I jumped up so I could see better and the poodles went crazy.  And I know that dolphin heard the dogs.  For the next ten minutes, he swam right alongside us.  Every little while, he would come up and look into the boat to see what in the world was making all that ruckus.  Then he swam away, back into the bay to get his dinner.  It’s not unusual at all to see them swimming, but to see him up close like that and for him to come up and “say hello”…that was really cool!

(I was soooo wishing for my camera!)

I take their collars off and they know right then that water is involved and they start running for their hiding place under the entertainment center.  Fortunately, I know this, so I head them off at the end of the hall and toss them into the tub.  A few minutes later, they smell like lavender and look like little scrawny rats.  And they are mad.

But baths are good for them.  I’m trying to remember as I’m heading into this teaching time that things that aren’t comfortable are sometimes the best.  Last night was my first class with my husband–co-facilitating the Fireproofing Your Marriage class.  I can say right now, without any hesitation, the two of us are going to learn more about marriage than anyone else in the class.  (The first thing we learned is that both of us have to have a microphone, heh) Although I know that these next forty days of the Love Dare are not always going to be easy, and sometimes I’m going to want to quit and run for the safety of the space underneath the entertainment center, we are going to be glad that we did this.  But we still won’t be fluffy and white like Honey after a bath!

So, we’re working on getting them to sit, come when we call, be calm when people come to the door, and walk calmly on the leash. These are not easy things to teach. So far, all I get when I tell C.C. to sit is a defiant look, unless I have a treat in my hand. I’ll keep you posted.

“And I’ll have to rewrite that paragraph…”

Frou-Frou Dogs

I so remember those feelings of young love. When you just can’t wait to see the other person, when that other person is the absolute focus of your thoughts every minute of the day. Honey is in love like that…with the Golden Retriever next door. She waits by the back door with her ears perked, listening for the any tiny sound that might alert her to Cash’s presence outside and she goes nuts to get outside when he’s in his yard. Today she kissed him all over the face. And when I made her come inside, she wanted to tell me, like Dan’s daughter did when he kept her separated from her boyfriend, “You are a murderer of LOVE!”

I love him…

I love him…

I love him…

She’s either saying, “What!? I was just kissing the Baby Jesus.” Or she’s incensed that there are no dogs in the manger scene. I can’t quite tell from her expression.

My dog Honey is really my daughter’s dog. But somewhere along the way, Honey decided that she is responsible for my safety. She wakes me up in the morning just before the alarm goes off. She follows me around…all day long. If I’m cooking in the kitchen, she’s right under my feet. And if I get out of her sight, I know it will only be a few seconds before Honey comes looking for me. She can’t stand it if I’m in the bathroom with the door closed. Hello! Privacy, please. At this moment, she’s sleeping with her head by my hands on the computer.

Honey was a crabby little puppy. She wasn’t a cuddler. She wasn’t playful like her sister. She had a hard time trusting the new people in her life after she came to live with us. And then somehow, we bonded. And now, I have my own sweet little bodyguard. My husband calls her my White Shadow.