What Will I Do?

The weather reports predict that this will be one of the best weeks all summer, which consider the summer we’ve had is either saying a lot or not saying much. I was looking forward to a week’s worth of dog walking in predictable summer weather knowing that it would include trips to the lake and perhaps even a trip to my friend Ben’s swimming pool.

What I didn’t foresee was that I would not really be working this week because Gretchen is in school from Tuesday through Saturday on her way to earning her small animal massage license. When she first told me, I cringed and my jaw dropped. Then I cocked my head and asked, “What will I do?” And then I thought of all the things that won’t happen: I will have all this time on my paws. I won’t be able to see all my friends (as in clients). I probably won’t go to the lake and even though there’s a slim chance I’ll go to Ben’s pool, I still won’t be pounding the pavement helping to earn my kibble (well, it’s actually homemade food with a bit of kibble thrown in).

And when will Gretchen and I hang out?

She tried to soothe my worried brow and she even took me away this weekend to the river where I got to play in cold water, hangout with my little kid friends, and go leash free for miles and miles.

But when she told me that today was going to be our only day of work for the rest of the week, a mournful moan came from my belly and filled the house with such sorrow I know I made Gretchen feel bad.

“I’m so sorry, buddy,” she said. “I think I shall go crazy, too. I have to be inside all week, on the best week of summer, and I won’t be able to go on long walks or play fetch with you or go swimming. I promise though that when I come home, I’ll take you out in the evenings and we can do whatever you want to do okay?”

I didn’t answer her. I was pouting. I think I’m still pouting even though I had work to do today. Still. I feel bad not only for myself, but for all our clients. I think they will miss us as much as we will miss them.

Gretchen says I should focus on today because, despite the outlook for the rest of the week, it was a good day.

It started with Rosie and Tyson and while I don’t walk with them, I love seeing their beautiful faces when the photos return…and the beautiful flowers popping out of their heads!

Then we walked Gemma with Oshi and Perrito. Ann came with us and I suppose now is the time to focus on what really matters — Happy Birthday, Ann! Of course, I think we gave her a bit of a headache — I rolled around…Oshi rolled around…nobody would sit where they were supposed to…and Perrito just wanted the ball out of Gretchen’s backpack.

Surprisingly, Gemma was the only dog who would cooperate!

Gemma played with me at the house for awhile, but mostly we just hung out in the shade. Then we picked up Saber and joy of joys we went to the off leash park where Saber dove right in, stole another dog’s toy, and then spent the rest of the afternoon stealing mine!

And we met a really sweet dog who posed beautifully for her photo!

After we were thoroughly wet, Saber and I walked with Alice and despite Alice’s nervousness about the “walrus” (Saber’s nickname) she seemed happy to see us today though she still wouldn’t sit too close. Of course, if you look closely, I was kind of rolling around again!

And I really shouldn’t complain because after we dropped Saber off, I got to go to Ben’s house and swim in his refreshing pool. It was kind of a surprising trip because Gretchen gave me a bath yesterday and then combed me out this morning and I didn’t think she’d want me to get messed up so soon, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Me either!

So normally I’d say, “Until Tomorrow” but that wouldn’t be the truth. The truth is “Until Next Week” and it pains me to write it…in fact, it pains me so much I think I’ll just say…

…Until Next Time,

Rubin

Wrong Impressions

You can’t judge a book by its cover nor can you judge a dog by its breed (or breeds). A picture may be worth a 1000 words, but sometimes those words don’t tell the whole story.

These are the lessons I’ve learned today and it started this morning when we went for a long walk with Oshi and Perrito. Oshi thinks he’s a cat and when we are out walking he is always lagging behind (hoping to turn around and go back home where he can lie in the sun) or pulling ahead once we’ve started our route back home. This has always been my assumption — Oshi doesn’t know he’s a dog — but then I started to notice that whenever we pass another dog or see another dog (especially one behind a fence) Oshi gets all huffy puffy and stands tall like a dog, not like a cat.

