Lotsa Dogs Lotsa Fun

Lotsa Dogs Lotsa Fun
The Big Dogs Wait at The Door

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Back on Track, Jack

Back to work on a "normal" schedule and the pups sense the change. At The Doggie Den, in our day care operation, those who took some vacation are over-the-top barky and crazed to be back. The ones who didn't are glad to see their friends and want to play non-stop. Some have diarrhea from sneaking forbidden holiday treats. At home, Daphne and Benny look at me as though I've lost my mind when I try to corral them into the van to go to work. They were perfectly happy being stay-at-home pets over each of the holiday weekends. Now they have to share me with the hordes again, and they're not happy. Daphne scratches my leg when I walk by at work; if that doesn't work, she grabs my pantleg with her teeth! No dummy she. The amount of lovin' she got over the holiday weekends was just fine, thanks, but why stop? Benny has regressed to displaying his aggressive, snarly mug whenever I greet another dog. He flew off the day care couch to kill a large Golden I was patting (remember, Benny is a small Cocker Spaniel) and almost broke his jaw... smack! on the floor. The Golden thought him a bit eccentric, but seemed unconcerned.

Unseasonably warm weather in Massachusetts and the outdoor area has turned to mud. The dogs love it. They lie down in the mud, sometimes even roll over; they chase each other around so their paws are coated, then leap onto the couches, which look like they do in the Spring, during the real mud season. This year, we get to do extra cleaning twice... at least! The good news is the heating bills won't cause heart attacks this year.

January is a low exercise time for both people and dogs. So get off the couch and take a fast walk with the pooch. Take him to a playgroup or day care while you go to the gym to work off the holiday goodies. Dogs need healthier lifestyles too!

No comments: