...and two steps back.

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Yesterday was a busy day.  After having a decent night's sleep, the weather was a bit warmer and I took Yarrow and Sadhu to walk around town.  We were gone much longer than planned, stopping and chatting with others walking their dogs.  Yarrow is quite timid around strange, large dogs.  She sits behind me with her head between my legs, as if my legs are fence boards she can safely watch from behind.  It's good for her to just sit there and experience the calm exchange of conversation after dogs have settled down. 

After arriving home we had unexpected, but welcome company.  She came bearing fresh ginger cookies, but it was apparent she had come to visit with Yarrow.  This was a nice visit.  My friend (whose 'kids' are three Airedale terriers) brings her energy to a calm, quiet place to keep Yarrow from getting wound up.  I so appreciate that.

Then it was lunch time for baby girl, time for a little quiet digestion, then off into the nature trails.  As we arrived back home, company arrived once again!  This time a lovely neighbour who my cats are in love with.  As dear as this older neighbor is, she encourages Yarrow to jump and bark and get wound up.  Not the kind of energy I want to foster indoors.  This neighbor is also a lifelong dog owner and, well you know, the last thing I want to do is offend her and the wealth of advice she brings me on how to raise a puppy. (sigh)  We do things differently.

Up here the days are very short at this time of year.  By 5pm we have dusk, and living in bear, cougar, coyote and possibly wolf habitat, it's not advisable to start out for a walk with a young pup and a one-eyed, 13 year old golden boy.  This time last year there was a cougar under somebody's deck and in July there was a grizzly one block over.  Locals tell me that you can't be guaranteed that the bears are all soundly hibernating right now... black or grizz.

Anyway, poor Yarrow, perhaps overstimulated from the long and busy day, most likely from having missed her last walk before dark, was like the Tazmanian devil all evening and fussed all night long.  Being a light sleeper, I tossed and turned as well and had her out twice through the night.  Now the sun is up, she's sleeping soundly and I feel like a zombie.  Today I'll make it my mission to keep her day to the simple schedule of eat, walk/play, sleep.  Some kennel time will be good for her.

[Pat and Traveler]

Sounds like a fun day, and a not-so-fun night.  It's dark early here too, but no cougars or griz to worry about!  We do have urban coyotes, that get kitties and would probably like to get small dogs. 

 

[Sharon & Monty]

I have now looked at your location...cool!  My city friends dont get why I am not afraid.  I tell them the only thing in the dark of the night is a skunk!  A walk on a city street scares me more than a walk down the lane in the dark!

[Sharon & Monty]

Cougars, holy crap!  I do not know how to deal with that, except to say you need to be vigilant!!

we knew for a few weeks that a momma bear and cub were in the hood.  so i took the feeders down at night,  i got tired of doing that and started leaving them up, besides we had not had a bear on the deck for 2 years....what are the odds?  Well the odds were not in our favor, thankfully, I had not started to store a large container of food on the deck and all she got was the suet.  dang bear.....

[F, Calla & Luca]

Sounds like a plan for today : ) I'm sure your area is lovely but the grizzly cougar part of things would give me pause about going walking.