Man, did he have me fooled all these years. Here I thought he wasn’t really a dog because he never really wanted to go for a walk and he never really seemed to enjoy himself. (Whereas Perrito always thought being a dog was the best thing to be in the world!)

As for Rosie and Tyson, I’ve always thought they were big, tough dogs. I’ve seen so many photos of their strong, regal faces I thought for sure they were tough cookies. I mean, even their breed name (Boxer) sounds gnarly! But Gretchen tells me that while they may have some issues with fear and anxiety, they really are incredibly sweet. Another lesson learned.

I had to think twice today — did I learn anything from Gemma? Oh yeah, she’s really matured. I thought she’d stay a puppy forever and while she still has her moments…

…that she can stand in a stay position for photos and not race off after the squirrels is truly a picture worth a thousand words!

Of course, I can be good, too!

Alice’s pictures, though, do kind of tell a truthful story.

I know, I know, I know…she always looks like she’s going to crawl out of her skin with nervousness and while she’s nervous when we first pick her up — especially when we bring big, goofy Saber along — she really does settle into the walk and calms down quite a bit.

But still, she sits as far away from Saber whenever we pose for pictures because she’s not quite certain about his big, goofy energy.

And big and goofy he is! After we walked Alice, Saber came over to the house and we played towel games. Yep, he snagged a towel and I took it from him and then shoved it back in his face whereupon we play tug for awhile and then he barks at me.

It’s a lot more fun than it sounds especially when Saber barks to get it back. Now these photos is one where the picture doesn’t tell the whole story…

…he looks pretty mean, doesn’t he? There’s not a mean bone in this guy’s body! He’s a enormous clown and I, for one, love to joke with him. Goofball!

So those are my lessons for today. Thankfully it’s Friday so I can give myself a bit of a break in the lessons learned department. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Until Monday,

Rubin

Confidence

I’ve probably written about this before, but I suppose when there are issues in one’s life, they never really go away, they just keep returning so one can continue to work on them until eventually, hopefully they do go away.

I might look like a dog with lots of confidence, but deep down I have some basic fears that challenge my confidence from time to time. One of them is thunder. Another is fireworks. Another fear is that I’ll be left behind when I can see that the car is already packed for a trip. And I kind of have a fear of big, black dogs — Rottweiler’s usually — and big men who wear hats and speak with deep voices.

I’ve been working on these fears, trying to maintain my confidence when faced with a clap of thunder or a tall man in a hat, but sometimes those fears shake my confidence to the core and I find myself barking uncontrollably. That’s how I deal with my lack of confidence — I bark angrily hoping to chase the fear away. Others deal with their fears differently. Some dogs piddle on the spot. Some run away and hide behind an object or their owner’s legs. Some dogs chew things up and go kind of berserk with their frantic nervousness. Others get really quiet and turn their heads. Others dig holes. Some even bite.

There are many coping skills dogs can learn. I, for one, often get a massage when the fireworks start or a storm threatens our neighborhood. It calms me right down and in my relaxed state, I can call forth my inner confidence to stave off the onslaught of fear that sometimes overcomes me.

But today, Gretchen told me about Tyson and his fear of being left alone and I have to tell you, I felt for the guy. Tyson’s family (which includes his sister, Rosie) are amazing people. They’ll do anything for their dogs and when Tyson regressed into his fear of being left phase (he worked through it once before) they immediately took steps to help him. I won’t go into all the actions they took, but when I saw the photos from Gretchen’s walk with them today, I realized they’d purchased something Gretchen has always thought of purchasing for me — a thunder shirt.

The theory behind the shirt is that it swaddles fearful dogs like a blanket swaddles a human baby. Held secure, dogs are less likely to get wound up and go out of their heads with fear. When Gretchen told me about it, I scoffed. “I hate wearing my raincoat, why on earth would I want to wear that?” But then she told me about how it seemed to really help Tyson today. He was calmer, she said, and though he is as adverse to his raincoat as I am, he seemed comforted by the tight-fitting clothing.

