Day 4225

Daisy, the new dog at the kennel, is wonderful. This three year old owner surrender is good looking, has a great personality, and is fully trained. We were amazed that she seemed to know every single command we gave her and had no trouble following commands from two total strangers. She even knew tricks and would roll over to get a treat. She was an athlete too and would leap high in the air to catch a ball. She never missed and would even return the ball so we could throw it again. Not surprisingly, Daisy already has a long waiting list of people who want to adopt her. I have a feeling that she won't be at the kennel very long.

I wish that Charlie and Cooper could find a home this quickly, but they both have to overcome their past. In rescue it is customary to let any potential adopter know if a dog has been involved in a bite incident. Charlie and Cooper are very nice dogs, but they both have bitten someone. I don't think it was their fault and they are definitely not aggressive dogs, but you can't hide the fact that somebody got bit. Eventually Charlie and Cooper will find a home with a person who understands that any dog can bite under the right circumstances and will give these boys a chance to shine again. I can't blame someone for picking Daisy first though. Daisy is perfect. I don't think I've ever seen a better dog in rescue.

I wish we'd left Charlie's possum at home so he would play with his other toys. As soon as Charlie saw the possum today he began gently carrying it around and wouldn't play with anything else. He looked kind of sad. I have no idea what this means. Maybe Charlie needs a friend.

It was considerably cooler today. Many parts of town got rain, but we stayed dry for some reason. Our sunrise walk with Dawn was very enjoyable and I had no problem taking my own long walk in the park when we returned from the kennel. A ten degree drop in temperature makes a huge difference. You could still tell it was summer, but it wasn't miserable outside. For a while I thought I was going to get wet today. On my way home I found myself walking directly toward a very ominous dark cloud and I kept hearing thunder and seeing lightning off in the distance. The storm passed slightly to the Northeast of me however and I never got wet.

Dawn is still licking her paws whenever she can get her socks off. The paws don't appear quite as red and raw now, so maybe something we're doing is working. We've started giving her probiotics and a little goat's milk on the recommendation of friends. She has an appointment at the vet tomorrow to make sure her urinary tract infection has cleared up. I'm sure the vet will weigh in with his own opinions on Dawn's paws as well. Like everything else in life, if you ask ten people for their opinion, you will get ten different answers.

I've read several article recently that say brisk walking is one of the best things older people can do to prevent Alzheimer's and dementia. I've read that journaling has many benefits as well. If this is true, I should live forever. I'm tired a lot, but you'd be tired too if you slept four hours a night and walked as much as I do. I go to bed too late and get up too early. It's not a good combination. We'll see if I can get an extra hour of sleep tonight. I had leftover pizza for dinner though, so that's not working in my favor.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day