Wild Turkeys, Deer and a Cat Party

Now that little buddy's paw is feeling better, we've been out running again and it's been really fun to have him back at my side. We're also taking it easy as he eases his way back to runner dog status. We started out with 3 milers and have made our way to 4. Six used to be the standard but we'll work our way back to that when he's good and ready. And don't worry, we take a lot of breaks along the way. There are things to sniff, grassy yards to roll around in, even a few sidewalks that are good for a roll, sometimes he likes to lay down on a cool lawn and look around with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and there are always dogs to bark at along the way. Sometimes we even see wild turkeys and deer. They always get a vocal greeting from the Uli. In fact, the other day we went out for an early walk and we saw a deer in our neighborhood and a cat party*

Back to running now. The other day, we were heading out for our first 4 miler in a while and that meant we had to climb a big hill. We walked the steep parts and he passed that time by grabbing mouthfuls of grass. And we did a bit of walking that day which means he did a lot of grass eating. When we got to the very top - he threw up. I told him that there are times when I huff and puff and push myself up a hill and feel like throwing up when I get to the top too. So we turned around, went home and saved the 4 miles for another day.

He is a little slower than he used to be but that is probably mostly because he hasn't been running much lately and it is also probably a little because he's seven years old. I'm guessing that in the next few months we'll see a slightly slimmer and faster Uli at my side.

My best friend Mary told me the other day how handsome Uli is and I have to admit, that made me so happy to know that Paul & I aren't the only ones who think he is so super handsome and funny and sweet and loving and adorable and fun and quirky and a real heart-warmer and ... oh wait, she didn't say all of that. But he is all that too. Thanks Mary!

*2 cats hanging out on the sidewalk. Probably up to no good.

He Smelled Me!

Last year, our dear friends came all the way from Amsterdam to spend a week with us and we made the difficult decision to put Uli in his favorite kennel for that time because he is not used to being around children and they were staying with us (with their kids). So we looked at it as sending him away to summer camp. He likes being at Canine Cove because he can run around with dogs all day long and the staff plays ball with him out in the yard and rather than sleeping in crates, the dogs sleep together in one big room. He gets a lot more exercise than a normal day so we like it when he comes home absolutely exhausted. He has stayed at the Cove plenty of times in the past when we've gone out of town and sometimes just for doggie daycare. But he has never spent the night there when we were in town so I had to continuously remind myself that he was having a very good time. During that week, I was in the Cove's neighborhood so I decided to stop by to see him but I didn't want him to see me because I thought that would be mean. I've never dropped him off and then seen him and not brought him home. So the people who work at the place told me that he was in a side yard and I could look through a door that had a window looking into the yard. The window was built for a tall person so I had to stand on my tippy toes to see out of it. I was looking and looking and then I saw the most amazing thing. Uli had been off to the side but he came into view with his nose high in the air and I swear that I am not making this up that he walked right up to the door where I was standing. He must have smelled me.

And speaking of smelling, imagine just how great he smelled after this roll in the dead weeds on the side of the road.

He Thinks I'm Trying to Poison Him

My dear dog who I have fed and loved and cared for and played ball with and taken for long and short walks and to beaches and on beautiful hikes and for runs in the hills and out in nature so he can smell things like cows and roll in wet grass and bark at squirrels and dogs and cats and play with red lobster toys and brown bull toys and black and white cow toys and tiny hamster toys and randomly shaped thing that squeak and this same dog who has not one but two super comfy beds in the house so he can choose to sleep in our bedroom or in the living room or on the rug in the second bedroom or on the cool floor when it's warm outside thinks that I am trying to kill him.

His dew claw was injured and then it got infected so I gave him antibiotics twice a day and that upset his stomach and he threw up quite a few times and now, he won't take even the most delicious treats from me. No beef flavored treats, no peanut buttered treats, no chicken flavored treats. But he did recently enjoy peppered turkey breast with a smear of Boursin cheese on the inside so I suppose there is hope.