Added bonus, he looks rather dapper in it, too!

We all have moments when our confidence wanes. Rosie has a number of triggers that make her bark (just like me) and Tyson, stoic and noble as he is, loses his confidence when he is left alone. Poor guy!

You might not think that Perrito or Gemma lose their confidence, but trust me, there are situations when both of them get a little nervous. For Gemma, it’s yard equipment like power mowers, weed eaters, and those crazy leaf blowers. She’ll tuck her untuckable tail in an instant if she sees one of those on the street.

Perrito doesn’t like big dogs coming at him (who can blame him) and sometimes even Ms. Gemma can cause him to lie flat on the pavement so as not to be seen. Though mostly, he just wants to chase her!

Oshi actually has far more confidence than his younger brother. What Oshi lacks is the knowledge that he is NOT a cat, but rather a dog who should go on regular walks and not just lie around in the sun all day!

Saber, since he’s the youngest, has many moments when his confidence gets the willies. I’ve talked about umbrellas before and sometimes large garbage bags will set him off. Today it was a garbage truck backing up, but the thing about Saber is that he overcomes his fears quickly and in a matter of moments, is whistling a confident tune.

In addition to walking all our clients today, I got to spend some time with Paige this weekend (sigh!) and even she has some moments when her confidence takes a vacation. Oddly, sometimes I make her lose her confidence because I tend to play kind of rough. Yes, I know she’s a Doberman and yes, I know everyone thinks they are big and tough and aggressive, but after spending time with Paige (sigh!) on a hike…

…and at the lake…

…I can tell you that she has doubts as well.

All this is a reminder to me that I am not alone in my moments of uncertainty. And not feeling alone makes me all the more confident that some day, when the thunder rumbles over head or the fireworks pop and boom outside or the when a Rottweiler approaches I’ll be able to hold my head up and move forward with great confidence.

I hope some day my friends can do the same!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Mostly Cloudy

Most mornings when we get up, we turn on the radio to listen to the news. Lately, though, we’ve listened to music. Gretchen says we need a break from all the negativity and that music gives us time to reflect and relax before we begin work. But this morning, the radio was turned on long enough for me to hear the announcer say, “Mostly cloudy all day.”

You might think that this would make me depressed, but in actuality, it made me dance a bit. It’s been hot. Not as hot as where my Aunt lives (in Virginia) where the temperatures have been over 100 degrees of late, but hot enough to make me want to just lie around on the cool bamboo floor right in front of the fan. But last night, when we went to bed, the fan wasn’t turned on, the windows weren’t open as wide, and a cool, brisk breeze blew the curtains around.

It was heaven.

And this morning, evidence of rain tickled my toes as I went out in the yard to take my first constitutional stroll. Blissful (the tickling mostly, but also the constitutional). I knew today was going to be a relaxing day even though it was the beginning of our work week. But I was ready after my nice weekend for something less hot than last week.

The weekend was active with visitors. First, Quillette came to stay with us for part of the weekend. It’s always nice to hang out with her. She teaches me how to make sad faces so I can get more treats!

Then the girls came over and we practiced dancing in the backyard. Well, they practiced and I watched on the lawn. Even then the weather was starting to change!

When our work started this morning with Rosie and Tyson, they were happy to see the change in weather, too because neither of them are big fans of the heat. They were hoping to go to the tennis courts for a romp, but the cooler weather didn’t stop the tennis players. So they posed in front of beautiful flowers…well, they posed pretty well until Tyson saw a large plane fly overhead! Then they looked longingly at Gretchen for their reward!

Gemma had to be told that it was colder. Nothing fazes her, though I did notice her desire to lie in my pool was mighty strong last week. This week she was bouncy and full of her typical terrier energy — much to Oshi’s dismay. Since Ann is off for the summer, she decided to help us out with Gemma, Oshi, and Perrito.

