guinness out, he thoroughly licked her bowl, making sure it was clean. Then he stuck his head into her crate to see if he might like it. When he managed to pull her blankie out, it was time to close it up again.

Solution

Yesterday, I had to let him in the side door to get to doggie park. This morning, he started running to the front of the car when I wanted him to jump in. I called him back and told him to jump. Again, he ran to the front, then all the way around the car, then jumped in! That’s it! He has to run around in a circle before he can jump – at least, when he is frightened. That is a doggie rule in the book somewhere.

Scaredy Cat

Over the past 36 hours, we had a raging snowstorm leaving at least a foot of snow. Doggie park would be challenge this morning. The parking lot would not be plowed and it would be deep walking, but I could envision Guinness prancing and leaping through the snow having a high old time.

Earlier this fall, when it started being fairly dark when we left for doggie playtime, Guinness tried to jump into the back of the car before it was open. Ever since, if he cannot see well, he is frightened and will not jump in. Usually, when that happens, Grant’s car has already left, so that I can open a side door, and he will readily jump in. This morning was very dark, and Grant’s car was still in the garage. He absolutely refused to jump in. I tried twice to pick him up, but he fought me and got hurt both times. I gave up in disgust (since I had gone to all the effort of bundling up for the wintry day), and took him back inside.

Later in the morning, I was going out to run errands and planned to let him ride along. Even in broad daylight, he would not come near the back of the car. I refused to give in to his fears by letting him in the side door, so he had to stay home alone.

I'm not sure how we are going to conquer this...

What Next?

Cathi asked me this week if Guinness is slowing down with his Gingerbread Boy games. NOT! I know he would drive their household absolutely bonkers! Greg would not have any patience for these puppy games.

This morning was a little out of hand. Every day at doggie park, I have to fight to keep my mittens on as Guinness tries to pull them right off my hands and often does succeed. He sent me on a chase a couple of times this morning. As we walked in the door from the garage, he grabbed a sneaker off the garage shoe rack. As I put my boots away, he grabbed one of Grant’s toe rubbers. (BTW, due to the weather reports, Grant took two toe rubbers with him on his business trip this week. When he pulled them on, he had two right rubbers.) Then we went upstairs to change into workout clothes. He grabbed a shoe from my closet. The Christmas wrappings are out in our bedroom, so he found an interesting fabric gift bag to steal. Finally, he settled on the bed while I did yoga. This is how he looked yesterday while I worked out. So sweet.

Today, half way through my program, he decided that he wanted to do yoga too and laid on top of me while I was in a floor position. Ugh! He found himself shut in the bathroom until I finished.

While typing this, he “discovered” that there are containers of treats in the spa bathtub. It has been a safe hiding place for over a year. No more.

Morning at Doggie Park

Now that it is dark at 7 AM, Guinness and I are usually the first to arrive (by car).

Next comes Dennis with Riley. Then, before they can be seen, we can hear Frank's Mattie barking. Riley and Guinness prick up their ears, then race in the direction of barks for their morning treats. Mattie is “beastly,” and tries to nip the other dogs if she can get near, but Frank is the candyman. He throws dog biscuits, so they are attracted to Frank in spite of Mattie.

Once we were gathered, this was nature’s treat -- a glorious sunrise adorned with a sliver of an old moon plus brilliant Venus above that (not seen here).

Brin and Guinness hoping that Frank will throw another treat.

Both Goldens who are occasional club members, Marley and Brin, joined us this morning rounding out our motley crew.

Smartie has a smart mother who sleeps in on these dark mornings. They now arrive as everyone else is leaving, but Guinness stays to play.

Keiko and I were awed by an unusual pink pillar over the sun. Not sure what caused that, and the photo does not do it justice.

After they left, I focused my attention on taking more pictures of the pillar. I knew Guinness was at the fence, but, when I was finished, there was no Guinness. He did not respond to “Come!” calls. Then I tried to track him in the snow, but was unsuccessful. Finally, he came bounding to me before panic mode struck. He had gone around the end of the fence and behind the park building.

Persistence

Last night, Guinness was driving me crazy with his reverse retrieves.

• Grant left a large envelope at home to be picked up by someone today. Guinness took it off his desk which was totally unexpected. He rarely steals something of that size. It now is slightly wrinkled on one corner with teeth scratches – just a friendly touch.
• I had just scanned the instructions for my Christmas ice lantern, as water splashes are deteriorating the paper with each lantern I make. I placed it on the kitchen counter before taking it downstairs. Guinness helped me to decide to put it away immediately.
• A Tupperware bowl from the sink took a trip around the house.
• He found one of Grant’s shoes somewhere. Not sure where it came from.
• But he knew, and was running around with the mate to it.
• From the bar, he pulled off a pretty package from Grant’s sister of holiday wine bottle corks. I can’t blame him for wanting that.
• I tried setting out Christmas fingertip towels in the powder room for guests. That isn’t going to work. I have already decided that there will be no stuffed holiday animals lining the stairway this year.
• I left a pair of Crocs at the garage door. Foolish.

This morning, after an hour of running around with other dogs, and constant ploys to grab my mittens off my hands plus Marley’s mother’s mittens, he came home and scooched under the garage door as it was closing. He ran out of sight. I called for him to come before deciding which way to go. He reappeared, running out of the neighbor’s garage with a recyclable container in his mouth.

No sooner had we come in the house than I heard a crackling noise from the kitchen. I had bought some potpourri yesterday. I realized last night that I was not sure where I had placed it after bringing my purchases into the house. He found it still in its bag in the basket on the kitchen counter where I thought it would be unobtrusive to him. He must have smelled it out, and he really liked it. With treats in hand, it is pretty easy to regain his stolen object. Not this time. He had to be chased around the house a couple of times. Since he was playing hard to get, I grabbed my camera to record the moment. He easily relented.

Next, I heard him prancing around and knew he had found another treasure: my boot which had been drying in the bathroom. I had forgotten to close the door. Once I appeared, he jumped on my bed and readily relinquished it, then settled for a nap – finally.

Fun at Doggie Park

Marley, a large golden retriever, doesn’t come often, but when he does, Riley and Guinness LOVE him. They wrestle and wrestle and wrestle some more. Sometimes Marley stands trying to keep them from toppling him. Other times, he succumbs and just lies there allowing Riley and Guinness to wallow all over him.