Becoming a Cowdog

September 7, Guinness and I moved to Texas!  He is learning to be a cowdog now.  But it is difficult.  The first induction to cowdoghood is a challenge for a Canadian-born dog:  the climate.  However, this US, though northern born, girl loves being warm!  Fifteen minutes was about as long as he could tolerate a walk at first.  Six weeks later when the temps had cooled down to "normal" for him, he still was panting hard by thirty minutes into a walk.   Then a friend from Canada came to visit and commented on how much he had gained.  I had not noticed!  By the time I had him weighed, he had gained ten pounds in two months!  No wonder he is panting even in cooler weather.  So he is on a diet, and mommy is trying to be diligent about building up to walking an hour a day.  The weight gain has to be from lack of exercise.  The major problem is -- where to walk for a whole hour?  My subdivision is not large, so we have covered most of the streets after forty-five minutes.  And there is no place I can let him run free safely.  I have released him in a large area near the entrance, but there is only a fence on the main road side.  He has been very good about not running away until yesterday.  He ran into the boulevard leading into the subdivision.  No cars were around, but that ended his freedom permanently.

The second induction to cowdoghood is getting used to the Texas animals all around us.  About our second week here, we saw an man on a horse riding down the boulevard, into the ranch at the end of the street, and disappear into a ravine.  Guinness was excited about that!  The most stimulating places to walk are behind the houses backing up to my Rotary friend's ranch with cows, horses, and donkeys visible from time to time.  But, I have been warned about snakes there.  After first hearing about snakes, I have asked several neighbors.  Everyone has seen snakes!  One person told me yesterday they had a rattler on their front porch when they moved in five years ago.  Gecos abound in Texas.  They seem to like living around entrance doors to people's houses.  They are harmless and eat bugs, so I am supposed to welcome them.  But they are not allowed inside.  Two have succeeded scampering inside.  My friend captured this one for me.  Guinness likes them even less than I do. 

Last week we were treated to this sight!  :)   Guinness didn't bark; just stared.   However, the cattle in the pond moved out of the water leaving this one brave fellow.  Maybe the cattle saw him as a cowdog, and that is why they moved away!  They thought Guinness had come to round them up!  He IS a bonafide (or is it -- BONEfide!!) Texas COWDOG!!!!!