All of us went on our bouncy, tangled-leash stroll and headed to the tennis courts to see if they were free. Lo and behold they were and Perrito was particularly joyful about it all!

Oshi was his typical Eeyore self — slightly complaining that it was too cold to be away from his house, his family, and the new baby in their lives.

I was happy and Gemma, never one to let a little rain or a grumpy friend (Oshi) get her down, nosed us all into action.

The final walk of the day was with Alice who, despite her nervous barking when we first arrived, was happy to see us. She loved the cooler temperatures, too and we took off on a nice, long walk through the amazingly-gardened neighborhoods around her house.

Alice has two poses…the “What is that?” pose and the “I don’t see you taking my picture” pose. One day we’ll get a photo of her running. I have a feeling then she’d look a bit more relaxed!

I barely had time to say goodbye to Gretchen before she was out the door to her job at the pool. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Ann and we completed some chores around the house including taking a nap in the living room — one of our favorite things to do together.

Hope you all enjoyed the cooler temperatures. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

Until then,

Rubin

The Slow Walk

The heat did not really subside today, but there’s not much one can do about it except walk slowly. And that’s exactly what we did today — the slow walk of summer.

The first was with Monty and while the heat of the day had yet to reach it’s pinnacle, we were panting our way down to the lake for a morning dip in the cool, cool waters. No photos unfortunately as Gretchen didn’t want to carry her backpack in the heat if she didn’t have to, but trust me, we had a wonderfully good time!

Her next walk was with Rosie and Tyson and just like Monty and me, they walked slowly. They didn’t head to the lake, though. Nope, the walk was so slow they pretty much just meandered around the neighborhood finding shade (and flowers) where they could.

Gemma was next and even she walked slowly today. They picked up Oshi and Perrito who are often known to walk at their own speed, but today’s was particularly sluggish. They too sought out shady benches where they could pant and rest and pant some more.

Gemma stopped by to roll around with me in the backyard AFTER a lounge in the freshly filled kiddie pool. Gemma’s not much of a swimmer, but she sure loves to lie in the water! Monty just likes to get his feet wet!

Then Monty watched from his shady spot near Gretchen as we played in the shade under the tree.

Meanwhile, Ann brought lunch and we all just relaxed as best we could in the heat of the day.

Relaxing was hard to do, though because those sandwiches smelled particularly delicious. I wonder how cute we would have had to look to get some?

There was one more dog to walk, but since my life has been jam-packed with lots of swimming and activity, I got to rest at home with Monty while Gretchen took Saber down to the lake. While they didn’t walk as slowly as most of the dogs (they were headed to the lake after all), on the way back Saber was a little less rambunctious though extremely happy about his adventure in the lake.

He needs to practice, though, on retrieving the ball from the water! Silly guy!

It’s cooler now and Gretchen says she feels great after her shift at the hydrotherapy pool where the water is “just right!” I’ve taken a few more dips in the pool, eaten the grilled asparagus that’s fallen off the barbecue, and opened the front door to our overnight stay guest — Quillette. Life is busy around here, but luckily it’s the weekend and we’ll all get some rest!

Have a good one,

Rubin

Crush

Dogs aren’t like humans. You know that, of course, but I was thinking about it on a different level. Humans, for instances, get crushes — maddening attractions to people and things that they often can’t control. I’ve seen it happen. Gretchen has a current crush on coconut gelato. She wants to eat it every night, but knowing it’s not the healthiest of crushes, she’s trying to refrain.

Dogs don’t get crushes, at least not that I can tell.

Wait just a minute, little fella.

Gretchen, I didn’t know you were reading over my shoulder!

Well, I passed by and saw the title, which caught my attention. Then when I read the first few paragraphs, I had to interrupt.

So I take it you disagree.

Yes, emphatically!

Alrighty then, tell me why.

Let’s take you for example.

Moi?

