Taking Turns

We often turn to Mindy and ask her how it feels to be the good dog once in a while.  She just looks at us and jiggles that little nub of a tail of hers.

Lucy has generally been really good in the month we've been her family.  As long as you don't let her get too far away from you she responds immediately if you call her.  She's learned to sit, heel, wait, "out of the kitchen" and is coming along with stay.  She still sometimes has accidents in the house.  And if she's one step further away from you her hearing gets very selective.  She loves car rides, though, so a couple of times I've tricked her by opening the hatch on the car and telling her she's going to miss the ride.  She comes running.

Today we took the girls out for a walk.  We walked to the bank, and then through downtown to the river.  They were on their retractable leashes and as we stood by the riverbank, Mindy somehow got her leash tangled in a thorn tree.  I unclipped the leash to untangle it and she went romping down the path and through the bushes.  We untangled the leash and called her.  She came immediately and was so proud of herself.

Now, Mindy... definitely a dog with personality.  I don't know why, but she'll find the grossest, most disgusting things and she wants that smell all over her.  One day, while out herding her back into our yard, she found a flat cat.  This cat had been dead quite a long while, but she was compelled to roll around on it.  I haven't a clue why.  When we're out on our hikes we often come across fox scat -- she'll roll in it.

Today... (sigh) she found a massive pile of fresh bear poop.  When we called her she came running up to us covered with a brown, clumpy goo.  And she stank.  No, she didn't just stink.  She reeked.  Les was speechless as he clipped the leash to her collar.  Lucy and I walked the 1/2 mile or so home with Les and Mindy about 30 yards or so in front of us.  I wasn't interested in coming any closer.  I love Les, but there are limits.

Les & Mindy took a detour on the way home by way of the car wash.  They have a dog wash room at the car wash.  She had an immediate bath.  I took Lucy home and drove over to the dog wash just as Les was doing the final rinse.  Oh, that smell.

The things we do for our pets, huh?