Hitting the bottle. Who is the alpha?

Blondie Boy getting curbside service

There is no discounting the importance of drinking when exercising.  It is something we all learn as kids, that's why they had water fountains all over the school (at least where I went).

It is as true for Blondie as it is for the G.  Except the public fountains for dogs don't have better than lukewarm water and the Boy likes his somewhat chilled and always from the bottle.

Not that the Diva and the Boy are spoiled, the water is filtered (I reuse bottles - save the planet, yay!), chilled, and presented when they start to huff and puff.

At least that was true this summer.

Now that BB (Blondie Boy) is aging, he huffs and puffs just thinking about the park.  To encourage him to drink, his house water is now chilled.  Yes, I provide icewater to the boy after his walk.

Even Dog Park Divas deserve special treatment.  Right?

Who is the alpha again?

Hint:

If you have to ask, it isn't you.

how walking an old dog is like driving an automatic

Old Gold, aka Blondie Boy, recently had the chance to give a little girl her semi-annual 'dog lessons.'

He is the old Caddy of dogs.

Sturdy.

Well built.

Handles well, but needs time to maneuver in traffic.

Superior alignment (meaning the leash is let go and he continues to go in a straight line until the driver gets an improved grip on the leash).

Unfortunately, the blond has instilled a false sense of ability into the small child.

She thought she was ready for the MG (the Midget sports car from once upon a time).  [In this case, it is just a great looking old car ... ]

Fast.

Built to maneuver well in traffic.

Needs a firm hand and an alert handler. (The bushes smell better when there's no one at the helm.)

Ah.

When she is about 40 her parents will let her drive ... wonder what she'll choose?

29 days of giving - day 4 - the dog park

The young, the athletic, the stubborn young dog has decided it is time to do some training of her newly acquired humans. 

She walks like a cat on a leash.  Lots of swivel and hip action (if she were a human it would be apparent that she preferred high heels and short skirts).  She also likes to go where ever her nose leads her and she doesn't care if she pulls to get there.

Rides in the car where she is kenneled somehow didn't appeal to her.  She doesn't just want to be in the driver's seat, she wants to help steer the car.  Sadly she likes to drive on the left side of the street and not the right ... she could have had another career.  The kennel was incorporated when she got tangled in the wheel and only the fact I was driving on a quiet and empty residential street saved an accident.

Blondie does well at the park, but now he has to have aspirin a couple of hours before he goes.

The Golden Girl isn't so sure how she feels about other dogs in her park.  (She went one time when no one else was there so she claimed all of it.)  She is starting to make friends.  She is also behaving like a kid who doesn't want to go home when Mom says time is up.

The gift to her is socialization.  The gift to the blond is extra meds for his hips.  The gift to the humans?  Fresh air, an extra walk, our own socialization.

29 days of giving ... day 27, the gift of dog kisses

Blondie has a side career ... other than acting like he's cute.  He actually gives 'dog' lessons to young kids.  Because he's never been an alpha (read: he's a lover not a fighter) and he is smallish (80 pounds is smallish, isn't it?), he is very approachable by young and old alike.

Last night outside of his park, after reading the wee-mail left on the pillars and posts outside the entrance, there was a four-year old boy who wanted to see the dogs but had never been close to one before.  The park was crowded and it was a little overwhelming for him.  OK, it was overwhelming for Blondie, too - he likes it when things are quiet.

After getting the mom's permission we all got off the beaten path and I introduced them and showed him how to pet Blondie and what felt good.

Several minutes, lots of scratches, and several animal crackers (it just sounds wrong that my dog likes animal crackers, but I've never seen any human crackers to buy him), the mom was tired and hot.


The little boy didn't want to leave until he had a kiss goodbye.  Evidently everyone he loved got kissed goodbye.  Blondie didn't disappoint - he did however get a great giggle from the child in addition to a great intro to the dog world.

I wonder just what kind of dog he'll own before long?

29 days of giving ... day 24 - the gift of story and appreciation

Blondie took 'his' little girl for a walk at the dog park.  I went with him, just in case he had too many admirers ... yeah, that's it.

Ok, so we borrowed K and her mom for the evening, but she who holds the leash and the bag of cookies has the loyalty.

After the boy had consumed most of his cookies and had gone as far as his old hips would allow, we headed back through the softball area.

Blondie met the most gracious man who knew exactly how to rub him and how to provide water from a bottle (I can do it, but it always tastes better if some one else is pouring).The gentleman fussed over Blondie and was very good with K, too.

While the boys were having their love-in, it came to light that he had just given the love of his life away.  It was the most selfless thing he said he had ever done.  Honestly, I think he spent weeks debating about it and choosing the right home for his companion. I know what he does for a living and I understand how a dog wouldn't work there and how h is life changed, but I could also see how much his heart had broken.


Next week, the boy and I are going to take a walk at about the same time and in the same place and hope he is playing ball again ... they could both use the support.

29 days of giving challenge - the gift of comfort ... day 3

I know that I talk too much about 'the boy' aka Blondie the old-golden retriever mix.  But he is my only child and he is aging before my eyes.

As so many of us do, he has developed arthritis and joint pain and can no longer walk to the dog park without needing to stop and have a drink.  (In his younger days he zipped to the park and around it with all of his friends.)

Today when he gave me the mournful look to be with his friends, I put him in the back of the van and drove him less than one-quarter of a mile so he could see and be seen.  The van is an older Mazda MVP where the back seats can be made into a bench that doesn't quite span the full length of the area. 

Style.  Comfort.  Respect.

Not such a bad gift to give, is it?