Oh, don’t play innocent with me. You have your fair share of crushes and while it might not be on coconut gelato, I can think of some serious crushes you have.

Name one.

Just one? Okay, how about Richard, Colleen, and Jessica?

Those are my human friends.

Yes, but when you saw them this weekend, you almost crawled out of your skin with joy.

That’s because I hadn’t seen them in a long time.

They hadn’t seen you either, but they didn’t jump all over you and scream with excitement.

Did I do that?

Let me continue — while those are some though not all of your human friends, their dogs — Ginger, Monty, and Quillette — equally excite you!

And Wally, don’t forget Wally.

See? You were thrilled when you got to see them all this weekend.

Does that make it a crush? And is it possible for me to have some many crushes on so many different people and dogs?

Apparently it is.

But that’s it, right?

I’m not so sure. There are all the dogs we walk.

But they’re our clients. It would be unprofessional of me to have a crush on any of them.

This is true, but you wiggle with excitement when you see them.

I want to wiggle with excitement to see Rosie and Tyson. How come I never get to see them?

We’re working on it, buddy, but for now, they’re enough for me to handle on my own. Throwing your excitement into the mix will require another human to help me out.

Am I that out of control?

I plead the 5th.

What does that mean?

Let me continue…

Please do…this is turning out to be very entertaining.

One word — Gemma.

No way. I don’t have a crush on Gemma, Saber does. And Ollie, too.

More than one dog can have a crush on another dog.

They can?

Let’s take a look at how you play with Gemma.

What of it?

Well, most dogs find Gemma’s style of play annoying because she constantly pesters them.

That’s so true.

But you just give in. You let her chew on you, roll around on you, and grab your ankles. You wouldn’t let any other dog do that.

How does that make it a crush?

If you didn’t like her so much you wouldn’t put up with the behavior and when we’re heading over to her house, you get a certain bounce in your step.

Hm. But I definitely don’t have a crush on Oshi or Perrito.

Yes, I’d agree, though Perrito has one on you.

I know and maybe even Oshi who walks by my side constantly. He’s like my shadow.

You make him feel safe.

So what about Saber?

What do you think?

I think he adores me.

And  you, what do you feel about him?

I like him a lot, but I don’t think it compares to what I feel — or what you think I feel — for some other dogs.

Like Monty and Quillette and Ginger?

And Paige, let’s not forget about Paige.

Yes, but we didn’t walk her today.

Fair enough. Then what about Alice.

Alice is an interesting case. I think she might be too nervous to have a crush, but she definitely trusts you.

I agree. She’s a lot more comfortable when she sees me on the front step than she is when she sees Saber.

She’s warming up to Saber though.

Yeah, he’s easy to warm up to.

So do you want to restart this blog and retract what you’ve said about humans and dogs and crushes?

Look at the time! Aren’t you supposed to have some coconut ice cream about now?

Very funny. Unfortunately we’re out.

And it’s my bedtime. Good night all! Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Take Your Dog to Work Day

How ironic. There’s a whole day devoted to what I get to do all the time. Frankly, I think there should be a take your human to work day though I’m not exactly sure what that would look like. I guess it’s just a reminder of how lucky I am because every day I pretty much go to work with Gretchen and she comes to work with me. Okay, not all of our time is spent together — she’s at the hydrotherapy pool and though I’m more than welcome to come and hang out in the office, I prefer to rest at home especially since I’ve spent the day walking dogs.

Still I have to admit I have a pretty sweet little life.

And today was no exception. We had quite a day yesterday so today’s schedule was a nice reprieve. Just 6 dogs and 4 walks, which was a perfect way to end a busy week.

The first walk was with my buddy Monty. Since we both got coiffed yesterday, Gretchen tried to keep us looking pretty. Therefore as much as we wanted to swim at the lake, she wouldn’t give in.

She walked Rosie and Tyson after that and let me tell you, these are two dogs that would love to go to work with their parents. Lucky for them their parents often work from home so they don’t suffer too much.

