Sun day

Sunday was a beautiful day. I took Maya* on a two mile training walk in the morning, practicing what we had learned in class on Saturday. When we got home I took everyone out to the pasture for a run. I took some videos of Ted and pictures of Woody for a new write up. 

Bette went back home today, dropping our total dog count to seven. I'd love to get Woody and Elektra adopted soon. Ted needs to gain some weight, but he's really been a very easy foster. I haven't seen any of the spinning behavior in the last few days. It seems to occur when he's very excited and unsure of what to do with himself. Ted is fine indoors generally, but good in his crate, but he still has a tendency to wander around and mark random things and places.

* Thank you to folks who pointed out that I once again referred to Bailey as Maya by mistake. I'm not changing it, just explaining that it's a happy mistake, however, and hopefully not a sign of cognitive decline. Maya is the reason we have Bailey. She came along when Maya was a senior and reminded me so much of Maya as a young girl. 

Bailey, SweetTart, and Woody

Bailey and I started a basic obedience training course with Green Dogs Saturday morning. I've never done any actual training with her really and I'd like to get her really solid with both obedience and social skills before we move later this summer. She enjoyed it and was very good, although it's difficult keeping her focused on me when I'm not doing much and there's a lot more interesting things to look at all around us. That's a big reason for the class.

One of our classmates is the Marvel pup formerly known as Thor. And another Marvel pup, Rogue, was in the class that followed ours. I got to see both puppies briefly and they looked great.

This is Barley, formerly known at Thor.

This is the puppy formerly known as Rogue. 

I'm sorry I don't remember her new name.

When we got back from class SweetTart's adopter came over and picked her up. It's the third dog this woman has adopted from me. This is the youngest of those three but SweetTart is really pretty easy going so I'm very hopeful and optimistic that it will work out well for everyone.

Daphne (formerly SweetTart) her new home.

Later in the afternoon I took Woody over to GDU to meet another dog to see if he would be reactive and difficult to handle. I had a Gentle Leader on him and he was manageable and the meeting went well.

After that I took both Woody and Elektra on a two mile walk at Pleasant Grove. It was Elektra's first walk and she really enjoyed it. She tried out her big girl bark on several dogs and people that we saw from a distance, and also on something that I didn't see at all. Woody didn't bark at all. By the way, her sister, Storm, got adopted today after being fostered by Erika for just over a week. 

Elektra and Woody share a stick

Elektra is really growing up. I've disassembled the puppy pen in the kitchen and she's now crated in the office at night with the big dogs. She's fine with being crated but can't always hold it through the long winter nights. During the day she is happy to be outside as much as possible with Woody. She would be happy to be with anyone, but Woody is the most patient and tolerant with her. Elektra has really learned to get along with all the big dogs now, but Woody is still her favorite. She's fearless and full of confidence. She tackled the bare wooden stairs in our house on her first day, learning to go both up and down on her own just by following the others. 

I love this picture of her little head and nose in the middle of three much larger dogs.

Woody is a young, male shepherd. He's very vocal and never has an unexpressed thought, but he's very sweet and friendly, good with other dogs, and very good indoors. He loves to play ball and will go after a stick, or anything, if you throw it for him.

I gave Woody a stick today and he thought it was the best thing ever.

It was a nice looking day, the sun was shining, but it was still quite chilly. I should have walked but didn't. We did all have a stroll around the pasture in the afternoon.

Woody and Ted

Bette

Bailey and SweetTart

Bette

Back indoors:

Bailey and Elvis sharing one of Candace's beds.

Candace, Ted, and SweetTart

SweetTart will be going to her new home on Saturday!

Paisley and Bette

Bailey playing with SweetTart

Another day, another surgery

Clay had his second cataract surgery today, fixing his left eye this time with a new lens and another procedure that will hopefully help with his glaucoma. I had Mohs surgery on Tuesday to remove a couple of basal cell carcinomas. He had a dental visit earlier this week and I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. We are trying to get everything done that we can while we still have health insurance and familiar doctors. I'm retiring at the end of March and Clay will do the same sometime in the coming months. 

I needed to work and it wasn't a great day for walking anyway. Tomorrow looks to be better. The dogs got plenty of outdoor time today, particularly the fosters. No one got dinner last night and we had no poop in the crates overnight. I fed everyone very early this morning and got them some pre-dawn outdoor time before bringing everyone back in and to their crates when we went to town. Everyone was still clean and dry when we returned so they all got a second meal about mid-afternoon, hopefully early enough for everyone's systems to be emptied again before tonight. We will see.

The sun was playing hide and seek today, but mostly it was still hidden. Here are a few pics from pasture runs during the day with varying amounts of sunlight.

Paisley, SweetTart, and Elektra

Woody and Ted

Elektra

Bette is still here but should be going home soon.

Ted and Woody

SweetTart and Elektra

Elektra looks more like Bailey than she does her actual mother.

Bailey

Bailey and Elektra

Woody and his foster puppy, Elektra

Ted and Paisley

I left the gate open and Paisley joined us for some pasture time today too.

Ted, Bailey, and Woody

Candace wandered out to the pasture with us today too.

Paisley and Bette

Candace

Elvis goes off to do his own thing and doesn't show up in a lot of pasture pictures.