Dog Park Roundup

It's been YEARS since Harry's been this active at the dog park. We stopped by the Peter's Park Dog Run this morning. We expected Harry to be his normal self- moseying here and there, jumping up onto benches and into the laps of other human patrons, taking a peek into someone's bag or purse. However, he utterly blew us away today. He seemed to love the hustle and bustle, for whatever reason.

By his own volition, he decided to get involved in a chase that didn't originally even involve him!  He also confidently barked twice at a group of other dogs- all this for a little guy who I've only heard bark in public less than a handful of times in his entire life!

Of course, there was some meeting and greeting amongst all dogs with sniffs here and there, but when one friendly, bigger guy became a little too enthusiastic with the sniffing, Harry quickly made a grufflying growl (which he has hardly ever done) to let him know that was not going to be tolerated today. I don't know where he discovered his newly-found confidence today, or why he decided he might just be a dog's dog, but it was a little refreshing to know that he seems to be feeling like his ol' self (i.e. how he used to be when he was just a couple years old). 

Someone asked how old he was today. Almost nine, I told him. He's got some years on him, he remarked. You wouldn't know it, would you?

Comfort shelters

Yesterday was an interesting day in terms of weather- one minute perfectly sunny, and the next followed by torrential downpour of rain. Harry was thankful for no thunder or lightening (he becomes very anxious at the faintest sound of thunder- even when it's on television), but he was still on guard after recognizing the patter or rain outside.

We saw a very cute photo on the internet the other day of a dog who found shelter in a "fort" made of couch pillow cushions during a rain storm, so yesterday we tried a similar thing.

Not exactly a fort per se, but we surrounded Harry with couch pillow cushions as he was resting and looking wary during the rain shower. He seemed to enjoy it and actually was quite comfortable!

This morning, I found Gregory finding shelter in a locale that is not necessarily typical for him- the bathroom sink. He's an expert at seeking out the coolest place in the home on a warm day.

Heat Wave Summer

The summer heat wave has really put a damper on outdoor activities these past several weeks. Even an evening walk around the neighborhood has become a little dreadful due to the stagnant, humid, heavy heat. 

We've tried to get up and out early on the weekends for a bike ride (where Harry doesn't have to lift a finger, really). I got him a magnificent dog basket for my bike (from Cynthia's Twigs) which he actually adores. It took no time at all for him to get accustomed to it and by the end of the ride, instead of sitting upright, looking at all the sights, he relaxes a bit, sinks down into the basket and oh-so-casually peers out at the world passing by.

When not on the bicycle, the basket sits at home in the living area and apparently serves as Gregory's new favorite hide-out. I'm pretty certain he sleeps in the basket all day while we're out at work. One morning, we had to wake him up and pick him up and out of the basket so that we could go on a bike ride with Harry. Gregory was of course, not very happy and immediately hopped back into the basket. Twice.

We have also discovered a nice enclosed dog run a short walk away from the neighborhood. Each time we have gone, Harry is the only dog in the run. The first time, he didn't really know what to do with himself since we had failed to bring any toys and there were no other dogs to socialize with. For the following visits, we played fetch and Harry couldn't have been happier. I really do think it is his favorite activity. 

Other weekend evenings, we've had a little chance to enjoy the roof deck when it seems to cool down just a little. Because we live near a major intersection and road, the roof is a little noisier than if we were in the center of the neighborhood, so Harry gets a little antsy when he's up there, but this last time he was able to enjoy his blanket we laid out for him between our chairs while we soak in the evening sun. 

*First photo: Harry at the Boston Public Gardens. Hoping to chase some ducks.