Guts and Grooming

Rally has been here a whole week now. My how time flies when you're recovering from the worst cold ever. (Can you see the sarcasm dripping off that last sentence?)

Rally and Cody continue to get along great. Rally's strengths are her terrific recall and wonderful eagerness to help. She's a closet snarfer, though, and I've learned I really have to pay attention on our walks. Yesterday, I failed to note a half-eaten apple and before I could stop her she had it locked in her jaws. She wouldn't give, drop it, or any other cue I could think of to tell her and my two hands were no match for the strength of her two jaws. Finally, I desperately searched my pockets for a treat she'd trade for the apple and thankfully, found a fuzzy liver bit that may have actually gone through the wash a few times. I'm not quite sure, but I think the apple may have actually been better for her to have - it was definitely fresher.

She especially loves pop bottles and has been cheerfully throwing up, and yuck, re-eating if I'm not fast enough, bits of plastic from a previous soda pop bottle snack along with her latest meal. She has mastered "the look". Cody dares not tread near when she gives him that look. Their play is often parallel since both are prone to toy guarding. Cody has even taken to stockpiling his nylabones and laying on them - something I've never seen him do with Belle.

Last night, I discovered she loves to be groomed. She couldn't get enough of the brushing and when we were done, she snuggled in to me with the greatest dog hug I've ever received. What a great way she chose to groom me to brush up on my dog care.