Thursday, April 29, 2010

Kali Gets Her Tail Pulled

jen said...


Sorry. I'm a little slow with the homework. I will admit that I wasn't quite sure how to do it, so Melissa showed me the other night. I tried it on Kali, my BC. At first she would turn and try to bring her head to me. About the third time I have did it she stood for a bit and then just wanted to sit down. Tonight she's pretty tired out from agility class, so she just stood there, turned to look at me and then laid down.

Jen, Thanks for commenting. I can appreciate that you weren't sure how to do it. I usually teach face to face with my students. That's why I need feedback, so I can be sure you're understanding what I mean.
Kali bringing her head to you makes perfect sense, it's the end you usually touch.
Some dogs will sit with their backs towards me. The traction loosens and relaxes the lower back.
I always love it that first time when they turn to look at me. Some have a surprised look, others look happy or even grateful. Some dogs will give me a good lick.
Wrap your hand around the base of the tail, tell Kali how good she is. The tail is an extension of the spine, so you want to pull it straight not up or down or off to the side. Slide your hand the entire length of the tail. As you do this, take a nice deep breath and slowly exhale.
When we do something new with our dog, some happy talk is most reassuring to them.
So she stood there and let you do the tail pull?? Were you comfortable with it? Are you going to try it again? What do you think?

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tail Pulls

Melissa said...


Ok, so I did some "simple" tail pulls last night. Interesting results. Nilla immediatly leaned and stretched. When I stopped she turned around like "hey!". She came back and turned around in front of me and waited. Stoney had just about the same response, not a pushy about the repeat. Chilly, really got into it but didn't offer her back end for the repeat. Hemi, wasn't so sure if she liked it or not. While I was holding a Hemi tail the other three were waiting in line for their next turn. I did my homework! Where is everyone else? Jen?

Thank you for the feedback, Mel. When I started doing tail pulls, it was to help puppies feel a connectedness with their tail. The goal was to decrease tail chasing.
For years I have done the theraputic tail work, which is different.
During the years I did the day care here at Carrvilla, at the end of the day when the dogs were tired out I'd do a little soft tissue for them. I can't stand to see an uncomfortable dog, so sometimes I still make them feel better. The dogs that know me line up.
After my last surgery, when my doctor told me not to handle dogs, I started doing tail pulls to loosen backs. It was a little thing I could still do that the dogs love. It's quick; it's easy. My experience is that dogs love it.
I've pulled a lot of tails. The Puerto Rican island dogs let me pull their tails. I've gotten strange looks. Some dogs have gently put their teeth on my hand indicating that they are not sure about what I'm doing. Eventually even those are back for more.
Since I am a trained soft tissue therapist, I believed that my educated hands had the right touch. It was something special.
That delusion went out the window the day I was teaching Paula, our day care director about touch stoning her dogs. I showed her how to do the tail pull as a part of that process. Within minutes the dogs were lining up for her the way they do for me.
It's not rocket science, but you do have to do it right or they will not like it.
Melissa, I was working on a different topic when your comment came. If no one is interested in tail pulls, I'll email you privately and we'll move along.
 
If you are interested, please, tell me what you first tail pull was like!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tail Obsession

So how did you do with those gentle tail pulls? Did you get the look?
For years I taught the gentle tail pull described in the last post in puppy class. About that time I had a number of clients with chronic tail chasers.
There are three basic reasons for dogs to become interested in in chasing their tails.
1) anal gland problems 2) internal parasites 3) They don't feel connected to it.
Have you ever seen a dog laying in a circle on the floor look at their tail like what's that, then bite it? The funniest part is when they jump up and turn around with the silly look on their face like who bit me. It's not a dog's finest moment. Some seem to become obsessed.
Early in my career I had a client who actually put a dog to sleep because it was a chronic tail chaser. After I began studying the work of the great and wonderful Linda Tellington Jones I became proactive in preventing dogs from becoming tail obsessed.
These tail slide or pulls have been a part of the puppy gentling exercises we do to get puppies accustomed to our handling. Back in the day when handling exercises were new, vets would thank me for including them in my classes because it makes their exams easier when a dog has had their legs and feet touched with intention.
The tail work Melissa mentioned in her comment is a more advanced theraputic manipulation. Good job, Mel, now go back and do a simple tail pull.

