We haven’t had many snowstorms this winter, and this looks as though it may be the first significant one. I went out early to the grocery store, and have some beef stew cooking in the crock pot. It is snowing heavily as I write this. This storm is coming from the north, and they are forecasting up to two feet of snow for our micro-clime.
I’ve been concerned with getting Orion socialized with younger children because I don’t have access to younger children. I have been taking him up to children (accompanied by their parents) in the Petco store and asking if they want to pet him, but hadn’t actually been able to turn him loose with kids. Yesterday, Orion finally got to play with some kids who are used to lots of different kinds of animals and everyone had a good time. As the kids’ grandmother said, “He doesn’t seem to distinguish between big people and short people.” For Orion, there are no strangers, just friends he hasn’t met yet.
Orion received a bath today. Unfortunately he doesn’t look much different when he is clean than dirty, but he does feel and smell better now. It took about five minutes to prep the area, and ten minutes to wash the puppy during which Rion cooperated fairly well, and didn’t attempt to jump out of the wash tub and dash himself against the concrete floor of the mudroom. The towel drying took a while, because Rion thought we were playing tug of war with the towels. However, the most difficult part of the job was putting his collar back on. I finally had to wrap him in a towel to immobilize him to do so. I did attempt to brush him out. That was good for giggles, but not every effective.
Rion’s favorite solitary sport is digging out the varmint holes in the dog run. His favorite team sport is being rolled around in the dirt by his friends Cheney and Brody. I don’t expect him to stay clean very long. However, to judge from the black rinse water, he really needed this bath.
As everyone who has had a young puppy knows, there are few things more gratifying than watching your puppy chew on a safe, socially approved object like his marrow bone rather than the furniture, the rubber band you were certain you picked up and put in the trash, or the geriatric Collie.
After puppy class last Saturday, Rion and I met a four month old Miniature Schnauzer puppy. And having met that puppy, I doubt that Rion is 100% Miniature Schnauzer. The puppy class trainer thinks he is a schnauzer – poodle mix, which would make him a Schnoodle, if you believe in the so-called designer dogs. Since I don’t, I have decided he is a muzzle puff. The miniature schnauzer puppy had a lot of charm, and great ears and eyebrows, but Rion is cuter. And I am not biased, as some people have accused.
Spencer is a 19 month old Great Dane who belongs to the puppy class trainer. Mostly, he stays on his bed against the wall, but occasionally comes out to demonstrate. Chui is a 18 month old Chichuahua who has gained a lot of confidence in three weeks. Just getting him willing to stay down on the floor like a real dog instead of being in his owner’s arms all the time was a big accomplishment.