Gretchen swung by and picked up Gemma after that and her parents often work from home so she’s not too lonely either. The plan was to pick up Oshi and Perrito so the three of them could hang out, but when Gretchen got to the boys’ house a surprise was waiting for her…well, a surprise written Spanish. Gretchen’s not so good at reading Spanish, but I am so I helped her out. Yep, Oshi and Perrito are the proud uncles (siblings?) of Micah, a baby boy born to their mom early this morning. Congratulations!

Gemma was even happy to celebrate with a group table dance!

After the boys got dropped off, Gemma and Gretchen came by to pick Monty and me up and off we went to play fetch first at the tennis courts…

I thought we’d pick up Saber but he got to go to work with his parents today. Sure hope they raised all their valuables and breakables above his wagging, powerful tail line!

And then we dropped Gemma off while Monty and I played more fetch at the little field!

Whew that was fun and though the sky was gray and kind of cloudy, it was warm. We heated up fast so we got to come back home and rest while Gretchen ate some lunch and got herself ready for her work at the hydrotherapy pool. She asked if I wanted to go along, but frankly staying at home feels like just the kind of change of pace I need!

Hope you all had fun taking your dogs to work! Happy Friday,

Rubin

Over Indulgences

Whew, what a weekend I had! Woobie has been our house guest this past week and this morning, she went back home, but for a last hurrah, we took a little trip over the weekend up to Gretchen’s old stomping grounds – Port Townsend. I won’t spend too much time telling you about the wild and crazy times, but suffice it to say, it was dog heaven.

First, our hosts — Buster and Dozer — were gracious, hospitable, and more than anything, barrels of fun. They live out in the woods and they have a great yard in which to play as well as this amazing park right by their house where we went for long walks on wooded trails.

Buster is older and not as active as Dozer who was young and spry enough to chase me around their big yard. Then we walked at the State Park (their backyard of sorts) and Woobie and I got to smell the deer and squirrels and raccoons, and who knows what else. It was glorious!

But the best part is that they live within 3 minutes of a beach. I love playing at the beach and apparently Woobie does too! Here’s just a sampling of our beach fun.

Of course, I over did it and ingested a bunch of sand while playing fetch with my favorite ball. I paid for it later with quite the upset tummy Sunday night and didn’t get much sleep.

So as you can imagine between a wild weekend and an upset tummy I was tired today, but duty called and I had never shirk my duties!

The first duty was to return Woobie home. She was thrilled to see her family and even though I’m going to miss her, I’m glad she is back where she belongs! Sleep well without me, Woobie!

Then we walked Oshi and Perrito. They were so happy to see us because lately they’ve had to play second fiddle to their mom being pregnant. The baby should arrive any day now and it was all Oshi and Perrito could talk about! Well, Oshi talked about it and Perrito grunted and groaned over his special little ball.

I got to rest after that romp, which was a good thing since my over indulgent weekend zapped me of my usual endurance. Gretchen walked Rosie and Tyson while I slept and those two were not only happy to see Gretchen, but equally happy to see their parents who had gone wine tasting in Oregon over the weekend.

According to Gretchen, Rosie and Tyson are a study in contrasts. Tyson is Mr. Serious and his look is always questioning. “Am I doing this right?” he’ll ask when Gretchen requests a pose.

Rosie, on the other hand, can be serious, but underneath it all she’s kind of a clown. When they pose for a photo, Rosie is always contemplating how to walk away. She’s gotten better at staying for longer periods, but in the back of her mind she’s thinking, “I could just walk over there and no one will ever notice!”

Gemma had a house guest too and when Gretchen stopped by to pick her up, Gemma introduced her to Cooper — a whippet. Cooper was a bit skittish so the three of them went on a walk so Cooper could feel a bit more relaxed. You can tell by his ears that relaxation wasn’t in the cards today.

When they came by the house to pick me up, Cooper was quite leery of me, but eventually those ears came up if only for a second. Gemma and I just played around him. I’m not sure if it made him less anxious or more.