Let's learn as much as we can from the sweet, simple stuff before going on to more complex work.
The tail pull has gone from a basic puppy class exercise to so much more. Dogs love to have their tails pulled. Our day care dogs line up when they see me coming for tail pulls. Even our cranky thirteen year old cat, Smokey loves to have his tail pulled.
Remember you start at the base of the tail. You don't just grab the tail and pull. It has to be done right; otherwise, you're just annoying.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Have You Pulled a Tail?

Hi,
Shaker met his first goose yesterday. As cute as that was, that's not the topic of the day.
All morning I have been thinking about that neglected part of the canine anatomy, the tail.
In puppy class I taught students to grasp the tail firmly (no death grips) at the base. Talk to the dog in a happy voice. Let's not get stressed out about this, smile darn it we're going to have fun.
Slide your hand from the base of the tail to the tip. Talk to the dog, who is probably looking at you like,"What the......" Reassure your dog that you haven't lost your mind. Do it again. Good job; repeat. Finish with a big happy praise. Thump or pet the dog else where. Don't get him thinking you have a tail fixation. You know how upset they get when they think they have a nut case for a human.
What was your dog's reaction the first time you did it? When you did it the second time was the response different? Which time did he gently put his teeth on your hand indicating that he was a little wierded out by your interest in that appendage. When this happens, stop pulling. Keep your hand on the tail, try loosening your grip if the dog still objects. My experience is if I just hold my hand there for a few seconds while comforting the dog that I do know what I am doing, I am not stealing his tail; he will calm down and let me continue.
Reassure in happy tones. Are any of you old enough to remember Barbara Woodhouse? I loved hearing her British, "What a good dog!" That lovely lady taught me the value of praise. I've be hooked on ever since.
I'm still waiting to hear some, then I'll know I've taught well!! My motto has become when in doubt praise. I digress....
If you have the right tension or pressure in your hand, while gliding slowly down the tail by the third pass your dog will look over his shoulder at you. I always find that expression priceless to use the now trite phrase.
Now, that you've pulled your dog's tail three times; how did he like it? What was your dog's response?
My favorite reaction is when a dog gets all wiggly. They may race around the room.
There is so much to be learned by pulling a dog's tail gently. By the way; DO NOT RELEASE QUICKLY. You do not want the tail to go thunk!
If you guys are interested in learning more about how to relax your dog, comment and let me know how your first tail session went.
Here at Carrvilla clients will tell me, "My dog won't let anyone touch his tail."
It always makes me chuckle when they say how surprised and amazed that the dog allows me to handle the tail and likes it.
For about twenty years I have studied soft tissue therapy. I have to thank my friend Cheryl Kirkus for the role she played in my path. She has been an angel in my life. Blessings to you. As I write this I can hear her sarcastic grumblings.
Another angel is Linda Tellington Jones, whose ground breaking work came into my life at just the right time, blessings. 
Over the years I've learned how to relax dogs by manipulating tails. I started working tails in canine body work sessions, then in handling my own dogs. Dogs love tail pulls. I have gotten so that when I meet dogs, I do it as part of a greeting ritual, temperament permitting. It amazed me how many street dog tails I've pulled. Oh my, that sounds dirty. 
Anyway, if you're interested we'll continue this conversation.

 Don't you think something is wrong, when you can't touch your dogs tail?

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Canine Saves The Day

Our relationship with dogs never fails to delight and fascinate, but today was special. Anybody who saw the news was treated to the sight of a German Shepard leading the police car down a long winding country road to a blazing building.
Dogs alert us to impending siezures and pull people from burning buildings.
I remember being impressed by a dog that got hit by a car in front of his house going to the vets office without human assistance. His people called the vet to tell him that the dog was hit and they were bringing him in as soon as they found him. Imagine their surprise when the vet said that the dog was there already.
Today the man trapped in the building told his dog to get help. The dog ran down a long country road to find a squad car, which he then lead back to the house. Lassie would be proud.
It amused me to hear one of the tv experts trying to explain how a dog could do this and what experiences with police cars it must have had in its back ground.
You can't train for this. It's like common sense either ya have it or not. How exciting it is to know that a dog will go find officer friendly in his squad car.
Frankly, it is even more impressive that the officer followed the dog. 
Hey, Pablo don't be teaching Chichi to lead squads home just in case!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Quieting The Chronic Barker

