Dealing with it

Daphne went back home today so
we are back down to nine dogs,
temporarily at least.

Entreaties to a deity are ineffectual so I've decided that the only way to handle the rain, muck, and mud, is to dress for it and deal with it.  I worked on Monday and didn't have time to get out for a walk, but I took Theo, Commando, Gigi, Daphne, and Jasso out to the pasture for some exercise.

Theo has two balls in his big mouth already
so when I throw a third ball he runs after it
but doesn't pick it up.  He returns with his
original two but won't give them up although
he still wants me to throw another.

Commando is a big brute on the playing
field, throwing his considerable weight
around, but he's shaping up to be a really
good dog.

Ball playing was a bit different without Summer, who would always return to me with a ball and give it back.  Theo runs for every ball, but once he has two to carry in his mouth, he doesn't pick up the third ball that I just threw.  Commando liked to run with him, but he wasn't really that interested in the ball.  Daphne was much the same.  They would pick it up but would then usually drop it long before getting back to me.  Consequently, I got more exercise too because I would have to go after the dropped balls to avoid leaving dozens of them scattered all over the pasture.

Commando would pick up a ball but he
never carried it far and certainly never
brought it back to me.
Mostly he just liked to run.

I don't think Gigi shared my attitude towards getting out in the wet weather.  I suspect her preferred way of dealing with it would be to stay in bed and wait for things to improve.  But she did some running, mostly with Commando who tried repeatedly to engage her in play.

This was a common sight, Commando running
after Theo who was running after a ball.

Commando's house manners
are coming along. He hasn't
marked, he's good in his crate,
and he has learned to do stairs.

It was Jasso's first pasture time since his second heartworm treatment in early December.  He seems to be back to normal, he's eating normally again and showing interest in life generally.  Still, I discouraged him from running by giving him a tennis ball that he could just carry or lay down with as he likes to do.

Maya was not happy about not getting out for a hike or to run in the pasture with the others, and she let me know it when we went to town in the evening.  It wasn't the worst damage, just a box of Cheerios that I was saving for the birds, and some Christmas cards and other mail strewn about on the floor.  I'm off work on Tuesday and Wednesday and we are going to walk in the rain as long as it's anything less than a downpour.

When Commando tired of running with Theo,
he spent a lot of time trying to engage Gigi in play.

When Gigi decides to run, she is fast.

Jasso enjoyed being outside again.

L to R: Theo, Commando, Jasso, and Daphne

Gigi and Commando

L to R: Jasso, Daphne, Commando, and Theo.
I did long distance throws for Theo, and Commando usually went along with him.
I could then do a short throw for Daphne and an even shorter one for Jasso.
That's the advantage of having a large field and a big bucket of tennis balls.

Gigi giving me the sideways glance,
not sure we should be outside.

Daphne is fast on short distances and could get the ball
but she didn't really care about having it afterwards.

I'm very happy that Jasso is feeling good again.  As soon as he's neutered I'll start looking for
an adopter to give him a permanent retirement home, but if he stays here, that would be fine too.