Dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun….. the countdown begins to the Elli adventure.
And the weather forecast is dismal. The current forecast is for many inches of blowing snow centered on my return flight to Chicago. : ( There’s nothing I can do but pack my toothbrush. Everything else is set to go. I’m leaving for Chicago tonight to stay with my in-laws and avoid the snowy roads in the morning.
Last night I had committee and general meetings at my dog club. I chose one lucky dog to get out of the house. Joe won. He got to sniff lots of people & the pizza, chew on a food filled bone, and try to knock over a table to sniff a puppy, lucky dog. I was very interested to see what he thought of the puppy, but not so excited that he surprised me by lunging under a table to do it. I think he was trying to decide if it was a dog or a cat…
The New Year (and UPS) brought new Kongs all around. Mesa even got one her own chewing size for once (too small for the other dogs). The weather, keeping me inside too much, and our new household member make the distraction of stuffed Kongs a really good idea. Actually, I don’t remember why I ever stopped. We played with the new Kongs last night. I actually had all three dogs chasing Kongs in the living room while respecting each other and their targeted toy. No grabbing someone else’s throw, no Joe domination, no tension. It’s the result of a lot of work hard with all three dogs: Joe’s respect for Kaia (and me, since not chasing Kai is my rule), Mesa’s belief that I don’t need her help controlling the situation, and Kaia staying calm in the face of fetching (she would fetch instead of eating). We’ve come a long way baby.
See you when Elli comes home.
Good luck on your trip and have lots of fun!!! Oh, one piece of advice – buy a newspaper at the airport to take with you in case you need to make a “puppy pit stop” in the airport. I had to do that with Hoss when I brought him home – I just found a quiet corner, laid out the paper and let him go. I thought I’d get in trouble for it, but an airport employee walked by and said, “That’s a great idea!” I could have sworn I was busted!
I tried it two or three times, but she just wouldn’t go! Poor thing! She held it from outside the airport in Alberta with Joan – ALL the way to the remote lot where I was parked at OHare.