My dear friend Melissa has asked that I explain more on quieting the chronic barker. I love that you never ask anything easy.
Some breeds tend to be more verbal than others. Dogs living in high energy households seem bark more. Barking becomes a choice behavior for bored pooches.Sometimes I see barking as the way a dog handles stress. Chronic barking is really multifaceted. Sometimes these dogs remind me of people who repeat what they are saying in a louder voice when they want to get their point across.
The first chronic barker whose behavior I modified was a beautiful sable male GSD. This dog had just been shipped here from Germany. He was stressed out of his mind and would not stop barking. The dog came to stay with me. It took a week to rehabilitate him. He went with me every where.
This dog was in my car for twenty minutes before he stopped barking for a few seconds; he was caught in a behavior loop. Each time he would stop to get his breath I praised him. The first day my words seemed to have no effect.
By the second day we could go a couple of minutes without barking, if I continued to talk to him.
By the third day, he was engaging me by looking at me when I talked to him. I added replacement behaviors by doing some obedience. I didn't start rewarding him with games of fetch until the next day; overstimulating him was a big fear. 
It took a week to build a relationship with this dog. When he trusted me to pay attention to him, he gave up the incessant barking. This became my model for quieting the chronic barker. 
All too often people come in with dogs that chronic barking is just one of several problems. We end up finding an effective way of correcting the dog, not the problem. 
Most day care dogs quiet when they receive enough exercise. Releasing those endorphins is huge. We have a very bright Giant Schnauzer requiring mental challenge to stop barking exercise alone will not do it. The first time we got him to stop barking was the day I taught him to put balls in a box. 
My experience watching and listening to the Satos, the free raninging island dogs of Puerto Rico, has taught me that dogs do indeed speak or express themselves verbally.

Can you imagine the frustration of trying to be heard and understood? It's all about the relationship, which does include our rules of behavior.
Hope this helps; any other questions?

 

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A Doggie Day Care Day

Each day care day has a different character depending on the breed composition for one thing.
Today is herding dog day at Carrvilla. The first group out in our three acre dog park has a few German Shepards, a couple of Aussies, some mixed breeds and two Golden Retrievers.
The GSD's line up like a soccar team heading toward the goldens, which they try to herd. Nice teamwork as they play golden round up.
Jake, the wise older golden goes off to sniff things. Shaker, who is not quite a year yet, engages the GSD's.
Before long Shaker and Disney, the youngest GSD are happily sparring. Disney is older, he takes the offense. Shaker plays defense. They move, counter move. It's great fun to watch as these two learn each other.
Herding drive sometimes appears as a need to rule. To me it looks like the GSD is saying, " I want you over here. No, you can't do that. No, that's not right." My Sadie was a very bossy GSD.
Shaker is probably the "softest" (temperament) puppy I have ever raised. In my opinion, the day care experience has taught him to not be overwhelmmed by pushier dogs. He lays in the grass mouth dualing with the two year old male, who is getting tired. Shaker has enough stamina to play all day and then go out dancing at night.
As Disney tires, Shaker pushes the beautiful light sable GSD harder. His reply sounds gruff enough that the other shepards run over to supervise the activity.
The day care director I am training is ready to correct and break it up. I signal her to wait. These are good dogs; I trust them to slow down the activity. This is the hard part. When we intervene too soon, the lesson is not learned. That means a repeat is coming.
The two boys are up ready to play again, but the female GSD now on the scene has plenty to say. She is very vocal with strong herding traits. Her barking is adding too much energy. It's time to redirect.
That intense barking that some dogs do often will negatively affect the energy dynamic when it's time to calm down. If we get the barker quiet, the situation gets better.
Teaching a chronic barker that there is something in life other than barking is a lot of work. When you see a dog three days a week; it's worth the effort.
We truck around the park a couple of times before bringing them into the building to rest a while.
Disney and Shaker became great buddies today. The older shepards joined Klondyke and Max the two Siberian Huskies for races while Paula and I whooped it up for them.
I smile to think that if a society can be judged by how animals are treated; good things can be said about us here in Illinois.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Barking The K9 Verbal Language

