Episode #26: NEW PLACES

Amy Shackelford
Aug 23, 2021
4 min read

Updated: Aug 26, 2021

Bonnie

Clyde

We decided to take the pups to the Arboretum this week. We literally picked up Bonnie and Clyde and lifted them into the truck. They both have the power to jump in, but they lack the confidence. After loading them in the truck, we waited to see if the would try to jump out if the window were down. I kept a close eye on them, ready to scold them if they even started to reach up with their paw. Proudly, they did not.

Clyde quickly grabbed his spot by the window and leaned out just enough to feel a good breeze. I watched his nose in overdrive as we drove through all the new smells. You could tell he loved every moment of the truck ride, but as the truck increased speed, Clyde’s head magically pulled back into the truck.

Bonnie liked the truck ride as well. She paced back and forth between the windows so that she could see EVERYTHING possible. She too, stuck her head out the window, but not as much as Clyde.

We drove around town a little, and the pups soaked in every second; then we finally we there: the Arboretum. We lifted them out of the truck and took off. Bonnie handled the new sites and smell by exploring every other blade of grass. I’m sure there were people smells, dog smells, food smells, trash smells, and more. They were in for a treat!

Bonnie didn’t pull to bad. She was very behaved; but Clyde was a different story. It was sensory overload to him. He wanted to smell everything that was right out of reach. And he wanted to smell it NOW. So he pulled and pulled and pulled. If he wasn’t smelling it, he was marking it. He tried to greet every walker on the walking path, sniff every flower, and mark every tree. He proved to be a handful! Even though he was a handful, we knew that he was just so excited, he was using that power that is normally more controllable. MORE TRAINING IT IS!!!

When we got back to the truck Clyde actually jumped into the truck, Bonnie plopped down in the seat and called it a night.

Toward the end of the night when they were winding down, they started lazy wrestling. This term was created by Moxie and Penny when they would wrestle while lying still. It looks like slow motion, usually just involving their mouths and occasionally a paw or two.

Clyde was already in the crate for the night and Bonnie came to the crate door (which was wide open) and started lazy wrestling through the metal door. They both were so focused on getting each other that they didn’t stop to see that if they took a step to the side, they could reach each other a lot better.

Such goof balls! But I did get good pictures.

Bonnie and Clyde love to wrestle. So many times, every day they run around the house or the backyard giving each other all they got. But once, Bonnie bit Clyde on the leg so hard that he limped, stopped playing, and sat by Bradley for several minutes. We checked him out. There was no broken skin, no blood, and after he calmed down, no feel of any damage. He is the bigger of the two, but Bonnie never lets him forget that she wants to be in charge.

Ashley, over the past few months, has “zyrbert”ed the pups on the belly many times. You know, the 1980’s, Bill Cosby reference when you do the motorboat. Ashley would roll them over and motorboat their bellies to see how they would react. Bonnie would usually contemplate, look at her like she was weird, but that was it. Clyde, on the other hand would always jump up, taking his belly out or your reach. He was never mean, but you could always tell that he was not a fan!

Today, Brady “zybert”ed both of them again. Bonnie, playing her part as expected, looked at Brady, trying to figure him out, but did nothing. What is worth remembering is Clyde’s reaction to this all too familiar playful torture. With belly exposed, as soon as Brady started coming toward his belly, he but his back paws up to block him. We all laughed. Brady tried again, but Clyde blocked him AGAIN, leaving no doubt that he knew what was coming and that he was not having it.

I can’t wait for Ashley to try it so that she can see what she initiated.

I have learned their signals some. If either one of them follow me close enough to touch me (that obviously doesn’t apply when their sniffing), then nose me even after I sit sown; I know they need to go out. I’ve missed a few of these silent signals and have paid the price, but they are doing great over all.

Shake

A cute trick that is easy for a dog to learn and will boost his confidence. I just started picking up a paw and shaking it while saying “shake.” Give them a treat afterwards and soon, they will catch on. After Bonnie and Clyde understood the concept, I started having them do both paws before they got the treat. It is cute and easy to have a kid command them to ease any tension.

Bradley came home from works and got the typical dog greeting. Clyde was taking up all of the room in Bradley’s “sight”, and Bonnie was having trouble getting any attention. She climbed on the couch and got Bradley from behind. She put her paws up on Bradley’s shoulders like a child climbing on their daddy’s back. She got her attention! (Not allowed on the couch, but soooo cute!)

Evidently, during play, Bonnie over stretched a muscle. She limps around the house trying not to put weight om her back leg. I tried to give her a massage but that made her limp worse! But Bradley checked her, and she didn’t yelp at his touch. So, we will give her a few days to recover. She still runs in the backyard and plays so it can’t be too bad. When she went to eat dinner, she ate it while lying down. Why Bonnie…just why? Oh, baby, I know why!