Finally, we dropped off Gemma and Cooper and picked up Saber. The two of us got to play fetch at the park after a nice long walk, but Gretchen only took photos of us after the exercise. As you can see, we’re both tired from the game!

The afternoon was uneventful as Gretchen went off to work at the hydrotherapy pool. I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to get some much needed rest. Gretchen hopes I’ve learned my lesson that over indulging doesn’t always make for a happy Monday!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Hard to Believe

Monty’s Mom calls this month “Juneary” as in January in June. Yes, it’s been cloudy and gray, we’ve had more than our fair share of rain, and lately it’s been cold — not your typical June in Seattle.

But today the sun came out. Yes, the sun — that warm, glowing star high up in the sky that keeps our planet alive.

So it wasn’t like a normal summer day where the temperatures hovered in the mid-70s and the sky was eye-achingly blue. No, it was a day with a few clouds, no rain, and a bit warmer temperatures, but at this point, I’ll take whatever hint of summer I can get.

Our clients were happy about the day, too as we set out for our final day of a very long dog-walking week. Woobie, our house guest, agrees with the long, hard week. Last night, as we both curled up to sleep – she in my bed, me in hers — she whispered to me, “I feel like I could sleep for days, Rubin. How do you do this every week?”

“It’s my job,” I replied and then said, “You better get some rest because tomorrow will come quickly and it’s another full day.” With that Woobie and I slept and dreamt and sighed really big sighs. It’s nice having her around.

And this morning did come fast and furious. We woke early, ate breakfast and then set out for our money walk with Monty. I think I’ve said this before, but Monty has as serious crush on Woobie. I’m not sure she’s noticed yet, but Monty (whose nickname should be Romeo) does everything he can to share his heart’s desires whenever we’re together and since we were together most of the day, you can imagine how he’s worn himself out flirting!

Gretchen got a special treat on this warmer, sunnier day and that was an extra-long walk with Rosie and Tyson. Since the normal half hour got extended to an hour, Monty, Woobie, and I rested at home while the three of them played and then walked. Rosie was the happiest about the sun since she thought yesterday was way too cold.

Since it was warm and Rosie tends to get overheated, they walked down through the cool shade of Frink Park…

Oshi likes the warmer days the most of any of us. Since he thinks he’s a cat, he balks at going outside if the thermometer drops below 70 and lately, it’s had a hard time pushing 59 so you can imagine it’s been a chore to get him out the door.

Perrito doesn’t care at all about the weather. He just wants to stretch his legs and look for mischief around every corner.

He’s a lot like Gemma in that regard. Gemma sees the outdoors as her hunting grounds. She bounds down the steps of her house on the offense ready to meet, greet, or eat whatever crosses her path. She and Perrito make a good match!

For Saber, each day is wondrous surprise. When we show up, he’s always thrilled to see who’s on the porch waiting for him and he’s even more thrilled when he sees the sun, feels the warm, and realizes he gets to spend an hour with his friends. Of course, he loves some of us more than others!

The day ended with Monty going home and Woobie and I watching Gretchen head off to work at the pool.

“How does she do it?” Woobie asked me after Gretchen walked out the door. “I’m beat and she just keeps going!”

“I’m not sure,” I responded honestly, “but I’m thankful for the time apart because we get to rest and sleep and dream about more warm days!”

“Good idea,” she said. “A very good idea!” And with that we fell asleep until dinner time.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe my life is so wonderful, but when the sun comes out, my wonderful life really glows! Hope yours does too!

Have a good weekend,

Rubin

Listening for Love Songs

Today, on our walk through the neighborhoods, I heard an interesting sound. “What’s that?” I asked Gretchen.

“Someone is singing, I think.”

I turned my head slightly in the direction of the sound and listened intently. “But what are they singing?” I asked.

“It sounds like a love song,” she replied.