 Here in Illinois and in Puerto Rico I have spent a lot of time trying to understand the dog's verbal language. Until I listened to the Satos, free ranging Puerto Rican island dogs, I thought dog barking was more limited in scope to intruder alerts or bored and lonely. Scared dog barking was in there too, but I saw it as a mindless pursuit.  The dog was just letting off steam.
Every two - three weeks the Satos do what I thought of as chatter. How long it took me to realize that it was an actual conversation just saddens me. 
That enlightenment came when I recognized that the dog always took off after giving a three woo bark. The third woo is different. I wish I could describe it better. I need to shop recording equipment so I can catch this bark. 
The PBS shows about animals having sounds to say the danger is above or snake documents the specific nature of their vocalizations. I praise the Jane Goodalls of the planet; it is so cool to know this stuff. 
The eureka moment I knew definitively what this bark meant came in the middle of the night when I lay in bed listening to the dogs bark, trying to figure out which voice went with what dog. Stormy, the Sato whose voice I know best did the bark that signals he is going some where. I hopped out of bed in time to watch him trot down my driveway.
My husband, Kirt and I have seen him get up and leave like he has an appointment. When he does this, no coaxing or calling will change his mind. He even ignores my secret weapon, which is the squeak I use when I feed them. That squeak worked to train him away from chasing cars, but not this.
If what I called chatter really are dog conversations, what are they saying?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Canine Camp Director Leadership Skills

Controlling a group of dogs means knowing what you want to do with the dogs, setting the agenda. Sometimes the agenda is as simple as I'm taking all the dogs to the northwest corner of the park. 
The big problem is to keep people (humans) focused on what they are doing. All too often people playing with dogs drift into thought. We need to stay focused. 
Our yards are large enough that dogs can go off to do their own thing, which is very cool for dogs. When they are out exploring, we must know where they and what they're doing is obvious; isn't it?
Part of setting the agenda is to call all dogs to you. Heads up! This is the key part of how to do this!! 
As they head toward you, look at them, call them by name. Then tell them how by gosh happy you are that they are coming.
Dogs love it when they know we like what they are doing.
If you are really a class act in the dog park, when the dogs get to you you greet each one and then give them a thump or a stroke. You will know you are in control when your dogs line up to greet you. No pushing, no jumping. 
This puts you in the leadership role, dare I say dominent, in a lovely way. 
Don't drop the ball now, you have to throw enough for all dogs; none of this one or two dogs getting the ball and the rest just standing around. 
When you lead keeping all dogs happily occupied, hmm I just know I don't need to finish that. 
So does this make sense? What questions or comments??
In the years that I personally did the day care I never had a fight, a bite or a spat. 

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Who Let The Dogs Out

"If you have a good dog, trust your dog."



When in a day care situation or a situation with unfamiliar dogs how do you know when to get involved? I know you've said no blood no foul, but obviously you don't know you have a problem you need to intervien with until there is blood? How often do you see small puncture holes (I'm talking the through the skin punctures with no extra tearing or deeper) in day care? Do you ever have real dog fights?

