Hodge Podge at The Lodge

Today is a good day.  Ok, it started off with a wicked crazy thunderstorm and all kinds of snarky from the non-furry children here at The Lodge but it's a good day.

Why?

Barberry-Hope decided that she'd had enough of being downstairs while everybody else was up.  She climbed the stairs all by herself and after examining every room and peeing in the computer room, she laid down on the Scooby Doo blanket in our room!

Down was a bit more of a challenge but after me "helping" her the first time down, the rest, as they say, is history.  By the time we left for school, she was up and down like a pro.

Wilma KarmaJane decided that she was not a big fan of thunderstorms and hid behind me with eyes as wide as saucers.  OOh, Scawy!

After fixing my cool dog park boots for the second time,  (They're hot pink Wellies with different colored dogs on them - maybe you've seen me), the time has come to say good-bye to my fun friends.  The gum that I jammed in the cracked seam and the shoo-goo I put over the top FAILED.  Sigh.  And of course I can't find any that look anything close to that, anywhere.  I ordered some new ones from a major retailer and they should be here soon.  Til then I'll keep trying to keep my sox dry with bags over my feet. Nice.

Ok, that was a low.  But after driving around and evaluating the various downpours and sprinkles in Waukesha County, I figured I would give the dog park a go. 

There was one other patron there when I arrived but he soon left and it was just me and the pack. I've been leaving Mocha at home as her "knees" aren't what they used to be and she limps pretty hard when we get home.  I'd like to hope she enjoys the quiet and all the free snacks left behind while everyone has gone.

Wilma-KarmaJane is growing daily at the park.  The regulars have been watching her grow and become a dog that will become a pet.  Yesterday, she let Pam hold her face and scratch her neck.  YaY!  Today, she let Mike, Indy and Henry's dad, give her a little head pat too!  I'm still not so sure how she'll do with kids younger than 10 - but we'll keep at it.

When I first get a dog and take it to the dog park, I keep it on a leash.  I have no clue, most of the time of the personality or it's running ability.  With Barberry-Hope, I'm pretty sure I've got her figured out, yeah, after three days.  She's a bit shy but she's coming out of her shell quite nicely.  I keep a harness on her as I'm afraid she may slip the collar if she gets spooked.

We did our usual laps around the park.  Let me stop and tell you that whatever it is about Barberry-Hope, she prefers to go clockwise around the dog park.  Everybody else in the world, walks in the gate, turns right and does their laps.  Not this girl, she fights every step of the way.  I finally figured, why fight it, let's try it.

I've dropped the leash and let her drag it.  So now, she stops and sniffs and trots a little to catch up.  I'm kind of thinking that she won't be too much trouble to catch, until she is, so I took the rope off.  This resulted in:

Ya ta ta tah!  More RUNNING!  AND EVEN BETTER -  :)  SMILING  (:

Of course, I hadn't really planned on hanging around the dog park too long today as the weather was so cruddy so I had no camera along so I have no pictures, maybe tomorrow.

YaY Barberry-Hope! 

So after all the running and playing and smiling, all four dogs are laying down, yes, even Barberry-Hope - I was beginning to wonder when she would ever sleep!

Thanks for thinking rescue and reading the blog.  Please pass it along if you think that someone else might enjoy it or if they are looking for a new friend!