Sunday. November 30th.
11:15 pm
Play tonight was fun. We played more than usual, and a bit different. Chase with Bubba was standard. I’ve given up crawling on the floor so GateKeeper has been modified so old fat people can still play. But tug-of-war has been played more frequently, and tonight Buddy learned a new trick.
The tug game often involves me lifting the contested toy up and Buddy on his hind legs, trying to maintain contact with the ground and not let go of the toy, accompanied by a lot of growling. I’m careful not to over-stress his mouth; these guys don’t need any new dental issues. But it’s good exercise for his jaws to play tug. But tonight he learned that he can hop laterally on his hind legs, and he can move rather quickly. In only 3 hops, he managed to rotate around from in front of me, to behind me, faster than I could pivot around, causing my arm to bend awkardly, forcing me to let go of the toy or risk dislocating my shoulder. It was a brilliant move. Maybe he’s taking Aikido classes when I think he’s home napping.
Bubba slept most of the day. His time playing was short. He got up at dinner time, and for our walks, but he did a lot of deep sleeping. I re-confirmed that he’s hearing higher frequency noises. I dropped an empty Gatorade bottle on the kitchen floor, and it made a nice empty-plastic-crack sound. I peeked out, and The Sleeping Alpha had woken and was staring, wide-eyed, at the kitchen where the offending sound had come from.
Almost all of the dinner was eaten. Very little of the day food was. Buddy nibbled it some in the morning, and Bubba used it as an appetizer when I didn’t get dinner in the bowls and to the dining area fast enough.
5:10 pm
Dinner was slightly late because I was too-engaged with a pizza next door. Both guys were hungry. Buddy hovered and sad-eyed me for handouts, which he got. Bubba started in on day food because he couldn’t wait the 3 or 4 minutes it takes me to put everything in the bowls. He was eating when I brought the food out, and he hopped straight to a dinner bowl when it was put down. Buddy also dug right in tonight.
3:40 pm
Final walk. It was nice out, and so there were way too many people again. I was more bothered by it than the guys seemed to be. There were lots of other dogs to get Buddy excited and to make Bubba puff up his feathers.
It was the second walk today where Buddy was the one lagging most of the time. He wasn’t resisting the walk, he was just exploring longer than Bubba cared to wait for.
We walked 40 minutes. Buddy pooped. Bubba did not.
1:30 pm
No walk. I was hoping to get in our 3rd, and shoot for 4 walks today, but I got denied. Buddy wanted to play, so we played fetch for a bit. I would walk the reindeer to the bedroom door and throw him into the room, maximizing (more or less) the amount of running Buddy could do both directions. Bubba was asleep in the piano bed.
I went over and sat down at the piano. Bubba felt it. He woke up just long enough to give me a recognizing stare, and then went back to sleep.
10:45 am
We got out for our second walk, Bubba’s first. This is a much better schedule – two walks before noon. We walked up Selva and into the park and back.
Walked for 55 minutes, both guys pooped.
9 am
Right on time for Buddy, still too-early for Bubba. We went on a very fast bathroom break walk. Buddy was the model of cooperation today, getting on his harness and rushing out the door. Bubba had moved from the fireplace bed to the piano bed, and that was enough walking for now, it seems.
7:30 am
I went from being too late to being too early. The dudes were not ready. Buddy was sleeping on his perch, completely surprised by me coming in. I glanced at all 3 beds for Bubba, and there was only one with a lump big enough to hide Bubba, in the piano bed. But I checked it, and found no Bubba. I figured he must be in the bedroom, but then Buddy ratted him out, and went to the virtually-flat blanket in the fireplace bed to poke at him. It’s amazing at how well-hidden he Bubba can be under a flattened blanket.
There were no accidents. I let breakfast soak. The pee pads weren’t in need of changing yet, but I did anyway to pass the time while the breakfast marinaded. I had had enough of the piano. Pee pads seemed like a better choice.