 By my definition, a spat is is over in three seconds. Most dogs DO NOT attempt to maim or kill. That is not normal. Each dog just wants his way.
Want the ball. Want to be left alone. Want to hump you.
We have a lovely chow x husky mix female in our day care. When a new dog comes up to her for the first time, she shows her teeth and snaps them at the new comer. She does not like rough play. We know that she is setting the ground rules with her new friend. We trust Mandy to do that.
Day care dogs are not unfamiliar to us.
In three seconds you should be redirecting your group and assessing the situation.
The goal with a group of dogs is to keep them happily involved in play. When you see them getting stiff legged and uncomfortable with each other, redirect. We must be leaders in the park. 
We panic at a grumble, then over correct a dog from a place of fear. 
The point is to direct or lead the dogs, but to not panic at a spat. 
Shaker's confidence has been shaken by his run in with Stoney. He is more reactive. Do I trust him? Yes, he is a good dog. Will I break it up if he grumbles at another dog? No. I will redirect his attention and praise him when he calms down again. He needs to learn to trust the other dog will respond appropriately to his signals. When he signalled submission, Stoney continued to attack him. Now, he is more reactive with some dogs he doesn't know.
I need to help him rebuild his confidence. Dr. Temple Grandin teaches us what a strong emotion fear is for animals. I need to give him some space to deal with his fear. When he does, I let him know how wonderful he is. My praise calms him right  down. His confidence will return in no time. 
If a dog is afraid and we correct him, that further erodes confidence. The goal is to have enough of a realtionship with your dogs that you can redirect instead of having to correct.
In the six years that I did the day care here, I never had a spat let alone a fight. I read the signals and stay ahead of the behavior. 
Until you get to that point, learning to trust a good dog reduces trouble. Klondyke, a husky in our day care since puppyhood will correct a misbehaving newbie. They listen to him; he speaks the language. The new dogs are the ones to watch, we get a feel for how they handle the comptetion of the chase for a ball or the attention of the handler. 
We evaluate the dogs before accepting them into day care. Reactive dogs are not accepted. 
Most wounds are from two dogs going for the same ball complete accidents. A spat can result in a puncture. Some dogs are reactive when going through gates or doors. They require special handling. We keep records of which dogs are involved in incidents. I don't want a dogs in day care that can't control their teeth.
Don't wait for blood! They have three seconds to solve it on their own after that you have a dog fight. We separate dog fights.
I had a couple of Bullmastiff sisters that would fight. It looked scarey to see these two big girls. Each wanted to win, but they never had a mark; that's no blood, no foul. Did we separate them? You bet.
Here is my rule: if you can't stay ahead of the dog's behavior to prevent a spat; give them the three seconds to settle it. Take that deep breath, then do what you need to do. 
These are skills that take time to develop. I see more wounds with overreactive handlers who try to micro manage the dogs.
We keep track of who is in charge when an incident occurs.
Puncture wounds here are infrequent enough that they still upset me greatly when they happen. I get all on the war path with my staff because we are the humans in charge. 
 Does this clarify? Does it bring up any other questions? 

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Canine Camp Director cont.

For beginners it is difficult to trust the dogs enough to just watch. People stop any conversation in which dogs sound growly. Many people have told me, "I just don't want my dog to growl." That could be like me telling you not to use verbs.
If you have a dog proven to be a canine jerk, that dog is a candidate for behavior therapy; not day care.
I am talking about normal pet dogs. 99% of the time dogs have a spat; it ends without injury. 
At the next level of training day care workers learn the difference between a spat and a dog fight.  We break up dog fights, but stay out of spats. Ooow, there's a tricky one. 
Many people cannot get beyond correcting instantly when they hear a "rrraaghr" because it's scarey. The big trouble with stopping a spat is that the dogs don't settle their differences.
A spats don't last more than a few seconds. One or both dogs will walk away creating space between them. The skilled handler will redirect play so no other dog can contribute attitude.
Don't panic if the two having the disagreement aren't ready to join the group. I give them a little time to finish their moment.
My very best advice is to take a deep cleansing breath when you hear the first "raaghr". It's difficult because we want to take charge. You think you are helping. Years ago when I first started taking the deep breath, I began to notice that it was all over as I exhaled. For most people calming themselves down is the hardest part.
If you have a good dog, trust your dog.
So after reading this what questions or comments do you have?? Does this make sense? What results do you get when you try this?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Learning To Be A Canine Camp Director

Back at work at Carrvilla it's time to train new staff to play with dogs. Everybody who has been to dog park or played with a dog thinks they know what they are doing. I tell them to learn from the dogs and get the cutest looks.
Teaching day care workers when to intervene or how best to control a group of dogs is long process. Most people think that they have to mirco manage every "conversation" a dog has. In day care groups dogs learn to work out the politics of their relationships; they learn to speak dog.  
Dogs talk to each other in a variety of ways. There is the excited stiff legged standing on tip toes greeting in which the dogs tail wags rapidly, but only a short distance. These postures convey an excitment for meeting mingled with a flavoring of "I am ready for anything".
Verbal conversations between dogs are the ones people seem to want to control the most. Granted there is a point at which a conversation gets out of control. The talent in handling dogs is to stay a head of the the curve on that.
Prolonged barking is never good. The short very intense barks that sound so angry the hound from hell is in the building fall into the same category.
Day care staff need to hear the sounds they must respond to so that dogs are protected. Once trainees know what the serious sounds are, then I want them to observe and learn the the sounds or conversation that occurs just before. This is the point where the dogs are mostly speaking non verbally.
In this level of training day care workers become aware of the conversation that preceeds a possible spat. This is now an aware staff member. Prior to this stage people say things like,"There was no warning; he just snapped."
I am always so happy for people when they reach this observational plateau; not everyone reaches this point.
Because the concept of dominence has such negative baggage for us many will become pro active and begin to interupt dog speak in the pre phase. They assume that the precursor conversation will lead to a spat or may lead in that direction.
Skilled staff will at this point redirect play in a positive way rather than becoming corrective. Dogs will happily be seduced away from a spat by fun or interesting; don't waste your breath with a corrective tone at a distance. The only one you're impressing is you.
The worse thing you can do is grab a dog by the scruff or yell. You are simply adding to the negative energy. Remember at this conversation moment nothing bad has happened. During the phase when dogs are on their toes, we don't know what they are saying to each other. This conversation very often leads to play bows and a ton of fun.

