I laughed out loud at number 7. “I could put a liver treat under my dog’s bed and he’d never notice it was there.” I’m constantly telling them, “goodness gracious use your noses!” 😉

Sometimes I think I created a monster when it comes to hiking/going to the park. Blueberry used to HATE going (she’d run out the dog door to the back yard when she saw me reach for the leash) and so I kept it short, light, and fun until she finally realized what a great adventure it can be. She is pretty laid back, but the score I got was 20 – so I’m thinking I need to take her for walks as often as possible. Of course, in this heat, I tend to skip more days than I do when the weather is prime. I try to get her out at least 5 days a week. I know it is mentally stimulating for her even if it is so hot we just end up sitting at a park bench while she watches the bunnies or we slowly meander throughout the picnic areas for a half hour or so. I always justify it by telling myself it gives her good material for her dreams. It’s gotta be true, because on the days when she’s seen a lot of interesting critters – that’s when she has the most active dreams!

PS. Ducky is doing great on the treadmill these days. She doesn’t panic at all any more – she just focuses on moving with the tread. And, the best part is that Shadow sees it as a way to get extra attention from me so she gets right on it now after Ducky’s finished. 🙂

Your description of the indoor chuck-it toy is about as accurate as one gets. The handle of the launcher is shorter than the standard outdoor version; and the balls are more like nerf balls. They’re a soft and nubbly texture; and they won’t injure a dog’s mouth/teeth if caught. They also won’t break anything fragile upon impact.

And when you have friendly and distinctive dogs, it’s easy to make friends on a walk.
🙂

Ahh, so your pups are psychic? 🙂

I guess Sam doesn’t know he’s a water dog. 🙂

What is it with dogs and rain?

As for the boat, we’ll be dinghying her to shore when we’re anchoring near land. We don’t yet know if we’ll be going far offshore since it will depend on our comfort level and Honey’s ability to potty on the boat.

But I suspect she’ll get a decent amount of exercise climbing up and down the berths and companionway. And we’ll devise other games that work in small quarters to work her brains and her muscles.

I’m with you, Elaine. I could set my watch by some people in my old Ithaca neighborhood. In truth, they looked bored. And their dog looked bored.

I suspect some people always walk the same route so they can chat on their phone without being distracted by anything interesting.