“How do you know it’s a love song?” I’m three-years-old and I ask a lot of questions.

“Well,” she paused for a moment, “The song is slow and the melody is kind of romantic.”

“Can you make out the words?”

“No because I think they’re singing in an Asian language,” she said.

“A what?” I was stumped. Dogs only speak one language so we can all understand each other.

“Humans have different languages they speak,” she explained. “You know how when Liliana, your groomer, always talks to you in Spanish?”

“She does?”

“Yes, she does, but you understand her completely,” Gretchen pointed out.

“I guess I do, but I never thought it was any different than how you talk,” was my response.

“Well it’s different, but Asian languages are really different than Spanish or English.”

“How so?” I was obsessed with questions today.

“Oh Rubin, it’s hard to explain,” she said, but tried anyway. “Asian languages are more tonal. Like one sound can have different meanings depending on how they are said. Whereas in English, the words carry the meaning more than the tone.”

“I don’t agree,” I said. “You change your tone quite a bit when you’re talking to me and the other dogs and we know the difference between “sit” said in a soft down and “sit” said in firm tone.”

She laughed. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, which is why explaining the difference between Asian languages and English is hard.”

We walked in silence for awhile until I was compelled to ask, “So how did you know it was a love song, Asian or not?”

“Because music is a kind of universal language and I could just feel the tenderness of the song even though I couldn’t understand the words,” she explained.

I thought about this for awhile. “Does everyone sing love songs?”

She laughed again, “Yes, I think everyone does at one time in their life.” And then she surprised me when she asked me, “Do you ever sing love songs?”

I know it’s hard to imagine a dog blushing, but today it happened for me. “That’s kind of a personal question,” I replied.

“Are you blushing little man?” Gretchen looked at me closely. “Don’t be embarrassed. I think everyone likes to sing love songs. They make us feel, I don’t know…”

“Loved?” I offered.

“Yes, loved and the language they are sung in really doesn’t matter,” she added.

We headed on down the road and sure enough, not ten minutes later we saw a man on a park bench and he was singing.

“It’s a love song,” I explained to Woobie (who is staying with us for awhile).

“Yes, I know,” she said, “And he’s singing in Spanish.” It was clear she’d been paying attention to our earlier conversation though she hadn’t participated.

“Do you sing love songs, Woobie?” I asked.

“Oh yes,” she said. “I sing silly songs and happy songs and sad songs and energetic songs, but the songs I love to sing the most are love songs.”

“Would you sing one for me now?” I asked shyly.

“Sure, what language would you like me to sing in?”

“You know more than one language,” I asked amazed.

“All dogs know all languages, Rubin,” she reassured me. “You just aren’t aware of all the languages you know.”

“I’m not?”

“Don’t think like a human,” she said. “Don’t listen to the words like humans do. Open up and let your heart be your ears. Listen to everything else besides the words and tell me what you think that man over there is singing.”

Woobie is older and wiser and so I did what she said. It took me a little bit to get the hang of it, but when I did, all of the sudden my whole body was filled with a happy glow. I must have smiled unknowingly because Woobie said, “You hear it, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” and with that I spent the rest of my day listening for love songs. Let me tell you, they are everywhere! The world is a much happier place, I’ll admit, when you let yourself hear love songs.

Try it some time. You won’t be sorry.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

PS — Gretchen says I’m supposed to tell you that all the photos from today are from our walks with Monday’s clients — Rosie and Tyson, Oshi and Perrito, Gemma, Saber, Alice and yes, Woobie and me. They listened for love songs, too throughout the day.

PSS — Gretchen says that’s why she likes spending time with dogs — they help her hear love in a whole new way.

PSSS — I’m blushing again!

The rest of our day in photos…

I’m pestering Woobie to play with me…and she takes the bait!!

Rosie and Tyson have a party of their own…but only Rosie dances!

Gemma asks us where the party is…

Saber and Alice party at the lake…well, maybe only Saber…Alice just tries to stay out of his way…