Monday, April 5, 2010

One Golden's Easter

Easter is to me the ultimate of second chance holidays.
Mike & Marc did a great job of taking care of the dogs in the kennel, so we took off with Shaker to Chicago for lunch with our adopted family. 
The warmth of smiles and hugs sooth my tattered spirit. Teresa greets us at the car. She can't get over how much Shaker has grown since she last saw him in the fall.
When you show up for holiday dinner with a Gloden Retriever, you learn so much about your host. My darling, Teresa grabbed the leash. Shaker trotted off with her without even looking back.
After locking the car I load up with all the crap I feel compelled to haul around. The logical place to look for the dog after a two hour ride is the back yard. Where is the Shaker? He should be pottying. He is in the house greeting our host, Shirley. This dog is just coming into his hormones, so leg lifting has begun. Do you sense fear here?
I had a plan for taking care of my dog. This was not it. My greeting the group was greatly over shadowed by the handsome pooch. Since I grew up in a non touching house all this hugging feels wierd, but I love it. Shaker taking the spotlight is fine.

Moxie, the fine female black lab from next door comes over with Ron, who is ever so proud of her. With a "rraurgh" that ends ends her canines on his muzzle Moxie lets Shaker know what she thinks. Ron corrects her with a tug on the leash, so I ask him to allow her because I see that Shaker is has not changed his cock of the walk posture. Her encore ends with the same canine on the nose. Shaker is now chasten; the ignoring can begin.
While we dined on Teresa's sumptuous feast, Shaker spent the afternoon at Moxie's house. He helped himself to her treats, toys and learned how to use a doggie door.
It was a beautiful day. It nourished my spirit, I have been blessed.
THANK YOU.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Gift of Dogs

Hi.
Birds chirping a morning  greeting is a familiar start to our day. Just as the first rays of light hit the sky the birds go into good morning song.
This gives me comfort no matter where I am.
It is Good Friday morning. We have been back in Illinois for a week. Our kennel is full with beautiful dogs. Shaker, our golden friend pads quietly into our room wagging his tail making soft little woowf, woowf sounds. He loves to go out at first light of day. 
I have been so caught up in the drama of the lives of the Puerto Rican island dogs that I forgot how much I just love dogs. 
A lovely yellow lab girl with a pink collar plays with a black lab boy and a boxer. She runs a merry ring around her companions. A large black & white springer is quick to show her how the game should be played. A golden male sits by the fence looking at the door. He wants nothing to do with with all this running and chasing.  I wonder if he thinks he'll get into trouble or if he just doesn't get out with his own kind often enough.
Carrvilla isn't a yuppy puppy kind of place. We're more the take your dog to camp kind of place. The yards are large with trees and bushes. Not that a dog ever wants to take a vacation from their human; they don't. But when they come here, I want them to have a chance to reconnect with nature and their own kind.
When people drop their dogs off, I see dogs so sad that they have been left. Some bark or just stare at the the road. Soon they begin to look around and sniff. Once they begin interacting with the other dogs, I know they'll have a good time here.
Some dogs are haven't spent much time with other dogs. Those dogs just want to hang around with our staff. They usually love to play with toys and be with people. One elderly terrier looked unhappy outside, so I brought her into the office to hang  around. She looked so pleased to be under the desk next to my feet.
We are so blessed to have a creature that wants to be with us as much as dogs do. Thank you, God, for that gift. Happy Easter everybody!!